Goodbye Titanpalooza, Forever Admin Popular Student Left: Students Celebrate in the Sunshine at the Final Merges Event Deemed Titanpalooza

AP Napping Page Is Skyline Page Mandatory Page 8 Introduced 3 Haunted? 6 Swim Class TheTitanTimes VOL. XLV, NO. 4 THE NEWSPAPER OF SKYLINE HIGH SCHOOL APRIL 2017 Goodbye Titanpalooza, Forever Admin Popular student Left: Students celebrate in the sunshine at the final Merges event deemed Titanpalooza. too dangerous, with a safer, but still fun, event.” Junior, Leadership is brainstorming intoxicating new activities to replace the decades old Skyline tradition. Some Senior By Kyndal Hampton ideas thrown around so far have been: ‘Clean-Up Bonding Day’, any students attend Sky- ‘Teachers-Students Dance’, a Book Proms line High School just to Fair, a Puppet Show, or another Mbe able to attend the tra- Pep Rally. By Destiny Williams ditional “Titan Palooza.” Dressing Students have not been recep- up in class colors, showing school tive to this drastic decision. Sky- rom, one of the most spirit, listening to music, buying line Junior Sabrina Ramos stated, anticipated events food, and seeing your friends are “This is bull****, Skyline is known of the year, is seeing the main attractions on this day. for having the best homecoming. P brand new changes at Skyline However, the fun and games We’re teenagers, we’re supposed to — the Junior Class will now are coming to an abrupt end af- have fun with our peers. Plus, not be a part of the whole expe- ter Skyline Administration, Nurs- even everybody smokes or drinks rience. Due to the attempt es, the Health Center, and teach- on that day. It’s not fair for them to to increase school spirit and ers have voted in the most recent punish the whole school for a few non-stop complaints from the Staff Meeting to discontinue all kids who choose to be stupid.” Junior Class, Leadership and Titan Paloozas from this point for- Staff have admitted that they the Administration have de- day. students aren’t going to be happy ward. The decision was made due are very nervous for the angry re- cided to create a Junior Prom, Principal Dr. Blye commented, about this, but it’s what’s best for to too many risks, as students have sponse, and even possible protests, and combine it with the Se- “It was too big of a risk to contin- them and the school’s reputation. been known to take advantage and they are going to get in response to nior Prom. ue these shenanigans. I’m sure the We can move forward and come up abuse drugs and alcohol on this this decision. This decision has been in the making since December. The school thought it would be a great chance for the two School Lunch to be eldest classes to enjoy each other’s last days together, and to reward the academi- Catered by Sparky’s cally high-achieving Junior Class of 2018. Administration is beyond excited for this first Burgers, curly time ever celebration of both proms. fries to top menu “It’s like knocking out two By Cathya Mendoza birds with one stone,” said Assistant Principal Webb. fter numerous com- “The juniors will be so happy. plaints from students af- And as for the seniors, they Ater UberEats and other can just suck it up. It’s not all food delivery apps were banned about them.” a couple months ago, exciting Star Kevin Durant speaks to media about his upcoming plans. Students, though, had news has arrived to Skyline. mixed reactions. Juniors like Starting next year, all lunches Sparky’s was simple—it was the Crystal Green were excited. and food items at Skyline High nearest restaurant, and a fan- KD Coming to Skyline “It was never fair that we School will be catered by nearby favorite amongst students and didn’t have a Junior Prom, restaurant Sparky’s. He plans to bring teammates so now that we do I’m ‘bout TO CONTINUE, SEE LUNCH, ON PAGE 2 The decision to choose Warrior to bring Draymond Green and Javale Mc- to get that thang turnt,” she Gee to assist him. The all-day said. However, some seniors teammates Green, event, hosted by the NBA (Na- were upset that they had to Wedding tional Basketball Association), will share their moment with McGee along on have fun-filled activities revolving younger students. Bells Will around basketball, teamwork, and “Nobody wants juniors at goodwill visit the importance of staying focused our Senior Prom. They can Ring! on school and academics. wait until next year, like we By Renelle Malone Students who have been given had to. If some junior comes the inside scoop of the event are with my dress on there will be Thomas evin Durant showed his love thrilled and excited for the upcom- major problems!” said Senior and gratitude recently to the ing day. “I’m hella juiced bruh, KD Kameron Britt. & Fig to KOAL community with his fasho finna be my favorite play- Tickets for the juniors will contribution of brand new ‘KD 9’ er now. He really doing his thang cost half as much as the $90 Tie the shoes to OAL’s Varsity Basketball since he made his way to the Bay,” required for the Seniors, but Teams. Collectively, OUSD schools said Junior Armani Caston. they will be given no fund- Knot! were very grateful for the dona- However, teachers were not as raisers. There will be double tion. But now, Durant is taking his supportive of the event, because the food, a taco truck, and a generosity to another level. they felt it was taking away from candy buffet. The new theme Durant’s management team has student dedication to academic ex- will be “Denim vs. Leather”, announced that KD would now like cellence. with a best-dressed contest. to visit the six OUSD high schools Mr. B expressed his frustration. In response to criticism that he contributed shoes to. He “Wow, yet another day of students of the decision, Admin has is doing this because of the warm missing out on their academics? already decided to increase response he was given from Sky- Life is not all about fun and games. event security, in case any al- line faculty and students. The Sky- Right now is for learning, and tercations occur between the line visit is currently scheduled for juiors and seniors. Details on Page 2 April 26. TO CONTINUE, SEE DURANT, ON PAGE 2 TheTitanTimes 2 | News April 2017 The Office Romance Blossoms Ms. Thomas & ding Planner, a job for which the Titan couple is paying $150 per hour due to his in-demand landscaping Mr. Figueroa skills. Of course by Mr. Figueroa’s de- Times Get Engaged mands, the guest list will consist By Sabrina Ramos of only the most punctual Titans on campus. To earn your ticket Editors in Chief fter falling in love with one into the highly anticipated wed- Sabrina Ramos another over the past two ding, you must have absolutely & Noah Mitchell Aschool years, Mr. Figueroa zero tardies the week of the wed- has finally decided to pop the ques- ding, including 1st Period tardies. The couple’s wish is for guest attire Copy Editor tion. And of course, Ms. Thom- as just couldn’t say no. Grab your to be formal “dress to impress”, so Rosa Floriano dresses, heels, tuxedos and dress please refrain from wearing crop shoes—their eternal love is soon to tops, sagging pants, or anything Sports Editors be confirmed. else that may be deemed unprofes- Mahaugoni Sellman On Valentine’s Day 2017, Mr. sional. Figueroa went big, and popped the It is planned for Mr. Bloom- & Kyndal Hampton question in front of all the teachers field to be the wedding officiator, at the monthly Staff Meeting. and Ms. Ponce will be the flower Arts & He did not shy away from the girl. Ms. Thomas has chosen teach- Entertainment diamonds, eitheR— he blinded her er Ms. Rahmaan to be the Maid of Honor, while Mr. Figueroa has cho- Editor with a 14-carat diamond ring. How- ever, the diamond isn’t enough for sen his favorite student, Sopho- Destiny Williams Ms. Thomas. An anonymous source more Mark Orviss, as his Best Man. heard Ms. Thomas say, “It’ll do for In an interview about his role in Features Editor now, but I definitely need a bigger the wedding, Orviss said, “I hope Sean Saechao ring,” while eavesdropping in the he trips down the aisle.” main office. On behalf of the Titan Times Staff, we are all wishing this beau- Opinions Editor The hottest couple on campus is set to get married the first week tiful couple a lifetime of laughter, Sabrina Ramos of June on the Senior Lawn, which happiness, and tardy sweeps. Can’t will be transformed into a beautiful wait to see little baby Figueroa/ News Editor venue by the Leadership Team. Mr. Thomas’s running around campus Tanim Woodruff Anderson will serve as the Wed- soon! The big moment on the Senior Lawn.

