“A World of Color” is a series that will frame the wide majority of this editor’s column. The series will focus on different topics all of which are a large part of the Black experience and what it means to be a black person in today’s society. This series will feature three installments, the first being a description of code switching followed by describing the impact of hair in the black community and lastly, debunking the usage of African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and the impact it has had on society and trends.
Box braids, cornrows, silk presses, and dreadlocks are all extremely popular hairstyles in the black community today, all of which carry significance in black history and in modern day. Hair care in the black community has had a large importance that dates back over 400 years ago, each style signifying a period of time within the black community and often acting as a means of protection for black people as they were living in a time where the slightest identification of being black created danger.
Braids
Years ago as a way of communication, enslaved people would braid each other’s hair in patterns of escape routes as a way to guide people to freedom without saying it out loud. These escape route patterns are patterns that still appear in hairstyles today like cornrows. It is this particular part of history that creates controversy around whether or not people outside of the black community should wear these specific hairstyles. Out of respect for the history, origin, and purpose of these hairstyles, people outside of African American heritage should not wear these styles.
Silk Press
A silk press is a hairy style that requires multiple heating tools operating at a high enough temperature to straighten one’s natural curls. This hairstyle became popular in the 1900s and has remained popular since. This process originated as a way to protect against hair discrimination during the hiring processes and other acts of aggression from terrorist groups during day to day life. Today, there are a wide range of tools available to achieve the straight hair look and it is mainly used when people with naturally curly hair want to switch up their look.
Dreadlocks
Dreadlocks have been worn by people all across the continent of Africa since 3,000 B.C. They are a symbol of freedom and the nature of how the curly and kinky hair of black people grow when natural and untouched. This hairstyle is one most discriminated against because of the stereotype that the style is dirty and unkempt. In reality, dreadlock maintenance is very important. It requires regular washing and use of moisturizer to prevent the growth of mold. Dreadlocks are now a symbol of self expression, freedom, and an homage to those who came before us who were afforded the tools to prevent the formation of dreadlocks.
Hair in the black community has held significance for years as it marks the different needs and struggles of the black community over time. Now it is a symbol of remembrance of why these hairstyles were necessary for the protection and survival of black people as they waited for a society where these protections weren’t needed. Today these hairstyles are worn with pride as members of the black community honor all that they have overcome and all that they will.
Feature image: An original image picturing three black hairstyles: braids, afro, and dread locs, and images of their historical origins (MIA CALIVA/ Ethic News Photo)
Orangewood High School students from Black Student Union and MEChA clubs visited Victoria Elementary School to read books focused on Black history and culture on Feb. 26.
San Bernardino Valley Community College held a Black History Month event for local high schools with various guest speakers on Feb. 2. The “Pass The Mic” field trip offered so many resources and great advice for students this year by presenting multiple important topics. Guest speakers addressed how to start your own business, the signs of domestic violence, and mental health issues. At the end of the sessions, performances were held outside with dancers, singers, and even musicians.
When the event started, all the different high schools such as San Gorgonio, Carter, Hesperia, and the four Redlands high schools: Citrus Valley, Redlands East Valley, Orangewood, and Redlands, joined together in the theater for keynote speaker Demarco Washington. Washington spoke about how to navigate college and life after high school. After the speaker’s presentation, the room broke into small groups to start the different sessions.
“The open mic event really opened my eyes to relevant conversations that are always needed as growing into young adults. I enjoyed the positivity and education on opportunities for careers and how to go about life aware and cautious of safety” says Citrus Valley senior Anniya Session.
The domestic violence presentation was one of the most emotional and serious presentations of the day. The speaker spoke about different real domestic violence cases and about how easily teens can fall victim to many different kinds of abuse such as verbal abuse and mental abuse as well as physical abuse. During the presentation, the speaker also talked about the importance of self-love and body positivity. This was to explain that people without self-love are more susceptible to different kinds of abuse.
The mindful space presentation discussed different coping mechanisms that students can use to deal with stress, depression, and anxiety. This presentation also explained how people cope in different, unconventional ways such as dancing, singing, or drawing. Students were given more important information such as the national suicide hotline number which is 988. During this presentation, there were t-shirts and water bottles given to students who remembered information about the presentation.
“The most impactful part of this all was being allowed to come together as a community,” says Orangewood senior Skye Gaynair. “We came together to not only physically see each other but to educate one another, celebrate one another, and love each other.”
After all the presentations were complete, the students were released to explore different pop-up informational booths and fill out a bingo card for every booth visited. There were multiple booths discussing how to get into business or how to start their own business. There were also sororities and other extracurriculars offered at the booths. After visiting the booths, students were given a free lunch which was a sandwich of their choice and a water bottle on the side.
To close out the event, the San Gorgonio BSU (Black Student Union) step team performed a dance and step routine for the audience. After them followed multiple other performers such as rap artists, Latin rap artists, and traditional Spanish musicians. (Naleiah Miller/ Ethic News photo)
The Pass The Mic event served as a very educational and informational event for young students. This event is important to the community because it offers information on serious topics that teens don’t often get the chance to hear. This advice information and experience will stick with students and influence them to make good decisions in the future.
“This event taught me that a sense of community matters and how important it is to see people who think or look like you being able to break unimaginable barriers,” says Gaynair.
The event was very successful as it got close to everyone who participated and did an amazing job putting together such a big event. It was a great experience to hear different stories to help make your own businesses, how to prevent domestic violence and even how to cope with mental illness.
Members from the Black Student Union at high schools in Redlands Unified School District take a picture with Dr. Alise Clouser of San Bernardino Valley College. (NALEIAH MILLER/Ethic News Photo)
Members from the Black Student Union at high schools in Redlands Unified School District, the Umoja program at San Bernardino Valley College take a picture with Dr. Alise Clouser of San Bernardino Valley College and Superintendent Juan Cabral of RUSD. (NALEIAH MILLER/Ethic News Photo)
Dr. Alise Clouser and Redlands Unified School District superintendent Juan Cabral with support team who helped coordinate the ‘Pass the Mic’ event at San Bernardino Valley College. (NALEIAH MILLER/Ethic News Photo)
College of various presentations and performances that took place at this ‘Pass the Mic’ event at San Bernardino Valley College. (NALEIAH MILLER/Ethic News Photo)
MeAnna Smith is the Culture editor for Ethic News.
“A World of Color” is a series that will frame the wide majority of this editor’s column. The series will focus on different topics all of which are a large part of the Black experience and what it means to be a Black person in today’s society. This series will feature three installments, the first being a description of code switching followed by describing the impact of hair in the Black community and lastly, debunking the usage of African American Vernacular English and the impact it has had on society and trends.
It is widely known that the history of our country is not the purest. What is not commonly known is that this country has suffered permanent damage caused by our ignominious historical events. Events such as slavery, segregation, Japanese American incarceration camps, inequality, and the American genocide of Native Americans has caused long lasting effects on how certain minority groups now live their life as members of society in our country today.
As time goes on and society changes, what used to be acts of violence and inequality taken out on minorities has slowly become microaggressions, stereotypes, and implicit bias. Because systemic racism shows no sign of letting up, minority groups have developed certain avoidance techniques in an attempt to escape microaggressions and other acts of racism. The most frequently used of these techniques being code switching, which is used almost daily for many people of color.
What is code switching exactly?
Code switching is the act of a person of color altering the way they act and or speak when around a certain demographic. For example, many African Americans may act and speak a certain way when surrounded by other Black people or people they deem safe to be themselves around, but will code switch to a more socially acceptable way of speaking and acting when surrounded by white people or other non-Black people.
How do people code switch?
Code switching can be done in various ways depending on the setting and the people around. For example, in a corporate work setting, many Black people feel the need to speak in a way that their white coworkers can relate to in order to gain their respect and hopefully avoid any microaggressions. This same situation can also be seen in schools. Many Black students who attend predominantly white schools tend to act and speak differently in fear of being made fun of for speaking the way that they speak at home or around others in the same culture.
What can code switching look like?
Code switching can be seen in many different forms and look different depending on the situation. Let’s explore some situational examples of code switching. In this situation, there is a Black student who is attending a predominantly white school. While at school, when being spoken to, they may sit up straight and annunciate their words while saying something like “Hello, how are you today?” However, when surrounded by their friends or people they are comfortable around they may not feel the need to speak so properly because they know these people will not look down on them or make fun of the way they grew up speaking which may lead them to say something like “Ay, whats up?” or “What’s good?”
Is code switching harmful?
The act of code switching stems from a person of color’s understanding that if they were to speak and act how they normally would in a cultural setting, they wouldn’t be taken seriously in professional settings or they may be looked down upon. This is a harmful mindset to maintain because it enables the idea that a person of color is too unprofessional or not intelligent enough to be put in the same setting as white people. People of color should feel secure in their intelligence and professional position without having to alter the way they speak to ensure the respect of their peers.
Code switching has and will continue to be used as long as society gives people of color a reason or need to act in a way that the rest of society feels comfortable with. Until society learns to accept and embrace other aspects of cultures that they may not feel comfortable with, people of color will continue to use code switching as a means of protection.
Feature image: Digital art depicting two sides of a woman representing the duality of what code switching is to a person of color. Image created using canva.com. (Ethic News image by Mia Caliva)
By ALEX VERDUZCO, JENAIA THOMPSON, AMBER BOGH and ANGELA MOAWAD
Valentines Day is a Holiday celebrated in many countries on Feb. 14. Near the end of the 5th century, Pope Gelasius replaced the celebration of Lupercalia with St. Valentine’s Day. Valentines Day is celebrated for people to show their appreciation for each other, such as through greetings and gifts.
How did students at staff from different high schools around Redlands spend their Valentine’s Day?
Redlands East Valley’s Associated Student Body wrote every student’s name on a heart note placed on the bulletin downstairs in the English building as well as the gym doors (not pictured) on the morning of Feb. 14, 2024 in order to encourage students to find their name and inspire Valentine’s Day spirit. (ALEX VERDUZCO/ Ethic News Photo)
Lupe Barba, Citrus Valley High School counselor, says he “got flowers and took them to his wife at work” and she loved them. After work, Barba got “Cuca’s burritos and had a wonderful dinner.” Barba and his wife have been together for 44 years.
Kami Pham, a Citrus Valley freshman, spent Valentine’s day “sick, failing tests, and with a sore throat.”
Citrus Valley students, Dominic Stevenson a senior, Claire Olson a freshman, and Emma Ritter a junior say they had a great Valentines Day. Stevenson “played volleyball after school.” Olson “took a nap” and Ritter “hung out with friends.” (AMBER BOGH/Ethic News photo)
Jessica Washburn, office clerk at Citrus Valley, said she “went to work, went home, took a walk, and made spaghetti for her husband.”
Orangewood High School senior Kai Moyles and Kevin went to Build-A-Bear at Ontario Mills for Valentine’s Day. Moyles says Ontario Mills was packed and there was a long line at Build-a-Bear. (Photo courtesy of Kai Moyles)
Citrus Valley freshman hearts in the C building, shaped in their graduating year, 2027. (AMBER BOGH/Ethic News photo)
Jesse O’Donnell, math teacher and aquatics coach at Citrus Valley says that he “worked, coached swim practice, then coached a baseball practice for his sons.”
Rebecca Strode, English 9 Honors teacher at Citrus Valley “hosted a Galentines party” at her house for her daughter. (ANNALEIGH DE LA ROSA/ Ethic News Photo)
Chalk art of hearts can be seen in the hallway heading towards the J-Wing on Valentine’s Day morning at the Redlands East Valley High School campus. (ALEX VERDUZCO/ Ethic News photo)
Alan Perez, United States history teacher at Citrus Valley High School, spent “the first half at work” and the second half with his wife. Perez said he “took her to dinner and gave her a nice gift.” (AMBER BOGH/Ethic News Photo)
The Village of SBC hosted its 9th annual MLK Day celebration on Jan. 15, and it’s their first year of adding a resource fair. This celebration had classrooms where they learned about Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., resources with free food boxes and additional information, prize-giving competitions and live performances.
When the doors opened at 10 a.m, the event started with watching videos teaching about MLK. The Chair of this event, Alise Clouser, welcomed everyone in and brought up special guest speakers such as, Mayor Eddie Tejeda, Council member Mario Saucedo and Superintendent Juan Cabral.
The students dispersed into different classrooms based on their grades with each assigned teacher. Kindergarten through second grade was Melissa Richey, third through fifth was Kayla Anthony and Zonnia Montgomery, sixth through eighth was Jiselle Bryant and Kristen Anthony, and finally ninth through twelfth was Kevin Anthony and Lyz Green.
In those classrooms, each student received a packet filled with the history of MLK. The students got to have interactive activities with the teachers and could share their own experiences based on how they felt about racism and prejudice. As the student’s grade increased, the information on MLK’s life and the improvement that he brought about for other minorities went more into depth.
In kindergarten through fifth, they got to learn who Martin Luther King Jr. was and how his kids felt during the time. Sixth through eighth grade students first went through their own lesson on how they would feel if they couldn´t be friends with others because of the color of their skin. Then, the sixth through eighth grade group learned about the accomplishment that Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. did at such a young age. A couple minutes later that group went to join the ninth through twelfth graders to have a debate. In this debate they argued on whether kids should listen to their parents or not.
