Table of Contents

A Final Show for VA Seniors

emma han

California's Indoor Mask Mandate for K-12 Schools to End

celeste valadez

And the Academy Award Goes To…

amelie muro, elena levin

Thin Mints and Narrow Ethics: The Downside of Girl Scout Cookies

natalie hanani

A Cog in the Machine: SAT History & Test Optional Colleges

Felix brem

A Record of Words

Rajsi Rana

#Booktok: A Reading Renaissance

Caitlyn mason, Phoenix Lambie-McCullough

The Complexity of Ambiguous Things

James yi

Leprechaun Scavenger Hunt

jessica hong

The Ultimate Teacher Playlist

melody wu

Cinfully Delicious Citrus Rolls!

selah sanchez

Up Close & Personal: A Look at VA Senior Works

emma han

Bird-Watching at OCSA

Mia soumbasakis

The Origin of April Fool’s

jamie lee

Wordle: The Five Letter Frenzy

lara bilgore

The Hidden Impact of Daylight Savings

aoife mcevoy

AP Exam Tips /j

shayna kaplan

Don't Fear, Homework Excuses Are Here!

Jacqueline Blom

Senioritis

isabel hahn

Horoscopes

melody chang

OCSA Revolution

grant li, caitlyn mason, felix brem, selah sanchez, rajsi rana

A Final Show for VA Seniors

Emma Han

I love walking through art galleries—seeing faces burst in wonderment at the works, all in collective adoration and applause for the artists. It is a thrill like no other. And it won’t be long until you’ll get to experience this too.

The Visual Arts Senior Showcase is coming back to the VAC Gallery April 28 after being online in the past two years. A place where seniors get to display their bodies of work for the campus to see, this show is a last hurrah to commemorate and celebrate themselves as artists. But the journey working towards it has been a rocky roller coaster.

Since the start of lockdown, many of us felt the toll it took on our creativity. “I felt suffocated,” Kristie Lee (VA ‘22) expressed, “and I could see it coming through my art.” For Lee, she lacked inspiration and wasn’t creating the quantity she’d hoped to in building her portfolio. Simran Gupta (VA ‘22) had similar sentiments, sharing how being in the same environment without much stimulus “put [her art] at a standstill.” But once school came around, both found the motivation from those around them. “My friends put me back in a positive mindset [which] allowed me to tap back into my creative energy,” noted Gupta.

On the flip side, COVID-19 impacted some for the better. Hannah Kang (VA ‘22) remarked, “Quarantine really allowed me to have more free time and really listen to my voice. By separating myself from other people, I became more conscious of how often I’d get swayed by them.” This time of reflection helped Kang open herself to new approaches to art beyond technicalities and focus on developing her unique style. 

Challenges in self-growth and creativity aside, with limited chances to collaborate in class, gallery shows have always allowed students to connect over each other’s artistry and storytelling. And for seniors, this final show is a “beautiful, poetic way to say goodbye,” says Kang. In the end, after so many years at OCSA, it’s ultimately the people that make everything worthwhile. “For the first time,” Lee said, “I found people that were like me and who were passionate about art and that pushed me to become a better artist [and] I’m just so thankful for that.”

California's Indoor Mask Mandate for K-12 Schools to End

Celeste Valadez

After the California Public Department of Health (CDPH) reviewed the indoor masking policy for K-12 schools on February 28, Governor Gavin Newsom and state officials announced that California’s mask mandate for schools is to end after March 11. Just as administration recently informed, OCSA is to adhere to the state’s update while also following the Orange County Health Care Agency and the CDPH’s protocols set in place for COVID-19.

California state health officials viewed this decision as appropriate, especially given the increase in vaccination rates and a sharp decrease in reported COVID-19 cases within the state: 100,000 was the average number of reported cases in December and January, mainly due to it being the holiday season. At the time of writing, that number has dropped by nearly 90 percent, with the most recent daily averages ranging from 5,000 to 10,000 cases.

However, despite this decline, masks are to remain “highly recommended,” as all staff and students begin to assimilate into life without masks again after two years. Now one step closer to what can possibly be the beginning of the end of the pandemic, there are many different opinions and viewpoints that shape OCSA’s overall view of masks becoming an option. Some students have expressed either their happiness, relief or fear. Depending on one’s feelings towards masks and the virus, this can either be exciting or worrisome news.

One student (she/her ‘23) is in a dance conservatory that requires a lot of exercise and movement. She shared how she “most likely won’t be wearing a mask during conservatory” due to the fact that they “sometimes make it more difficult to breathe.” Nonetheless, she explained how she will “definitely continue wearing a mask” during her academic classes, at least after a few days or weeks of seeing how the number of reported cases among OCSA’s population will change. Another student, Arely Gutierrez (ID-BR ‘25), somewhat agrees with this point of view: she plans to “feel it out” at first because she doesn’t “want to risk it,” especially as a part of her is “really worried and [hopes] the change in COVID-19 cases isn’t too drastic or serious.”

According to Newsom, California will constantly be updating its COVID-19 policies “based on the latest science and data” and by relating COVID-19 pandemic news cumulated over the past two years to the state’s current situation. By learning from the past and developing more advanced research since March 2020, he believes the future of the virus has been well-prepared for. 

Students and staff at OCSA may deal with COVID-19 differently. While not much may change for those who continue to protect themselves with a face covering, this K-12 mask mandate expiration allows more freedom and flexibility regarding the opinions of those who choose to go maskless. The continuation of COVID-19 procedures and isolation after testing positive is uncertain but will most likely endure, especially if masks carry on to be strongly recommended. As for individual well-being, students in classrooms will still have access to much of the sanitizing materials from before, such as hand sanitizer and antibacterial wipes. 