Business & Marketing Manager LUNCH: Fresh Breakfasts, No Chip Sales Cathya Mendoza CONTINUED FROM LUNCH, ON PAGE 1 Distribution staff alike. Additionally, Administra- “I mean, I wish it Manager tion wanted to do something was WingStop or Renelle Malone about the increasing trend of students not getting their Jamba Juice, but at Staff Writers school lunch and instead buy- least Sparky’s is way Amirah Boulware, ing unhealthy snacks throughout the day, like Hot Cheetos better than what Armani Caston, Axel and candy, from fellow stu- Ramirez, Cameryn Mabry, dents who are unlawfully sell- we had before.” Emmett O’Brien, Jamilah ing the items. “I think this decision to ca- Hussain, Kalolaine Otuafi, ter Sparky’s will mean more — Jonathan Lee, Kareem Muhammad, students will stay on campus, freshman Mo’Ney Williams, Natalie and stop selling food that is extremely unhealthy and unnatu- Washington, Patrisha ral,” said Ms. Seaberg. That being said, Adminis- Banks, Taesha Britton, A Health Center represen- tration said that because they CesaLee Dibble tative agreed: “The negative took in student feedback, they health consequences of these expect students to respect this junk foods are devastating to change by agreeing to stop Contributing the body.” buying and selling unhealthy writers Students have been pleas- snacks on campus. Talia Noxivauy antly surprised by the recent Many Seniors have ex- announcement. pressed frustration that it is un- “I mean, I wish it was Wing- AC Transit busses lined up at the end of the school day. Advisors fair that they did not get to ex- Stop or Jamba Juice, but at perience this new food system. Ms. Samimi & Mr. Scheer least Sparky’s is way better The new lunch special in the cafeteria. Senior Daisy Gonzalez com- than what we had before,” mented after hearing the news, commented Freshman Jona- fruit, fresh waffles, yogurt, eggs, fresh and organic. Admin wants “Wow, why do they wait until “You guys are than Lee. and juice. Packaged and processed students to understand that feed- the Seniors are gone to make sooooooooo The breakfast next year will food will no longer be available, ing your body is the best way to all these changes next year… annoying!” consist of a variety of fresh because everything will now be also feed your mind. this is so unfair.”

