Volume 106, Issue 1 Modesto High Fall 2018 3 Starbucks 12 Crescent Work & Outdoor 4 Fall Sports Fire

8 Fall 13 Fortnite Homecoming

10 Greek Food 14 Parent Festival Panthers The Starbucks Revolution By Shelby Benz

offee specialty drinks seem to have become an name and enterprise. internationalC phenomenon, especially at Starbucks. Starbucks stands out from the numerous Students at our own school come to class with cups of coffee shop chains that scatter the nation, including eloquently named coffee and other caffeinated drinks. the Coffee Bean, Dunkin’ Donuts, etc. According to The Center for Disease Control and Prevention has Ms. Harris, it is not the coffee that makes Starbucks so conducted surveys on caffeine consumption of chil- popular, “I think that it is the whole atmosphere. It is a dren and adolescents. According to Jill Adams of the culture. It breeds conversation, thinking, and creativi- Huffington Post, “the proportion of caffeine coming ty.” Each Starbucks has a warm, dark wood design dot- from coffee increased from 10 percent to 24 percent” ted with chairs and tables for the customers. Students in the 2014 survey. Observationally, this phenomenon meet their friends to work on homework; adults bring may be caused by the 27,000 Starbucks stores across laptops to tackle work projects. Crescent the world. While there may be negative health effects It is arguable about whether the ignition of the correlated to a more caffeinated society, people none- Starbucks revolution has helped or harmed more local theless wait in line to order coffee ornamented with the businesses. It seems as though it would spark competi- Work famous green and white mermaid logo. Nick Rocha, tion with neighboring local spots, but the international senior, believes that this trendy logo is part of its spe- sensation of Starbucks has also seemingly changed the & Outdoor cial appeal. way we view coffee shops, as boutiques, as work and What really makes Starbucks so special? Ac- study places, as objectively ‘cool’ places to meet friends cording to Lexi Sutter, senior, Starbucks has become and ‘hang out.’ In Modesto, more popular and local Fire a “fad” and has attained a powerful name with a force spots include the Queen Bean and Sweet Tea, a boba behind its title. She believes that part of the Starbucks shop downtown. appeal is that it is accessible, the drinks are tasty, and Starbucks has unquestionably become a part of the menu has a wide variety of options for people with the culture of modern American society. Its popularity different tastes. Ms. Gundran-Williams, from the SBO, is cultivated by “millennial” influence and supported stated that “...they are always coming out with some- by the curiosity of former generations. Unfortunately, thing new.” Going to Starbucks is initiates an explo- like all aspects that are good, it has created a stereotype ration of sugary goodness; it stimulates curiosity for that is responsible for creating labels that drive a deep- items that remain outside the normal loop of society er wedge between the differences of people in society. Fortnite - in other words, it is not just coffee. Each season, they The Starbucks “white girl” is just one of many come out with several new flavors that charge a mate- motifs that may influence the way we see ourselves and rialistic excitement for certain seasons, through items see others. The Starbucks Revolution allows people to such as the Pumpkin Spice Latte. It is much like the be more social and simultaneously productive. But it Hallmark complex in which seasonal festivities breed also forces us to reflect on the way we interact in the a consumer thirst. This charge is stretched into the cur- world and how materialistic ventures influence our rent fall season, where pumpkin spice is in the air and opinions of others and ourselves. The ebb and flow Halloween is just around the corner. of Starbucks is representative of a culture that is ever Natalie Linker, senior, mentioned that social fluctuating. Parent media platforms have helped give Starbucks an inter- Panthers national name as well, and indeed it is a household It is a revolution. Fall Sports By Tori Galloway and Alex Phiang

Football The Panthers football team has had a rough time getting started in there 2018 season. The boys are 0-2 in league and 4-3 overall. Since the creation of the new league CCC, the competition in all sports has in- creased tremendously, and Panthers football is one that has been getting hit the hardest. Jaquile Ingram (19) says, “During pre-season we were off to a great start at 3-1, and going into league we were really hyped and looking forward to it. Then we played Gregori and we just couldn’t seem to pull it together after that. I am hop- ing we at least beat Downey and get a few more wins this season”. The season has been tough. Coach Bradley Taylor says, “This year, the expectations were high due to the number of speedy athletes on our roster. While our team has shown glimpses of what we are truly ca- pable of, we have yet to fully come together as a collective unit and showcase our teamwork”. Coach Taylor has an optimistic view for the rest of the season de- spite the rough times. He says, “we are confident our athletes can band together and finish the season on a high note”. __ Boys’ Water Polo This year’s season of water polo is a tran- sitional year. With new coaches and new plays, the season hasn’t been all that great for the boys’ team. The seasonal score is 0-5, placing them last in the league. Things look pretty bleak and the sea- son is quickly ending. According to Francisco Arrizon (19), “It’s been a rough one (season), by far. But the team is slowly coming together. It’s been rough because the team hasn’t been together. We’ve had some players out for surgery other have gotten hurt but we’re going to come together at the end of the season and get some wins that we need”. But despite the rough moments, Francisco has a positive outlook for the future of the season. He says, “I expect the team to get a lot better. Be a more cohesive unit and play a lot better at games than we’ve have in the past”.