After each class was finished, they were sent to visit the resource fair with different varieties of booths. Some of the booths consisted of Umoja from San Bernardino Valley College giving away merchandise, Redlands East Valley High School’s Black Student Union providing free face painting, the Family and Community Engagement department from Redlands Unified School District giving away free food boxes, Chicka’s Cakes giving free cupcakes, Book Mobile providing new kids books, and The Trailblazer Project giving out cartoon books.
Photo collage of various booths, speeches and activities at the MLK Celebration in Redlands on Jan. 15, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Redlands East Valley Black Student Union)
As an opener, the Anthony Family sang the National Black Anthem.
The first interactive performance was Larena Garcia from the FACE department holding a puppet show where she read a book about young Martin Luther King Jr. ‘s experience when he was child to the audience. The puppets were voiced by Kevin Antony, Kristen Anthony, and Kayla Anthony, who would give remarks based off the story with funny dialogue.
During the event the Yaya Praise Dancers performed to ‘Get Up’ by Tye Tribbett.
During the day there was a contest going on for an art and a speech one where all grades can enter and win cash prizes. K-2nd participant winner would get $75, 3rd-5th would get $100, 6th-8th would get $125, and 9th-12th would get $150.The winner of the speech contest for 9th-12th grade was Jazz Daughtery. The 3rd-5th contest winner was Langston Buffong. The winner of the K-2 contest was Xavier Buffong.
The Winners of the speech contest all grades along with Alise Clouser, chair of the event. (Photo courtesy of Redlands East Valley Black Student Union)
Closing out the event Bishop Jackie Green brought up on stage the president of REV BSU Samya Miller, Maria Saucedo and Chair event holder Alise Clouser. Then she told everyone to cross arms and link hands as we all sang “We Shall Overcome” together in harmony. After the song she then held a prayer with everyone to officially close the 9th annual Martin Luther King Jr. event.
The Family And Community Engagement Department came out to support Anthony Chavies and LaRena Garcia. Garcia read a childrens book of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. younger self. (Photo courtesy of Redlands East Valley Black Student Union)
“I was so nervous to be reading in front of such a large audience mixed with children, adults and the mayor and other city officials,” Garcia said. “But then I thought of my mom and read to everyone like she used to read to me and all of her grandchildren. The children in the audience that engaged with me and the puppets helped me calm my nerves as well.”
Black Student Union clubs from the local high schools and Umoja from San Bernardino Valley College work together to provide activities and awareness at the MLK Celebration on Jan. 15, 2024. (Photo courtesy of Redlands East Valley Black Student Union)
Kevin Anthony, treasurer of Umoja, said, “ I enjoyed connecting with the high school students and finding out their point of views on racial injustice.”
Closing out the event Bishop Jackie Green gathered everyone for prayer. (Photo courtesy of Redlands East Valley Black Student Union)
Students from Orangewood High School attended a field trip to the Cheech Museum, Riverside Art Museum and Civil Rights Institute of Southern Inland in Riverside on Dec. 6, 2023. The students represented various clubs and classes from campus such as MEChA, Black Student Union and the Ethnic Studies.
Students had lunch at the historic Tio’s Tacos, which is known for its authentic Mexican food and decorative art structures made entirely from recycled materials.
The field trip was planned by Orangewood teacher Vanessa Aranda and funded by Orangewood. This field trip taught and demonstrated the importance of Chicano and African American civil rights history here in California.
The Cheech Center of Chicano Culture and Art and Riverside Art Museum
The Cheech museum had many different pieces of art and paintings that represent Latino and Chicano culture.
Once you walk into the Museum it welcomes you with a big white sign “The Cheech” in cursive. The museum was made possible by comedian Cheech Marin who donated his large collection of Chicano art to be showcased by the museum. (KIMBERLY TAPIA/ Ethic News photo)
At the Riverside Art Museum and Cheech Center for Chicano Culture and Art, students took pictures of the art and read short summaries that described the meaning for the pieces and also who the art was designed or painted by. (KIMBERLY TAPIA/ Ethic News photo)
Orangewood High School’s tour guide Alexa Vasquez showed the painting of Cheech Marin that shows a portrait of himself and a background of the beach and birds flying past him. (KIMBERLY TAPIA/ Ethic News photo)
Orangewood students observe a huge piece of art that is seen right when you first walk in. There are many different colors and drawings that make the whole thing shine making it look really beautiful. This was many of the students’ favorites. (KIMBERLY TAPIA/ Ethic News photo)
After the tour of the Riverside Art Museum and the Cheech Center for Chicano Culture and Art, tour guide Alexa Vasquez gave students a class and spoke about pan dulce. Pan dulce is a sweet Latino dessert; the most known is the “concha” bread (shown above). After students watched the video, students all attempted to draw their own bread. (KIMBERLY TAPIA/ Ethic News photo)
Tio’s Tacos Restaurant
Students ate lunch at Tio’s Tacos and Riverside, a Mexican restaraunt known for its unique sculptures made of recycled materials. (Ethic News photo)
Civil Rights Institute Inland Southern California
Students from MEChA, BSU and Ethnic Studies at Orangewood were guided by the Civil Rights Institute executive director, Sabrina Gonzalez. (Ethic News photo)
Students viewed the “Still I Rise: The Black IE Fight for Justice” exhibit at the Civil Rights Institute in Riverside. (Ethic News photo)
Part of “Ain’t I A Woman” by Maya Angelou is displayed on columns in the Civil Rights Institute Inland Southern California. (Ethic News photo)
At the Civil Rights Institute, students wrote how they would fight for justice in the Inland Empire on post-it notes. (Ethic News photo)
“Cancel culture” made its debut in early 2020 and has been popularized through the years working effectively to take celebrities out of the spotlight that don’t deserve to be in it. It gives people the voice to speak out about celebrities and seek accountability for their actions. Yet there seems to be a genuine dislike for cancel culture, with many faults in the system, such as changes in socially acceptable sayings, person’s maturity levels, and even personal beliefs.
Nevertheless, cancel culture is alive and well, and is continuously taking down many seemingly unfit celebrities, including the uprising TikTok comedian, Matt Rife, who recently got his own Netflix special, causing his downfall.
One might think that having your special on the number one app for entertainment would be the cause of your uprise, not your downfall, or even count as your big break, but Rifet seemed to have different plans.
Rife’s Netflix Special premiered Nov. 15 and is called “Natural Selection.” He opened his comedy show with many socially inappropriate and tone-deaf jokes. Rife opened the concert with a joke about a woman experiencing domestic violence , “I feel like if she could cook, she wouldn’t have that black eye.”
Once the internet got ahold of the “jokes” everyone immediately took a side and urged for an immediate apology. Rife soon after posted his link to his apology on Nov. 20, “If you’ve ever been offended by a joke I’ve told — here’s a link to my official apology,” which led thousands of people to a website for special needs helmets, leading to even more backlash. Once cancel culture got ahold of the “joke,” the rest of the comedy show was majorly overlooked.
Currently, “Natural Selection” has a 17% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, a two-star rating on Google, and a 4.8-star rating on IMDb with most reviews being “disappointed” with the jokes he presented. Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok immediately spiraled with one side instantly thinking Rife was out of line and unfunny, while the other side stated comedy is meant to push the barriers of what is funny and what isn’t.
The majority ruled to cancel Rife until he acknowledged his actions and had some accountability. Based on his reply to these critics, he has no remorse and feels he has no reason to apologize. Rife avoided the critics, but those who still believed he was in the wrong, continued to avoid him and realized, based on his sketches and videos, that he was never funny from the beginning.
Ultimately, Matt Rife backed up his humor in 2021, defining the line between what is funny and what isn’t, “If it makes one person laugh, it’s funny.” If you agree, this special might be for you, but if you disagree, maybe look for a different comedian.
Feature Image: Collage of social media images behind TikTok comedian Matt Rife. Image created with canva.com (JULES ACUNA/ Ethic News image)
Citrus Valley High School welcomed Latino Student Union for the first time this semester. With a largely Latino demographic at Citrus Valley, the club has amassed more than 80 members and a social following. The purpose of LSU has been to promote Latino excellence by helping the community at service events and encouraging a focus on academic achievement.
The club was first introduced at Club Rush and passed out Mexican candies to those who joined. A crowd of students formed, joined together with Latino music as they waited.
Citrus Valley High School senior Jasmine Rosales, Bryana Diaz and Alina Sanchez Santacruz welcome new members to the newly formed Latino Student Union at Club Rush early in the semester. (Ethic News photo)
Dania Martinez, a senior at Citrus Valley said, “I was happy to see representation on campus.”
The first meeting filled up C-05 the room of Citrus Valley history teacher Alan Perez, the club’s advisor. Club members enjoyed fresas con crema, or strawberries with whipped cream, a traditional Mexican dessert and learned about the officers.
A group selfie with Bella Sommerfelt, Bryana Diaza Plancarte, and Ariana Gutierrez in the center of a group of club members in Citrus Valley High School teacher Alan Perez’s room. (ALINA SANCHEZ SANTA CRUZ/ Ethic News photo)
The LSU leaders also joined Victoria Elementary School and helped with their after school program. Fellow students assisted with learning activities and played with the kids during breaks.
Jose Avila Mendoza, a spirit leader in LSU, says helping the children “was nostalgic of when older kids came to my school and I was happy to give back to the community.”
The final service event of the year was for Dia de Los Muertos. Members of the club colored skulls and wrote facts to teach students at Citrus Valley about their culture and posted them in the hallways.
Latino Student Union members decorate a hallway in Citrus Valley High School for Dia de los Muertos 2023 with images, information and papel picado. (ALINA SANCHEZ SANTACRUZ/ Ethic News photo)
America, the “melting pot” of the world, embracing many cultures and heritages, recalls the original inhabitants of the United State by making November Native American Heritage Month, or Indigenous Peoples’ Month. The month celebrates the heritage and history of many different Native cultures, including Alaskan Natives, Hawaiian Natives, and the many nations like Cherokee, Keetoowah and Navajo to name only a few.
Originating in 1990, November Native American Heritage Month began once President George W. Bush approved a resolution to celebrate Indigenous Peoples during the month of November.
Heritage months, of any region, are important as they give everyone the opportunity to inform themselves of other cultures to not only break stereotypes but share the things that represent them.
Not only is November NAHM month, but Nov. 26 is Native American Heritage day. November, often being associated only with Thanksgiving, brings attention to Indigenous cultures all over with the help of many different associations.
For instance, according to the National Park Service website, the National Park Service offers resources and learning opportunities for visitors and for teachers to share.
Highlighting resources and the visibility of the many cultures helps break stereotypes about Native Americans, sharing with the public the rich culture, community and heritage.
Unfortunately, Native American culture is underrepresented in many media forms, whether that be in books, films or television. According to the Cooperative Children’s Book Center, School of Education, in 2018 less than 1% of childrens characters in books depict First Nations, whereas 50% were white.
With Native American Heritage Month, indigenous communities are seen and highlighted, helping to begin to counteract stereotypes and discrimination.
Infographic bringing light to the ongoing struggles for Native Americans to get accurate and positive representation in the media and curriculums. Infographic created using Canva. (JULES ACUNA/ Ethic News image)
Breast cancer is very common for women to develop, usually after the age of fifty. (AMBER BOGH/Ethic News Photo)
October is Breast Cancer Awareness month, which officially became recognized in 1985. October became known as this due to a partnership between the American Cancer Society and the pharmaceutical division of Imperial Chemical Industries. Betty Ford helped launch this event and was a breast cancer survivor herself. She was diagnosed when her husband Gerald Ford was president of the United States who ran from 1974 to 1978. He brought even more awareness to breast cancer and the dangers of it.
October cancer calendar, all cancer related holidays in October. (AMBER BOGH/Ethic News Photo)
Women can develop breast cancer and though less common, men too can develop breast cancer. Females have an average risk of about thirteen percent to develop breast cancer at sometime in her life, or about one in eight of women will at some point in their life. The risk for men is much lower, being less than one percent with the numerical average being about one man per 833.
People can show their support by wearing pink or having a breast cancer ribbon somewhere on them. Although the hot pink ribbon is the most common breast cancer ribbon it isn’t the only one. Hot pink represents inflammatory breast cancer, teal and pink ribbons represent hereditary and gynecologic cancers, blue and pink ribbons represent male breast cancer, and teal, pink, and green ribbons represent metastatic breast cancer.
Colors of the breast cancer ribbons and what they mean. (NATIONAL BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION)
There are four different stages of cancer. Stages are determined by the size of the tumor, its location, and the overall health of the person.
Stage one cancer is when the tumor is small and only in one area, also called early-stage cancer. Stage two and three are larger tumors and have spread to nearby tissues and lymph nodes. Stage four cancer is when the cancer is large and has spread to other parts of the body, also called advanced or metastatic cancer.
Several ways have been found to determine the stage of cancer, such as a biopsy, blood test, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), Computerized Tomography (CT) scan, as well as an ultrasound.