Opinions expressed in The Titan Times reflect DURANT: Top GPAs Get Tickets the view of its writers and not those of any other CONTINUED FROM DURANT, ON PAGE 1 graduating class with tickets to the member of The Titan Times game following his visit to Skyline. staff, or the Skyline High learning only.” The game will be a TBD playoff School community. The The event will take place from game. Titan Times is published 2nd-7th Period in the gym. There Not only will you receive tick- by the Journalism class at will be an email and robocall sent ets, but also a “love package” pro- Skyline. to all families whose students have vided by the NBA called the “KD over a 2.5 GPA, as only those stu- Pack.” During halftime, all OUSD dents will be allowed to attend, students gifted with the “KD Pack” 12250 Skyline Boulevard, with a valid Student ID. will have the opportunity to ex- Oakland, CA 94619 There will be a raffle to win a press their gratitude in front of the (510) 482-7109 signed jersey from Kevin Durant whole arena by letting fans know [email protected] and a championship ring from the how much they appreciate him. 2015 Golden State Warriors team. For more information, please © 2016 TheTitanTimes Kevin Durant, in an extension, contact Skyline’s Sports Manager would like to gift the top 5 students Maggie Nathaniel (510) 555-SKY1 (based on GPA and class rank) per or [email protected]. Trio of Warriors who will lead day of fun activities. TheTitanTimes 3 | News April 2017 AP Nap Course Added to Master Schedule Class will allow top students to catch up on sleep lost to homework

By Jamilah Hussain

howing it finally under- standing the torture of AP Sstudents, Skyline accounted this month it will be adding an AP Nap course to the 2017-18 master schedule. “In this class, AP students will have the opportunity to get back the sleep they lost from the night before,” said Principal Blye. “Spe- cifically trained teachers will teach AP students how to sleep comfort- ably in a school-sized desk without a pillow or blanket.” A thrilled, anonymous student said, “This is going to teach us sur- vival skills when we are homeless Napping in class is an advanced “21st Century soft skill,” according the the College Board, which administers AP tests and courses. and do not have a life because the society only accepts uneducated decision OUSD has ever made. “I “I cannot believe this is actu- asleep, I’m not sure I can stay here well,” said a confused Mr. Noah. oompa loompas.” can’t wait to see how they modify ally happening,” ranted a teacher any longer.” However, according to Cereal- Surprisingly, AP teachers are and integrate argumentation, evi- who wished to remain anonymous. Some teachers claimed they did la Withmilika, a sophomore who ecstatic with this decision. Ac- dence, and analysis into the nap- The OUSD does not understand not even know about this innovat- took AP Food last year at Bishop cording to notoriously tough grad- ping process,” said Merovich. how much I thrive on the students ed addition to the schedule. O’Dowd, everything is copacetic. ers Ms. Merovich, Ms. DoAmaral However, there are teachers who sleep! It makes my class so si- “No one ever tells me what’s “As long as I get my cereal and and Mr. Durkan, this is the best who despise this decision. lent and peaceful. Without them happening, what the heck? Oh, milk before I sleep, I’ll be fine.” Security Caught Racing Carts Officer Found SSOs hit fire road for donuts, drifting Living in and ghostridin’ Trees

