Although they don’t have the experience of many other teams, Bosco water polo is working hard to reach the top of their division.
Photo by Alex Diaz/Photo Editor
The young and inexperienced Bosco water polo team has had a hot start to their new season – their first full season since the start of the pandemic. The Braves have been excited for this season, given their last season was continuously delayed.
“Last year water polo was getting dragged on forever for the initial start of their season, from being told they would start in October to December all the way back to March. And their ended up being not much hype to the season,” said Head Coach Jeff Powers.
The push back of the season made it tough for the Braves to be consistently prepared as well as motivated for their season. This push back also remarkably shortened the season with water polo only being able to play 6 games in the two-to-three week schedule.
They went 2-4 overall in those six games that they played, but so far this year the Braves are 7-8 after winning their last game against Sage Hill by a score of 13-5.
With the 7-8 record start for the Braves, they are still in contention for CIF playoffs hopes. As of now they are in Division Five, and if they are able to make it to the playoffs, they will work on a deep playoff run that would hopefully lead to a championship.
“There is a lot of potential in the team making the playoffs. We have beaten and also lost to many of the teams who are in the division, but we know that we can compete with them and have learned a lot from those competitive games,” Coach Powers said.
Although inexperienced, the Braves feel that they are ready to make a playoff run. The team has a few experienced players on their team that are ready, but water polo is played with seven in the pool. As a result, the Braves have been trying to get their younger, more inexperienced players up to speed, so that they can be at their full potential during their playoff push.
As more games are being played the improvement has shown.
“The players get better by their gameday experiences and the practices. Practices usually include preparation for any upcoming games, but also improvement on previous in-game issues to work on,” Coach Powers said.
While the Braves are looking toward the rest of the season, they know that they have very high potential in upcoming years with their youthful roster. The attention may be focused on the varsity water polo team, but they also have a deep pool of 18 players on junior varsity, with 17 of them being underclassmen who are inexperienced at water polo. There is room for the development of the team into a championship contender.
This season and the future of the Bosco water polo team continues to become brighter. As they continue to look forward, their focus is on keeping up their strong performances throughout the course of the season. They are working extremely hard in order to prepare for their upcoming match against the Team in Red next Thursday, the team’s first Trinity League match-up.
As 2021 slowly winds down, we take a look back into the world of hip-hop and rank the top five hip hop albums of the year.
5. The Melodic Blue – Baby Keem
With the anticipation of album releases from both Kanye West and Drake, the attention given to smaller artists was slim to none. However, Carson native and cousin of Kendrick Lamar, Baby Keem was an exception to this rule. Being related to the Pulitzer Prize-winning Lamar puts a lot of pressure on a performing artist, and Keem understood that and delivered.
On the singles “Family Ties” and “Range Brothers,” both featuring Kendrick Lamar, Keem undoubtedly held his own, while some listeners have even felt he had better verses than Kendrick. Both of these songs were featured on his album, The Melodic Blue, which got the approval of NBA legend Lebron James, who played songs off the album on his Instagram story.
Keem also was able to attract fans on all social media platforms garnering a viral sound off his new song “Range Brothers.” One could also say that the help of Kendrick Lamar played a vital role in pushing his album out there for the world to hear.
Whatever the case may be, one could not deny the amount of raw talent that Baby Keem possesses at young age. At only 20 years old, Keem still has what it takes to continue growing as an artists, which is why his album stands at number five on our list.
4. Call Me If You Get Lost – Tyler, The Creator
Tyler, the Creator is a name that is familiar to many hip hop fans and indie music fans alike. His sonic versatility, playful aesthetic and nonchalant attitude intrigues many listeners and has kept his music so in tune with popular audiences.
In 2021, despite hype around Kanye and Drake’s beef, rap fans were distributed amongst all artists, both the mainstream and the underground. Many artists have die-hard fan bases that will enjoy listening to whatever music the artist puts out. This anticipation, however, comes with a lot of pressure involved as well.
Tyler the Creator released his seventh studio album, Call Me If You Get Lost, on June 25th, 2021, and fans were elated by the project. With mainstream features from the likes of Lil Uzi Vert, Pharell Williams, Lil Wayne, 42 Dugg, NBA Youngboy and Brent Faiyaz, the album showcased some of the industry’s best.
The most streamed song came from Tyler, NBA Youngboy and Ty Dolla Sign’s collaboration titled, “WUSYANAME.” The song was an overall success as everyone did their part and was able to show how three completely different artists were able to come together and create a popular track.