Doctors will often use the TNM system, short for tumor, node, and metastasis. Tumor(T) will be followed with a number zero through four, to show the size and location of the tumor. T0 means there is no measurable tumor. The larger the number, the larger the tumor is.
Node(N) will be followed by a number zero through four, to show if the cancer has spread to lymph nodes. N0 means the tumor has not spread to any lymph nodes. The larger the number, the more lymph nodes it has spread to as well as length away from the original tumor.
Metastasis(M) will be followed by a number zero to one. M0 means the tumor hasn’t spread to any other part of the body(organs and/or tissues), M1 means it has.
The treatment options and chances of recovery are based on how early your tumor is found. Treatment options can include chemotherapy, radiation, surgery, hormonal therapy, and biological therapy. The main key to having a high chance of recovery is finding a tumor early. So make sure to talk to your doctor if you find any new lumps or bumps in your skin.
My mother, Sarena Farris battled breast cancer for a year before she lost her battle November 12, 2023. (AMBER BOGH/Ethic News Photo)
People with cancer need support and a hopeful environment. Watching someone change because of cancer is one of the hardest things you can watch. People who have cancer, lost their battle to cancer, and have beat their battle to cancer are some of the strongest people.
Orangewood High School students attended a field trip to the LEAD Summit XII, which stands for Latino Education and Advocacy Days. The theme and name of this conference was “Ya Basta! Enough is Enough!” and it was held at the California State University of San Bernardino on Sept. 29.
The field trip was attended by MEChA Club students as well as other OHS students interested in the event. The purpose of this field trip was to raise awareness on education and violence in the community in the “Context of our Schools, Community Safety, and Law Enforcement,” as stated in the conference program.
Orangewood High School students pose for a picture outside of the conference rooms with actor Emilio Rivera, who was one of the speakers at the “Ya Basta!” themed conference. Rivera was the afternoon featured speaker, he is an American film actor and is best known for his role as “Chivo Ramirez” in the Netflix show “On My Block.” Rivera has worked hard in his acting career achieving to be in the list of successful Latino actors. (Photo courtesy of a Brown Beret member at the conference)
Morning featured speaker Dolores Huerta talks to a room full of people, with Orangewood High School students being seated in the front row. Huerta is an American labor leader and civil rights activist. She is mostly known for being the co-founder with Cesar Chavez of the National Farmers Association, later becoming the United Farm Workers of America. Huerta is a loyal fighter for Latino’s rights. (Ethic News photo)
For the opening procession of the conference, lives lost to violence and their families were honored. Students hold up pictures of the victims that were cruelly treated and hurt by their community or died at the hands of law enforcement. They shared their stories, and their names to remember and to respect them. According to the LEAD Summit program online, “We are the families, survivors, and individuals impacted by Violence in all its forms – be it assault, domestic and sexual abuse, targeted crimes, and/or police brutality and deadly force – turning our “grief into action” and seeking justice.” (Ethic News photo)
The opening ceremony is where the LEAD Summit featured Indigenous dancers to represent the culture of Native Americans and Latinos. They traditionally sang and danced for the crowd. (Ethic News photo)
Orangewood students take a picture at the Dolores Huerta foundation stand outside the conference rooms of Cal State San Bernardino with a portrait in the background of Huerta. (Ethic News photo)
Lead Speaker Emilio Rivera talking to the audience, sharing his stories, sharing his achievements, and giving them guidance and advice in life. (Ethic News photo)
Orangewood High School seniors Reina Vasquez and Kimberly Tapia take a look at the vendors and shops outside the conference rooms. These small shops are Latino owned with many varieties, everything they sold was based on the theme of Hispanic culture. (Ethic News photo)
Orangewood High School students take the last picture of their field trip at the entrance of the college, before heading back to Orangewood. (Ethic News photo)
The Smiley Library in Redlands is holding a Dia de Los Muertos Teen Art Contest for all teens ages 13-19.
Make an art related to the Dia Los Muertos holiday and then submit your application with art work to the Young Readers Room located at the Smiley Library to win something big.
The 1st place prize is $500, 2nd place prize is $250 and 3rd place prize is $100.
Applications must be turned in by Oct. 25 to be considered for prizes.
The Black Student Union club for Citrus Valley High School traveled to Arroyo Verde Elementary School for the first ever Mentor Day on May 25.
Third grade teacher Andrea Jessup invited BSU to come out and spend time with a newly formed BSU at Arroyo Verde, while also spreading the message of inclusivity and equality.
Citrus Valley High School senior and BSU president Amanda Keza said that “It was a really gratifying experience to be able to touch these kids’ hearts and give them a more hopeful outlook on how fun a club like BSU is in high school.”
Citrus Valley students started by assigning five children to one Citrus Valley BSU member. In these groups the mentors played icebreaker games to allow the children to feel less shy and more comfortable.
This then gave mentors a chance to explain to children what BSU is and why it is important and also a good club to join when in high school. BSU members also made sure that the children knew that BSU is and always will be a safe space.
Keza also says “hopefully we helped alleviate some of the anxiety they had with moving on to middle school and high school.”
Citrus Valley played more games with the elementary children, conducting races and dance circles.
One of the more popular games was “the cup game.” In the game, two people stand across from each other with a plastic cup in between them and while Citrus Valley mentors played a game of Simon Says. When the mentor announced the word “cup,” the first person to grab the cup won a prize.
The event was overall beneficial for all students because it gave Citrus Valley Students a chance to spread their message while also providing the youth with a better understanding of BSU.
Citrus Valley High School BSU advisor Sheena Debose remarks “Epic seeds were planted that day.”
Members from the Citrus Valley High School Black Student Union visit the BSU Club at Arroyo Verde Elementary School for the first “mentor day.” BSU Members pose with Citrus Valley BSU advisor Sheena Debose in front of the Arroyo Verde mascot wall. (Photo courtesy of Andrea Jessup)
A photo of two queer men taken from the book, “A Photographic History of Men in Love 1850s-1950s” by Hugh Nini, Neal Treadwell, and Paolo Maria Noseda.
LGBTQ Pride Month has been changed several times and has a complicated history.
“The federal government first recognized the month in 1999 when President Bill Clinton declared June ‘Gay & Lesbian Pride Month.’ In 2009, President Barack Obama declared June LGBT Pride Month. On June 1, 2021, President Joe Biden declared June LGBTQ Pride Month,” as written by 316th Wing Historian on Joint Base Andrews, an official website of the United States Government.
There are many recognized queer holidays. According to the University of Nebraska, the most recent is the International Trans Day of Visibility on March 31, National Transgender HIV Testing Day on April 18, and Lesbian Visibility Day on April 26. May 16 was Honor our LBGT Elders Day, the following day was International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, and May 24 was Pansexual and Panromantic Visibility Day.
It is a common misconception that queer existence only became relevant in the late 20th century. However, queers have a rich history and cultural significance that is celebrated through Pride Month. The Stonewall Riots of 1969 is an important historical event remembered through Pride Month.
The Stonewall Inn still stands in New York as a reminder of the Stonewall Riots of 1966. (Wikimedia Commons)
The Stonewall Riots, also referred to as the Stonewall Uprising, first occurred on June 28, 1969, in Greenwich, New York. At the time, any solicitation of homosexual relations was outlawed and queer bars, such as the Stonewall Inn, broke this law to provide queers with a safe place to refuge.
On Saturday, June 28, 1969, several policemen raided the Stonewall Inn and arrested employees for selling alcohol without a license, and roughed up several of its patrons. The NYPD “In accordance with a New York criminal statute that authorized the arrest of anyone not wearing at least three articles of gender-appropriate clothing—took several people into custody,” according to Encyclopedia Britannica. Many people were subject to arrest if they did not wear at least three pieces of clothing appropriate to 1960s gender norms. It was the third raid on a Greenwich Village gay bar in a short period.
In response to the raid of the Stonewall Inn, unlike the usual passive behavior of queers during police raids that officers were used to, “some 400 people rioted. The police barricade was repeatedly breached, and the bar was set on fire. Police reinforcements arrived in time to extinguish the flames, and they eventually dispersed the crowd. The riots outside the Stonewall Inn waxed and waned for the next five days,” according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
At the time of the Stonewall Riots, there were several ongoing social movements such as the Civil Rights Movement and the Feminist movement. With all of the social change going on, the residents of Stonewall, who also witnessed racism and misogyny, were likely inspired by several of these social movements. Thus, Stonewall became its inspiration as a symbol of resistance to discrimination against queer people.
The Stonewall riots did not initiate the gay rights movement, however, it inspired a new generation of activists. Due to this, shortly after the riots, several queer rights organizations were created.
“Older groups such as the Mattachine Society, which was founded in southern California as a discussion group for gay men and had flourished in the 1950s, soon made way for more radical groups such as the Gay Liberation Front and the Gay Activists Alliance,” according to Encyclopedia Britannica.
The Stonewall Riots paved the way for queer organizations, and thus, social change that led to Bill Clinton recognizing these efforts by administering June as Pride Month. However, queer people have impacted our society long before Bill Clinton or the Stonewall Riots.
Alan Turing is still revered today as a queer icon and the person to crack the German Enigma Code. (Flickr)
Some of America’s most significant cultural influences were queer. For example, Alan Turing played a crucial part in the ending of WW2 by cracking the Enigma Code. The enigma was a WWII “device used by the German military command to encode strategic messages.”
As stated in an article by the BBC UK News, Alan Turing “was also a victim of mid-20th Century attitudes to homosexuality and in 1952 was arrested because being homosexual was illegal in Britain at this time.” In 2013, Turing he was pardoned and and in 2017 the government agreed to eliminate criminal records of men who had been accused of this “crime.” This is why the pardoning of this nature is known as the Alan Turing law. “In 2019 Turing was named the most “iconic” figure of the 20th Century and his face now appears on the £50 note,” according to BBC UK News.
Turing is not just a queer icon or an unimportant part of our history. In cracking the Enigma Alan Turing ended WW2 earlier than it would have had the U.S. not been able to intercept German messages through the Enigma, thus saving millions of lives. His arrest and eventual suicide are also prime examples of one of the many queer injustices that have occurred throughout our nation’s history.
A movie was created in 2014 about Alan Turning called “The Imitation Game”starring Benedict Cumberbatch, with an overall rating of 90% on rotten tomatoes and an 80% rating on IMDB and Common Sense Media. The movie provides a more in-depth visual of Turing’s life and struggles and how he cracked the Enigma.
Elton John is still touring in the UK and the US at 76. (Wikimedia Commons)
Queer people haven’t only been present during highly historical moments that saved lives, they’ve also played a part in our pop culture. Elton John and David Furnish are prime examples of this through their 30-year relationship that began in 1993. “In 2014 after gay marriage became legal in the UK the pair got married and have two sons born via surrogacy.” The pair waited over two decades to marry and struggled through discriminatory laws while Elton John was making music.
Elton John has sold “over 300 million records, making him one of the best-selling music artists of all time”, as stated in an article by BBC UK News. Some of his most famous songs are, “Candle in the Wind”, “I’m Still Standing” and “Are You Ready for Love.” His music is still sold all over the world, featured in many movies, and he’s sold hundreds of merchandise.
Being one of the best-selling music artists in the world, Elton John provides representation and inspiration to the queer community. He’s dedicated 30 years to his husband and struggled through discrimination while making some of our culture’s most influential songs, and he’s dedicated over 50 years to his career.
Pride Month was first recognized by Bill Clinton in 1999 and Stonewall was one of the first examples of queers banding together for change. There have been many influential queer people in our society and pop culture. Pride month not only celebrates these people and their impact on our world but also the average person with a sexuality that deters from the norm. This June will be celebrated as the 24th Pride Month and the celebration of the right to love.
Google Doodle highlighted the “tender, juicy and soulful” Filipino “adobo” through an illustration by Filipino artist Anthony Irwin on March 13.
The illustration done by Irwin depicts two children looking and then smelling the Filipino dish on top of rice. A garlic bulb, bay leaf, chicken wing, bottle of coconut milk and giant spoon and fork replace the name for Google.
The Google Doodle depicts two children sniffing the chicken adobo, while the ingredients used for adobo spell out the word “Google.” (AILEEN JANEE CORPUS/ Ethic News)
The word “adobo”, according to the Filipino blog Pepper, comes from the Spanish word “adobar” which means “marinade” or “pickling sauce.” Despite the Spanish name and other versions of “adobo” in Mexico and Spain, the origin of the dish came from the Philippines.
According to The Spruce Eats, “adobo” got its Spanish name when Spaniards in the 16th century came to the Philippine Islands and noticed how many indigenous people were preserving their food by using the high acid and vinegar and the high salt content in soy sauce.
By cooking a desired protein with vinegar, soy sauce, garlic, peppercorns, and bay leaves for anywhere from one to two hours, “adobo” tastes better as it ages which allows the flavors of each ingredient to shine.
The most popular version of “adobar” would be “adobong kapampangan” which has chicken and pork, but Filipino “adobo” varies from province to province and household to household. In Southern Luzon where coconuts are bountiful, Bicolanos make “adobo sa gata” that combines coconut milk into the dish. Another version of the dish is “adobong puso ng saging” which is a vegetable based “adobo”that uses sliced banana hearts instead of meat.