By Amirah Boulware By Mo’Ney Williams he sky is falling! The sky n a quiet Wednesday after- is falling! Oh wait, it’s noon, Skyline’s peace was just the trees. Skyline disrupted by the alarming T O has had a considerable amount sound of golf cart engines revving. of falling trees on recently. Just as everyone started back to Left, above & right: Some said it was due to the their work after lunch, sounds of, Fallen trees on roads stormy weather this winter, “You can’t catch me Kelly!” were and parking lots. and some said it was due to the heard from a voice that sounded trees being really old—but ac- suspiciously similar to that of Offi- cording to breaking news from cer Campbell. Oakland City Parks and Recre- After complaints of loud yells ation, the trees were actually and engine sounds by teachers in falling because of an individu- the portables, it has now been con- al living in them. firmed that SSOs Dillard, Camp- Upon later investigation it bell, and Kelly have been partak- was revealed that School Se- ing in what they call “golf cart curity Officer Campbell was street racing” on the fire road. the resident of Skyline High’s A SnapChat recording taken by Redwoods. students who were skipping class When asked why he chose was the giveaway. It shows the this living situation said, three security guards driving at “Times are tough, and living uncontrollably fast paces up and Officers take a victory lap past the Admin Building after another successful sideshow. up here has its perks. Plus, I’ve down the fire road, yelling things always had a secret love of na- like “Bet you can’t do this!” while over in the golf cart while trying “I feel sorry for the cart,” said cuts already being an issue, Ms. ture. And yes, it is hard to go showing off dangerous tricks like to “ghostride the whip”. He was Sophomore Melesungu Ofa after Seaberg explained that it is the per- up and down, but it’s all worth drifting and doing donuts. rushed to Highland Hospital with watching the footage. fect time to sell all of the carts, and it when you can wake up to At one point in the video, Of- minor injuries and scrapes. He is The Admin Team is not taking instead have SSOs monitor campus fresh morning dew and crow ficer Campbell is shown falling expected to make a full recovery. this incident lightly. With budget on pogo sticks and tricycles. feet on your forehead.” Although Campbell enjoys the views and the peace, he Viral Celebrity Attending Skyline Next Year does admit bird nests don’t make good pillows and leaves prove herself as much apologized for her her, I’m happy.” are rough for toilet paper. Cash her ousside, more. daughter’s behavior. Dr. Sallee, however, is more op- He even once fell out while Bregoli was first “She got expelled timistic. sleeping, suffereding trau- how bow dat? spotted after school from every school in “We need to show her Skyline ma to his left patella. Yet, it By Jamilah Hussain last week signing reg- Florida, so we had no has a warm and welcoming envi- was the trees he mysteriously istration papers in choice but to move. ronment,” said the assistant princi- caused to collapse which have fter appearing on The Dr. the attendance office No one wanted her, pal. “I expect our scholars to model been the main problem. Phil Show and attaining in- by the Titan Times. and Skyline seemed their best behavior and to be an ex- An administrative source Astant viral fame, the multi- When asked for a like a pretty good fit ample for this student, despite her who wished to remain anony- talented, beautiful, angelic, and statement, Danielle for Danielle’s person- troubled past.” mous claim the problem has classy Danielle Bregoli will be en- cussed out our re- ality. Honestly, I’m Shawerma Chickenkaeda, a been quietyly solved: “Once rolling next year as a Skyline soph- porter, refused an in- scared for the safety ninth grader nobody knows, was we realized that the trees were omore. terview, and told her of anyone who in- less generous. falling due to Officer Camp- America may know her as the to “cash her ousside.” teracts with her, but “Honestly I don’t really care. I bell’s residence we decided to “CASH ME OUSSIDE, HOW BOW After the loud in- Danielle Bregoli, as long I can get a just want a selfie with her so I can build him a treehouse.” DAT?!” girl, but she is hoping to cident, her mother future Titan. 7-hour break from post it on Twitter,” she said. TheTitanTimes 4 | News/Opinion April 2017 Campus Inconvenienced as Student Goes Missing Mitchell had walked the three to no avail. Students move miles back to his home alone, as Students and staff are now his parents were both at work. Se- inconvenienced and confused on with lives curity cameras were not present after his sudden disappearance. along his route home, making it Junior Tatum Wolfe was eager after moment nearly impos- to express his sible to get any confusion say- of idle curiosity leads on a pos- ing, “Have they By Emmett O’Brien sible kidnap- checked under per. No shreds the couch cush- n March 24th, 2017, of clothing, ions? A lot of sophomore Noah nor his phone missing things Mitchell did not return have been end up under O found along his the cushions.” from his daily track practice. His parents notified OPD of his would-be route Another stu- disappearance. home. dent, Senior On this particular day, The Oak- Cecilia Debut land Police De- had this to say, partment has “I didn't know “Have they checked issued a $16.00 him that well reward for the and I didn't under the couch high school want to. I liked sophomore. it that way.” cushions? A lot In a press release, OPD had this Overall, students were not of missing things to say, “He’s really not that spe- concerned with the disappear- cial.” This decision was met with- ance of the Skyline student. As end up under out any controversy. of now, the entire campus has It has been several days, and seemed to move on quite happi- the cushions.” some are already speculating that ly as if nothing ever happened, Teachers were unavailable for comment after the vote. Noah will be declared deceased. although his whereabouts and — Tatum Wolf, Junior Since the incident, several search the cause for his disappearance parties have been coordinated, but will remain in obscurity. Teachers Vote to Harvard Accepts Entire 2017 Class Take 4/20 Off Nearly 400 invited ‘Stuff’ cited as reason for 1-day holiday to bring ‘swag’ to By Cameryn Mabry stale campus scene n the most recent Staff Meeting on March 8, 2017, teachers voted to By Tanim Woodruff Ihave school cancelled on April 20th, 2017 because they have “stuff to do.” No further questions were asked. kyline Seniors earlier this year had put all their stress, Shopes, and dreams for the future into college applications na- tionwide. However, it was never Last Issue: Titan Times expected that Harvard would ever be a possibility. Skyline seniors will be shocked Shutting Down Forever and overjoyed when they open Harvard afternoons will be much more ‘lit’ once the Titans arrive. their mailboxes this upcoming Funds spent on month to find out they’ve all been cake white college.” ready packing and getting ready accepted to #1-ranked Harvard According to studies we just for their biggest step in life. Mean- T-shirts instead University in Boston, Massachu- made up, more than 99.9997% of while, teachers were dumbfound- setts. This news makes the first college students attending Har- ed. Mr. C commented in disbe- By Destiny Williams time ever any Skyline student, let vard were dull grade grubbers, lief after hearing the news, “How fter a team of diligent stu- alone nearly 400 Skyline students, and physically uncoordinated to is this possible? Back in my day, dents took on the task of have been accepted into the presti- boot. Because of this, Harvard’s you couldn’t even get into Har- resurrecting the Skyline gious university. basketball and football teams have vard with a 4.8 GPA and 1600 SAT A Newspaper, all of their hard work This unprecedented acceptance been suffering from a major los- score...” is now coming to an end. Skyline rate of Skyline students came from ing streak, not to mention that the In fact, to save time and energy had been without a student voice from a recent board meeting held campus’s parties and concerts were for their big transition, all Seniors and a student-centered newspaper by the Dean of Harvard, Mark Poo- dryer than a desert. Now with this have been advised to stop attend- for 6 years, until this year a dedi- penmeyer. When asked about the huge influx of Skyline students, ing classes and not return until cated group of students and teach- wild acceptances in a recent inter- their luck might just turn around, graduation day. As a final goodbye ers worked hard to bring it back. view, Poopenmeyer stated, “We as Skyline students are infamous gift to this obviously highly talent- However, our great run is now need more inner city students to for getting places ‘turnt’ and ‘lit’. ed Senior Class, their Senior Trip coming to an end. The Journalism breathe life back into this cheese- Many overjoyed Seniors are al- will be extended an extra week. Class fundraised earlier this year Once the shirts came, the to earn enough money to begin the entire staff pretty much quit. journey of publishing the newspaper, but halfway into the year, After four consecutive success- We Need Year-Round School funds are running extremely low, ful issues, there will be no more. and the paper must be discontin- This will be the last one. It has been school aren’t going to stay in our It is ridiculous that we are ued. a privilege to cover the non-stop My opinion: No brains during summer break. This supposed to go three months news and opinions of the diverse is just a big gap for us to get into without any education whatso- Titan family. school is no good trouble with the police, get bad ever. This is basically encourag- We thank you all for your sup- sunburns, and get fatter and lazi- ing our youth to spend their free By Patty Banks port and encouragement. We er. The only good thing that comes time goofing around, smoking, couldn’t have done this without hat is the point of sum- with summer break is sleep and drinking, stealing cars, beating all of you. The newspaper helped mer break? more time to eat. up clowns, and other activities I close any gaps on the campus, and W All we do is waste Instead of having no school also may or may not participate strengthen our Titan Family. The our time going to parties, the in the summer, we should start in during the summer. Titan Times was not just a prod- beach, and spending boring mo- school earlier and end school later I am outraged that the adults uct of the Journalism Class, but a ments with our family playing during the months of June, July, in charge of the days we get off product of you all as well. board games. Most important- and August. I’m thinking 6:00 a.m. of school allow this very long We hope you’ve enjoyed read- ly, though, we forget everything to 5:00 p.m. Longer classes and period of time to go by with no ing the paper, and we hope you are we learn in school as soon as we less lunch time mean highly irritat- mandatory time on a school as sad as we are that it will be dis- walk off of the campus. ed students, but highly educated campus. continued. A lot of the things we learn in students as well. Ridiculous. Enjoy this last issue; we tried to go out with a bang. TheTitanTimes 5 | News/Opinion April 2017 Faculty Get Cash Bonus, Big Raise School year to be shortened to cover increased costs