Even though the school mask mandate will be lifted, it is important to prevent infection as much as possible, especially when considering the health and safety of the rest of the environment. For some, just the thought of being next to someone exposed to COVID-19 can be concerning, primarily for those who feel uncomfortable without masks. “It makes me feel anxious and doubtful of my health,” said Gutierrez after sharing how she is also worried about how any possible COVID-19 exposure could also affect her family and friends. According to Gutierrez, being vaccinated helps her feel more protected against the virus, but a part of her still remains uneasy.

Overall, March 14 is to represent great social and environmental change throughout all of California. Amidst all of the contrasting beliefs on masking, it is essential to be respectful of each individual’s choice. Everyone has different preferences and should not be judged by their authentic perspectives. Being thoughtful and attentive of other people’s health decisions is key, for no one should doubt their choice in wearing a mask or not due to social pressure.

And the Academy Award Goes To…

Amelie Muro and Elena Levin

The Oscars, officially the Academy Awards, or even more accurately: the Eurocentric Film Awards. This highly contested broadcast rolls around each winter or spring, drawing attention to a plethora of big-budget films and their artistic merit. However, besides its limited coverage of “International Feature Films,” the Oscars only focuses on content that can be enjoyed by Western audiences. 

It wasn’t until 2020 that Parasite made history as the first non-English film to win “Best Picture,” altering the inclusivity of the Academy’s judgment for the better. But, why exactly does  there have to be a distinction between non-English films and the rest of the world’s cinematic art? 

What it comes down to is the diversity of the members of the Academy. Plainly speaking, the board of judges mainly consists of older, white men––not the best candidates to change the already whitewashed landscape of the awards ceremony. Although the Oscars doesn’t pride itself on encompassing film on a global scale, its viewers expect more––especially when the world is full of incredible filmmakers extending beyond the Americanized sphere. 

In 2019, the Academy placed new representation and inclusion standards to ensure more diverse films be nominated for Oscars. These standards expect films to include more underrepresented races and ethnicities, women, members of the LGBTQ+ community and people with cognitive or physical disabilities. These standards do not  only apply to the cast, but to the crew and the creation of storylines that diverge from typically portrayed narratives.  

In order to be considered for “Best Picture” this year (2022) and the next (2023), creators are required to submit a confidential “Academy Inclusion Standards” form. However, many feel that this year’s nominees are lacking and not very “inclusive.” While King Richard, West Side Story, Drive My Car and Dune are working toward changing the landscape of film, movies such as Don’t Look Up add in one person of color and call it a day. 

As much as filmmakers boast that they are film revolutionaries, how many Oscars seasons will go by until “inclusivity” is not regarded as a “requirement?” Only time will tell. 

Thin Mints and Narrow Ethics: The Downside of Girl Scout Cookies

Natalie Hanani

We all know the drill. Every January, little girls in summer camp sashes rise from their hibernation to deliver cookies for $5 a box. They’re everywhere: on your block, in front of the grocery store, in your schools, and they will not stop until you have indulged in some boxes, all for a “good cause,” of course. Formed in 1912, the Girl Scout organization has had a long history of selling cookies to raise funds for their activities, and this appears to be the public’s general understanding of who they are as an organization. Compared to Boy Scouts, who are best known for their outdoor activities, Girl Scouts are known for selling boxes of cookies. See the problem? 

I was standing in my neighbor’s house babysitting her 8-year-old daughter, a Girl Scout, when she started talking to me about how many boxes she wanted to sell. Flipping through the pages of the Cookie Selling Manual, she directed me to the last page, which describes the rewards for Scouts;the more boxes that you sell, the more lavish a gift you can earn, ranging from a water bottle to a new computer. Excitedly, the Scout gushed about wanting to get one of the plush koalas. Nothing about any trips she wanted to go on, or how her troop was going to use the money. 

Reflecting on this conversation and the Girl Scouts organization as a whole, I began to understand that for her and the majority of other little girls, cookie-selling boiled down to a numerical evaluation, and the end goal was a material good, rather than being able to afford more opportunities to benefit their community. At best, they would understand that working hard affords you the things that you want. After all, these sentiments are what the pages of the Cookie Selling Manual alluded to, being that they simply explain how to sell and the rewards you get in return. 

Talking to different Girl Scouts, I’ve heard different stories of what selling cookies meant to them. Some described the process to be a small ordeal, whereas others described seeing it as a competition between themselves and other girls. Considering the inherent psychology of children, it’s understandable how many young girls are not able to comprehend the “deeper meaning” behind this work, as children are more easily motivated by physical things that bring them joy. The problem here is not that children are selfish and materialistic. In reality, it’s too much to expect for them to be able to view the world past tangible explanations. These children are byproducts of the organization they are a part of.

At the end of the day, I don’t believe that the Girl Scouts organization is inherently flawed. There are plenty of benefits that come with girls getting involved in an organization where they can bond with peers and do work to help people. But the psychological implications of having young people involved in an environment where they are pushed to sell goods using materialistic motivation needs to be considered as a negative byproduct. Competition surrounding monetary gain and the internalization of success as a result is something that all humans will grow to experience, but I believe more efforts need to be made to prevent children from being conditioned to believe this as a pure worldview. Girl Scouts should still raise money for a good cause—and the reward for donating (a divine cookie) is not too bad— but to have this be the pinnacle of their organization is a cruel injustice to the growing brains of young women.

A Cog in the Machine: SAT History and Test Optional Colleges

Felix Brem

On Saturday, February 12th, I walked out of an ACT testing room after five hours of a test that could define my future. I was one of around one hundred at my testing site, thousands in my city, tens of thousands more across the country. 