“I love adobo,” says Redlands East Valley senior Charlize Munar, “It describes very traditional [Filipino] food. If I thought of ‘Filipino,’ I would definitely think of adobo. It’s a taste of home.”
During this Black History Month, Citrus Valley High School’s Black Student Union 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.
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.
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.”
Citrus Valley High School BSU advisor Sheena Debose dressed up during the Harlem Renaissance themed spirit day, dressed in 1920’s attire. (Meanna Smith/Ethic News photo)
Citrus Valley High School 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.
Citrus Valley High School BSU students make chocolate covered strawberries as part of a fundraiser. (Meanna Smith/Ethic News photo)
On Feb. 17, 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 5 pm showing the 2002 film “Barbershop” as a way to celebrate black entertainment.
Citrus Valley BSU member and senior, Amanda Keza, said, “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.
Orangewood High School students visited the Cheech Center of Chicano Art and Culture in Riverside on Feb. 1. The Cheech, which is part of the Riverside Art Museum, contains the art collection of actor and art collector Cheech Marin. It is the largest Chicano art collection in the world.
The trip was open to Orangewood students who attended three lunch meetings to learn about Chicano art. The field trip was free for students because it was funded by a grant from the Redlands Educational Partnership.
Orangewood senior Joceline Mata says that her favorite art piece was “the cactus art sculpture because it shows pride in your culture.”
The theme of the entire field trip was Chicano art and culture. Students who attended also got lunch at the Tamale Factory and a black and white disposable camera to create their own photo art. They visited the Cesar Chavez Memorial statue and created their own art listening to Latino music in the museum.
Orangewood High School students stand in front of the Cesar Chavez memorial statue in downtown Riverside on Feb. 1, 2023.
The tour included Luis Garzas black and white photo exhibit called “The Other Side of Memory.” Each student who attended the field trip got a free black and white disposable camera in honor of this exhibit to inspire them to create their own art from black and white photography too.
Museum tour guide Alexa Vasquez leads students through the Cheech Center of Chicano Art and Culture and the Riverside Art Museum.
Lunch at the Tamale Factory in downtown Riverside included many Mexican food options and Mexican cookies for dessert.
The last part of the tour was a talk about art and time to create art.
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.
Adidas has ended their partnership officially with Kanye West.
After the recent antisemitic comments said by Kanye West, Adidas and other companies such as Balenciaga and Gap also ended their partnership with him.
On Tuesday, Oct. 25 Adidas released a statement as to why they dropped Kanye West.
“Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness,” said the statemente released by the company.
With the end of their partnership Adidas has also stated that they will stop production on all Yeezy products and stop payment to companies owned by Kanye West immediately.
“After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy branded products and stop all payments to Ye and his companies,” read the statement by Adidas.
Kanye’s remarks toward the Jewish community have brought plenty of backlash and Adidas ending their partnership is just one of the consequences Kanye is facing currently.
Last week Kanye West was a guest on the podcast Drink Champs and stated “The thing about me and Adidas is like…I can say antisemitic things and Adidas can’t drop me. Now what?”
According to Forbes, with the partnership loss with Adidas Kanye West will no longer be a billionaire. Kanye West is estimated to lose $1.5 billion of his net worth.
Stronger Together Now, a community outreach organization, hosted their second Soul Food Fest on Sept. 11 at Ed Hales Park in Downtown Redlands. This event was sponsored by Chase Bank.
Stronger Together Now, the organizers of the event, set up a booth with an inspiring promotional banner advocating against racism and other prejudices. At this booth, t-shirts and tote bags could be purchased and a donation jar was available for people who would like to see more events like this in the Redlands community. (Ethic News photo)
This festival gives many Black owned businesses and organizations a chance to showcase their products or services. This festival was also a great way for the Black community to be recognized in the city of Redlands. The Soul Food Fest gave the local high school club Black Student Union a chance to connect with each other while also connecting with the community and its citizens.
Showcasing a game booth table with cup stacking and cards, various Redlands Unified School District Black Student Union members work together at the Soul Food Festival on Sept. 11. Students from Redlands, Redlands East Valley, Citrus Valley and Orangewood High Schools were present at the event. (Photo courtesy of Quinkitha O’Neal)
Some of the businesses that were present during the festival were House of Purvian Cookie, Brooklyn’s Bakery Bites, Delviccio’s BBQ SmokeHouse, Asdelina’s Agua Frescas, and most popularly known, The WingMan. Citrus Valley, Redlands, Redlands East Valley and Orangewood High Schools all had BSU clubs present at the festival.
The House of Peruvian Cookie at the Soul Food Festival was a popular choice among the many food booths, selling many desserts and cookies. The House of Peruvian Cookie is mainly located in Santa Clarita and is a cookie selling business based on Peruvian desserts. (Kevin Kambey/Ethic News photo)
Andrew Simmons, senior from Orangewood High School’s BSU, said, “ I really enjoyed seeing other schools’ Black Student Unions and helping all the different booths set up.”
Jazz Daughtrey, a junior at Citrus Valley High School, attended the festival with the Citrus Valley’s BSU and said she loved “the soul food fest and seeing the Black culture.”
“The food was amazing and I love how welcoming the other Redlands BSU clubs were,” said Daughtrey.
Another member of Citrus Valley’s BSU, sophomore Kalaya Felton, stated, “The shirts that people were selling were so beautiful and everything was so well put together. The soul food festival was just overall awesome.”
Various activities were available to participate in during the festival. These activities included spades and dominos contests, music, and food competitions. The food competition consists of three different categories: best main dish, best side dish, and best dessert.
The award for best main dish was given to The WingMan with his lemon pepper wings, the winner for best side dish was Papa’s BBQ for their mac n cheese, and lastly the winner for best dessert was Still Standn Barbq with their famous banana pudding.
The winners of the competition were awarded a certificate of appreciation as well as an additional prize. Spades and dominos winners were awarded a customized domino or card set.
While the judges were tasting food from all the different food competition competitors, Kologbo Daughtrey gave a live performance on his soprano saxophone. He played a variety of songs including “Lovely Day” by Bill Withers.
The Soul Food Festival had a mission of bringing the Black community and all people in Redlands together to bond and unite as one.
Redlands citizen Kaylee Doll, junior at Citrus Valley, stated, “I think the Soul Food Festival was really a pure, safe, and fun environment and it was a great way to spend my Sunday afternoon.”
Pig cheeks, oxtails, and chicken feet–all seen as disgusting pieces of the very animals we eat, but one man’s trash is another man’s treasure as they say.
Offal is all of these things. According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, offal is “the waste or by-product of a process.” By associating the less used pieces of meat as waste, there is already a negative connotation to these other parts of livestock.
When I was in one of my classes, we were talking about Upton Sinclair’s “The Jungle” and the teacher branched off to talk about how pieces of meat including pig cheeks or tails are undesirable.
In most other countries outside of America, they use the “undesirable” and “unwanted” pieces of meat.
As a Filipino, there is a traditional dish called sisig and it is made up of the unwanted pieces of meat, pig cheeks, ears and more, and kare-kare which is another traditional dish usually made with peanut butter and oxtail. These are delicious dishes, and I pride myself on being a Filipino.
Other delicious dishes include chicken feet that one can find at Chinese dimsum restaurants, but when I was watching an old Disney show with my siblings, they used chicken feet and called them monkey knuckles in a sketch making fun of microwave dinners.
Although the conversation on chicken beaks making up chicken nuggets most likely only lasted a few minutes, a few confused minutes. I couldn’t help
Starting with “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair, a novel originally written to expose the exploitation of immigrants coming into America, Americans started to have a negative view on offal.
A part of the stigma can come from back in the day when good cuts of meat were associated with the rich and the unwanted parts with the poor. Logically, the impoverished would try to make their dish as delicious as possible with whatever they have.
Things have obviously changed from the Progressive Era: the food and drug act and necessary nutrition facts. The making and processing of our foods is now better.
Even the local Costco is starting to sell beef tripe and ox tails; near the meat section, I saw a few people piling up and looking at some large white meat, so when I went over to check it out, it was beef tripe, and right next to it was oxtail. I was filled with joy to see offal in a place more accessible to people.
Food culture is culture. Attacking someone’s food is attacking their identity and their culture, whether or not it is intentional, but that article is for another time.
For the time being, normalizing offal allows people from multitudes of countries to have pride in their cultures and not have to feel put down or what their eating is disgusting simply because it is not what the majority indulges in.
America is known as the big melting pot so it should be just that: a big melting pot with a variety of delicious cultures.
February is known as the month of romance. For centuries, people have celebrated this holiday of love by gifting their significant others flowers, chocolates and hugs.
According to History.com, legend has it that the most evidenced theory of the creation of Valentine’s Day began with the actions of St. Valentine between the years 174 A.D. and 269 A.D. St. Valentine served under the Roman Emperor Claudius II, who decided that single men served as better soldiers than those who were married. So he outlawed marriage of eligible young bachelors.
In protest, St. Valentine married young couples in secret until his actions were discovered and he was sentenced to death on Feb. 14, 269 A.D.–hence the celebration date of Valentine’s Day.
During the same time period, the pagan festivity Lupercalia was celebrated annually on Feb. 15.
As a holiday that celebrated fertility through sacrifices and occasionally paired men and women for marriage in public raffles, the Catholic Church discouraged the holiday because it did not follow Christian ideals.
After 1,200 years of the annual celebration, Lupercalia was outlawed in the late fifth century—the same time that Valentine’s Day was declared a holiday.
While not all historians agree that the banishment of Lupercalia directed the traditions of Valentine’s Day, both holidays do share similar traditions that revolve around love and sexuality, according to ThoughtCo.
Now, according to Odysseys Unlimited, Valentine’s Day has grown in popularity around the world and is celebrated in over 25 countries. Each of these countries have their own traditions, some of which do not merely focus on romantic relationships.
In the countries of Mexico, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Estonia, platonic love is more commonly celebrated on Valentine’s Day. Gifts of chocolate, flowers, and cards are shared not only with significant others but with friends and family who the giver is fond of.
America is another country where platonic love is acknowledged on Valentine’s Day. While romantic relationships are still in focus, a common example of these expressions of kindness and appreciation are seen in elementary schools. Each student is encouraged to bring small gifts of candies or toys to give to each other so no child feels left out.
While this custom is not celebrated in grade levels above elementary school, some kids still give small gifts to friends.
MaIia Coggins, a sophomore at REV, says, “I usually buy candies and make stuff for people. I give out love to all of the homies.”
On Feb. 13, Joshua Masangcay, a senior at Redlands East Valley High School, shops for a Valentine’s Day card at the Target store located at Citrus Plaza in Redlands, California. The card he holds features Leslie Knope, played by Amy Poehler, from the television sitcom “Parks and Recreation,” who invented Galentine’s Day. (ELLA FITZPATRICK/Ethic News photo)
On Feb. 13, Alicia Gullon, a senior at Redlands East Valley High School, shops for a bouquet of flowers for Valentine’s Day in the Target store located at Citrus Plaza in Redlands, California. (ELLA FITZPATRICK/Ethic News photo)
The fear of being alone on Valentine’s Day is a common thought, according to PR Newswire. This is due to the pressures some people feel to fulfill the unrealistic societal expectations of having a date.
According to a study, The Pressures of Valentine’s Day and Dating reveals that 43% of single people admit to feeling the pressures of these traditional, and ancient, outlooks of how Valentine’s Day should be celebrated.
Brooke Casamassimo, a sophomore at REV, says, “I think people view Valentine’s Day as a day to be romantically validated by someone else. And even though that’s desirable, you shouldn’t have to wait for one day to want or deserve it.”
To overcome these societal expectations, on Feb. 13, some women celebrate “Galentine’s Day”— also known as “Palentine’s Day,” as to not be gender specific. Created by Leslie Knope, a fictional character played by Amy Poehler, in the United States sitcom television series “Parks and Recreation,” it has turned into a holiday recognized by social media and younger generations as it celebrates being independent and the empowerment of staying single.
Editor’s note: The date of St. Valentine’s death was mistakenly published as 296 A.D. in the original post. It has since been corrected on Feb. 15 at 2:17 p.m.
WARNING: We’ll be talking about sexual assault. Listener discretion is advised.
If you or a loved one is suffering because of sexual assault, please do not be afraid to ask for help. The National Sexual Assault Hotline is 1-800-656-4673.
In today’s episode, Dani and AJ go over what sexual harassment is, the multiple forms of sexual harassment, the 97% statistic and more.
WARNING: THERE WILL BE MENTIONS OF VIOLENCE IN TODAY’S EPISODE. The episode for this week will be a lot more serious than our past ones. We will be talking about a few events that have occurred due to hate towards the Asian American Pacific Islander community, and ways to help those affected and the Asian American Pacific Islander community.
While many students spend the summer heading into their sophomore year completing homework for their first Advanced Placement class or simply relaxing after surviving their freshman year, Redlands East Valley High School junior Beatriz Braga was adjusting to California after moving from Campinas, Brazil in 2019.