By Axel Ramirez

eing a teacher can be tough—with rowdy stu- Bdents and mediocre pay, the is job is demanding. However, new hope arrived suddenly last week. Teachers at Skyline received a suprise extra bump in their pay- roll, when they were each handed several “bands” of cash as they left school Friday afternoon. Furthermore, an estimated $20,000 dollars will be funneled into teachers’ paychecks next year, and their health benefits have been expanded to include free acupunc- ture, massage and spa treatments to help them recover from the stresses and strains of the job. “When I was in college, my roommate told me that teaching in urban school districts was the best way to get really rich in America,” said Mr. Beasley. “I used to think he was an idiot, but maybe he was right after all.” After various teacher complaints piled up at the OUSD office about the conditions of the schools, the district finally decided to send inspectors to all OUSD schools and concluded that a teacher pay raise would be the best option to improve the schools’ conditions. When asked where the money for the huge pay jump was coming from, district officials noted that the school year was being shortened by 25 days and every other weekend will be three days long. “This is cool,” said Ms. Morales, as she pretended to “make it rain” all over her desk. “But since my landlord just tripled my rent, I’m Skyline teachers flash their freshly-minted green. Rumors still not sure I can afford to teach in that several were jacked while waiting for the bus at 35th & Oakland anymore.” MacArthur could not be confirmed at presstime.

Tech is Trump: 97% Approval at Skyline So Much lated results revealed that Presi- low. Minorities rally dent Donald Trump has a 97% ap- Feminist students also joined behind president proval rate amongst minorities of the coalition to support the Re- Better all grade levels. publican who won the election By Tanim Woodruff Students showed their enthusi- despite losing the popular vote. asm and support, and celebrated “He did say ‘grab her by the n a recent poll done by The their hero by making a grammati- p****,” said Senior Dora Explo- Than Us Titan Times, carefully tabu- cally correct sign, as pictured be- ra. “But Ivanka is so pretty!” columns that stand tall and sturdy. I Their outside is a beautiful white, My opinion: that gets illuminated every night. Our school, on the other hand, We suck has a closed off, dark driveway By Cesa Lee Dibble with a shabby exterior and point- less trees and nature. Tech has kyline High and Oakland one main building, with a few se- Tech have a well known ri- cret hideouts for the best students Svalry. As the two “best” high to work on projects to improve hu- schools in Oakland, we constantly manity all night long. The layout compete for who is better. It is this of Skyline’s school buildings don’t author’s opinion that, though I am even have an organized pattern. a senior who has been here my en- How have we come to this? tire high school career, I have now How have we succumbed to the been convinced that Tech is better. beautiful light of the Bulldogs? I Much better. So, why is it a “rival- believe the answer is this: Tech is ry”, if everyone knows the truth? the new way to how high schools At Oakland Tech, they have a should be run. swimming pool. Okay? We’re only Terrin Jahsahn, a student just now building a pool. They have at Tech, has stated, “Honestly, a large, beautiful entryway to their there’s no beef with Skyline. But school. It’s long, with Greek-style they should just stop trying to be as good as us … they’re milking a dry cow.” This shows that students at Oakland Tech have grown past school rivalries, as they have ma- tured faster because their curriculum is so much more advanced. Congratulations to the future freshmen of Oakland Technical High School. I envy you. Go Bulldogs!