The album did very well, selling 117,000 copies in its first week. Many fans expected this from Tyler, as he is a well-established and respected artist within the industry. His longevity within the rap community is well noted to many people, and it will only continue to grow as he gets older.
In comparison to past Tyler, the Creator albums, one could infer that this album brought out a different version of Tyler in comparison to what we usually see from him. These reasons made it easy to mark Call Me If You Get Lost at number four .
3. The Off Season – J.Cole
After a three-year-long wait, J. Cole released his newest project The Off-Season, on May 14th. After J. Cole’s previous album KOD, he announced this new project in 2018, which created much anticipation in the industry.
On May 4th 2018, Cole announced his album release date on Instagram and then surprised his fans with a song called, “ i n t e r l u d e,” which gave his fans a taste of what was to come on the album.
J Cole is known for being a lyricist and the album proved that even more. The project consisted of twelve tracks with features from 21 Savage, Lil Baby, Morray, Bas, 6Lack and also had a secret feature from NBA superstar Damian Lillard, who is known as one of the best rappers in the NBA.
When Cole made his post on Instagram announcing his songs, it only showed the twelve song names, but not the features, which led fans to believe that there would be no features on the album.
However, the hashtag #NoFeatures was trending on Twitter, due to J. Cole’s 2014 Forrest Hills Drive album, which showcased just Cole on vocals and productions. That album cemented his place as one of the most influential popular hip hop artists of this generation along with Drake, Kanye, and Kendrick.
The Off-Season’s most popular song is track seven, “p r i d e . i s . t h e . d e v i l,” which had a feature from famous artist Lil Baby. Lil Baby is a popular, young, talented artist who showed his potential on this feature with J.Cole.
J. Cole was amazing on the song and set the tone, but what made the song so special was hearing Lil Baby’s verse after Cole, matching his wordplay and flow.
The Off-Season sold a total of 282,000 first week album-equivalent units, which gave J. Cole his sixth number one album.
2. Certified Lover Boy, Drake
Drake is no stranger to dropping hits, whether that be from an album perspective or simply just a single. The man knows how to make pop music.
The release of his sixth studio album garnered major media attention for several reasons. For one, it had been three whole years since the last release of a Drake album. Fans were on pins and needles waiting for the next release from the Canadian superstar.
The second reason was due to his rumored beef with Kanye West. The beef has been stirring up for quite some time now, only adding more fuel to the fire when West posted Drake’s address on his Instagram account before immediately taking it down.
Drake later responded to what West did as he posted a video of him laughing at Kanye on his Instagram story. Fans were eager to hear the diss track that Drake was preparing in order to combat Ye leaking his address, but that diss never came.
The album consisted of 21 songs, and overall, it was a feel good album. Drake also showcased his versatility on this album ranging from storytelling on a song like “Champagne Poetry” to having fun on a song like “Way 2 Sexy.”
The features on the album did not disappoint either with guest appearances from the likes of Future, Young Thug, Lil Baby and 21 Savage. The album also smashed several records, which didn’t come ax a surprise at all due to the amount of anticipation surrounding its release.
The album sold 600,000 copies in first week sales and now occupies 9 out of the top 10 spots on the Billboard top 100.
Drake would drop CertifiedLover Boy just days after Kanye’s album to compete with the beefing artist. But either way, it is refreshing to see so many successful artists drop new music.
1. DONDA – Kanye West
Kanye released his tenth studio album on August 29th, 2021 with a total of 27 tracks. Kanye said that the album release date was never approved by him. The album was initially set for release on July 24, 2020, but was delayed multiple times by Kanye.
There was a huge build up and anticipation to this album since Kanye’s last album Jesus is King, which was released in October 2019. After many setbacks, Kanye finally declared that the album was dropping and finished.
This album was such a big deal that Kanye hosted listening parties at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta and Soldier Field in Chicago. He held three listening events, two in Atlanta and one in Chicago, all of which sold out.
Kanye has taken an initiative to make gospel music which started in his previous album Jesus is King, which led into Donda being a primarily hip hop and gospel album. Since the album showcases strong gospel influences, it was aptly released on a Sunday morning.
This may have made sense because of religious ideals, but this may have hindered his first week album sales as well, because albums are usually set to drop on Friday or Thursday night depending on where you are, but he ended up releasing at a time no one would expect an album.