As many colleges continue to forgo requirements for SAT and ACT scores for applicants due to the pandemic, students around the country see this as an opportunity for previously closed doors to open. The SATs and ACTs have frequently been criticized for their biased intersection with class, race, ethnicity, gender and other disparities, something that may stem from their roots in eugenics in the beginnings of intelligence testing. The College Board commissioned Carl Brigham––modernly known as the father of the SATs––to develop an aptitude test, and in 1926 it was introduced to schools. However, Brigham was also a known eugenicist who believed that testing would show the ‘superiority’ of white test takers over test takers of other races, and that the influx of new immigrants would dilute the intelligence of the American gene pool and education system. 

What influence Brigham’s beliefs had on the original material and structure of the test is unclear, although the racist intentions are mirrored in more recent studies that show disproportionate gaps in score averages. According to College Board’s own public data, Black and Latinx students on average tend to score significantly lower than white and Asian students on the math portion of the SAT test. The score divide reflects generational patterns of discrimination in housing and education, as well as a history of a racial wealth gap, that make test prep and material less accessible to people of marginalized backgrounds. Prep courses and tutoring offering ‘perfect scores’ are expensive, giving advantage to students from affluent backgrounds who can afford them, and placing students from lower income households at a disadvantage. 

Amber Khauv (CW ‘23) noted that “it's said that to ace the SAT it is only necessary for the student to master the mechanisms of the SAT and nothing else, so people who cannot afford [prep] programs are at a disadvantage.” 

As a result of the pandemic, many 2020 SAT testing sites were shut down out of concern of the spread of COVID, leading colleges to drop the requirements for SAT scores and become ‘test optional’ or ‘test blind.’ The strong biases in the tests also impacted some of these decisions. In May of 2020, the University of California’s Board of Regents voted unanimously to stop using SAT and ACT scores. Their reasoning was that results were “so strongly influenced by family income, parents’ education and race that using them for high-stakes admissions decisions was simply wrong,” according to Joseph Suares in his 2020 article “Dismantling White Supremacy Includes Ending Racist Tests Like the SAT and ACT.” 

Even two years later, as SAT testing sites have become widely available again, many colleges remain test optional, understanding that COVID has interrupted many students’ regular education patterns and mental health. According to The National Center for Fair and Open Testing, 1,815 colleges offering bachelor’s degrees have chosen not to require SAT or ACT scores from applicants graduating in 2022, and more than 1,400 have also extended the policy to current juniors who will graduate in 2023. 

This gives many students a chance to opt out of high stakes testing that may have hindered their chances of being admitted into preferred colleges; however, for some students, it means losing an edge: “I'm a bit disappointed since I tested well; an area where I would have had an advantage in college applications has been taken away, making it harder for me to compete. However, I recognize the reasons why the SAT and ACT have been dropped and support it,” said Khauv. 

Many students still feel that SAT and ACT scores are necessary to bolster college applications. “I wouldn't want to miss an opportunity to take [the SAT] even if many schools are test-optional. I feel like I might need it,” said Sophie Cohen (CW ‘23). 

Some students seem to agree that the SAT and ACT are ineffective ways of assessing students. “There are so many other important skills besides test taking,” said Cohen. Alexandra Breschini (CV ‘22) agreed: “The grade one gets on these exams shows a person's ability to short term study and prepare for things, because it is a one time thing. I think a better measure is the grades over the four years of high school. It more accurately measures how one person is able to juggle all of their classes, activities, and social lives over a long [period of time].” 

In summary, it is transparent that such outdated tests no longer fulfill their supposed purpose of providing opportunities based on intellect, and instead serve as obstacles. Test optional policies could represent a step in the right direction for eliminating a biased test that further reinforces pre-existing structures of systemic racism and classism. 

A record of the Words Around Us

Rajsi Rana

 At OCSA, we are surrounded by art. So much so that I have experienced a growth in my appreciation of different art forms, one of them being words. 

This year, however, this love grew in AP Literature, a surprising source for words that didn’t originate in the Victorian Times. This occurred particularly because of the quote book assignment.

Every AP Lit student was given the task of keeping a quote book for the entire first semester. “Write down quotes that have meaning for you. Whether they are profound, inspiring, humorous or just plain practical, if they appeal to you, write them down,” stated the instructions.

Deidre Spicer, who had done her own quote book, describes her thought process behind this, “I just started putting in quotes that made me feel good. Words that were inspiring, or made me laugh, or moved my heart in some way.” Spicer, who has been assigning this project for about 20 years, wants to make sure that “students are aware of the words that surround them.” 

The teacher-student relationship can often get lost in the sea of assignments and tests during the seemingly endless semester. Spicer, when asked if this assignment gave her the chance to get to know her students more, responded enthusiastically: “Yes, absolutely. I don’t want to say it’s the best reading all year but it’s certainly the most insightful reading all year.”

As an English teacher at OCSA,  Spicer clearly holds a lot of value for the impact and importance of words. Outside of OCSA, as a daughter, she holds a special place in her heart for the impact her parents have had on her. “Somebody quoted my father [in their quote book]. I shared with the class that my father had passed this year. He said ‘Don’t grieve for me. I’m very grateful for my life and I’ve had a great life. Don’t be sad. I’m gone.’ Somebody actually quoted that and that was my favorite quote this year. It was extremely touching.”

This quote book assignment originated from an arts-and-crafts project Spicer used to create with her best friend in her youth. “ I used to draw on [my quote book] too, or even cut out of a magazine a picture and paste it on.” 

