This past year, the History 10 teachers decided to change the typical research project to a research project that required students to look at an issue in current society, the history of that issue, and propose a solution. After completing their paper, the students submitted a version of their findings to the Global Online Academy Catalyst Conference. If you have a chance, I would recommend looking at all of the work of the US History students online (and several students who are taking GOA classes!). While all of the projects were great, four sophomores were recognized for their papers, and one junior was recognized after taking a GOA course.

Sara Covin received a Catalyst for Change Prize for her presentation entitled An IOU for Women: The Disparity in Pay between Men and Women Since 1930. One of the panelists reviewing this presentation wrote, “Very thorough and well-researched project that not only gave solid and comprehensive background, but also put a detailed plan of action into place. This project — also very relevant in its timing given the #METOO environment — has a strong chance of inspiring immediate change, as specific tools are given to the reader to act now.”

Gayatri Singla’s presentation titled The Polluted Sounds of the Sea garnered the praise of evaluators, one writing, “The first thing that impressed me was Gayatri’s long-held interest in marine science. Gayatri is passionate about it and did a great job articulating the dire problems experienced by whales. I knew very little about whales or that anything had been impacting them. This project brought their plight into focus. The end result of reading this project: I want to know more, and if I can help, I would now be interested in learning how.”

Siena Martin received a Catalyst for Change Prize for her presentation, The Right to Choose: History of Birth Control. A reviewer describer the project by saying, “I was impressed how the author outlined a cogent history of reproductive rights over time, and in doing so illustrated how frustrating and exhausting it is that we are still fighting this fight. The author provides concrete solutions for us to consider as we move forward.”

Elizabeth Novogradac captured the attention of panelists with her presentation “They Did Not Listen” : Sexual Violence after Title IX.  Panelists praised the relevancy of the project, “The timing of this research and project is excellent. In light of the #METOO movement, there could not be a more relevant time to inspire and affect change in the world for increasing awareness among and reducing cases of sexual abuse among female athletes. This project was particularly well-researched with numerous excellent sources used and cited. The videos included — with firsthand accounts — were particularly illuminating and moving. Very well done.”

Sydney Medford received a Catalyst for Change prize for her work in GOA’s Architecture course, creating a proposal called Oakland, CA Temporary Homeless Shelter. She impressed panelists with “her professional ideas and execution,” and they applauded her for having “clearly identified a significant global problem but made it relevant by examining its impact on her home city, Oakland. Sydney’s presentation illustrated advanced architectural thinking and skills and was well documented.”

Summer is just around the corner! Not only do you have to look forward to sleeping in, partying all night, and of course no homework, but there are going to be some new songs and albums to jam out to while you are at it.

To start off the summer, on June 15, Christina Aguilera’s new album Liberation will be released. This will not only be a big day for her but for her fans as well; Aguilera has not released an album since Lotus in 2012. Ever since giving birth to her second daughter in 2014, she has been juggling being a devoted mother and writing her new album. There is no doubt that this talented singer will shock all her fans around the world with her new album, but hers isn’t the only one to look out for. 5 Seconds of Summer will also be releasing their new album Youngblood on June 22. This Australian pop rock band formed in 2011 and, although they aren’t as popular as other pop bands, they have a few top hit singles such as Amnesia (2014) and She’s Kinda Hot (2015).

One of the most awaited album releases is for Ariana Grande’s album Sweetener. Although there is no official release date, Grande says that is definitely “coming this summer.” However, she may have spilled the beans on this special date during an interview with host Jimmy Fallon in early April; Grande revealed that “there are only three 20ths until the big thing,” so fans can infer that the likely release date for her new album is July 20th. Grande chose to name this album Sweetener because “It’s kind of about bringing light to a situation or to someone’s life, or somebody else bring[ing] life to your life. Sweetening the situation.”

For new upcoming singles in the summer, there aren’t many to keep an eye out for; however, there are some songs that have already been released that will be top hits throughout the entire summer such as God’s Plan by Drake, FRIENDS by Marshmello feat Anne Marie, and Psycho by Post Malone ft Ty Dolla $ign. Popular music today ranges from pop to rap and even to country music. Make sure to keep updating your summer playlist, as there will be new music to discover almost every week.