Although it may have seemed like a bad time to release an album, he still was able to sell 520,000 album-equivalent units in that week, which at the time was the biggest album debut of the year (later beaten by Drake’s Certified Lover Boy).
Kanye also broke the most streamed album in a day record and placed second in the biggest opening days in Spotify history, even after dropping at eight in the morning on a Sunday.
Kanye called on a whole gang of features, which included rappers Playboi Carti, Lil Baby, Fivio Foreign, The Weeknd, Roddy Ricch, Baby Keem, Lil Yachty, Jay Z, Da Baby, Chris Brown, Young Thug, Kid Cudi, Travis Scott, Pop Smoke, and many others.
Donda‘s most popular song was track four, “Off the Grid,” which included Playboi Carti and Fivio Foreign. Playboi Carti is a very controversial artist, but still held up to have one of the best songs on the album. Playboi Carti also featured on two other songs on the album.
Playboi Carti and Kanye West have worked with each other and became friends in the past year when Kanye helped produce and feature on Carti’s album Whole Lotta Red. Their friendship, connection and mix of fan bases are what made “Off the Grid” a highlight the album, along with Fivio’s amazing drill flow and verse.
Another highlight on the album was track five, “Hurricane,” featuring The Weeknd and Lil Baby. This song is what the album is all about, with the melodic, gospel singing and mix of rap by Lil Baby.
Donda and Certified Lover Boy can both make a case for being the number one album in 2021 so far. Off of album-equivalent units sold and streams Certified Lover Boy walks all over Donda, but from the perspective of quality and depth, Kanye gets the best Drake.
After a chaotic year of athletics, the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) released updated COVID-19 protocols so that high school athletes in California can return to the field as safely and with as much normality as possible.
In the last year, the COVID-19 pandemic put a pause on many activities in California, one of them being high school sports. Since March 2021, a year after the initial shutdown, the CIF has been able to give all California high schools the opportunity to play sports, as long as they follow certain procedures and requirements. However, the CIF just released an updated set of protocols that schools must follow. These protocols and requirements have caused a dramatic change in the lives of many athletes and coaches at St. John Bosco High School.
“We’re social distancing when we can, following the COVID guidelines and keeping our mask on as much as we can,” said senior Ryan Tuaolo, a defensive end and outside linebacker on the football team.
In addition, the CIF, particularly Executive Director Ron Nocetti, put into place mandatory COVID-19 testing for all unvaccinated athletes that play an outdoor sport. They also require mandatory testing for all athletes, vaccinated or not, who play an indoor sport, which starts this week.
If an athlete or coach were to test positive for COVID-19, they would have to be quarantined for ten days and provide a negative COVID-19 test following their quarantine to return to campus. During the athlete’s quarantine, the school has to do contact tracing and issue a five-day quarantine for the unvaccinated student-athletes with whom the infected individual had close contact, while also being required to provide a negative COVID test and be asymptomatic in order to return to campus and athletics.
If a vaccinated student-athlete or coach is in close contact with an infected individual, they can continue participation in school and sports so long as they exhibit no symptoms. This dynamic provides a lot of question marks week-to-week for Bosco athletic programs
“Not knowing if [players] are able to play and practice every day makes it frustrating, but it forces us to give it our all during practice and games every chance we get,” said senior Xavier Mangum, a defensive back on the football team.
The CIF COVID-19 protocols for California high school sports are very simple. All unvaccinated outdoor sports athletes must test once a week and at least three days before competition. Vaccinated players must show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination card in order to avoid testing.
The CIF’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic has caused mixed reactions from the athletes and parents at Bosco and statewide. However, despite the challenges, Bosco student-athletes and coaches are more than grateful to be able to participate in athletics despite the pandemic.
“I think they handled the situation pretty well, despite us not being able to have a complete season due to the state guidelines last year. I know CIF wants us to have a regular and complete season, and I am on board with what they’re doing so that we can be as safe as possible,” said Nate Munson, the wide receiver coach for varsity football and the junior varsity head coach.
Although the testing has put another obstacle in front of many athletes and coaches here at St. John Bosco, it has also caused the athletes to look out for each other off the field and during school.
“It’s going to be tough to have to test, but we have to do it if we want to be able to play,” said senior Niko Riera, a first baseman and pitcher on the baseball team.
The consensus seems to be simple among student-athletes and coaches: they will happily adhere to CIF protocols if it means the continued joy of competition.