Beatriz Braga and her dog Alvin in Riverside, California in 2020. Alvin is currently 13 years old and has moved with Braga and her family to California. (Courtesy of Beatriz Braga)
With relatives in four different states in the United States, Braga’s family decided to make a life-changing decision and immigrate.
Braga explains that Campinas wasn’t the safest city in Brazil in which violence and robbery were frequent occurrences for residents. She recalls multiple experiences where she and her family had to call the police over incidents, even while living in a safer region of Campinas.
When she was five years old, someone attempted to break into her house, prompting her parents and her to lock themselves in a room and call the police. Fortunately, the suspect was identified.
At six years old, after she and her mom heard noises coming from their garage at 3 a.m., they saw two men fighting each other while almost breaking Braga’s gate in front of her house. The police were called and everything turned out okay.
Braga said, “When I was 13, me and my family went to see the fireworks in the city. When we came back, everything was gone. That was in my aunt’s house, so me, my parents and my aunt, lost everything valuable you can imagine.”
“I used to hear gunshots at night, and I was constantly thinking that me and my parents were in danger,” said Braga. “This thought of ‘I’m in danger’ is not healthy at all.”
In Brazil, ancestral origins vary between regions. According to Braga, North Brazil consists mostly of indigenous people while South Brazil has many ancestors from Germany and Italy. In addition, some may come from nearby countries, such as Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia, Peru and Argentina, resulting in Spanish being more commonly spoken on the border. Despite the mix in races and nationalities, the majority of Brazilians speak Portuguese, which is the official language in Brazil.
“You will be very welcome there. Brazilians are really funny and respectful people,” said Braga. “It is so easy to bond and create a friendship with someone there. Literally, we can tell our entire lives in one conversation, so you might ask yourself ‘Why is she telling me this?’ Don’t worry because it is a very Brazilian thing.”
Restarting her life when she was 15 years old was certainly not a simple experience. Braga had to leave some of her family and all of her friends behind in Brazil in order to move to Southern California.
“I will not lie, it was not easy to make friends here either,” said Braga. “Most people at 15/16 already had a group of friends settled down.”
Beatriz Braga, her friends and her Portuguese teacher at their middle school graduation in Campinas, Brazil in 2018. Braga’s school system involved graduating middle school at the end of their freshman year. (Courtesy of Beatriz Braga)
Like many immigrants, the language barrier can be one of the most challenging aspects of adapting to an environment in a new country.
“Some people underestimate your intelligence based on your accent or proficiency in English. It is very uncomfortable not being able to express yourself, and some people do not even try to help or understand a beginner,” said Braga.
However, not only does being bilingual open up more job opportunities, it also allows oneself to have a greater view of the world around them and to better appreciate other cultures.
“I would say, being bilingual and constantly switching languages, made my perception so much more ‘open,’ as well as my mind,” said Braga. “It seems like I’m able to understand the world around me more calmly and reasonably.”
REV Spanish teacher Susan Johnston said, “I was always impressed with her ability to switch languages quickly and correctly.”
Johnston continues, “Whenever I have a student in my class that speaks another language, I have an even higher expectation since I know they will be able to process a third language even more quickly. It has always been the case that exchange students or any other student speaking a language, other than Spanish, adapt more quickly and learn faster than some monolingual students.”
She and her family currently reside in Loma Linda. Braga has some family in Loma Linda that moved there about 12 years ago. She is a Seventh Day Adventist church member, as the majority of those in Loma Linda are. In Brazil, Braga had attended a Seventh Day Adventist school.
Braga completed one semester of high school in Brazil before moving to California. At REV, Braga most enjoys being able to choose her own classes in her schedule. In Brazil, students didn’t have the opportunity to organize their own schedule. They also had 15 classes per week, compared to the six classes students have in the Redlands Unified School District. She notes that Spanish and English classes were required since the kindergarten level at her schools.
She said of her REV teachers, “I would say I was very lucky to get to know all of my teachers. They are all very hardworking and friendly.”
Although Braga still has some family residing in Brazil, she is thankful for the opportunity to move and the new opportunities California has brought her.
Braga said, “Restart[ing] your life can be very difficult sometimes, and fun too. Besides all that, I am very grateful for who I have met, and where I live now.”
This first episode explains how to submit questions and apply to be a guest speaker. Available on Spotify, Google Podcasts, Breaker, PocketCasts, and RadioPublic.
It was St. Patty’s Day, so Dani, Cyrus, and AJ find answers to questions about St. Patrick’s Day, such as “Why do we pinch others if they are not wearing green?” or “What are leprechauns?” or ” Was St. Patrick Irish?” and more. The intro and outro song for this episode is “The Irish National Anthem” by The Band of an Garda Siochana.
Greetings, all! In honor of International Women’s Day and Month, our co-hosts will be mentioning three inspiring women from their own families. The After School Podcast Official team would like to thank all of the aunts, sisters, mothers, grandmothers, great grandmothers, and even the great great great great grandmothers for being the exceptional role models for us.
30 years ago today, KTLA aired a candid video of a Black man, named Rodney King, being brutally beat by four Los Angeles police officers. This eye opening video proved to Americans that racism remained persistent in this country as a year later it yielded a not guilty verdict on the charge of assault prompting the eruption of riots into the streets of Los Angeles and surrounding cities.
Redlands teachers Duan Kellum, Jamie Ochoa and Kendra Taylor-Watson look back on experiences on how the Rodney King video affected themselves and society.
Redlands East Valley teacher Duan Kellum was a senior at California State University, Northridge in Los Angeles in 1991 when he witnessed the Rodney King video on the news.
“My roommates and I saw the video on the news and we were not shocked by the beating,” said Kellum. “We were surprised that it was caught on film. ‘Finally’ we all said.”
The video of Rodney King was recorded from across the street by a neighbor named George Holliday. Holliday recently bought a Sony video camera about a month before, and after being awoken from the commotion in the middle of the night, recorded the beating from his apartment balcony following the high speed chase between King and the police. Later, Holliday sent the video to local news station, KTLA, who aired it on March 4.
LA Police Chief Daryl Gates announced on March 7 that the officers involved, Laurence Powell, Stacey Koon, Timothy Wind and Theodore Briseno, would be prosecuted. The video was viewed by the grand jury which indicted the four officers within a week of Gates’ announcement.
The video also became monumental in highlighting the magnitude of police brutality against African Americans in the United States, as before then, ample acts of discrimination and racism weren’t readily exposed to the public compared to today’s access to modern technology and social media platforms.
Over a year after the initial release of the video, Powell, Koon, Wind and Briseno were acquitted of charges of using excessive force on April 29, 1992. This provoked an outburst of riots in the LA area between April and May, known as the 1992 LA Riots. Resentment against the jury’s verdict fueled rioters to engage in looting, arson, and assault in local communities.
Redlands High School teacher Jamie Ochoa had moved back to California from the Philippines in 1991 to discover the well-known video of Rodney King that was being displayed on various news channels. As an 11-year-old, she couldn’t quite understand the severity of the event.
“There was chaos happening near me, tension, but I was so young, I could not understand,” Ochoa said. “It seemed cruel and unusual, hateful and filled with anger. My 10-year-old heart couldn’t take it.”
“It was an odd feeling, seeing this violence happen on TV–real people, not actors–and it did not make sense,” said Ochoa.
Citrus Valley High School teacher Kendra Taylor-Watson was living in Crenshaw in South LA when the riots transpired.
Taylor-Watson was able to first-hand witness the severity and impact of looting and the riots in Crenshaw.
“People were running with TV’s, couches, some even had food. I later saw others taking chairs and heavy metal equipment to break windows of local business. Glass shattering and mobs of people rushing into clothing stores, furniture stores, shoe stores you name it and it had been broken into,” said Taylor-Watson. “All up and down Crenshaw Blvd. Cars were pulled on the side of the road while the looters packed their cars with stolen items.”
LA Mayor Tom Bradley declared a state of emergency and about 4,000 national troops were sent to Los Angeles to help quell the riots.
Altogether, the riots lasted approximately one week.
According to the Insurance Information Institute, the riots yielded 775 million dollars in insured losses, about 1.4 billion dollars today.
Taylor-Watson said, “The elderly especially suffered because they had to travel further to a grocery store, bank and other significant establishments that people take for granted until they are gone.”
The riots also intensified tensions between African Americans and Korean Americans in LA, as shortly after the Rodney King video, 15-year-old African American Latasha Harlins was shot by Korean American store owner Soon Ja Du on March, 16, 1991. Du had mistook Harlins for attempting to steal a bottle of orange juice leading to Du killing her on the spot.
According to the United States Department of Justice, Community Relations Services collaborated with law enforcement and African American, Korean American and Latino leaders to curtail racial tensions as well as to cease violence and destruction in the city during the riots.
Taylor-Watson said, “The community was forever changed after the not guilty verdict of the policemen that beat Rodney King.”
A recent post on social media of actions by two students at Redlands East Valley High School led to a problematic week of final exams for students and administrators alike. Two female REV students, one a senior and one a sophomore, can be seen in a video posted on the platform TikTok making racial gestures towards a young Asian American influencer.
The video went viral and school and district administrators, such as REV Principal Robert Clarey and Superintendent Mauricio Arellano, were contacted by many people both in and outside the district.
Both the family and authorities were contacted over the situation and worked with the school to find a proper solution. However, this created a backlash, as some students believe that the school and administration have failed them more than once and would do so again. Several students claimed that they had been in similar situations of discrimination, but the administration only stood by.
Inara Khankashi, a sophomore from Citrus Valley High School, says that “at a school where the majority of students are people of color, it is unacceptable that acts of blatant racism just go by with no consequences.”
Students expressed concerns about not only the incident itself but the district’s response to it. When the incident first was reported to the administration, an email was sent out that explained the school’s legal limitations to enforce any direct discipline due to the fact that the incident did not occur during school or on campus, although they did not condone the student’s behavior.
Victoria Lee, a sophomore at REV, says, “Although I understand that the school may have their hands tied as [her] actions took place off-campus, it upsets me that these two students haven’t been correctly disciplined nor grew from their actions.”
Many students brought up the discussion leading up to the anti-racism resolution, which was created by a committee of Redlands students and staff members. It was passed by the Redlands School Board in October in response to members of the community calling out racism to be a health crisis.
Within the resolution, it states “Now, therefore, be it further resolved that the Redlands Unified School District Board of Education will implement and reinforce, with intent and fidelity, policies and practices that reflect a conscious effort to ensure racial equity, equity of access and service, cultural education, and diversity at all levels within our organization.”
Some adults, like Susan Broome, parent of two former students from RUSD, say, “I oppose the resolution because of its many false premises and assumptions, and ideological promotion.”
Some students have expressed their disapproval and disappointment with the action that the district has taken towards the REV student in light of the recently-passed resolution.
Joleen Bakalova, a sophomore from CVHS and a contributor to the resolution, says, “The REV administration should have followed the guidance we outlined in the resolution against racism. After all, what good is a resolution if it is not implemented.”
A post from the Wildcats for Change Instagram explaining the stance of the group and some students at REV. (Photo credit to Wildcats4change Instagram)
Wildcats for Change, a club at REV that looks to help fix social injustice at the high school and through the district, used Instagram to show support for groups being discriminated against.
In response to students call for action, the Redlands Unified School District incorporated small townhall-like meetings for students In December and January. These meetings were separated into two days each for the different high schools in the district. Each had small groups in breakout rooms on the video communication platform Zoom filled with student and teacher representatives from Students For Change, counselors, and other district members to answer any questions for the students.
Brooklynn Rios, a sophomore at REV who participated in the town-hall zoom sessions, says, “They spoke a lot about how they wanted to implement these changes to benefit the students and what standpoints we had about school and how it can be better.”
Featured Photo: An illustration depicting the feeling that many students have felt due to the past events, as some might feel muted and unimportant. (Mauricio Pliego / Ethic News Art)
By JASMINE ROSALES, HANNAH PATRICK and ARIANA GHALAMBOR
It’s not common for the average American to celebrate Christmas and New Years but it is important that our society educates themselves and learns about the diverse winter holidays and traditions that people celebrate all around the world. America is a “melting pot” of all cultures, races, traditions, religions and colors. It’s important to educate oneself on the different cultures and celebrations of the holidays because education is one step closer to uniting people from all different backgrounds.
Diversifying your narrative means to educate oneself on the different cultural and religious celebrations around the world. (ARIANA GHALAMBOR/ La Plaza art)
Boxing Day:
An old tradition where it allowed servants to take a day off and receive special gifts from their “ masters.” Boxing day begins the day after Christmas and it is usually used for charity drives. Typically, boxing day is celebrated in Scotland, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada. Boxing Day coincides with another holiday, St. Stephen’s Day, that is observed in many of the same countries. St. Stephen’s Day honors a Christian martyr who was stoned to death in 36 A.D.It is considered a shopping holiday. Boxing Day is a time to spend with family or friends, particularly those not seen on Christmas Day itself. Many people will gather for meals, spend time outside, or simply relax at home and enjoy the day off. Traditional Boxing Day food includes baked ham, pease pudding, and mince pies with brandy butter, along with a slice of Christmas cake or another dessert. Boxing Day has recently become synonymous with watching sports. A number of leagues in England, Scotland and Northern Ireland hold football and rugby matches, while Australia, New Zealand and South Africa are known for cricket matches on Boxing Day.