On April 19th, 20 Head-Royce students went to Sacramento to lobby for stricter gun regulations in California as part of the larger student group, Bay Area Student Activists, B.A.St.A for short. While they were there, they met with state legislators to find out and possibly help shape the future of gun control. ra

This year, as usual, there was an amazing display of student art in the middle school hallway for the annual art show. The web gallery is an incomplete show of many student artworks with topics ranging from an exploration of Freud’s “id” to portraits, from animals to Shakespeare and beyond.

Slideshow • 24 Photos

Slideshow • 15 Photos

A gallery featuring the 6-12 walkout, a glimpse of the Ashanti workshop, and several student art reflections.

30 bullets in a round: that is the capacity for the semi-automatic AR-15 rifle which was legally purchased by the 19 year old Parkland shooter a full year before it was used to destroy 17 lives, 17 families, 17 groups of friends, 17 sisters, mothers, fathers, brothers, and so many more people than 17. The Smith and Wesson weapon’s uses are quoted as “Competition Shooting, Home Protection, Hunting, and Law Enforcement & Military.” This weapon can fire off continuous rounds of ammunition before reloading; it is described as “easy to accessorize, but hard to put down. [They] are lightweight and rugged embodying the best combination of function and form.” The sale of guns has been commercialized to the level of the sale of a kid’s toy. A weapon with the power to kill should not be described as “hard to put down” as if they were describing the newest Barbie doll.

The shooter was able to purchase the weapon at the age of 18. Three years before he could legally purchase alcohol. He was known to have previous anger-management and mental health issues, yet lackadaisical background checks allowed this teenager to purchase the semi-automatic murder weapon.

A popular argument is “guns don’t kill people. People kill people.” When I first heard that, it seemed logical, but upon reflecting further and listening to Emma Gonzalez, a student at Stoneman Douglas, I realized that this could have been a very different story had the shooter only had access to a knife. Authorities would have been able to detain him sooner. He would not have been able to recklessly sputter out bullets while simultaneously putting money in the NRA’s pockets.

A lot of my close family lives in Texas. In fact, just a few days ago, they emailed my dad a picture of them with a huge hog after a successful hunting trip. I am not against the second amendment and one’s right to bear arms. What I am against, however, is how out of context the American people have taken that amendment for today’s usage. In 1791, there were muskets and pistols that could fire about three effective rounds per minute. Now we are talking 30 [rounds], in a matter of seconds.

Some of you may be thinking, “I don’t see how I connect. I go to Head-Royce, a well-protected and safe school, I just don’t see this happening to me.” But the sad truth is, no one could see this coming. If you had asked the students a month before the shooting if they would have to hide away from windows, guard themselves from bullets with thick textbooks, and witness their peers and teachers bleed out in front of them on Valentine’s Day, they would all look at you in disbelief. Yet you still might be thinking, “well California has stricter gun laws than Florida.” While true, strict gun laws do not stop countless shooters every day up and down the West Coast. So for those of you who try to distance yourself from this issue – maybe because if you really thought about it, it would be too painful – I would encourage you to think what we have in common with the kids in Florida: we are all students.

We are all students who wake up early every morning to rush to the bus, who are up way too late working on homework, and who complain about how jam-packed their week is. We are all students who shouldn’t have to question their safety at a sacred space for learning. We are all students who shouldn’t have to have teachers carrying around guns as protection. The brave students of Stoneman Douglas High School have been able to add momentum to the long running gun control conversation, and I’m sure many of us have been a part of history class debates on gun control, but now, more than ever, it can no longer be a conversation.

This is not a one-off. This is not an issue you can talk about in History class and then dismiss until it is brought up again. For me, this feels like a personal attack that does not end today. For me, it does not end until semi-automatic weapons are banned, the gun purchasing age is raised to 21, background checks are re-vamped, and mental health is monitored closer especially during the high school years.

There are so many emotions that I have felt since February 14th: shock, anger, disbelief, denial, frustration, sadness. There are so many more things I wanted to talk about. However, for the sake of being relatively brief and letting other voices speak their opinions, I will end here. I wish I could say more, but mostly I wish the 17 victims could say more. Those 17 lives were not done making their impact: Alyssa, Scott, Martin, Nick, Aaron, Jaime, Chris, Luke, Cara, Gina, Joaquin, Alaina, Meadow, Helena, Alex, Carmen, and Peter. They were silenced.