Different words stem from the different perspectives people have on life. “I think funny quotes are something people are always looking for especially in more challenging times…I think clever quotes like Oscar Wilde’s ‘Be yourself, everyone else is taken’ [are significant] at a time when teenagers are thinking about identity. I also see inspirational quotes. You people are young and ambitious, and have dreams, so I understand the appeal to you. I like funny quotes, and think they are the most impactful on me.”

Above all, this quote book assignment has allowed many busy seniors, for whom first semester was filled with college application deadlines and numerous essay’s to be written, to take a step back and remember the words that have marked them during this time in their lives. 

#BookTok: A Reading Renaissance

Caitlyn Mason and Phoenix Lambie-McCullough

Most TikTok users know there are different “sides” of the platform to end up on, ones curated specifically to their interests by the algorithm. The literary side of TikTok has taken the app by storm over the last year or so–– “#BookTok” amounting to about 41 billion views. On BookTok, people review and recommend their “current reads,” as well as create general literary-themed content. BookTok has become a phenomenon beyond the bounds of TikTok, with dedicated BookTok sections being introduced to bookstores across the country, including Barnes & Noble.

Colleen Hoover, the New York Times bestselling author of twenty-two novels and novellas and winner of countless awards, has been on top of the BookTok world. In 2012, her smashing hits, Slammed and Hopeless began her successful career. BookTok has cultivated a love for Hoover specifically with her book It Ends With Us, a painful romance full of love, war and violence between lovers Ryle and Lily. It Ends With Us also has a sequel coming out this October. Along with writing, Hoover has also started a charity called The Bookworm Box, a subscription to receive a box of three or more books (signed by the authors, including Hoover) monthly. 

While BookTok certainly has its benefits in providing a platform for readers and writers alike, there is also a drawback to its community-oriented atmosphere. Like any other art form, book judgments are incredibly subjective. The cult-following philosophy of BookTok books is reminiscent of that of John Hughes movies, the commonality between the two is that not everyone will enjoy them. Many of the recommendations on BookTok are based within the bounds of one or two genres, particularly contemporary romance and YA fantasy. For readers who don’t prefer these genres, it can seem like there is not really a side of BookTok for their recommendations. While people are entitled to their literary opinions, promoting their favorite books with a sort of “one size fits all” recommendation style is bound to leave some readers disappointed. Regardless of what BookTok says, readers should not feel obligated to love all book genres in the same way people are not obligated to enjoy all types of music. 

The Complexity of Ambiguous Things

James Yi

What do you know about the four seasons? Most would have a general impression naturally formed through life. However, surprisingly little is known about the specifics. Three students were asked when spring starts. Celeste Valadez (ID-BR ‘24) estimated late March. Melody Chang (IM-P ‘22) guessed April. I myself spent my whole life confident that spring starts exactly on March.

Both I and Valadez were right, because there are actually two types of seasons: astronomical and meteorological. Astronomical seasons are the traditional seasons and have been around for thousands of years. Its spring begins March 20, the spring equinox. Then there are the summer solstice, autumnal equinox, and winter solstice, which are June 21, September 22 and December 21.

An equinox is when the Sun is directly above the Earth’s equator, meaning the southern and northern hemispheres get equal measures of sunlight. A solstice is when one of the hemispheres gets the most sunlight in a year, while the other gets the least. Our–the Northern Hemisphere’s–summer solstice is when we get the most sunlight while the Southern Hemisphere gets the least. The reverse happens on our winter solstice. Due to the inverse relationship between how much sunlight the two hemispheres receive, they have opposite seasons. In the Southern Hemisphere, March 20 is the fall equinox and the following June 21 the winter solstice.

The dates for the solstices and equinoxes change every year due to the fact that one rotation around the Sun does not take exactly 365 days. A more exact measurement would be 365.256 days, meaning that each year’s equinoxes and solstices occur approximately six hours later than the previous year’s. This is somewhat offset by adding an additional day every four years, which is February 29.

Fluctuating dates make things confusing, so meteorologists and climatologists came up with the meteorological seasons during the early to mid-20th century. These seasons are spring March 1, summer June 1, fall September 1, and winter December 1. The meteorological seasons are also more accurate in terms of using the seasons to gauge temperature.

Take winter, for example. One may expect winter solstice to be the coldest day of the year due to it being the day when the least amount of sunlight is received. A more important factor in determining temperature is the amount of energy that is already present. It takes time for Earth to release–and absorb–energy. The northern hemisphere releases more and more energy as it is leaning away from the sun, before and after the winter solstice. So, the coldest month of the year is usually January or February.

Of course, temperature can change drastically from day to day. The high temperature varied by 22 Farenheits from February 23 to 28, recorded Time and Date. Not to mention that LA does not have as distinctive seasons as other parts of the world. “Here in California it’s always kinda hot, so it doesn’t really like–you can’t feel the difference sometimes,” noted Valadez.

Regardless of when the seasons are and their relevance to the weather, they still have their uses. One can always complain about the summer being too hot, winter too cold, or wish for their favorite season to come. Who cares if the person complaining about summer’s heat is actually at the end of spring.

“Otherwise the year is really long…and when the weather is pretty much the same during a period of time I feel like there’s some specific activities you wanna do,” Chang expressed. To her, the seasons mean fashion.

How about you? Are you more like Valadez, or Chang? How do the seasons, these ambiguous, surprisingly complex concepts, exist in your life?

Leprechaun Scavenger Hunt

Jessica Hong

*This message was not approved by the journalism class 

Dear little humans, 

It is I, the Leprechaun, who has come to grace you with my presence at your humble little school for St. Patrick’s Day. However, might I say with the utmost offense and horror, that I found that you humans do not love my holiday as much as you adore the holiday with the man in the jolly red suit! Do you not enjoy green parades and dancing with music over some dreary presents you get once a year? Why, when I came to your school’s entrance, I was treated with such disrespect as you humans tried to ignore and step all over me with your cursed shoes! Don’t you know what would happen if the leprechaun gets mad? Especially near St. Patrick’s Day? I am utterly disappointed in all of you and your dwarf-sized brains. 