Omisoka:
Omisoka is a holiday celebrated and loved by Japanese people on the final day of the lunar month. (ARIANA GHALAMBOR/ La Plaza art)
Omisoka is a Japanese traditional celebration on the last day of the year. Traditionally, it was held on the final day of the twelfth lunar month. Its important activities for the concluding year and day were completed in order to start the new year fresh. Some of these include house cleaning, repaying debts and purification. About an hour before the New Year, people often gather together for one last time in the old year to have a bowl of toshikoshi soba or toshikoshi udon together. At midnight, many visit a shrine or temple for Hatsumōde, or the first shrine/temple visit of the year. People celebrate with their friends and families with various traditions to remember the past year, and bring in the new. The history behind the day is to prepare for deifying and praying for “Toshigami Sama” which can be translated into Shinto god which takes charge of the whole year, rich harvest of rice.
Three Kings Day:
Three Kings Day is celebrated Jan. 6, which is the twelfth day of Christmas known as the Feast of the Epiphany, or Three Kings’ Day. It celebrates the biblical tale in which the Three Kings, or Three Wise Men, visit baby Jesus after his birth three Kings find baby Jesus by following the path of a star across the desert for twelve days. According to the Gospel, the three Kings, named Melchior, Caspar and Balthazar traveled to Bethlehem to bring gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh to baby Jesus. Children celebrate Three Kings’ Day by receiving gifts of their own. Children in Spain and Latin America are instructed to leave their shoes by the door of their house so, like Santa Claus, the three kings can come and leave them presents. Three Kings’ Day is as important and as widely celebrated as Christmas. In Mexico, bakers make a “rosca del rey”, a sweet bread meant to represent a King’s crown, that is a mile long. People fill the streets to get a slice of the special holiday bread. The bread often has a baby Jesus doll hidden inside.
Christmas:
Christmas trees are used in several countries to celebrate Christmas. Typically, people leave presents under the trees for loved ones to open up. (ARIANA GHALAMBOR/ La Plaza art)
Christmas is celebrated to remember the birth of Jesus Christ; people celebrate Christmas Day in many ways. It is often combined with customs from pre-Christian winter celebrations. Many people decorate their homes, visit family or friends and exchange gifts. Some groups arrange meals, shelter or charitable projects for people without a home or with very little money.
Many different families celebrate the holidays with their own traditions some considered old fashioned ways such as leaving cookies and warm milk near the fireplace or tree or leaving a mistletoe above the door and a common one of the good and naughty list hence the gift of “coal” for christmas.
Every year a big staple in Christmas festivities is buying a Christmas tree and decorating it for the holidays to lay your presents under to unwrap on christmas morning. Then legend has it that a fir tree grew out of the fallen oak.
New Year’s Eve:
New Year’s Eve is one of the largest global celebrations because it marks the last day of the year in the Gregorian calendar, Dec. 31, before the New Year. Many people celebrate New Year’s Eve to bid farewell to the year that ends and to welcome the New Year.
Common traditions throughout the United States include singing “Auld Lang Syne” to greet the New Year, and eating black-eyed peas for good luck.
On Dec 31., many people worldwide either watch a countdown on live TV or go to an event where they countdown to welcome the new year.
Chinese New Year:
Tied to the Chinese lunar calendar, the holiday was traditionally a time to honor household and heavenly deities as well as ancestors. It was also a time to bring family together for feasting.
With the popular adoption of the Western calendar in 1912, the Chinese joined in celebrating Jan. 1 as New Year’s Day.
Ritual sacrifices of food and paper icons were offered to gods and ancestors. People posted scrolls printed with lucky messages on household gates and set off firecrackers to frighten evil spirits. A common tradition of Chinese New Year is for elders to give out money to children.
Along with every holiday comes countless traditions, a few are “Confucianism put special emphasis on filial piety, which was believed to preserve harmony and keep families together. … For thousands of years, traditional Chinese family structure was strictly patriarchal, with the father or eldest male as the head of the household as well as provider and guide” (Britannica.com), such as according to Cindy Tang. A lot of popular traditions world wide are different festivals before and after Chinese New Year.
Kwanzaa:
Kwanzaa is a cultural holiday created by Dr. Maulana Karenga, a professor and chairman of the Black Studies at California State University Long Beach in 1966. The aftermath of the Watts riots sparked an idea in which Dr. Karenga found a way to unify African Americans as a community, so he began to research African harvest celebrations. After combining several different harvest celebrations, he combined aspects of the harvest celebrations from Africa to form the basic idealisms of Kwanzaa.
The name Kwanzaa comes from “matunda ya kwanza” which means “first fruits” in Swahili. Every family has their own unique traditions and ways to celebrate Kwanzaa in their own way, but typically they celebrate by singing and dancing with African drums and a large feast. The celebration lasts seven nights and families join together and a child will light one of the candles on the Kinara (candleholder) and one of the seven principles of Kwanzaa is discussed. The seven principles of Kwanzaa are as follows:
Unity: to strive for and maintain unity in families, communities, and race
Self-Determination: to define, name, create, and speak for themselves
Collective work and responsibility: To build and maintain their community together and collectively solve one another’s problems
Cooperative Economics: To build and maintain their own stores, shops, and businesses to profit from together
Purpose: To make a collective vocation of building and developing a community in order to restore their people to their traditional greatness
Creativity: To always do as much as they can for the community and leave it better than they came into it
Faith: To believe with all our heart in their people, parents, teachers, leaders, and the righteousness of the Black victory in their struggle
The principles of Kwanzaa are meant to unify and strengthen the Black community by celebrating family stories, a feast, and dancing. The African feast is called a Karamu and it is eaten on Dec. 31. The candles are ceremonial objects that represent the sun’s power to provide light.
Another important object in Kwanzaa is the “kikombe cha umoja” otherwise known as “the unity cup.” The kikombe cha umoja is a special cup that is used to perform the libation (tambiko) ritual during the feast on the sixth day of Kwanzaa. The liquid inside of the cup represents the living dead whose souls stay with them on Earth where they worked. The Ibo of Nigeria believe that to drink the last part of a libation is to invite the wrath of spirits and the ancestors because the last part of the libation belongs to them. During the feast, the unity cup is passed to each guest to drink from it and promote unity. After the cup has been passed around to everyone, the eldest guest will pour the liquid (usually juice or water) in each directional way (North, East, South, West) to honor their ancestors. The eldest will ask the gods and ancestors to join their festivities and bless all people who did not join the gathering. After the blessing, the elder will pour the liquid on the ground and the group says “Amen.”
Many Kwanzaa gatherings are held at churches. It is common for families to have a cup specifically reserved for their ancestors and everyone else has their own individual cup. The last few ounces of the libation is poured in the host’s cup who drinks from it and passes it to the oldest person in the group to make a blessing. On the last day of Kwanzaa, the community celebrates what is called “Imani” and they share gifts with one another as a sign of growth, self-determination, achievement, success, and health. They exchange gifts with only members of immediate family and especially children to reward their accomplishments. It is encouraged to give handmade gifts to promote the idea of self-determination, purpose, and creativity and to avoid material consumption in the December holiday season. It’s common for a family to spend the year making candleholders, cards, or dolls for their guests. Accepting a gift signifies the obligation to fulfill the promise of the gift: for the recipient to follow the training of the host and stay in the social relationship.
Hanukkah:
(ARIANA GHALAMBOR/ La Plaza art)
Hanukkah is a Jewish festival that starts on Kislev 25 (Dec. 25 in the Gregorian calendar) and is celebrated for eight consecutive days. Hanukkah is a holiday celebrated in Judaism and is used to remember the rededication of the Second Temple of Jerusalem by the lighting of candles on each day of the festival. Even though the holiday wasn’t officially mentioned in Hebrew Scriptures (such as the Torah), Hanukkah came to be an infamous holiday and one of the most widely celebrated Jewish observations. Hanukkah starts on Friday, Dec. 11 to Friday, Dec. 18 in 2020. It lasts for eight days because the Talmud states that when Judas entered the Second Temple in Jerusalem, he found a small jar of oil that wasn’t used by Antiochus IV Epiphanes. The jar only had enough oil to burn for one day, but as the story goes, the oil was able to burn for 8 days until a new oil was found. Hanukkah includes a variety of religious and nonreligious customs and the most famous and important of all is the menorah lighting. A menorah is a candle holder with 8 branches to hold a candle stick in each and holder for the shammash (“servant”) candle that is used to light the other eight candles. In older times, Olive oil was used for lighting the menorah, but over time the Jewish people used regular wax candles of their choice. These candles are placed in the menorah consecutively each night of the festival from right to left but are lit from left to right. Usually the people celebrating this religious observance offer a blessing while the candles are lit at night. Due to the unfortunate hatred towards Jewish people and their traditions, the menorah is now brought inside the house because before when it was placed outside the home because of offending neighbors.
Winter Solstice:
Winter solstice, otherwise known as “Shabe-e-Yalda” in Iran is one of the most ancient Persian festivals celebrated every December 21 by Iranians globally. Yalda is the celebration of the winter solstice because it is the longest night of the year and last night of autumn. Yalda directly translates to “birth” because it refers to the birth of “Mitra”, the mythological goddess of light. This is because the days get longer and the nights get shorter in winter, so Iranians celebrate the last night of autumn as the renewal of the sun and victory of light over darkness. On Shab-e-Yalda, people gather in groups of family, friends, and neighbors (usually at the home of grandparents or familial elders) eating fruits and reading Hafiz poems (a famous Persian poet). Eating is the most lengthy part of the night. Persians gather to eat typically red colored foods like watermelon, berries, and pomegranate to share the last remaining fruits from summer together. The fruits of Yalda have a symbolic meaning: watermelon symbolizes the sun by its spherical shape and is said to keep one safe from winter diseases. Pomegranate is the symbol of birth and the color red symbolizes the glow of life. Reading Hafez poems is one of the most quintessential aspects of Yalda. Each of the family members makes a secret wish as they open the book to a random page and the elder reads the selected poem loudly. Since the poem is believed to be the interpretation of the secret wish, the guests will try to guess the wishes of others. Yalda is also celebrated in other formerly Persian Empire countries such Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Armenia and Azerbaijan sharing the same traditions and ways of celebration.
While there are many holidays celebrated at this time of year, it doesn’t mean they don’t have the same “winter-cheer.” One thing all of these holidays share is the gathering of family. It is important we all take the time to commemorate and spend time with our families, whether it be on a Zoom call or at home. Although more than 2 billion people globally celebrate Christmas, it is still important to recognize the 200 countries that celebrate other holidays in this time of year.
Although the Black Lives Matter Movement was originally started back in 2013, in the past few months it has gained a significant amount of attention and support from the media. After the death of George Floyd in late May, many Americans finally had enough and began fighting for the lives of black, Indigenous and people of color, and for those who have been affected by police brutality.
Although most would think there would not be anything wrong with this movement, many disagree and have begun to use the slogan All Lives Matter, opposing Black Lives Matter.
Image of the Black Lives Matter movement name with hands interlocked featuring multiple different skin colors. This is symbolic of the unity that defines the BLM movement. (Destiny Ramos Marin/ Ethic Photo)
As everyone has different views on the matter, a few people of different ages and from Citrus Valley High School were asked to share their honest opinion about the sensitive topic, so let’s review their outlook on Black Lives Matter.
Laura Estrada, A freshman at Citrus Valley High School, 14, says, “It’s a great movement that is happening, it shows how people are now realizing that racism still goes on in the new world.”
Sean Love, A freshman at CVHS, 14, says, “Black Lives Matter has been a topic that should [be] more powerful, not because of George Floyd but [because of] the overall message that should be received.”
Jemila Odeh, A freshman at CVHS, 15, says, “I think Black Lives Matter is super important, I’m really passionate about it and what it stands for.”
Christian Razo, A senior at CVHS, 17, says, “I honestly think people are making it too big of a deal, you know. All lives should matter. It doesn’t matter what color you are, you don’t need to subjugate one color just because of other people’s opinions. It should just be everybody’s the same and that should be it”
Vince Watts, 20, says “The peaceful protests are fine, but the riots bring nothing but violence wherever they go. Yes, we need to change something about the police, but [the supporters] need to change too. The way they executed it, the government got involved, funded the riots, started riots, everything like that is why I consider BLM an urban terrorist group.”
Celine Rodriguez, a military wife and mother of 1, 21, says “I agree with the slogan that black lives matter. Black lives is a movement that [brings] attention to police brutality and systemic racism. It’s fighting for equality and basic human rights. I believe that people have taken a great cause and tried to twist it with the slogan “All Lives Matter”. While, yes, the statement is true, that all lives matter, it takes away from the problems that are going on in the black community, [and] the problems that not all people have to face on a daily basis.”