After traveling to Virginia, St. John Bosco football obliterated Oscar Smith High School 49-0 for their final game before the start of league play.
Photo by Jonathon Gruenke/Daily Press
The notorious Bosco Braves got to travel to the East Coast to match up for their first road game of the year against Oscar Smith, a top ranked program in the state of Virginia. This was a great opportunity for the Braves as it was a chance to show their talent nationwide. The players, coaches, staff and cheerleaders all flew out in hopes to continue the perfect season.
The game began with Oscar Smith starting with the ball, this was their first taste of what would be a long and disheartening night for their offense. They began with a solid drive down field, but ended up fumbling just before the end zone resulting in the Braves getting the ball.
Bosco wasted no time, scoring a 70-yard rushing touchdown from senior Rayshon “Speedy” Luke. Oscar Smith was then pressured again on offense and resorted to handing the Braves back the ball.
Michigan State commit Katin Houser came into the game at quarterback and quickly found his targets while moving up the field. The drive ended in a quick pass to junior Matayo Uiagalelei for his first of several touchdowns on the night.
Oscar Smith offensively got nothing going as they would continue to get smothered by the Braves stacked defense. Bosco’s other quarterback, Pierce Clarkson, followed up their last drive making two big passing plays, which resulted in finding Matayo again for his second touchdown of the game. This would put the Braves up 21-0.
Bosco’s defense would shine again, executing yet another scoreless drive and regaining possession of the ball for the offense. Houser followed with another impressive drive, ending in yet another touchdown making the score 28-0 in favor of the Braves.
Oscar Smith finally made a decent drive down field gaining yardage, but that was short-lived, as the Braves were able to push them back forcing them to turn the ball over yet again. Bosco tried to score again in the first half, but came up short, moving them into the second half of the game.
The defense for Bosco continued to make an impact forcing another fumble that the Braves recovered. They swiftly took the ball down field and threw another touchdown extending the lead 35-0.
It would seem as though the offense and defense for Oscar Smith would check out early, with the Braves scoring two more times before the clock ran out. The final score was 49-0 in favor of the visiting Bosco Braves.
This will be the last game for Bosco before they head into league play. They have a bye this week, allowing players to rest and prepare the nation’s most anticipated match-up of the high school football season. The Braves open league play next Friday against the Team in Red.
St. John Bosco is delighted to welcome Mrs. Mayra Fernandez, Activities Director, Spanish teacher and St. Joseph High School alumnus, to the Brave community.
Q. What college did you attend, when did you graduate, what did you study and why did you choose to study that?
A. I attended California State University, Long Beach (CSULB), and graduated in 2007. Although my original major was math and Spanish was my minor, after a trip to Argentina, I decided to change my major to Spanish. I then graduated with a Bachelor of the Arts (BA) in Spanish.
Q. What brought your interest in becoming an activities director?
A. Although I love teaching Spanish, I also love to plan and organize events. I love supporting my students in and outside of the classroom. I am always at their games and events, so it seemed like the right fit for me.
Q. How did you find St. John Bosco and what made you interested in working here?
A. I attended St. Joseph High School and taught there for 7 years. As a junior moderator, I would plan events with Bosco and I just loved the campus. It has always had a great reputation, so it was always my goal to work here. Also, the fact that it is less than 10 mins away from my house is an extra bonus.
Q. What is your favorite part about St. John Bosco thus far, why?
A. My favorite part about Bosco is working with my friend Ms. Schnorr and spending more time with my nephew, Isaac Aguilar, who is a senior.
Q. What is your favorite aspect of your job as an activities director?
A. I love the adrenaline rush of planning and executing events. I’m always trying to make it the best experience possible for students, as well as learning from my mistakes in order to make events better the next time. But most of all, I love working with Associated Student Board (ASB). These gentlemen are amazing. They make me laugh, and I love to see them shine at what they do best.
Q. What do you enjoy most about being back at school in person?
A. I enjoy getting to build relationships and really know my students – not just their ceiling fans.
Q. What activity or activities are you most looking forward to and why?
A. I’m most looking forward Día de Los Muertos. I began to come to this event when my children were small, and the school has always done a marvelous job putting this event together.