But since I have decided to honor myself at this school, I believe I must conjure up a bit of magic for you all to at least learn to appreciate my holiday better than that old man’s. If you wish to find me, you’ll have to endure some challenges first, in exchange for leaving footprints all over my lovely face. 

I have hidden myself on this campus after searching through every crevice on the walls and every cabinet I can find. So it is likely that you may never be able to find me. But I, the Leprechaun, have so graciously created a series of clues and ordered your poor journalists to send them out to locations that it may be possible to find me. Nevertheless, it won’t be fun to just search for clues—we need to have a prize after all! If you were wishing for my pot of gold, forget about it! But I have something better to offer. In exchange for participating in this scavenger hunt and honoring my name, you may be featured in the next issue of your school’s newspaper, Evolution, if you are one of the first 10 students to find me by April 15th! 

But you won’t get anywhere with just this letter, so I’ll give you a little push. 

The first clue’s location lies within a humble abode that opens its doors from day to night. The owner isn’t shy in showing off his collection of wealth and knowledge to you, but he’s quite picky, for he doesn’t offer charity and would rather close off his doors to get rid of greedy hands. But with an exchange or two, he will be pleased and welcome you the second time you arrive. 

May every petal on the shamrock wish you good luck.

Signed by: 

Tom O’Sullivan

The Ultimate Teacher Playlist

Melody Wu

It seems that music is just as essential to the lives of OCSA teachers as it is to us, students. However, we all know that the chill, G-rated playlists that teachers listen to in their classrooms do not always reflect their true musical tastes, which is why I embarked on a noble mission to interrogate OCSA teachers about their real preferences in music and expose some of their favorite (or most recommended) songs. Scan the QR code below, and get to know what music means to your teachers!

1. Everlong by Foo Fighters—Renso Gomez (VA, Digital Painting)

“Everlong was one of the first songs I ever heard by the Foo Fighters, but the backstory of why it was made has always been motivating to me in hard times. The lead artist, Dave Grohl, wrote it in the darkest period of his life and it took him 45 minutes. That to me is inspiring… I listen to music daily, if I ever go a day without music it feels like a bad day. Music inspires me to draw and motivates me when I am feeling down.”

2. This Must Be the Place by Geese—Karl Peterson (Lit. and Comp., Journalism)

“It’s only available on the SiriusXM platform because the band performed and recorded the song live at their studios. However, it’s a cover song of a new-wave classic by “The Talking Heads”...I have zero musical background… [but I] love listening to music. I listen to music pretty much all the time… [on] my little Bluetooth speaker… I’m old school that way.”

3. You Matter to Me from the musical “Waitress”—Pamela Smith (AP Lang.)

“Songs become emblematic of seasons in my life… I gravitate to songs that I love singing and harmonizing to, that have meaningful lyrics… [I] grew up singing in a family quartet in church [and] sang all throughout high school and college… The musician part of me is my alter ego. It lights up a completely different part of my brain.”

4.Háblame Bajito by 50 Cent, Abraham Mateo and Austin Mahone—Cecilia Cummaudo (Spanish)

“I chose this song because it talks about staying calm and centered … especially when things aren't going well. It asks us not to stress or get worked up, but remain calm because everything will work out. It's a much needed reminder… I do not have a musical background but I absolutely love music… My daughter and husband especially are very musical so music is a huge part of our lives.”

5.Someone Great by LCD Soundsystem—Patrick Thompson (Lit. and Comp.)

“The song has ambiguous and often mysterious lyrics that are really open to interpretation.  Is the song about death?  Loss of a romantic relationship?  Or maybe it's just a reflection on someone who had a deep impact on your life.  Either way, the song is powerful and inviting… Post-college… I played in several indie rock bands in NYC.  Today, I still DJ and make music as a hobby.  I still consider myself deeply connected to music.”

To listen to the rest of the playlist (with songs recommended by Chris Dion, Anton Striegl and more), see below!

Cinfully Delicious Citrus Rolls!

Selah Sanchez

Continuing from the citrus theme in the last issue, here is a recipe that will warm not only your stomach, but your heart as well! These cinnamon rolls have a tangy orange twist perfect for sweetening any day! This recipe makes one dozen rolls, and though it takes a bit of time, it is well worth the wait. 

Ingredients:

For the Dough:

• 1 packet active dry yeast

• ½ cup of warm water

• ⅓ cup sugar (plus one teaspoon to activate yeast)

• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon salt

• 1 stick unsalted butter, softened

• 3 ½ cups bread flour

• ½ large orange, zested, juiced and divided in 2* 

*I prefer to use navel oranges

The Filling:

• 1 stick butter, softened

• ½  cup brown sugar

• 1 ½ tablespoons cinnamon

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon nutmeg

The Frosting:

• 2 cups confectioner’s sugar

• 4oz cream cheese

• ¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

• 1 ½ tablespoon heavy whipping cream 

• ½  of the orange juice, orange zest

Directions:

1. First, you must awaken the yeast from its deep slumber. In a stand mixer or large bowl, pour in some warm water and 1 teaspoon of sugar as an offering, before pouring the yeast. Cover and wait for five minutes. Once the yeast is all foamy, it has been appeased.

2. Now, add the eggs, butter, orange juice, zest, sugar and salt. If you’re using the stand mixer, mix using the dough hook on level two speed. 