TheTitanTimes 6 | Features April 2017 My Adoption Story: Finding a Forever Home with Mr. Barbuto

By Talia Nouvixay

eing tossed from foster home to foster home made me Bvery depressed. By the end of my Junior year, I was contem- plating dropping everything, and just living on my own. But as soon I stepped into Mr. Barbuto’s Peer Education class the first day of my Senior year at Skyline, I knew I had found my forever family. A couple weeks into the year, Mr. Barbuto’s wife came to visit Living with the Barbutos has made the author eco-aware. Students carefully re-enact the spooky events. the class, and as soon as I saw the way she brought him organic veg- little house just big enough for me, and organic. an food, I knew she could be a great my new parents, and my 9 other Every Sunday, we all wake up mother for me. So after school, I Is Skyline High siblings--and by siblings I mean Mr. early and go hiking at different went up to both of them and asked Barbuto’s cats. At my other foster places. I have learned so many new how they would feel about adopt- homes I had to deal with annoying things since living with this amazing me. I’m not going to lie, I was kids, but now my siblings are cats, ing couple and their cats. My life extremely nervous at first, but their and they are the best. will never be the same. Being ad- Bewitched? response would change my life for- After about 6 months of living opted by Mr. Barbuto was the best ever. They both said, “Yes!” with- with my new family, I am now a thing that has ever happened to The last straw for Dr. Blye out even hesitating. vegan and loving it. Everything I me. Spirit of Titan was on February 28, 2017, at The next couple days were eat is plant based. Every day Mrs. “My wife and I have always about 5:17 p.m. when he was stressful because we had to sign Barbuto packs me a healthy lunch wanted kids, but we were never re- alum, Class getting in his car to leave cam- a bunch of paperwork and meet box and she includes hand-writ- ally into the whole diaper chang- pus. He went to his trunk to put qualifications, which took quite a ten notes with little inspirational ing thing. So, Talia was the obvious of ‘69, haunts his belongings away, when his while because Barbuto kept getting quotes that help me get through choice. Adopting her has changed car suddenly began to back up sidetracked and asked 10 million the day. all of our lives. She has made this our campus at a speed of 15 miles per hour. questions. Barbuto is also highly allergic a beautiful family unit. I even think By Sabrina Ramos Luckily, his athletic reflex- Two weeks later, I finally settled to a lot of things, so I have to make we’re starting to look alike,” said es from his basketball days al- into my new home. We have a cute sure everything I use is scent free my new father. was getting dressed in lowed him to jump out of the the locker room and a way fast enough. “Iblurry figure grabbed The car soon exited the my shoe off my foot. I don’t re- parking lot at a speed of 60 member anything after that,” miles per hour. Junior Aaliyah Quinones re- “I don’t really want to talk Teacher Tattoos ported. “I woke up in the mid- about it…,” said Blye, nervous- dle of the football field. I’m not ly. By Patty Banks crazy, it was a ghost.” After re-checking the se- It has been rumored that curity cameras, Dr. Blye again Ms. Bowler (right) Skyline is infested with para- saw the black figure, similar to Ms. Bowler is secretly in love normal spirits after multiple the one in the hallways, driv- with Rihanna. Ever since she saw students have wailed about ing his car. To this day, his car her distantly at an airport, she’s their traumatic encounters. is still missing. dreamed of all of the things she Reports of lockers slamming, Dr. Blye decided to contact would do with Rihanna if they ever steps being heard down the paranormal investigators Ed became friends. Unable to do any- hall, loud bangs, and door and Lorraine Warren from the thing about her obsession with the knocking have skyrocketed well known film, The Conjur- superstar, she decided to get a tat- and are unaccounted for. ing. Mr. and Mrs. Warren con- too of her instead. Principal Dr. Blye was skep- firmed that Skyline is in fact tical of paranormal activity haunted. Mr. Williams (below) on campus until he investigat- Upon further investigation, ed for himself — he checked Mr. and Mrs. Warren discov- Yes, Mr. Williams loves argu- the school’s security camer- ered that the spirit is that of ing, and yes, it really seems like he as. Recordings show that dur- Kelly Robinson, a former Sky- enjoys getting on everyone’s last ing the times of the reported line student from the class of nerve. But he can’t STAND bul- incidents, black shadows in 1969, who died because she lying. So the day he heard of the the shape of a teenage girl ap- ran out of breath while at- little reindeer who got bullied for peared on the screen. tempting to run a marathon. being different, was the day he decided to take a stand. He chose to Mr. Noah (right) get a tattoo of Rudolph to show You may think history teacher people that everyone can be loved, Mr. Noah has a tattoo sleeve and no matter what they look like. a beard because it makes him look Even if they have a shiney nose. less ‘baby’ and more ‘metal.’ You also might think he wears covered clothes every day to look good for work. However, that is definitely not the case: Over the summer of 2016, Mr. Noah and a couple of friends wanted to mark things off of their bucket list. Having a fear of heights and bears, Noah picked a regretful tattoo. And yes . . . he does regret get- Principal Dr. Blye (above) adolescent. In fact, Dr. Blye’s idol ting Justin Bieber tattooed on his Principal Blye seems like a very is Tupac Shakur. To demonstrate hip. So he’s hoping the clothes and traditional man who would prob- his passion for such an empower- the beard will make up for a very ably want nothing to do with rap- ing man now gone, he got a “thug unprofessional tattoo. pers. So it might come as a shock life” tattoo similar to Tupac’s. Of to you that he had his fair share of course, he covers it up with his suit free-styles and cuss words as an every day. TheTitanTimes 7 | Arts & Entertainment April 2017 Spring Titan Fashion