Girls’ Water Polo The Girls’ team is in a better shape this season. The seasonal score is 4-3 placing them 4th in the league. This year’s girls’ team is also in a transitional phase with a new coach, but they seem to be adapting well and it hasn’t stopped them from playing their best. Jessica Martin (19) says, “So far in the season, we’ve had our ups and downs, but our team has grown closer and I’m looking forward to the rest of the season”. Jessica also says she, “expect [her] team to finish the season strong”. As do we! Cross Country As for the Cross-Country teams, the boys’ varsity team is doing pretty well. They are currently 2nd in league and battling for the title of league champions.

Alan Guerrero (19) says, “We want to win the league championship. We have been close before and can do it at the end of the year when we are at our peak for the season”. Alan also hopes they can beat Gregori, the only league team the boys haven’t beat yet.

The Girls’ varsity team isn’t so lucky. With many injuries and health issues, the team is struggling. They are currently 4th in the league. Despite their place, Isabella (20) has a positive attitude for the rest of the season. She says, “I expect to PR (Personal Record) and get a medal in the upcoming races”.

Girls’ Tennis The Lady Panther Tennis team is running for fourth in league. They are 1-6 in league and 3-8 overall. Claire Turner says, “I feel that we all improved a lot as a team, even though we may not have won many games I think we all have collectively come together as a team”. And this is important for any team. Coach Vaughan says,“I’ve really come to enjoy the team. We have 18 girls who are eager to improve and constantly push them- selves and compete even when the odds are stacked against them. I’m so proud of their work ethic and continued pursuit of perfection. I have some true fighters on the team”. Coach Vaughan has been coaching Tennis for 11 years, and has also coached many years in other sports at Modesto High.

Girls’ Golf Where the other sports still have a couple weeks left, our MHS golfers’ season is the first to end. They will place 4th in the league. There have been many improve- ments within the team and they are happy with that. Lucy Suarez (19) says, “My favorite moment was the tournament because we were all together having fun and we also thought we were going to lose”. But they didn’t. Way to go Panthers!