3. Start by adding 2 ½ cups of flour, then add the rest by ½ cups or ¼ cups just to be safe. The dough should slide right off the hook, spring back at your touch, and be easy to move as one unit. It shouldn’t stick to your hands or the side of the bowl. 

4. Knead for 6-7 minutes. You can choose to keep using the mixer or dump that bad boy onto a lightly floured surface to knead by hand. 

5. Once that’s done, cover the dough in a bowl and leave it to rise for about 30 minutes, 15 if you’re lazy. Do not leave it for too long, lest it grows impatient, and it ventures to find you…

6. Meanwhile, time to make that filling! Just combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger and nutmeg in a bowl.

7. After the dough has risen, plop it on a lightly floured surface again. Roll into a rectangle.

8. Spread the butter over the rectangle, then evenly sprinkle the filling over the butter. 

9. After that, roll the rectangle tightly, until you have an adorable little cinnamon snake! 

10. Use a knife, or some string to evenly cut the cinnamon snake up till you see beautiful swirly circles! 

11. Space them out on a 9 x13 greased jelly roll pan or a glass dish. Cover and let rise for 20-30 minutes, then bake for 14 minutes in an oven preheated to 375° fahrenheit.

12. Make the frosting by combining all ingredients into a bowl until nice and smooth. Simple as that! Then after letting the rolls cool for 10 minutes or so, slather that sweet stuff on there and enjoy!

There you have it– Cinfully Delicious Citrus Rolls! With their soft, springy dough, pungent aromatic filling, and finished off with that smooth, slightly tangy icing, I can assure you they are well worth the effort. Perfect on a lazy weekend morning, or to share with your friends and family, or simply for yourself!

Follow along with the accompanying video on the Online Exclusives page.

Up Close & Personal: A Look At VA Senior Works

Birdwatching at OCSA

Mia Soumbasakis

The Origin of April Fool’s

Jamie Lee

April Fools' Day, a day of practical jokes and pranks, has long been celebrated in various cultures and countries. Some of the most popular pranks include when the BBC tricked the UK with their prank that spaghetti grows on trees in Switzerland, or when Caltech students switched the cards between the Huskies and Golden Gophers at a game. The exact origin of this light-hearted holiday still remains unknown, though there are multiple stories that may point to where it stems from. 

Julian Calendar to Gregorian Calendar

Of all of the explanations for this holiday, the switch of calendars by France is the most well known. In the late 16th century, France ultimately switched from the Julian to the Gregorian calendar. In the Julian calendar, the spring equinox on April 1st marked the beginning of the new year. With the change to the Gregorian calendar, January 1st became the first day of the new year. People who either were slow to receive the news or failed to recognize that the start of the new year had been moved, continued to celebrate the year during the last week of March—and were given the name, “April Fools.” On April 1st, the April Fools were pranked and joked about; a common prank was to place paper fish on their backs, referred to as “poisson d’avril”(April fish), which symbolized young, easily caught fish and a gullible person. 

Roman Empire’s King Kugel

A group of court jesters in the Roman Empire boasted to Emperor Constantine that any one of them could rule the kingdom just as well as him, convincing him to make one of them king for the day. Constantine obliged, and Kugel was appointed to the position. As King, Kugel declared April 1st as a day of jollity and absurdity, thus creating the tradition of April Fools’ Day. 

The irony of this story is that it is an April Fools’ prank itself. In 1983, Professor Joseph Boskin at Boston University managed to create a story that fooled readers of the Associated Press. When asked about the origins and history of the holiday, Boskin fabricated a story about a jester who became king, who he named after the Jewish noodle pudding kugel. While telling the story, he expected the reporter to eventually catch on, but all he heard was the typewriter clicking away on the other end. Following the publication of the article, Boskin’s hoax was revealed when a student in his class ran the story to the Daily Free Press.

Ancient Rome’s Hilaria

Historians have also linked April Fools’ Day to Hilaria, a festival celebrated in ancient Rome at the end of March. Inspired by the Egyptian legend of Isis, Osiris and Seth, people dressed up in disguises to mock fellow citizens, following the cult of Cybele. Festivals in ancient Rome similar to Hilaria, such as Quinquatria, have also been linked to the beginnings of April Fools’ Day.

With multiple myths that point to the emergence of the playful holiday, historians are still unsure of April Fools’ exact origins. Nonetheless, people around the world will yell, “April Fools!” as they continue to celebrate by playing pranks on their friends, families and coworkers.

Wordle: The Five Letter Frenzy

Lara Bilgore

Wordle: a word puzzle where you get six chances to guess a five letter word in hopes of not losing your streak. It is a game that tests your knowledge of the English language and your ability to guess words that fit the letters though you have never heard of them. In more recent weeks, it seems that the words have increasingly become more difficult.

 "I've lost my streak a good amount of times… probably at least three times" Mateo Moore (IA ‘22) said. However, this is not the only person who has lost their streak. Jacob Ferguson (ACT ‘22) mentioned, "I have lost my streak once. I don't remember what the word was. I was just annoyed." Both mentioned how they have lost their streaks in the last few weeks. 

It is important to note that the New York Times has recently acquired Wordle from the original owners. The switch officially began on February 11 and that is when the shift of the difficulty of the words began. "The words are awful now. They're just a lot more confusing. I feel like they make up words, or like they'll have words that have a one letter difference that just make it a lot harder” expressed Ferguson. He is not the only person to mention having this idea of having a change in the level of difficulty of the words". "I've noticed the words have gone significantly harder… words like ‘tacit’ and ‘caulk,’ which I've never heard of before”. 

Kameryn Burch (CV '24) said, "I always have to look up hints, otherwise I can't get it." It appears that you need to grab a dictionary while completing your daily Wordle because the words have been super challenging ever since the New York Times purchased the increasingly popular word game. 