Armani Caston, Junior (right) Mr. Davis (below) Sabrina Ramos, Junior (right) Wearing, top to bottom Wearing, top to bottom Wearing, top to bottom Grey beanie; Hand-picked red Green jacket-scarf; Oversized hoop earrings; 2 chains; flower; Victoria’s Secret sock- Pink bomber jacket; Silk black shirt; Victoria’s Secret gloves; Jean jacket scarf; Brown Dad-jeans. bra; True Religion jean jacket; flannel; White crop top; Purple Nike workout shorts; Ripped army jacket-belt; Balmain army green Describe your style. green jeans; Jordan 11’s Space jeans; Black Nike Air Force 1’s. There’s nothing to Jam. describe. Everything Describe your style. about it is amazing. Describe your style. This is my favorite outfit—I wear it Where do you shop? I’m hella fresh! I’m the hottest out. to school at least 4 days a week. I take my daughter’s I’m the Beyonce of Skyline. Where do you shop? old clothes. Where do you shop? My grandma’s closet. Fashion inspiration? Everywhere. Fashion inspiration? My 6-year old daugh- Fashion inspiration? Lady Gaga. ter. Kim Kardashian. Most you’ve spent on an item? Do you choose your Do you choose your outfits the night $10.00 outfits the night be- before? Do you choose your outfits the night fore? Yes, I gotta be cute everyday so it before? It takes me 2-3 weeks takes me approximately 3 hours to Even though I wear the same thing in advance to plan my pick out what I am going to wear. every day, it takes me a cool hour outfits. How would you describe your style? to pick a thoughtful fit. How would you de- Popping. How would you describe your style? scribe your style? Saucy. Girly.

Monu Tupouata, Senior (left) Wearing, top to bottom Pink headwrap; Crop top; Spandex shorts; Black socks; Ethnic sandals. Ashanti Taijeron, Soph. (above) Describe your style. Wearing, top to bottom E-Bay. Always classy, just a little nasty. Gucci beanie; Black rain coat; Sky Fashion inspiration? Where do you shop? blue sweat jacket; Rastafarian Bob Marley. Forever 21. blanket; Grey sweatpants; Black Most you’ve spent on an item? Fashion inspiration? Crocs (not pictured). $4,000 on my special-edition Britney Spears. Crocs. Choose your outfits the night before? Describe your style. Do you choose your outfits the night I try to wear as little as possible, so it I am the most fashionable person I before? doesn’t take very long. have seen on this campus. This out- I do what my heart is telling me. How would you describe your style? fit just proves it. How would you describe your style? Glamorous. Where do you shop? Classy. A Sip of Skyline’s Tea Dear Poppa Bear By Sean Saechao “I’m going straight home Dear Poppa Bear, to do my homework.” In a week I’m going to meet my girlfriends parents “I’ve never skipped class in — Overheard on the front steps and I’m really scared. How do I make a good impres- my life.” sion? Please help. — Overheard in the Parking Lot “The lunches here are sooo good!” Thanks, Scared Boyfriend “I take showers in our “I just got a 99% on Dr. — Overheard in the Cafeteria locker rooms.” LeCourt’s test.” — Overheard in the Gym — Overheard in the 70 Building “Sweetest staff member Dear Scared Boyfriend, on campus? I’d have to say Make sure you’re at least 30 minutes late, but don’t “The bathrooms smell “I can’t wait to run the track Mr. Figueroa.” apologize to her parents. When you see your girl- fresh!” today in P.E.” — Overheard at Detention friend, tell her she looks tired and sick. When you be- — Overheard in the 40 Building — Overheard on the stairs gin eating, ask her father for a beer. If he says no, pull “I love waking up early one out of your pocket. Unexpectedly leave right after “That couple making out in “Why would I want a car? I in the morning — they dinner without saying thank you. the hallway is so cute!” love taking the bus.” should start school at 7.” — Overheard in the 70 Building — Overheard on the 652 —Overheard in the Library Love, Poppa Bear