Q. What accomplishment are you most proud of, and what makes you proud of this accomplishment?
A. My most proud accomplishment is having my two boys. They are my pride and joy.
Q. Favorite music, artist, or genre?
A. I am all over the place when it comes to music, but I do love Spanish rock and 90’s alternative rock the most.
Q. Favorite movie/movies?
A. Horror movies are my favorite, especially anything with zombies and vampires.
Q. What are your favorite colors/colors?
A. My favorite colors are mint green and teal.
Q. Where is your favorite place to eat?
A. My favorite place to eat is Thai BBQ, in Cerritos.
Q. Favorite sport and team?
A. I like soccer, and I cheer for Mexico during the World Cup. I also like Baseball. Go Dodgers!
Q. Where did you grow up?
A. I grew up in Santa Fe Springs, CA.
Q. Do you have any pets?
A. I have one dog, Titan, and two fish, Jimmy Jr. and Fishy.
Q. Do you have any hobbies?
A. I like trying to find new and better ways to organize my home.
Q. If you could go on vacation anywhere in the world, where would you go?
A. I would go to Machu Picchu, Perú as well as Greece and Egypt.
Q. What is your favorite holiday?
A. I love Halloween. Dressing up in family-themed costumes, the decorations, the horror movies, trick-or-treating and pumpkin carving are awesome. I also like Día de Los Muertos. I enjoy making an altar, remembering our loved ones, and passing down traditions to my sons.
Q. Do you have any favorite TV shows?
A. My favorite TV shows are the Walking Dead and Fear the Walking Dead.
Q. Do you have any favorite video games if you play them?
A. I do not play video games. I can’t even pass the first level in the original Mario Bros. However, I was pretty good at Duck Hunt as a child.
Q. Did you play any sports growing up?
A. As a child, I was in ballet, tap, and gymnastics. I was a baton twirler for eleven years. In Junior High, I played basketball, volleyball and softball. In high school, I was on the swim team.
In a high-scoring battle between St. John Bosco Braves and East St. Louis High School Flyers, the Braves steamrolled another national competitor to keep their perfect season going.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
The St. John Bosco Braves continued to shine in their final home game before the start of league play against the nationally-ranked Flyers from Illinois. The Braves are now 4-0 and continue to show improvement every week they step on the field.
Such a marquee match-up even attracted the attention of NBA and New Orleans Pelicans superstar Zion Williamson, as he was in attendance for the game.
To start the game, East St. Louis was given the ball and quickly showed they were not backing down from the Braves’ stacked defense. Their first drive did not result in a score, but was the best start for any team so far against Bosco.
But, just like their offense, their defense came to play as well. Despite the Flyers giving up two big plays to start, the Braves were forced to give back the ball. The rest of the first would be a defensive battle with neither team scoring, but that would quickly change in the second quarter.
The Braves would start by scoring the first touchdown of the game on a long run by the quarterback Pierce Clarkson, giving Bosco a 7-0 lead. The Braves defense would continue to shine, giving the ball back to the offense, allowing them to make a drive down the field, which resulted in another touchdown.
With the Braves quickly regaining the ball, they made another fantastic drive down the field, which led to them pulling ahead 21-0. With no answer to the Braves dominant defense, East St. Louis went scoreless for the rest of the first half.
At the start of the second half, St. John Bosco began with the ball and quickly scored on an impressive run from Rayshon Luke, which increased the lead to 28 points. With no real answer or game plan from East St. Louis, Bosco sought to put the final nail in the coffin, scoring yet again to put them in front 35-0.
Finally, the Flyers found a spark, scoring their first touchdown of the game, as they looked to make a game of their lackluster performance. With not much working on offense, East St. Louis was able to find the end zone on a punt return as well as a fumble recovery.
Later, the Flyers scored their final points of the game on an impressive pass from their quarterback, which led to their first successful two-point conversion. But, to round off the victory, St. John Bosco’s quarterback, Pierce Clarkson, threw an unbelievable touchdown pass while being hit. This play was arguably the play of the night and the one to end it, as it put the Braves out of reach with a score of 42-26, the eventual final tally.
After four home games, our St. John Bosco Braves football team traveled across the country to Chesapeake, Virginia, where they play their next opponent, Oscar Smith High School. The Braves look to continue their winning season and defeat another national opponent in the Tigers, known for their viral video of their walk out in the “Tiger Cage.” The game will be streamed on the NFHS Network with radio play-by-play available here from Bosco alum Chris Sylvester.
In keeping with Salesian tradition, St. John Bosco celebrated Triduum this week, a period of self-reflection and preparation for a new school year, which includes the release of the new strenna for 2021-2022.