Even if the words have become more difficult, the starting word is what sets you up for success. When asking around to other students, most people mentioned that their starting words were tears, heart, train, sphere, crane, audio or adieu. "I use adieu because it has every vowel except for O”, Moore said. In theory, this logic makes sense, as it limits your option as to what vowels can be used. Others pick their opening word based on what the most common letters are in the English language, but this can be hit or miss depending on how hard the word is that day. 

While it is always nice to improve our vocabulary training and become more knowledgeable, part of the fun of Wordle was that it wasn't super difficult. People send their daily statistics to each other and find it fun to compare. Yet, with the increase of the level of trickiness in the words it has made people feel differently. "It makes me feel a little embarrassed because I never get any good streaks because the words are a little harder now (Moore)." People are not alone in this feeling. Hopefully, the words will get easier and people can continue enjoying the game we all grew to love. 

The Hidden Impact of Daylight Savings

Aoife McEvoy

Do you think our sunshine needs protection? Congress sure does. On March 15 2022, Congress passed The Sunlight Protection Act, which will make Daylight Savings Time permanent. Permanent daylight savings time means that every year we will have less sunlight in the morning and more sunlight in the afternoon from November to March. This also means that Americans will not have to change their clocks twice a year to adjust to the time change. But what is the purpose of daylight savings really? With DST now in effect since Sunday March 13, let’s learn a little bit more about this energy saving practice.

Many people credit Benjamin Franklin with the invention of daylight savings due to an essay he wrote in 1784 in which he stated “Early to bed, early to rise makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise." However, the actual creator of the practice was an inventor from New Zealand named George Hudson, who presented a paper to the Wellington Philosophical Society proposing a 1 hour shift forward in October and a 1 hour shift backward in March, but the idea was not picked up until later.  Daylight savings was first introduced to the world in May of 1916 in Germany as a way to conserve fuel during World War I. It didn’t become a standard practice in the U.S until the passage of the Uniform Act in 1966 which was put into effect all across the U.S. 

The main purpose of Daylight Savings is to make better use of daylight, which subsequently saves energy. When we spend more time outdoors in the sun, we are using less energy for lighting, electronic appliances and other amenities. However, not everyone is convinced. Many people argue that the loss of sleep and the subsequent fatigue that follows is not worth it. To decide for ourselves, let’s take a look at the pros and cons of Daylight Savings Time.

Pros:

The Economy

Daylight Savings heavily benefits the economy. When it stays lighter outside, people are more likely to do things that cost money such as afternoon shopping, golfing, driving around and buying gas etc. Industries reported over a $100,000,000 increase in their revenue, and the Chamber of Commerce has heavily endorsed Daylight Savings every year.

Safety

With lighter evenings comes more safety, as it is easier to see, so less accidents or crimes occur. Even just an extra hour of sunlight increases road safety and decreases pedestrian fatalities by 13%. Crime also gets reduced, with robberies dropping 7% in the spring.

Cons:

Health

Less sleep has overall negative health consequences. Studies show a 10% increase in heart attacks and more reports of cluster headaches after the fall time change. Suicide rates also increase slightly, as moods tend to darken when there is less sunlight. Fatigue from less sleep can also create a weakened immune system, which makes people more susceptible to illness.

Productivity

Daylight Savings tends to affect productivity negatively. Up to weeks after the time change studies have shown that many people continuously experience fatigue, leading to less productivity and more internet browsing.

As we prepare for Congress to vote on the Sunshine Protection Act, it is important to recongize the environmental, helath and financial effects of Daylight Savings Time, and how it could impact your day to day life.

AP Exam Tips /j

Shayna Kaplan

As AP exam season approaches, many OCSA students become stressed over their coming tests. To ease your worries, I, along with some fellow students, have compiled a list of 5 tips to guarantee a 5 on all of your AP exams.

1. Get enough sleep.

Everyone’s tired of parents, teachers and doctors telling them to get enough sleep. But they’re right! It’s important to get at least 7 hours of sleep, especially the night before an AP exam. But you can still be tired even after a good night’s sleep. “As a student who takes 6 APs and gets 7 hours of sleep each night, I recommend drinking 2x + 7 = y shots of espressos the morning of, where x is the number of AP tests you’re taking and y is the number of shots of espresso. That’s my formula for success!” said Sarah Parigela (IM-SO ‘23). The espressos will send more than the daily recommendation of caffeine coursing through your veins, sure to wake you up and keep you alert throughout the four-hour test.

2. Cultural immersion.

This tip pertains to students taking an AP language test: Chinese, French or Spanish. A component of these tests are cultural awareness, where you should not only know the language and its grammar, but the cultures of places where it is spoken. I recommend binge-watching a show in the language you are studying. AP French students, watch Miraculous, les aventures de Ladybug et Chat Noir in the original French. Consuming a well-known piece of French media really helped me prepare for taking the AP French exam last year; I walked into the test ready to write about the pair of superhero teens dressed as animals and the moth villain that plagues Paris, cornerstones of French culture.

3. Get a good carpool.

Communicate with the people who will be driving you to school, especially if you have a test at 8:00 am. For those tests, it’s recommended that you arrive half an hour early, and if you’re too late you might not be allowed to enter and take the test. So, make sure that your driver drops you off at 8:15 so you are barred from entering the testing room. In the wise words of Josh Qin (ID-BR ‘23), “you can’t fail the test if you don’t take it.”

4. Bring your phone. Just in case.

 In this digital age, it’s important to remain connected to others. So, you should bring your phone into the AP exam so you can communicate with your friends. Even better, you could text or DM friends who are taking the exam with you and compare your answers; two brains are better than one. Or you could scroll through TikTok to pass time if you finish early. Check that your ringer is on so you never miss a notification during the test.

