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EVENTS
December 2021 Article
Mohammad Al-Saber, 2023
Another semester down! The 2021 fall semester is coming to a rapid close, as finals are on the horizon. This semester marks various firsts for University High School: the first semester fully returning to in-person instruction after an infamous distance learning era, the first semester wearing masks, and the first semester seeing light at the end of the tunnel come closer as we (hopefully) conquer a virus that has done so much damage. Join me in briefly reflecting on the ups and downs of this semester and lessons to understand as we move forward.
In August 2021, the question on everyone’s minds surely was how do I transition? How do I function as I did prior to a pandemic that’s affected nearly every aspect of our traditional living? Administrators and teachers shared that same sentiment: how can we unite students that were all impacted differently? Similar to the non-traditional-ness to the school year came non-traditional events: an all-school rally on the first day of school strode that first step in healing the divide. Messages shared then are still in the minds and hearts of many: resilience, reconnect, rejoice. And that’s how we framed our mindset beginning from then, and other activities were held to do so as well: Icebreakers, Club Rush, grade-level field trips, and in mid-September, Character Week. This week into the school year was intended to check in a month into the school year by reaffirming the infamous “be UHS” motto. With academics ramping up, life seemed to return somewhat to normal. This drive was reflected when it was announced that UHS was selected by the US Department of Education as a 2021 National Blue Ribbon School; Ms. Hickman and Mrs. Hayden represented us in Washington, D.C. during the first week of November 2021. Performing groups were hard at work as well, ferociously preparing for the renowned Magic of the Arts performance, annually held but was sadly not conducted last school year. Mounting pressure to make these performances unforgettable was overshadowed (literally) by a forecast of rain in late October 2021, when the event was initially planned to be outside. With Spirit Week and Phoenix Bowl being that same week also, questions were raised about that as well, but swift resolutions were made that indicated Magic of the Arts was to be rescheduled for the first week of November 2021, with Spirit Week and Phoenix Bowl continuing as normal. Those two fun-filled, yet intense weeks led to highlights of the school year, one of them being the class of 2022 yet again emerging victorious at Phoenix Bowl, as they did their sophomore year. Veterans Day weekend, the week following, and Thanksgiving Break four weeks later served as a recharge after that intensity and as a message to continue the semester strong, which brings us to the current day.
I can acknowledge that it’s cliché, but it’s true: we are more than the trying distance learning period of our high school careers. Our best efforts to reacclimate to our usual, still regarding COVID-19 friendly precautions, served triumphantly and will continue to be true as we transition into warmer weather. Yes, at times, it does feel like we were transported a year and a half into the future and everything in between was all a blur, but regardless of the toils we collectively endured last year and the spring of the year before, we have located that light at the end of the tunnel. Finding help when you need it is another aspect of life that numerous got used to. There is no denying that last year was trying, but we relied on our community, on each other, to trot through eighteen months of what seemed like a person pressing the repeat button on their TV remote. All of these valuable lessons and more are tied to those terms of resilience, reconnecting, and rejoicing - processes that a semester alone cannot heal. These ideologies have resonated with us but will take time to fully take hold of us and we can become the observers of widespread change. While this era is remembered sourly by so many, it is also imperative to remember who we were then and who we are now: changed individuals who suffered in the midst of it but learned and understood at a better and deeper level now because of it. Those tough times molded us into who we are, a message to be carried on as we experience the repercussions of COVID-19 and heal immensely.
NEWS
NEWS
The Rittenhouse Trial Explained & Misconceptions
Brian Molina, 2024
On November 19, 2021, 18-year-old Kyle Rittenhouse from Antioch, Illinois was acquitted on all charges following a long and much-publicized trial concerning his shooting of three white men, two of whom were killed, in an August 2020 demonstration in Kenosha, Wisconsin. The demonstration was in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake, a 29-year-old black man who was killed by police in the midst of a response to a domestic issue. Rittenhouse, a known supporter of police and “Blue Lives Matter”, and having been cadet in a program for aspiring officers, felt it was his duty to “protect people” once the demonstration was occurring. Following an altercation with Joseph Rosenbaum, who harassed him and fired a handgun into the air, Rittenhouse shot at him, killing him in the process. Part of the nearby crowd started chasing him and Rittenhouse shot at two more of them, Anthony Huber (who was fatally shot) and Gaige Grosskreutz (who was shot in the arm but survived).