Christina Marin, a health care worker and mother of 4, 31, says, “My opinion about it is that, yes, black lives do matter, [but] so [do] all the other lives. I feel like the slogan has caused more divide in our country than unity. It’s actually caused more racism in our country and has divided so many people because of the actions of a few. I was raised in a minority family and taught that, regardless of your skin color, everyone is treated equally.”
Martin Marin, a hardworking football dad of 4, 32, says, “It’s important, but I don’t agree with it and believe that All Lives Matter. And all they are doing is dividing people more than they already are.”
Philip Ramos, an LA businessman, 46, “Black Lives Matter is important, It has its own identity, and should not be confused with all lives matter.”
Cecelia Ramos, a loving grandmother and former teacher, 76, says, “They have a right to a peaceful protest, because black people have been [treated] wrong for so many years, [and now] they need their voices heard.”
The only common ground between the few is that most of them view BLM as a positive thing, but recognize that a movement like this has great downfalls as well.
It is clear that everyone here has very different opinions on the subject, but at the end of the day, your age doesn’t matter when it comes to important subjects like this.
Whether you agree or disagree with BLM, your opinion about the topic does not define who you are as a person, and should never be seen as a way to hurt people.
By AKUL GUPTA, TATUM MAPES, INARA KHANKASHI, and JAZUI MEJI
Students For Change meets to discuss issues of inequality and oppression on a weekly basis. A contributor to the group’s rapid growth is the widespread advocacy of the aforementioned social justice movement. This club provides an outlet for students to discuss social issues that are not only affecting the other side of the country, but their home towns and school as well. Having started in the 2020-21 school year, Students For Change has already made significant waves in the Redlands Unified School District.
Daniel Waters, a senior at Redlands East Valley, says, “Not many people know what their gender identity and sexuality even mean. I know firsthand that my cousin does not feel safe about telling most people who they really are. I wanted to join Wildcats for Change to help stop the hate and discrimination against people like them. I represent a group in football players/athletes that is hardly known for accepting others, but I want to change the trend and inspire other athletes to use their power to advocate for everyone. I hope that this program inspires everyone to be better to each other by promoting acceptance, education, and love. I hope that more teachers will take action to establish that everyone is welcome and that no one should be made to feel inferior. I hope that more students will take the initiative to unite in uplifting each other. I think that our potential is unlimited and I hope that moving forward, more schools will adopt a similar program.”
Among the students, Terriers for Justice represents the change needed in their schools to advance conversations surrounding discrimination. At Redlands High School, student Kiara Choi said, “Personally, I believe that this group will make it easier to talk about inequality at schools. This is not an average school club; controversial topics that many may find uncomfortable will be discussed, and I think that this is an amazing opportunity for Redlands schools to educate their students on the hardships of different cultures in America.”
At RHS, teacher Lauren Holcombe stated, “I am incredibly honored to be one of the teachers to help lead this initiative. I have been so impressed by the maturity of the students in this group and their desire to work so hard to be leaders in both their school and their community to bring about positive changes when it comes to social injustice.”
Teacher Peter Cain, also from RHS, stated, “In my view, educators have a duty to listen to their students and make them feel they are all equal on campus and in their communities.”
More and more students have recognized the gross disparities within their school system, reflective of a much larger, grander issue within society. Schools in California recognize the statistical issue, which presents itself even within RUSD. An overarching issue unites a multitude of stakeholders within the Redlands community, as the school district recently banded together to create an initiative that aims to lessen the terrible impact of racism, systemic, structural and pervasive within the campuses.
Inara Khankashi of Blackhawks for Change said, “The K-12 Education system should educate students on issues relating to diversity and equality within their communities, and encourage the youth to embrace antiracism as an integral part of maturity.”
Students for Change consists of multiple high schools: Redlands East Valley High School, Citrus Valley High School, Redlands High School and Redlands eAcademy. They have created a collective movement for change, fueling the desire for equality and development to ensure every student receives equal treatment and opportunities. Students within the region have decided that silence can no longer respond to the apparent injustices and instances of racism on school campuses.
Featured photo: The official logo for Wildcats 4 Change. While this logo is used to represent students from Redlands East Valley, they are also part of the collective movement of Students for Change. (Photo courtesy of Wildcats 4 Change)
Images of equality and exclusivity symbolizing love for anyone (Mauricio Pliego / Ethic News)
During the last Redlands Unified School Board district meeting on Oct. 27, 2020, Resolution 12 was passed with the help and support of the NEXGEN Student Board. Resolution 12 covers the topic of making the schools in Redlands Unified District inclusive to all.
NEXGEN United, a Redlands Unified student operated community organization working for “racial equality and justice for all”, declared racism as “a public health crisis” as said by their instagram. In doing so they created a resolution to bring to the attention of the RUSD school board. This is significant because, due to the recent California Assembly Bill 331, school boards are encouraged to incorporate curriculum to raise awareness of the LGBTQ+ students, racial injustice, and all around inclusivity of students regardless of economic background, gender and/or sexual orientation. The school board will ensure this by implementing policies and practices, such as equity of access, services and cultural education.
Some students on the NEXGEN board, such as Mauricio Pliego, a sophomore at Redlands East Valley, who “personally worked on the resolution” saw an “opportunity to create a more understanding and safer environment” for RUSD students. Inara Khankashi, a sophomore at Citrus Valley, and a NEXGEN member, is “extremely pleased it passed”. She said that “the District genuinely needs change and student representation, especially people of color ones, should assist in bringing out that change.”
R-12 ensures that future Redlands students are informed and educated on racial, LGBTQ+ and other social issues. Through reinforcing policies, the district hopes that practices and RUSD student/member participation can bring them closer towards a safe and equal learning environment to lead to a brighter future.
With the 2020 United States election coming to a close, it is important to remember that in the end we are all Americans, no matter the personal definition. It is the people of the United States’ responsibly to unite and exercise their right to have a say in government, ensuring freedom of the people. This is what high school students of Redlands Unified School District say about what it means to be an American.
By AVA AVILA, MEILANI BAUTISTA, CHARLIZE HALIM, SAANYA SHRIVASTAV, LAURA MASSIE, CHRISTINA ORTEGA, JACOB BENNETT, and LUCY VALENCIA
La Catrina was feeling some pressure,
Worry lines criss crossed her bones,
An email that came down from corporate,
Was laden with menacing tones,
“Your numbers were down in September,
October’s not looking much better,
Now the Day of the Dead is approaching,
And people should be a lot deader!”
La catrina slunk off to the bathroom,
Had a panic attack in the stall,
That’s where she worried herself to death,
And so, reached her goal after all.
Ava Avila
La Catrina and Ava Avila. (Courtesy of Ava Avila)
He ran throughout the fish market
Shouting “¡Ayudame!”
For on his head, eating his hair
Was a giant manta ray
As panic chased him to the piers
Where the sea would crash and bark
He leapt down and found himself
In the mouth of an angry shark
Meilani Bautista
There once was a girl named Larra Pauline.
She was very afraid of the color green.
She walked outside to play with friends but she saw something she never seen.
Afraid of the color she ran to the mall,
but later that day she died from a great fall.
On the day of the dead she visited her family.
She even ate a lot of skull candy.
When she had to go back,
she said goodbye,
still very sad that she had to die.
Charlize Halim
Larra Lacificar. (Courtesy of Larra Lacificar)
The Romans they claimed to be
Going about the world to search
Led them to the shore of the sea
Where the Greeks were perched
Percy Jackson sipping a cup of tea
When he drowned them as they lurched
Like they were a flea
Saanya Shrivastav
When he was angry
Luke wanted to teach a lesson
Went to percy on a beach
They walk in one direction
But Luke was in the ocean
And Percy went home
So Luke was killed
Saanya Shrivastav
No One Is Going to Graduate
Math is dead.
The teacher knows that.
He teaches y=mx+b that scare the students like skulls.
Death is here.
The students are becoming skinnier.
The students do not pass their test.
The teacher dug their tombs, and now no one is going to graduate.
Laura Massie
The dead is here. (Courtesy of Laura Massie)
LA CALAVERA
La calavera does not have hair
La calavera does not eat pears
¿La calavera lives where?
She lives in the dark shadows
Where the clouds are very big
La calavera likes to dig?
La calavera digs a big hole
La calavera who makes a fall
Oh no! Oh no! Where did she go?
The dirt covers her up
Where did the calavera go?
Nowhere to be found
Long lost the calavera
Cristina Ortega
His name is Jacob
He surfed quickly
Far away from death.
Jacob Bennett
Flower of the Dead. (JOCOB BENNET/ La Plaza photo)
You were a crazy one Jacob,
Always enjoyed putting up a fight
and breaking everything in the house
you fought with so much might.
Your brothers were battered
but you were flattered.
It was all out of love though
and fun too
The little silly attitude
made your family have gratitude.
They loved you
always and forever.
Lucy Valencia
By KAREEM HASSEN, NOAH PATINO, DEBRA CHENG, JAN IAN BENITO, CRISTINA ORTEGA, AVA SOEMARNA, ROBERT VENEGAS, AFIFA MOHSIN, and LARRA LACIFICAR
On the day of the dead
We celebrate
On the day of the dead
Do not be late
On the day of the dead
The dead awake
On the day of the dead
We leave an altar
On the day of the dead
You know walter
He was born different
That's his fault
He was born different
He is very tall
He was born different
But that doesn't make him less than you
Noah Patino
Image of a girl. (DEBRA CHENG/ La Plaza art)
Juan is a candlestick maker,
Making candles all day as a caretaker
for the muerto.
Watching over the graves,
Feeling their waves of energetic energy
through their bones.
Digging new graves everyday,
Through day and night,
Working so hard,
All the way until his skin charred,
Scarred from all the work he had done.
Kareem Hassen
Family Altar. (NOAH PATINO/ La Plaza photo)
The boy lied to his parents about his grade.
Death came along and told him,
I will accompany you
for I can no longer use my mouth to lie
and if you keep up like this
the same thing will happen to you.
Jan Ian Benito
Mia Brubacher on Olvera Street. (Courtesy of Mia Brubacher)
It's six in the morning
And the boy can't sleep
Because the dead is here visiting him,
Dressed in her long black hood.
Not afraid
Because he's as dead as they come.
Few know how it is
Being made of coffee.
Walking beside the bed,
Look at the boy
And give it a welcome.
"Come with me."
Before getting lost
She lifts her tired eyes to look at him.
“I don't want to look at you anymore.
Leave me alone."
The room was quiet,
And he thought for a moment.
He got up to dress.
He thought about starting the day early.
Ava Soemarna
Today we lie, with pumpkin pie,
and a president on a bed
To which they say
might done or dead
From a virus who came in his stead
From which he takes his stride to die
With pride,
only on a rise.
Pride so fresh and deep
He still refuses to weep
Oh foolish president on his knees
Won’t be lying with his little please
Till he becomes o’ so foolish,
O’ so ghoulish,
And is finally put at ease
Debra Cheng
Oh Sebastian,
always dreaming and imagining,
Never thinking of where you should be
And never thinking of where you are going
Cliffs have come close to taking you life
Yet you are still dreaming and alive
Robert Venegas
Alebrijes are animals that guide the souls in the afterlife. (ROBERTO GALINDO/ La Plaza photo)
I’m a very brave teenager,
The skeleton lady wanted to see my valor,
She wanted to take me to the grave,
Because I’m very daring,
I was smart,
I was able to escape.
Joshua Ramirez
Charlize Harim. (LARRA LACIFICAR/ La Plaza photo)
Charlize Halim,
A girl and a friend to all.
She liked to sing
and go to the mall.
She had a party,
but no one came.
She felt sad
so she played a video game.
The dead took her away
because she was too good.
On the day of the dead,
she ate a lot of food.
People gather together,
and now remember,
not her being nice,
but that she won a game
and her love to eat rice.
Larra Lacificar
Playing volleyball. (AFIFA MOHSIN/ La Plaza photo)
The girl is tall,
her name is Afifa
She plays volleyball with her friends
But now the skeleton is looking for her,
but now she plays tennis.
She likes to spend time with her friends.
Afifa Mohsin
Every culture has a unique set of values, beliefs and traditions that define themselves from others. From religion to cuisine to language, culture is generally established at a young age leading to customs being passed down from generation to generation. Each culture’s stories deserved to be told in order for others to value and appreciate them more.
Students from Redlands East Valley, Citrus Valley, and Redlands High School shared an aspect in each of their cultures.