5. Late-night cram sessions.

The night before an AP exam, it’s natural to feel unprepared and to want to study just a little bit more. If you choose to do so, 2 am is the best time to cram. Make sure to skim your notes and watch subject recap videos at 2x speed for maximum results.

Don’t Fear, Homework Excuses Are Here!

Jacqueline Blom

It’s no secret OCSA students have an easy schedule to maintain. There is no reason why you should request extensions and have late work. The long commute, tech weeks, and shows are just another reason to have perfect scores and perfect attendance. In the extremely rare occasion you have a late or missing assignment, honesty is the last thing a teacher wants to hear from you. And in the case you need assistance, I’ve curated previously used excuses and requests from teachers over the years to inspire you.

Andrew Chang

“Specifically in distance learning, many students' wifi would malfunction, coincidentally each Friday.” (For context, all homework was due at 4:15 during the 2020-2021 school year.)

Carrie Combs

“The assignment was in my backpack, then left it in my friend’s car, that friend’s mom took my backpack in her car, which is now in Montebello.”

“My paper was in my car and it got broken into.”

Marla Cross

“I have a bulldog and when she was a puppy, she got into my bag with all my school papers.  She literally ate my student's homework while I was away shopping.”

Courtney Harper

“I made it into the top 10 of The Voice, and I shouldn't be telling anyone, so can I schedule a Zoom meeting with you?” During said meeting Harper saw either Adam Levine or Blake Shelton passing through in the background.

Meghan Linney

“My notebook exploded and my work from the last two weeks is missing.”

“I didn’t know there was homework that needed to be done.”

Marissa Mares

“I had to go to Disneyland and had to go to a party in the same weekend.”

Karl Peterson

“I had a violin concert in Europe over the weekend.”

Lana Sawalha

“I was ice fishing in Alaska for the weekend.”

Megan Schmidtbauer 

“Didn’t you get the email I sent you at 11:30pm last night asking for an extension?”

“My wifi wasn’t working so I didn’t have access to the eBook” (even though they have a physical copy of the textbook at home)

“I forgot it at home, but I had my mom take a picture of it and text it to me. Will you accept that?”

Deidre Spicer

“I fell asleep at my computer before I could press submit.”

Requested extension: “Having drama with my best friend.”

Requested extension: “I’m currently on tour as a cello soloist.”

John Sprekelmeyer

“I hit a seagull on my way to school.”

Requested extension: “I was up all night playing Dungeons & Dragons Online.”

Rachel Trask

“I was flying from Orange County to San Francisco to Seattle to gain frequent flyer miles with my Mom over the weekend.”

There was an overall theme many teachers noticed this year that students are generally more blatantly honest; communicating they completely forgot about the assignment or not prioritizing the assignment in their schedule. And in all seriousness, if you are having a hard time balancing your schedule, do not hesitate to reach out to your teachers for an extension, or counselors if you need more assistance.

Senioritis

Isabel Hahn

The night before my first day of freshman year, I remember writing a letter to my future self, strictly only to be read on the day I graduated from high school. I folded it into a tiny square and wrote across the top in bold letters: “Don’t open until you’ve made it,”!”, as if I couldn’t trust myself to keep my own promise. 

Surprisingly, I did end up keeping it, and I haven’t touched the letter since. It sits in a tin box at the bottom of my second desk drawer, hidden amongst old sticker sheets, movie theater tickets and other scraps of memories from the past four years. Admittedly, I’ve come close to taking a peek a few times, especially as my senior year has inched by, but I feel like I owe it to my younger self to be patient. I wanted to answer all her questions in the way she probably imagined I would, with the air of wisdom, the starry myriad of advice that only a high school graduate could possibly have. 

But as the fated day has come closer and closer, I feel like my list of questions have only grown. What was supposed to be a therapeutic rewatch of “Kiki’s Delivery Service” the other day turned into a load of anticipation for the years to come. Buying groceries on my own, applying for jobs, getting sick here and there and never fully recovering—there was no doubt that I’d probably find myself in Kiki’s position soon. And maybe the only difference is that I won’t have that sprinkle of teenage witch magic to get me through.  

As pressure from the past semester has gradually begun to lift, these past few weeks have been somewhat of a lull in the storm, radio static through which I’m absentmindedly turning knobs and adjusting antennae to hear a clear voice again. Most weekends I spend in my room, watching movies I end up falling in love with for a few short hours or reading books out loud just to hear the words rolling off my tongue. Sometimes I’ll try to journal only to find that all my thoughts have slipped out of my grasp before I could even realize. It seems that I’ve been wanting to hold onto seventeen, but alas, I am at a loss for knowing how to do so. 

Rather than drowning, I feel more as if I’m wandering around in a cornfield maze that stretches on for miles and miles. There’s a lot of advice on getting out of rock bottom, but not so much on navigating your way through the foggy middle. 

It may not be much, but I’ve started to think of the maze as a journey rather than a puzzle. Taking it one step at a time, I look up at the clouds rather than aimlessly sprinting around for the exit. Going on walks, logging books onto Goodreads, wearing my hair in pigtails—doing things I love, because sometimes that’s all you know. I’ve made it a goal to cherish the time I have left and give it a hug before it eventually flies away. 

I still don’t know what I’ll end up responding to my younger self with. Maybe it’ll be the fact that I transferred schools, or all the unfamiliar people I ended up becoming friends with. Maybe it’ll be something small, like how my handwriting has changed the slightest bit. I may not have all the answers she’s looking for, but I will have a story to tell that she may like. At least, I hope so.  

Horoscopes

Melody Chang