Volleyball The Lady Panthers Volleyball team is doing a phenomenal job at being the team to beat this 2018 season. This season these ladies have gone 25-4 and are tied for first in league with an outstanding record of 6-1 against Pitman High. These girls have worked extremely hard for a season like this. Tori Galloway says (19), “I am so proud of how far we have come over the past four years because no one deserves this more than we do. We have been the underdogs for to long and people have underestimated us, so now we are getting to break, and we played 6 games straight.” (Alyssa Cov- prove them wrong and I am enjoying every bit of it”. er). The Volleyball team went to two tournaments this Coach Traci Harris and Tom Freeman couldn’t season and won both; the Orestimba Classic, and be more proud of these ladies as well. Coach Harris winning the for the second year in a row the Madera says,“We have come so far, but we still have a ways Classic, where both Alyssa Cover and Tori Galloway to go if we want to win the league title. In practice I made the All-Tournament team. always try pushing these girls to go hard in practice Alyssa Covers (19) says her favorite memory because you never know what your going to expect so far is the, “ first tournament and it was winning from any team on any given day”. The Lady Panthers the Orestimba Tournament. It was against super hard hope to get end their season with the first League teams, we had no air conditioning, we never got a title since 2010. Modesto High’s Fall Homecoming Recap For Modesto High School’s first her thoughts, “[It] was my favorite day. It Homecoming, students and staff did a great was really creative and funny how guys were job in filling this week with school spirit wearing dresses and hats. I really enjoyed and lots of excitement. As a recap, Here are this week and can’t wait for the next one.” the highlights of Homecoming week. As for the hallway, the Juniors brought Toy On Monday, tacky tourists invaded Story to Modesto High. Unlike the previous the school sporting Hawaiian shirts, sun- days, Thursday paid tribute to Halloween. glasses, fanny packs, and binoculars. The To celebrate this Spooky Season, students freshmen also did a great job decorating the wore costumes to school – Slender man and hallway making it DC’s Joker to name resemble a scene a few. Although not from the Disney meant to be quite as movie Tangled. On spooky, the Seniors Tuesday, or Squad decorated the hall- day, friends got way in the theme of to show off their Disney’s Coco com- sense of style and plete with a band, wear matching dancers, and some outfits. This day, skeletons. Abjot it was the Sopho- Singh, a senior var- mores turn to get sity football player, creative and deco- felt that “Spooky rate the hallway – their theme was Monster season was the best because it matched Inc. which was Senior Kayla Hernandez’s what everyone was wearing. Overall, the favorite theme. Understandably, Seniors hallway was constructed better.” In the end, may feel bittersweet about Homecoming. the Seniors were voted to have the best dec- Kayla Hernandez explained, “I’m happy and orated hallway. sad because it’ll be my last Fall rally. It feels During the Homecoming Rally, the like everything’s going by so fast. I’m going winners for the title of Sophomore and to miss all the fun high school events.” But Junior King/Queen were announced. [Win- instead of ending on a sad note, she also ners] Junior Alexis Figueiredo shared, shared how much fun she had watching the “The rally was fun seeing the cheerleaders floats and the game. Wednesday brought and the dance production put on a show. Opposite day which was especially interest- Although it was a bummer I couldn’t see ing. One freshman, Lupita Durazno, shared who the king and queen were, homecom- ing week was a great experience.” If anyone them we need to give 100% each play.” hasn’t got the news yet, our homecoming Not all went badly however. Naturally, king and queen are Zaire Eugene and Aly- the Black Hole cheered even harder in the cia Lawrence. After recognizing our varsity face of defeat (and in the face of Turlock fans who gave MoHi the L via smartphone flashlights). Modesto High Pep Band’s Trombone section did an outstanding job with their small performance, Fancy Trombone Swingin’, which consists of ex- actly what the name of the song implies. An anonymous Black Hole member said, “It’s great that the band is re-imagining and reinventing the ways they play their mu- sic. Just kind of adding the fun layers and dimensions through visual display. They’re athletes for fall sports, attending students also playing music that enables the Black participated in the traditional competition Hole to get pumped for the game.” If you of “class chants” to fill the pep-o-meter. The haven’t seen it, I highly recommend going Juniors managed to snatch the win for loud- to the next rally or home football game. est from the Seniors. When asked about her In summary, Seniors won the best impression of attending her first Homecom- hallway and float for their Coco-themed ing rally as a Freshman, Lillyana Naive said, decorations. The Juniors won the pep-o- “it was super fun and I thought it was cool meter during the class chants at the rally. including the rally. I mostly liked it when Finally, Modesto High School football lost all the classes had to yell out their rhymes.” 13 to 38 against a very tough Turlock team. Another freshman, Adrian Silva, replied, “I definitely felt the excitement and it was my first good rally; there was lots of spirit.” Homecoming culminated in the foot- ball game against Turlock High School. Spoiler alert: Modesto High lost with an end score of 13-38 against Turlock. Admit- tedly, the game lacked the excitement from the previous days. Grant Sutter, a MoHi Varsity football, when asked about what could have been improved, said “I think we just came out flat from the start and we didn’t have the same energy and chemistry we usually have. It was a downward spiral. Turlock is a well-disciplined team so to beat By Derek Tang & Angelina Niave The 53rd Annual Greek Food Festival By Gina Pallios

Opa! Grab your Baklava and Windex. The 53rd annual Greek food Festival was held over the 14th and 15th of September at the An- nunciation Greek Orthodox Church on Tokay Avenue. The festival offered an array of activi- ties to do like shopping in the agora (or market), taking a tour of the church, watching live per- formances, and, of course, eating! The festival has been a popular event for years, bringing in hundreds of people over the busy weekend. Started in 1965, the festival has been used as one of the church’s best fundraisers and celebrations of the Greek culture. It serves authentic Greek food such as Greek chicken and rice, the Cretan Loukamades, Kourabiede and melomakoronia Traditional Baklava cookies, and, most famously, Baklava. Guests were either served meals inside the church or There are five dance groups ranging from could opt for takeout. Others chose to have pre-kindergarteners to high schoolers to dinner with a show, marveling at the talented college students. Ella Rivas, a junior at Greek dancers and musicians performing live Gregori High School and member of the onstage. dance group, says that they practice for about 2 hours every Saturday and Sunday Onstage performances were brought 3-4 months before the festival. She has courtesy of the youth dancers of the church. been involved with the group since she was 6 years old, saying that her favorite part of dancing is, “ how fun it is. I love laughing with my friends while dancing with them ”. Rivas, along with the other members of the dance group, will also par- ticipate in the Folk Dance Festival, or FDF, in February of 2019. The festival is a dance competition for dancers from all over the US and from different places in Greece. While the group has not won the overall competition in the past, they did win first place for best costume in 2016.