TheTitanTimes 8 | Sports + Arts & Entertainment April 2017

Next Year: New Hide & Seek Team Joins OAL

Retired P.E. Mandatory With loss of teacher Mr. team’s previous Fink has come Swim Class back to campus to coach stars, the coach is this presti- Learning water gious team. He recruiting again is hoping to at safety skills now least get to the By Noah Mitchell playoffs this a graduation year. ith all the boring sports “They really requirement of today like basketball, seem to work Wvolleyball, football, and well together,” By Sean Saechao the other, even more boring, style said Fink. of football (figure it out), OAL has “I hate these tarting next school year, decided they need to include more people. I just all students will be re- competitive sports like Sorry!, Ma- showed up for Squired to take at least one rio Kart, and UNO, that really end the free pizza,” year of swim class. The goal of friendships. disagreed seek- the class is to teach students After hours of debate, and play- er Sam Wild. to be able to save themselves ing all the sports at their head of- “Watchu should they accidentally fall fice, OAL decided to go with hide mean ‘team’?” into a deep pool of water. Ad- & seek, as it was the most fun for said Freshman ministration states that it will them to play. Kevin Ford. become a graduation require- The preseason for the newly “Hide & Seek ment for all students. added official sport began on Feb- is everyone for The first batch of recuits practicing their skills. Most are still missing. Plans are being developed ruary 29, and the team of seven themselves.” in partnership with the East players have been excited to be a Unfortunately, during one of back. We are to believe that they ally long time… so long that we’ve Bay Municipal Utility District to part of a competitive sports team the recent practices, six of the are still in their hiding places. given up on finding them,” said build a new pool on campus by for the first time in their lives. team’s seven players never came “They’ve been missing for a re- Fink. “So, basically, we need more the end of July, so that it will be ready to go for next school year. It is predicted that the student parking lot will be torn Best Movies to Ever Deepest Songs down to make space for the new Olympic-sized pool, leav- ing students who drive to park Hit the Screen By Mahaugoni Sellman of All Time on the hilly streets just outside of campus on Skyline Boule- #1 “The Care #1 Justin Bieber, vard and Redwood Bears Movie” “Baby” Road. Credits from swim #2 “Barney’s #2 Carly Rae Jepsen, class will also fulfill Adventure” “Call Me Maybe” the 2-year PE graduation re- #3 “Green Lantern” #3 Taylor Girlz , quire- ments. “Steal Her Man” The #4 “Daddy class will be instructed by Ms. Jasmin, Day Camp” #4 Fifth Harmony, the coach of Skyline’s swim team. “Work From Home” “I think it’s great that Sky- #5 “Goosebumps” line is finally integrating a swim class into its curriculum. Know- #5 Desiigner, ing how to swim may someday save your life,” Jasmin said. “Panda” Students around campus have already expressed their concerns. Sophomore Joanne Massachusetts said, “Ew, that sounds whack. What if people pee in the pool? Then you’re swimming in that pee.” Freshman Kiwiontae Klomi- dea says, “This is dumb. Imag- ine it’s your birthday and you’re trying to look cute. But uh oh- Debate Teacher you have swimming. Now your hair looks like a mop. I’m just Finally Admits Black Card Revoked saying.” Similar to PE classes, swim He Dyes Hair By Destiny Williams 3. What do you do when 5. What do you do when classes will also require students to buy and wear Skyline By Joey Ramone driving through a bad running away in a scary brand uniforms. The uniforms 1. When your mom yells neighborhood? movie? will be one-piece black swim- fter years of answering suits for the females, and red student questions about at you, you . . ? a) Be friendly a) Never look back “speedo” style swimsuits for Awhether he dyes his hair a) Cry b) Mind your business b) Trip the males. and why it doesn’t match the shade c) Lock your car doors c) Grab a weapon These items will be sold at of his eyebrows, Mr. Scheer admit- b) Run away registration and at the student ted that for decades he has been c) Stay silent d) Try to blend in d) Run and hide store starting next year. The de- visiting an expensive salon every d) Curse her out sign for the uniform has also other week for touch-ups to keep been uploaded onto the school his roots from showing. 4. What do you do when 6. Who is the best website and can be viewed on- The reason? Bullying. 2. What type of chicken home alone and you hear a rapper? line. “Underneath, I am actually what the British call a ‘ginger,’” is most popular? strange noise? a) J Cole said Scheer. “We are mocked and a) Fried a) Call the police b) Migos reviled throughout the world and I couldn’t take it anymore.” b) Raw/Unseasoned b) Go check it out c) Mac Miller He noted that he does hope the c) Grilled c) Call your parents d) Tupac

stress of teaching will eventually d) Leave make his hair naturally grey. d) Baked 6=C 5=B; 4=B; 3=C; 2=B; 1=D; Key: Answer As for the eyebrows? They are caterpillars — dye would kill them.