From the trial to the shooting itself, the topic has been subject to intense debate and conversation as of late. The long-awaited (and highly anticipated) “not guilty” verdict came after an eighteen-day trial commencing on November 1, 2021, held in the Kenosha County Courthouse (at which protests had gathered in August of 2020). Judge Bruce Schroeder summoned 150 jurors and out of those a twenty-person panel (twelve jurors and eight alternates) was selected. The next two weeks brought testimony and accounts from witnesses, Grosskreutz, and Rittenhouse himself, followed by four days containing 27 hours of deliberation among the jurors.
The main arguments brought by the prosecution said that Rittenhouse, 17 at the time of the shooting, should not have been present at the protest with his AR-15 rifle, and was an armed threat. Three charges of first-degree homicide and two of first-degree reckless endangerment were brought against him. During his testimony, Grosskreutz stated that he was trying to disarm, not kill, Rittenhouse, stating he “[felt] that I was gonna die” and was fearful of the presence of the rifle. In addition, the prosecution argued that Rittenhouse was at fault for the situation due to his decision to show up at the rowdy and possibly dangerous protest armed. It was brought up that Rosenbaum was shot four times despite the fact that he was unarmed and already falling to the ground.
On the other hand, the defense argued that Rittenhouse only shot the three who he did in an act of self-defense. In fact, Rittenhouse testified that he had come to the protest intending to act as a medic and protect property, and was fearing for his life when he was chased by Rosenbaum, saying that he tried to grab at him and his rifle. In his view, he could not get Rosenbaum to stop his pursuit even after pointing the rifle at him. His fear was also the purported cause for shooting the other two men, Huber and Grosskreutz. Grosskreutz was said to have pointed his loaded pistol at Rittenhouse; he admitted this was true, although he did not intentionally do so.
Ultimately, the jury was convinced by the account of the defense; the final verdict of “not guilty” and Rittenhouse’s November 19 acquittal of all charges was definitive. Immediately following this, reactions were heard from all sides. Some praised the trial, particularly those who felt he had been in the right and was simply acting in defense from the moment he arrived armed at the protest. Others were not so happy: the day of the verdict, Anthony Huber’s parents stated, “Today's verdict means there is no accountability for the person who murdered our son. It sends the unacceptable message that armed civilians can show up in any town, incite violence, and then use the danger they have created to justify shooting people in the street.” Similar sentiments of a lack of accountability and a bad precedent were shared among many. Either way, the trial reignited debate over Second Amendment rights, race, and gun ownership.
Many have had misconceptions surrounding the trial and the events to which it pertained, particularly around Rittenhouse’s actions on the night of the shooting. For instance, while it is widely spread by some that he illegally brought his rifle across state lines, shot at protesters, or was an ally of some extremist group, none of these were true. His weapon was not possessed illegally either, although its 18-year-old owner at the time of the shooting, Dominick Black, came under fire for purchasing the gun on behalf of the then 17-year-old Rittenhouse (the charge of possession of a dangerous weapon was thrown out of the trial due to an exception relating to short vs. non-short-barrelled rifles). Nevertheless, these inaccuracies and others circulated among discussions related to the trial. Such inaccuracies had caused confusion and even a couple of journalists to relay the falsities.
In the end, the trial as of late continues to be a topic for discussion, and many points have been made on both sides of the issue. As a part of larger political and social issues which have risen and fallen out of the spotlight time and time again, it is certainly a consequential and complex trial and one which many will remember.
Christmas Tree Lane in the Face of the Pandemic
Kendall Guisto, 2022
COVID-19 halted numerous timeless traditions last year that are now slowly being brought back thanks to vaccines. During the holiday season, events like Clovis’s Children’s Electric Christmas Parade and Visalia’s Candy Cane Lane Parade were canceled due to the nature of the pandemic. New events were introduced that were tailored to accommodate the pandemic and social distancing, such as The Reverse Christmas Parade in Merced and the Holiday Fantasy of Lights Show at the Fresno Fairgrounds. Some old events managed to tweak their old traditions to be COVID safe. The downtown Fresno parade last year switched to a drive-in theme for its displays and made the parade only accessible to vehicles. The drive-in theme was especially fitting as drive-ins saw a surge in popularity during 2020 due to them being the safest way to view movies, even if a lot of movies did not come out last year. The Christmas Tree parade also adjusted for the pandemic as it opened during its normal hours and days, but eliminated all walk-through days.