The Greek Food Festival is also a very popular event for IB students seek- ing CAS hours. Two students present at The high school dance group the festival this year are Seniors Kennedy Cunningham and Jack Ford. Both are vet- eran volunteers; having participated in the event the year before. When asked how she felt about the experience at the event, Cunningham said,” It was very fun being a volunteer. Everyone at the event was super kind and it was a very positive situation.” Curious about other cultures and a danc- er in the Modesto High Dance production herself, Cunningham also commented that she has enjoyed learning about the Greek culture over the past two years as well as the style of dancing presented on the live stage performances. Fellow peer Jack Ford Cretan Loukamades worked takeout for his volunteering expe- rience. Similar to Cunningham, Ford notes, for CAS, you are sure to have an amazing “The sense of community between all of the experience at the Greek Food Festival in volunteers was really inspiring. It made me Modesto. Though it is one of the main fund- proud to be helping out such a great event.” raisers for the church, it is also an amazing Both seniors are interested in coming back event to not only celebrate the Greek cul- to the festival next year. ture, but also share it with members of the community. Overall, the Greek Food Festival is truly a local treasure. Whether you are Greek chicken and visiting for the first time or volunteering rice

The high school boys group performs stunts Pre-school dance group Tragic Fire Brings Out the Best in Modesto

On September 14, at approximately 5:00 pm, building that’s half the size which means our employ- the store manager for Crescent Work and Outdoor ees will have to become half the size, so that’s been smelled smoke. He walked outside and saw roaring really, really difficult.” flames and hazy air. The thick plume of silvery smoke Craig and Tiffani went as far as to bring in was a towering presence over the heart of downtown groups of people to help the employees who were let Modesto. Within minutes, a fire evacuation plan was go find new jobs and opportunities. This not only set initiated and all twenty employees were left to watch a positive example for the community, but also gave the fire ravage the place they knew as a second home. reason for community members to help out. When The owners, Craig and Tiffani Stott, were forced to asked about how the community has intervened, Mr. see the fire advance upon the store their grandfather Stott responded by stating, “It’s unreal... I had no idea founded, the store their father sacrificed for, the store that it would be as generous and overwhelming as it they spent their entire careers developing. is. You know, I think there were about sixteen hundred The fire originated at the building next door, comments in the first twenty-four hours just on Face- but quickly spread to Crescent’s building. Firefighters book… Quite honestly I couldn’t sit and read them aren’t certain as to why the fire spread, but believe it because it just brought me to tears.” was due to either the fire embers, the back fence line, Stott also brought up the people who personal- or the telephone poles. There was nothing they could ly sacrificed their time and effort to help the Crescent do to prevent it; nothing they could do to stop it. company. In fact, someone was even kind enough to Co-owner Craig Stott said, “All of us have provide them tens of thousands of dollars worth of been doing really good at not focusing on the negative shelving units and racking and showcases for free. and really focusing on what we can do… That’s been Other companies have also pitched in, providing food the key.” for employees and staff. Crescent owners and management have In terms of recovery, Crescent plans to relocate worked tirelessly to find solutions to the financial to their building at 321 McHenry Avenue. They had problems that have emerged from the fire, such as in- leased out the building to a tenant for almost thirty surance and the new store location. Stott disclosed that years, and as fate would have it, the tenant moved to a insurance was a major problem and that he doesn’t different location about three months ago. This provid- know when he’ll “ever see money.” Still, with all of ed a new location for the Crescent store for much less the stress and trouble the incident has caused the own- than what it would cost to buy or rent a new building. ers, the Stotts have still prioritized their employees. Not only do they plan to relocate, but they also plan to Craig Stott expressed that “all of our employ- rename their store “Crescent Supply,” which was its ees feel like family, you know, they’re a part of our original name when Stott’s grandfather, Hardy Clark, lives. We truthfully felt, and still feel, more devastated founded it. The community has always called the store for them than we do ourselves… It was really hard Crescent Supply, so Craig and Tiffani, “decided there because we knew that we were displacing a lot of em- was no better time to go back to the original name.” ployees and the reality of it is that we’re going into a By Rana Banankhah Video games By Diego Aguirre and Adam Zemaryalai