The word “Triduum” itself is defined as a three day preparation for an event. The most notable is the Paschal Triduum, or the three day period that precedes Easter Sunday. The Salesians of Don Bosco, however, observe another Triduum, one which is observed in September and is celebrated by the release of a strenna.
The strenna, which is taken from the Italian word for gift, is a theme that students and members of the Salesian community strive to live by. This year, the strenna released by the Salesians of Don Bosco was: “Do all through love, nothing through constraint.” At St. John Bosco High School, however, it is adapted to align more with the school community. Thus, at Bosco, the strenna amended, while still maintaining its general meaning: “Brave love still stands, even when all else has failed.”
“We wanted to make our strenna something that is more personal for us. We get to live out the same prayers that St. John Bosco used to give the same spirit and joy to the students, and we want to carry that tradition,” said Brother Quang Nguyen, Bosco’s director of Campus Youth Ministry.
Although COVID-19 regulations have limited some of the more festive celebrations of the Triduum at Bosco, the three-day period still has a lot of spiritual value. At St. John Bosco, students had the opportunity to reflect, go to Reconciliation, and celebrate Mass, which was the first event on campus with the new strenna.
Furthermore, Triduum Week is important to the St. John Bosco High School community because it is vital in kicking off the school year the right way.
“Triduum Week really sets off the entire theme for the whole school year in good spirits,” said Nicholas Neoman, ASB’s Youth Delegate of Campus Ministry.
This year, St. John Bosco welcomes Kiana Gleason, certified athletic trainer, to the community.
Photo by Alex Diaz, Photo Editor
Q. Where were you born? Where did you grow up?
A. I grew up in Oxnard, California, which is about an hour north of Los Angeles.
Q. Where did you go to college?
A. I got my bachelor’s degree from Loyola Marymount University and my master’s degree from California Baptist University.
Q. What made you want to work as an athletic trainer?
A. During high school I knew I wanted to do something in the medical field. My high school was small and didn’t have athletic trainers, so I had no idea what an athletic trainer was until my mom told me about the profession. I looked into it and loved it. It was the perfect combination of sports and healthcare.
Q. What is your favorite and least favorite part of being an athletic trainer?
A. My favorite part of being an athletic trainer is working closely with athletes during their rehabilitation and watching them get stronger and get back to performing on the field/court. My least favorite part is the administrative duties that come with it such as dealing with insurance and other paperwork.
Q. Where have you worked previously?
A. Prior to St. John Bosco, I had a short-term position at Loyola Marymount University for about 4 months. Before LMU, I was working at San Bernardino Valley College.
Q. How long have you worked as an athletic trainer?
A. I have worked as an athletic trainer for five years.
Q. How did you come across St. John Bosco?
A. I was actually contacted by a family friend who was told that St. John Bosco was looking for a certified athletic trainer and at the time I was looking for work, so I just went for it.
Q. How has your time at St. John Bosco been so far?
A. So far it has been great! All the faculty and staff have been very welcoming.
Q. What do you think of Bosco and it’s students?
A. I think Bosco is a great school. This is my first time working at an all boys school, so it was a little different in the beginning but I’ve gotten used to it. The students are awesome. Never a dull moment with them.
Q. Who was your role model growing up?
A. I would have to say my mom. She’s very loving and kind, and has always supported me in everything I do. She also showed me how to have a strong work ethic and to always persevere.
Q. Do you have any siblings?
A. Yes, I have an older brother.
Q. What are your hobbies?
A. I love music, so I really enjoy just listening to music and going to concerts. I also like doing outdoor activities such as hiking, kayaking, and roller skating.
Q. What is your favorite food?
A. I really love seafood. I eat almost all seafood, including fish, crab, shrimp and mussels.
Q. Are you a morning or night person?
A. I’m a night owl.
Q. Do you have any pets?
A. I don’t, but I want a dog.
Q. What is your favorite movie or TV show?
A. My favorite TV show is The Office, it never gets old.
Q. What is your favorite sport and what team is your favorite?
A. Basketball is probably my favorite sport, and my favorite team is the Lakers.
Q. Do you have a favorite athlete?
A. My favorite athlete is definitely Kobe Bryant.
Q. Did you play any sports in high school, and if so, what did you play?
A. I did. I played basketball, soccer, tennis, and ran track.
On September 9th, the Los Angles Unified School District (LAUSD) elected to mandate the COVID-19 vaccine, which has led to an outcry of both support and opposition.