The San Francisco Forty-Niners have been working hard over the off-season. With the releasing of veteran defensive end Elvis Dumervil, fans might ask, who will be leading the defense? Coach Kyle Shanahan and General Manager John Lynch have totally transformed their defense and setting them up for the future, drafting starting players like Solomon Thomas, Reuben Foster, Ahkello Witherspoon, and Adrian Colbert in the 2017 draft. The majority of their starting defense has been drafted within the last few years.  The Niners’ impressively young defense is in need of an inspiring and charismatic veteran who knows the ins-and-outs of the league. No one is more suited for the challenge than former Seahawk Richard Sherman. Sherman recently signed a three year max of $39.5 million dollar contract. While this may look like a lot at first sight, most of the money is incentive based ($1 million if he makes the Pro-Bowl, $2 million if he makes All-Pro, etc.).

Some people look at his injury (achilles) and think that he may not be able to return to his All-Pro status. While this may be true for most older cornerbacks, Sherman is one of the most self-motivated players in the league. After being drafted in the fifth round behind many players that did not last through training camp, Sherman has carried a chip on his shoulder and the desire to prove himself to the league. This has been his mentality since the draft and it will be exaggerated in lieu of the ferocious Forty-Niners and Seahawks rivalry. Another reason fans should not be concerned with his injury is that Sherman never relied on his speed to shut down wide-receivers. He has relied on his length, instincts, and quickness. Also, he will be surrounded by the Forty-Niners’ young, speedy defensive backs that will be able to cover down low.

While this may be the signing of the year for most teams, the Forty-Niners have more than enough cap space to sign another big name in the league. They just signed Marquise Goodwin for another three years, but there is still room for a big free-agent or draft pick to help out Jimmy Garoppolo in the slot. Despite the disappointing 2017 season, the Niners are set up to impress in 2018.

“Just 5 more minutes, I promise.” It’s 2017, so you have definitely heard this phrase, and most likely, you have said it. Technology has taken over our lives, without us even knowing. Common Sense Media conducted a survey to expose the truth behind multi media’s effect on children.

95 percent of families with children ages 0 to 8 now have a smartphone (up from 63 percent in 2013 and up from 41 percent in 2011), and 78 percent have a tablet (up from 40 percent in 2013 and up from eight percent just six years ago, in 2011).

Children from lower-income homes spend an average of 1 hour and 39 minutes more time with screen media each day than those from higher-income homes. Children from homes with lower parent education consume more screen media than children from homes with higher parent education (2 hours 50 minutes vs. 1 hour 37 minutes).

This issue is also a child health concern: “According to parents, nearly half (49 percent) of children age eight or under often or sometimes watch television or play video games within an hour before bedtime, contrary to recommendations from pediatricians.”

Technology has become so prominent in our everyday lives that we forget valued traditions like family dinner. Multi-media and smartphones have become so overwhelming, Common Sense Media hired famous comedian Will Ferrell to star in a technology awareness commercial commenting on the effect of technology on families. These videos provide a comedic standpoint on a serious issue and in so doing are bringing more awareness to the issue.

However, some people believe that technology is important to today’s society. “It is promising to see many of the gaps closing when it comes to access to technology and devices among all segments of our population,” Steyer added. “Technology is integral to success in our world, and every child deserves access to it. Over the last several years, we have seen the digital divide and app gap closing, which is a very positive development for our country.”

Due to extreme winds, the raging Napa fires have so far burned more than 220,000 acres of land, causing devastation to people in the Napa, Sonoma, and Mendocino Counties and air quality warnings in San Francisco. According to NPR, at least 75,000 people have been left without power, and many more have no idea if their house or street is even still there. 20,000 people have evacuated, over 200 people have been reported missing, and so far, 42 deaths have been declared. The main cause of this fire is the intense winds, which only fuel the fire and make it even harder to put out. The winds also blew the smoke into other areas, which is why the smog has been sitting over the bay for the past few days, making the air quality so terrible. However, it is still a far better situation than in the City of Napa, where on their website it is recommended to wear an N95 gas mask, to protect against both the harmful smoke and the chemicals being spread. According to the Washington Post, a major disaster declaration has been approved by President Donald Trump after Governor Jerry Brown sent a five page letter to Trump asking for aid. In addition to the property damage, the fires dealt a blow to the multi-billion dollar wine and tourism industries, making the effects of the fire long term.