2021 is the 99th year for Christmas Tree Lane, and it will be open from December 1st to December 25th with no walk-through days. It will still stretch from Shields Ave to the intersection at N Palm Ave and W Shaw Ave. Lights will be turned on at 6 PM each night up until 11 PM on Friday and Saturday and up until 10 PM on the other nights. The classic eight reindeers plus Rudolph will be scattered about so keep an eye out for them. There have also been some new additions to the neighborhood so pay attention to any new
displays along with the classics. Christmas Tree Lane is free as always, but the Fig Garden Homeowners Association will still be accepting donations towards the front of the route. My 97.5 FM will also still be the radio station to tune into for the most atmospheric experience.
Personally, I think Christmas Tree Lane is one of the best options available for some Christmas cheer. While it is unfortunate that for the second year in a row there won’t be the opportunity to walk through Christmas Tree Lane and enjoy the displays up close and personal, this is the best option safety-wise. Walk nights are already too crowded during the years where there wasn’t a respiratory virus to be worried about. Not to mention, it is completely free and arguably the most well-run lights display in the Central Valley. So find a free night, grab a hot beverage, and take a merry little drive down a 99-year-old Fresno tradition.
Sources Used
https://abc30.com/christmas-tree-lane-walk-only-nights-fresno-covid/11056176/
https://kmph.com/news/local/christmas-tree-lane-open-through-christmas-day
UHS Teen Health
UHS Teen Health
The COVID-19 Saga
Ryan Titapiwatanakun, 2023
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) had first been identified in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Its outbreak has been declared a global pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. COVID-19 is caused by an RNA virus called severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). To date, a number of SARS-CoV-2 variants have been identified. Viruses, like other organisms, are constantly mutating (evolving and changing). As viruses replicate (makes copies of their RNA) inside the host cells, mutation can randomly happen (copying mistakes) and lead to a variant of the original virus. Some mutations can lead to changes in the ability of the virus to spread or cause more or less severe illnesses. These mutations cannot be prevented but can be slowed down by controlling the spread of the viruses, hence decreasing the number of times that viruses can replicate.
Researchers from around the world have been tracking the evolution of SARS-CoV-2. New Variants of Interest (VOI) or Variants of Concern (VOC) are named using letters of the Greek Alphabet. All of the SARS-CoV-2 variants circulating in the U.S. are monitored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Alpha, Beta, Gamma, and Epsilon were the variants of concern in 2020 and early 2021. They have now been downgraded to variants being monitored (VBM) in September of this year.
Currently, the variants of concern in the U.S. are Delta and Omicron. The Delta variant (B.1.617.2) was first detected in India in late 2020 and became a dominant strain globally in June 2021. The Delta variant is more infectious than the original virus and caused a rapid rise in the COVID-19 cases throughout the U.S. in July 2021. Recently, the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529) was reported to the World Health Organization from South Africa on November 24, 2021. This variant is causing concerns in the scientific community due to its wide range of mutations. There are approximately 50 mutations in the Omicron variant compared to the original virus that was first identified in Wuhan in 2019. Omicron has more than 30 mutations in the spike protein. This variant has potential increased transmissibility and potential reduction in neutralization by current available COVID-19 vaccines. The U.S. has confirmed the first case of the Omicron variant in California on December 1, 2021. Within one week, a number of COVID-19 cases from the Omicron variant have been
reported in different states across the country. Another main concern related to this new variant is that fully vaccinated people are able to get breakthrough infections.
Although the current vaccines may be less effective against Omicron, it is expected that they will still protect against severe disease. Laboratory data from Pfizer and Moderna recently showed that a third dose (booster shot) increases the vaccine’s ability to neutralize the Omicron variant. Moreover, several vaccine manufacturers are working on the development of variant-specific vaccines. Besides vaccination, CDC also recommends masking, social distancing, testing to prevent the spread to others, washing your hands often, covering coughs and sneezes, cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces, and monitoring your health daily.
Sources:
https://medicine.yale.edu/coved/modules/virus/evolution/
https://www.webmd.com/lung/coronavirus-strains#1
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
https://www.who.int/emergencies/diseases/novel-coronavirus-2019
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