Did you know that the average teenager spends are positively affecting me and others and that the four and a half hours on their screen daily? Every sin- district board will learn to hate video games as some gle morning walking around the halls, you will almost schools have already banned playing games during always hear people talking about video games. Friends school hours including Fortnite the game that can now talk about video games every day and I feel that play- be played pretty much anywhere hindering everyone’s ing video games can expand your friend group. Stu- learning ability and in my opinion, it doesn’t affect my dents really won’t have much time to do or study for grades or school life, but to others it could be a colossal homework because when they get home, they start problem freshmen, Calvin Ewing says “I play video playing and it can be games every day and time draining. This after school with my might affect students friends and I usually sleep every night play for the rest of and will give them the day and some- the urge to pro- times can’t finish my crastinate on doing homework.” This is and finishing their an example of how homework. Video video games can games can vary from affect school lives, many genres and now imagine all of prices depending on this from the point the game. Fortnite is of view of an IB taking the world by student. storm and is causing many people to be Let’s say you have distracted in and out all IB classes and of school, because of you also play video how many platforms games, from my you can play it on. friend’s experiences Fortnite is a free game featured on all platforms such they had to quit the game entirely to focus on school as IOS, Android, PS4, Xbox and PC. The fact that it’s and maintain their grades. Those who do play video trending, has the most active community and that it is games will take a hit on their grades mainly because of free it should worry the district board. procrastination like said earlier. If students have access to games, they have a mindset of getting it done and This brings me to my point that in the current play all day. If you even get the chance to play games, world video games are the kid’s lives, if they don’t get at you won’t be able to for very long, knowing how much least an hour of games they will freak out. This gener- homework IB students can get on a daily basis. Video ation is crazy about games and upcoming generations games can also take a toll on grades, so it’s a trade. Me will be born into this type of world showing that we personally (Adam) stopped playing video games right should probably cut the number of video games that before school started because my mom is strict when it kids play on a daily basis. I believe that video games comes down to school and getting good grades. Pint-sized Panthers By Lauren Byerly and Sabrina Mean

Modesto High’s Infant Care Program

The infant care class is one of the most vital but resource for students and young parents alike, especial- under-appreciated classes at Modesto High School. ly for students Andres Drona and Emely Gallardo-Gar- Every year, students learn about parenting and child- cia. care development from care physician, Sara Lopez, and teacher, Michelle Deleon, the latter of which was a pre- Andres was motivated to join the class because school teacher for seven years before she began teach- he enjoys playing with kids in general; it’s fun and it’s ing at Modesto High. She explained that she teaches not that stressful. He says that he has “learned a lot” students in the class how to “appropriately interact with from taking this class. His favorite part of the class is the children [which means] not just standing over them when he gets to play with the kids. His favorite part of and playing with them. [Telling them to] sit down at the class is playing with the kids “because it’s funny.” their level so they’re not intimidated by someone stand- He interacts with them by playing outside with them ing over them, not being afraid to be silly, just having and teaching them music and interpersonal skills. In fun, not being afraid to talk to them even though they order to help them learn to play music he plays music can’t talk back, etc.” for them so they can learn the sounds. Along with this, he likes reading the children books. When asked if he The class, which has been running since the would ever babysit kids inside and outside of school, 1980’s and was once open to the public, is an amazing he excitedly answered “Yes!” Right away. class is a great resource for her, as a young mother who juggles school, work, and being a parent. The hardest part of being a teen parent for Emely was maintaining a healthy sleep schedule and going to school simulta- neously. Her advice to other young parents is to “keep going to school because it is really necessary” and reflects that being a parent “is stressful and hard when you are a teen, but you’ll end up following along with it, you’ll like it afterwards.”

The best part of parenthood for Emely was having Araceli. She recommends the class to any young par- ents because it has given her a community of people who are in the same situation that she is, “It makes me open up to what you been through because you know there will be people that been through the same thing and they understand me.”

This class is a great resource for teen parents who use it to educate their children and find a group of people who they can entrust with their struggles. It’s also an amazing class for those who are not teen parents, and Emely recently moved to Modesto from Fres- just want to play with the kids and learn about child- no. Without having anyone to rely on due to the death hood development! Ms. Deleon recommends the class of her mother, this class has helped her understand to parents and non-parents alike. parenthood greatly. Along with the parenting help, this class has helped her daughter make social connections with other children! In addition, she has been able to build a deeper connection with her daughter by letting her come in a visit, play, and read to her at lunch. This

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