Photo by Allen J. Schaben/Los Angeles Times
The LAUSD is now the first major school system in the United States to mandate vaccination. This action has pushed the conversation forward and now puts pressure on other states and school districts to either do the same or come out against the decision.
The mandate gives students who are 12 and older, as well as enrolled in a school inside the district, up until January 10th to receive the vaccination fully. Though if the student wants to participate in extracurricular activities that are school-associated, the deadline for the mandate is October 31st.
The vaccination mandate has not only put pressure on the different school districts across the country, but also the education policymakers whose attention has just been grabbed. With this significant move, policymakers in support of the vaccine will look to further this decision and enforce it across the nation.
Many other school districts will most likely wait and watch carefully to understand the repercussions of such a mandate. However, the vaccination mandate has received support from major statewide teacher unions, as well as the entirety of school board members.
This was not the only Californian school district to enforce a vaccine mandate, as Culver City Unified, which is a small district adjacent to the LAUSD, already approved a mandate before the start of their school year.
Though there have been many supporters of the decision, there has also been opposition, as many families feel that they may leave the district over this mandate. Many families who were already hesitant about getting the vaccine are now feeling less confident and more defensive in the wake of this policy.
Despite vaccine hesitancy and backlash, vaccination rates are sure to rise in the Los Angeles area, though the policy may further alienate those in the state that are not so much vaccine hesitant as they are vaccine averse all together.
There are certain school districts inside California that do not agree with the vaccine mandate and will choose not to follow LAUSD lead. An example of this would be the Las Virgenes Unified School District (LVUSD). The LVUSD doesn’t believe that mandating the vaccination is in the best interest of everyone as of yet. Most of the opposing districts’ worries for the mandate stem from legal concerns.
The LAUSD is not as concerned with the legal issues that they may endure due to this vaccination mandate. However, how the legalities of this mandate are distinguished will be a popular discussion, as there have not been many cases similar to this.
Even with opposition, it seems that the LAUSD will not be the only school district in California that will continue down this path as several other districts have spoken out in support.
With the cases for COVID-19 continuing to linger, particularly cases found in unvaccinated 12 to 17-year-olds, this decision will prove to be significant in the discussion around keeping schools open for learning in the wake of the pandemic.
People may not be totally safe with the COVID-19 vaccine. Coming from Columbia, the “Mu” variant has been found in 31 countries and is now present inside the United States.
Nearing almost 3,000 cases nationwide, the variant is raising concern for another possible widespread outbreak. So far the Mu variant is prevalent in South America and Europe, which is co-circulating with other COVID-19 variants such as the Delta variant.
The state that has the highest report of the Mu variant is California, with a reported 432 cases. Coming in second for Mu variant cases is Florida, which has reported 308 cases, and in third, New York with 209 cases.
The Mu variant has been found to be resistant to COVID-19 antibodies as well as vaccines, which can lead to many complications if an outbreak occurs in the U.S. Though if another outbreak occurs not only will the people of America be affected, but the health workers will once again have to go through another wave of hospitalizations.
This has led people to ask how the Mu variant arose and why it is so dangerous. The Mu variant contains many mutations that give the virus the ability to break through antibodies, though it is less likely to be transmitted compared to the “wild-type” COVID-19 or the Delta variant. In scientific terms, the Mu variant has eight mutations, but the ones that make it concerning are the mutations E484K and N501Y, which affect new mRNA vaccines.
The Mu variant focuses on spike proteins that are present in the virus that allow for it to enter our cells. Although when vaccinated, we are exposed to spike proteins that will help us fight it off more efficiently. This allows the Mu variant to have such a great effect on a vaccinated person and/or a person that currently has the COVID-19 antibodies. This makes the vaccine or antibodies 37% less effective when battling the Mu variant.
This leads to the question, what can someone do to protect themselves from getting the Mu variant or any COVID-19 variant for that matter? The most important thing someone can do is to wear a mask in order to reduce the risk of transmission. They should also practice washing their hands thoroughly whenever they have a chance. It is also important to note that though the vaccine may be compromised against this variant, someone is still at less of a risk of contracting the Mu variant if they are vaccinated compared to an individual who is not yet vaccinated.
Another way of avoiding the Mu variant is to social distance accordingly whenever an individual is out in crowded areas. Lastly, everyone should make sure they are keeping up with their own personal health by taking their vitamins for their immune system, as it is the biggest soldier in fighting off any virus and keeping your immune health strong ahead of flu season.
The Brave News 