Here’s a link to the interactive graphic Julia Katter created (mentioned in her newspaper article):

www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/viewer?mid=1h_9hkhxLDylBkHCVC–KsEoGv4M&ll=37.53262536880855%2C-122.15099929999997&z=8

It’s hard to believe that the long awaited football season is already a quarter of the way done! The season has flown by and we haven’t had enough time to process all that is happening. Here are some of the biggest surprise fantasy breakouts of the first quarter:

The biggest breakout of the season by far has been Kareem Hunt. He came out strong the first game of the 2017 season against the Patriots like a tank, barreling past the once strong Patriots defense. He already has a total of 501 yards, and four touchdowns, averaging over seven yards per touch. On top of his rushing yards, Hunt has 157 yards of receiving, averaging 13 yards per catch. This rookie has shocked the nation with his strength, quickness, and skill. With Hunt’s young energy and Alex Smith’s veteran experience, the Chiefs have fought their way to an undefeated quarter.

Another running back breakout of the season has been Todd Gurley. He and Jared Goff have to lead the Rams to a record of 3-1, which is a dramatic change from their previous record of 4-12. After a slow two first games, where he recorded 44 and 80 yards, Gurley picked it up and rushed for 113 and 121 yards in Week Three and Four. Last game, Gurley lead the game with 121 yards of rushing and lead the team with 94 yards of receiving and recorded a touchdown. He currently has a total of 362 yards of rushing and 232 yards of receiving. In the beginning of the season, fans were expecting to see another bust of a season, but Todd Gurley proved them all wrong.

Another young player that took us all by surprise is the Vikings wide receiver, Stefon Diggs. The fifth-round draft pick is currently leading the league in receiving yards and has four touchdowns.  While most wide receivers would struggle when they switch quarterbacks in the middle of the season, Diggs has thrived, receiving for 271 yards in the past two games while catching passes from backup Case Keenum. Most players his size allow themselves to be roughed up by corners and safeties, but Diggs has found a way to use it to his advantage.

There is another Vikings player that has been getting attention, and that is rookie running back Dalvin Cook. Cook has 354 yards of rushing and 100 yards of receiving. He is averaging five yards per carry and has two touchdowns. He has a total of 74 carries, making him one of the running backs with the most touches in the league. He has not yet been able to repeat his stunning Week One performance, but he has been consistently solid for the Vikings. Sadly, the young player tore his ACL in his Week Four game against the Lions, so he will miss the rest of the season to heal his injury.

The top performing tight end in the league is Zach Ertz. He has 326 yards and a touchdown and is fifth in the league in receiving yards. He is averaging almost 13 yards per touch while also being one of the league’s best downfield blockers. In three out of his four games, he has recorded 80 or more yards of receiving. Playing with receivers Alshon Jeffery, Nelson Agholor, Torrey Smith, and pass-catching running back Darren Sproles, no one expected Zach Ertz to be the first option receiving, but he is leading the Eagles team on offense.

Sadly, there are just as many busts as breakouts. Here are some of the players that may have disappointed you this quarter:

The most notable underperformer is Cardinals running back David Johnson.  The player that people were depending on got injured early in the season, making many people with the first overall pick in their league’s draft disenchanted. After a season that features 1,200 over rushing yards and 870 receiving yards with 20 touchdowns, this season is a big step down. While the tragic future of his season is not his fault, he is disappointing many fantasy players.

A bust that has no excuses is cowboys receiver Dez Bryant. He is 34th in the league with only 212 receiving yards. His season long catch was small 36 yard pass with only one other pass over 20 yards. Bryant be an elite deep threat in the league, putting safeties on edge. Now, however, he is settling for short quick passes and is not using his speed like he did last season.

A running back that has not met the expectations of fans is our very own Marshawn Lynch. He is 33rd in the league for rushing yards with 151 on 45 attempts. He is only three yards ahead of Texans quarterback Deshaun Watson and ten ahead of Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson. He is averaging just over three yards per carry with only one touchdown. He also has no carries for over 20 yards. Everyone had big hopes or the Oakland native and the Raiders, but sadly they have not performed as well as expected.

I know it’s sad to see the long awaited season go by so quickly, but there is still a lot of great football to come. Good luck in Quarter Two!