“My favorite Indonesian tradition is when the kids and parents dance called manortor and wear traditional clothing for any occasion.” – Jessica Simbolon, RHS junior
“Hanami [Japanese] – appreciating the beauty of flowers, and especially of blossoming cherry trees. ” – Sophia Le, REV sophomore
“I am Greek and I love making Greek cookies with my family. They’re twist-shaped cookies that are so good!” – Isabella Bojorquez, CV senior
“My favorite tradition in my culture is giving up bad addictions and habits during ‘lent.’ This occurs during the spring and Catholics like myself do this from Ash Wednesday until Easter. Lent betters me as a person, and I enjoy this time of the year.” Jacob Echevarria, RHS senior
“One of my favorite traditions in my culture would probably be weddings because Arab weddings involve many things such as social interactions, dancing, and the entertainment. Many Arab weddings have the bride walk down the aisle or stairs with her groom while the zaffah group comes in with them to bring more attraction towards the bride and groom. Zaffah is a group of men that hit drums to the beat of the music.” – Lara Takkouche, REV junior
“My favorite tradition celebrated in my culture is Dia de los Muertos. Every year my family celebrates our ancestors and the ones that passed before us. It allows us to honor them and to celebrate life.” – Madison Jimenez, RHS senior
“Like Chinese and other various cultures, in Vietnamese culture, we celebrate Tết, which is Vietnamese New Years. During Tết, we dress up in traditional dresses called Áo Dài, and join together with friends and family to gamble, eat traditional and seasonal foods, give and receive lì xì (lucky red envelope money), and wish each other luck in the new year.” – Trinity Le, CV freshman
CV freshman Trinity Le wears a traditional dress, called Áo Dài, to celebrate Tết, otherwise known as the Vietnamese New Year. Tết marks the beginning of each lunar new year and is often celebrated with sociable activities, ancestral worship and traditional foods. (Courtesy of Trinity Le)
These are Vietnamese Chung cakes, which are square sticky rice cakes often filled with pork and green beans and covered with bamboo leaves and strings. (Courtesy of Trinity Le)
Everyone has their perspectives of various cultures and although no culture is identical, occasionally they share similar characteristics. Learning about cultures from people who are immersed personally in their culture provides more authenticity than assumptions and can encourage an open-minded worldview.
These lyrics are taken from, “Dear America,” the newest song released by Amira Marshall, a sixteen-year-old junior at Redlands High School.
Known artistically as Amira Monet, her music is available on all streaming platforms.
Marshall attends Redlands High School as a junior. At school, she is a part of wind ensemble and is also athletically involved in varsity golf, JV basketball, and track and field. These activities help her to keep more focused during the school year, although it can be a struggle to make time for music then.
“Making music can be draining at times. It takes a lot of time and energy to write and produce a song I’m satisfied with,” said Marshall. “During the year school consumes most of my time, but I try to make music whenever or wherever I can.
Marshall’s passion for music has always existed and recalls that her first exposure to music was in elementary school when she joined band there. As she got older, she became interested in producing music that would allow her the freedom to write.
“I started out using my iPhone and GarageBand to make my very first songs,” Marshall said. “I always kept my interest in producing music a secret because it’s a very personal thing for me and I don’t always love to share my work.”
In 2018, Marshall released her first song, called “Read,” which she recounts was about middle school drama.
“I didn’t expect such a positive response to the song, because it was really just for fun, but it inspired me to go on to make a song called ‘Sorry’ which I released later that year.”
Rapper Mac Miller serves as Marshall’s greatest inspiration in continuing her music. She recognizes and admires his talent as an artist who created masterpieces and is especially fond of his albums, “Swimming” and “GO:OD AM.”
Marshall said, “I loved how Miller used a variety of instruments and sounds to create his songs. He was so versatile with his music, he could create a modern hip hop track but also tie in nostalgic jazz sounds.”
Marshall continues, “An important saying I live by is ‘Keep your eyes to the sky never glued to your shoes [by Mac Miller].’”
When she was first starting out, Marshall first began creating songs with her phone and a pair of Apple earbuds. Through her years of improvement, she has purchased more advanced equipment.
“Today I use my computer, music software called Ableton, a microphone from Apogee, the Komplete Kontrol M32 from Native Instruments, and a basic pair of mixing headphones,” Marshall said. She adds, “However equipment is not everything, anyone can start out with what they already have.”
Amira Marshall’s current home studio is shown as of Sept. 7. Marshall uses the Komplete Kontrol M32 from Native Instruments which serves as a micro keyboard controller, a microphone from Apogee, the music software Ableton, and a pair of mixing headphones to produce her music. (Courtesy of Amira Marshall)
As she starts the process of creating a new song, Marshall first makes a beat that matches the mood she wants to achieve. Secondly, she composes lyrics for the message that she wants to send or for the idea she has. Then, she revises and works on the beat and after the beat is finalized, she generally collaborates with her good friend Grace Sanchez to get some feedback on the lyrics.
After the lyrics are established, she will record in her at-home studio setup and assemble everything together, which is the step that is typically the quickest to complete. Once the song is mixed and complete, Marshall will then send it to streaming services.
“It may sound pretty quick and simple, but it can be a long and tiring experience, but it’s the best feeling when I hear the final result,” Marshall said.
Marshall’s newest song, “Dear America,” was released on July 15.
Originally, she did not have intentions to create this song thinking there was no need to and that it wouldn’t have much of an impact.
“However, it was not until some people I knew began to politicize the Black Lives Matter movement,” Marshall said. “I was so angered and saddened that anyone could think such a thing. I wrote Dear America so people could see that the movement is about systemic oppression, white supremacy, and racism, not politics.”
Writing “Dear America,” came fairly naturally for Marshall due to the unjust instances of police brutality prevalent in America, such as the killing of Tamir Rice, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. In total, writing “Dear America” took Marshall about four weeks to finish.
Amira Marshall’s album cover for her song “Dear America,” is shown above. “Dear America,” was publicly released on July 15. (Courtesy of Amira Marshall)
The album cover was chosen to symbolize how much systemic oppression deeply affects the lives of people of color.
“In some places in America people of color are set up to fail. They are born into poverty and crime-ridden neighborhoods where getting involved in crime is easier. They go to schools that simply do not have enough resources for them to succeed. They live in places that are being over-policed. They have parents addicted to drugs or no parents at all. People of color have almost all of the odds against them and have to work so hard to succeed just because of their skin color. Even though blatant racism is not as prevalent today, it has infested all of our systems in America. From education to criminal justice, and in workplace environments. Most times it goes unnoticed because as Americans we are used to things being this way. There are too many instances of police abusing their power against people of color and walking away with few or most times no consequences. Systemic oppression has been almost normalized in America for generations. Overall, the album cover represents the magnitude of people affected by systemic oppression. It affects everyone of every age, even young children. It is important to realize this so that change can happen to create a better America for further generations.”
– Amira Marshall
“Black bodies, their children. Life cut short. By the blue man with the gun.”
This quote from “Dear America,” resonated most with Marshall, because she recognizes and values the life and family that Tamir Rice, Eric Gardener, and George Floyd had.
“They were people with a life and family. They were not objects or chess pieces for a game, they were real people,” Marshall said. “Being a police officer is a choice, being Black is not.”
Through this song, Marshall hopes to convey the message that people of color have had a long stretch of mistreatment in a society that claims is already fair, therefore, change must be brought about immediately.
“My main goal for this song was not to have it blow up or for it to be loved by all my friends and family,” said Marshall.
“I want the person who thinks Blacks Lives Matter is political, to hear this song. I want the person who is a Trump supporter to hear this song. I want this song to resonate with someone who needs it. I want to open the minds of those who are closed-minded and help them see that this is a moral issue, not a political one.
Marshall’s main goal as an artist is to bring people closer together.
She is grateful for the continuous and overwhelming support her family and friends give her and her music.
“I am so grateful for my friends, they have always supported my music and always hype me up and promote my music through social media,” Marshall said. “I am very blessed that my friend has always supported me and music. I am so grateful to be surrounded by amazing individuals. Shoutout to Callie and Grace for being amazing and supportive friends.”
Although she has a passion and love for music, her true passion lies in medicine. Marshall aspires to attend college to become a doctor.
“I think that medicine and biology are the best combinations of math, science, and English, and it is such a rewarding profession,” Marshall said. “I am not entirely set on a specialty I want to pursue, but right now I am planning to study Epidemiology.”
In terms of upcoming projects, Marshall does have projects currently in the making that will likely be released later this year if everything goes as planned.
Marshall’s music is available on all streaming platforms, such as Apple Music, Youtube, and Amazon Music.
Isabelle Ingebrigtsen is a foreign exchange student from Norway. She was Redlands East Valley’s cross-country manager last semester and plans to be a manager for track as well. Ingebrigtsen was inspired to study abroad after hearing the stories her father would tell her about times in the 80’s when he was a foreign exchange student himself.
She is involved in the program EF, Education First, which has provided “life changing education for global citizens” in 114 countires since 1965. When Ingebrigtsen was browsing on Youtube, she came across educational videos about EF. She also watched Highschool Musical, which depicted the idolized idea of American highschool. This popularized her traverse and she decided to try the American highschool experience.
In all places of the world, culture can differ widely. Coming from Norway, Ingebrigtsen’s culture is very different so when she came to the United States, she explained that, “people talked a different way and communicated differently than in Norway.” The American school system is also very different compared to hers. She does not have organized sports at her school, so if she wanted to participate in extracurriculars, she would have to participate in activities outside of school. Because of this, her school lacks the school spirit that REV displays. Because of this, she wanted to get involved and campus. She was Redlands East Valley’s cross-country manager last semester and plans to be a manager for track as well.
The Norwegian school system is typically state-supported to ensure equal education for all. Meaning that the state also funds students’ college education. The school system is also divided into three levels. Elementary school, which is kindergarten then grades 1-7. Then, middle school (lower secondary school), grades 8-10. And lastly, highschool (upper secondary school), grades 11-13.
When coming to the United States, Ingebrigtsen did not find it hard to adjust. She has been prepared for one of the many difficult parts of adjusting to a new country–the language. Ingebrigtsen began to learn english in grade 1, which is usually typical for other international countries because of the broad use of english around the world. When entering middle school, in order to get a diploma, it is required to pick a third known language to study, given the options of German, French, Spanish, or Chinese. So, she is very cultured for her age when it comes to foreign language.
Ingebrigtsen doesn’t have the opportunity to visit home during the school year, so she video chats with her friends and family in Norway whenever she gets the chance. Nevertheless, she does “love to hang out with friends” in her free time. She also likes to travel “so [she] wants to see everything including the culture and the sites in California.” Her favorite place she has gone to is the beach and seeing it’s “beautiful sunsets.”
Before coming to America, she had dreams to live here, but after seeing how expensive everything is compared to Norway, those dreams came to a halt. However, she “would love to come back for a couple months at a time in the future.”
When Ingebrigtsen leaves she will miss “[her] friends, the language, the access that [she] has to the beach, and the amazing food.”
“It’s important to know Spanish because you can use it at work and they can pay you more.”
Joseph Pernett
“It’s important to be bilingual because when you go to the university they give us extra points.”
Rober Ebrahim
“It is important to be bilingual because you can apply for jobs and it’s good for jobs and it’s also good because you get to know so much more about our world.”
Norman Henriquez
“I think it is important to be bilingual because in the future, when you get future jobs or just in a workplace in general, there could be people who speak different languages and a lot of time, a lot of languages are similar so if you are able to understand at least one different language, you will be able to understand what other people are talking about and like when you are in a workplace, like if you wanted to become a doctor or you wanted to be something, it’s good to be able to understand who you are talking to and the services you are doing, it’s easier to provide for people if you can understand them.”
Todd Jackson
“Yes, I think it is important to be bilingual because you can communicate with more people like you can travel and be able to understand more people and its easier too. Like you can take Spanish and already know it and yeah, it’s just better all around.”
Ernesto Gomez-Cornejo
“I think it is important to be bilingual because you can express more culture and you have more of a mix for everybody like you can make more friends and meet more people when you are bilingual.”
Kenny Ricks
“I do think it is important to learn Spanish because especially with the job market who are looking for people who speak Spanish for bilingual opportunities and also I think it is more important because learning about other cultures is always fun and exciting especially when you can meet new people and try new foods and stuff.”
Jade Herrera
“So I think being bilingual is very important because you have an advantage when you are applying for jobs like when you apply for a job and you are bilingual, you are automatically going to catch the attention of whoever is hiring you and I also think it’s important especially in the workforce because you will able to connect with much more people and you will be able to speak your second language so you will be practicing too. I also think that it’s beneficial because you have much more media in your hands. You will be able to access great songs, great television series, and books in that other language so you will have much more great things to look over.”
Joel San Juan
“Practically speaking, it is a very spectacular benefit to speak Spanish and English in a fluent way because it has given me the privilege of when I travel to Mexico, for example, it has been a great privilege to speak Spanish completely well and at the same time it has also been incredible that I can speak Spanish with people from other parts of Latin America, for example when I go to Los Angeles or when I am doing business.”
Ulises Gregorio
“I say that it is very important to speak two languages because you can live together with many people and help many people speaking Spanish.”
Blake Bergman
“Okay so it is very important to be bilingual because like if you want to talk to people in like a different language like you get to talk to them and stuff and it’s also good to like meet other people who speak different languages so you can more understand the human connection and stuff.”
Donecia Campos
“I think it is important to be bilingual because it offers an opportunity to be able to communicate with others, not only using a language you have learned but like another one. It’s easier and a lot more fun being able to use different vocabulary words and saying it in a certain way.”
Rosemary Ventura
“I think is important to be bilingual because you are able to communicate with others who speak that language and are able to help them.”
Matias Bianca
“It’s important to be bilingual because I can translate with my friends.”
ETHIC NEWS 
You must be logged in to post a comment.