Entertainment

Virtual Youtubers virtual life

  Co-Editor-in-Chief Emma Szabo

When the COVID-19 virus reached the US, the country went into lockdown, and even now plenty of people are still doing their work from home to stay safe. But while indoors, many people turned to video services such as Netflix and Youtube to stave off boredom. While that may not seem too different from what people regularly do, one major difference is what they’re watching. While it’s to be expected movies and television shows have risen in popularity, another surprising form of entertainment has grown in popularity during the quarantine – Virtual Youtubers.

  Virtual YouTubers, or Vtubers, are exactly what they sound like; Youtubers who stream using a virtual avatar that usually has an anime style. The idea of Vtubers was started in Japan around four years ago when the Virtual Entertainer Kizuna Ai rose to popularity and coined the term. Since then, being a Vtuber has become an actual job after companies such as Hololive and Nijisanji began recruiting talents and sponsoring them. Most times, Vtubers stream themselves playing video games while talking with their live chat or collaborating with other Vtubers in a multiplayer game. Many Vtubers don’t exclusively play games though, a lot of them sing and play instruments as well! Since Vtubers are entertainers, most of them have great singing skills and idol-like qualities. This has led to many of them creating their own music as well as performing covers of songs for karaoke streams. One Vtuber who is best known for his musical talents is Rikka from Hololive’s male branch Holostars. While most other Vtuber’s focus on gaming streams, Rikka’s streams tend to focus on his singing and his guitar playing. He has music streams almost every day, and he’ll even collaborate with other Vtubers to cover different songs.

“Before this whole pandemic, I had never even heard of Vtubers, but for the past few months a lot of my friends have started talking about them. One of my friends is really into Rikka, and she sends me his music videos whenever they come out,” freshman Ava Machuca said.

  Due to his popularity as a Vtuber, Rikka has written and produced his own music and is currently the second most subscribed Holostar member with over 80 thousand subscribers on Youtube.

  But what makes Vtubers so different – and so popular? While what they do on stream doesn’t differ much from what normal streamers do, the main appeal of Vtubers is their avatars. Most Vtubers belong to companies who provide them with both a character and an animated avatar for them to use while streaming, giving the world of Vtubers much more variety compared to regular streamers. While a majority of the Vtube avatars are presented as humans, there’s still a good amount who play the role of non-human characters such as demons, vampires, witches, and even the Grim Reaper’s assistant. One of the most popular English Vtubers is Gawr Gura from Hololive EN, a streamer whose avatar is that of a shark girl. Even though she’s a shark, her avatar looks like a young anime girl and she acts like a normal person, just with occasional anecdotes from her life and experiences as a shark from Atlantis. While this kind of character may seem weird to some people, she’s been very well received among both English and Japanese audiences.  Despite only streaming for about 4 months with the creation of the Hololive English branch, Gura has already surpassed 1 million subscribers, being the first Hololive EN girl to do so. Vtubers haven’t only grown more popular in America though, in Japan the Vtuber company Nijisanji had a recent collaboration with the PA League, one of the two professional baseball leagues in Japan.

  One of the other things that makes most Vtubers different from other streamers is that it’s an actual job. While it is possible to be an Independent Vtuber – a vtuber who isn’t working for a company and handles everything themselves – most of the well known Vtubers stream as a career. Companies will provide their talents with an animated avatar, a character, and face-tracking technology for them to produce streams for a certain amount of time each week and keep them on contract for at least a year unless some kind of complication arises. This is very different from normal streamers like Ninja or Pokimane, who are independent streamers who set their own schedules and have no contract to abide by. But just because being a Virtual Youtuber is a job doesn’t mean that you have to be with a company to start streaming as one. As mentioned before, many successful Vtubers are independent, like Artemis of the Blue or Pikamee, who have both become popular independent streamers.

So, why have Vtubers become so popular during the pandemic? Besides people having more time to watch streams, there’s another group of people who have contributed to Vtubers rise in popularity, which are the translators. Since a majority of Virtual Youtubers are from Japan and China, translators provide a necessary service to fans who don’t speak those languages. While most translators only translate certain clips from streams, some will provide real-time translations for their favorite streamers, opening up the world of Vtubers to a worldwide audience.

  Although the past year has had more downs than ups, one of the better things to come out of the lockdown has been the growth of this new, virtual form of entertainment. Many people have turned their hobby of streaming with their virtual avatars into a job, and the community surrounding these streamers has grown exponentially. As we go further into the digital age, it’s exciting to see what new innovations will surface and see what new ways people choose to entertain themselves.

Feature

What’s to come of 2021?

By Diego Hernandez Co-Editor-In-Chief

With the new year of 2021 commencing, students share their predictions on what they hope to experience. Covid-19 has not left the nation, a new president has been inaugurated, as well as school closures and openings are left in consideration to either a worse or better new year. Junior Albanie Laborde-Martin shares her views on what she hopes to result in the year to come.

“As everyone else, I am hoping Covid will finally be put to an end. Whether that be by the vaccine or tighter restrictions, I hope that the public, especially America, starts to change to stop the spread of the virus,” Martin said.

Predictions, or wants, of this new year in a sense are needed to push past the grief of the previous year. 2020 affected countless families and damaged nations worldwide. Junior Kace Schermerhorn states his need for belief.

“I think these things will come true simply because I hope that they do. No one can truly predict when the Coronavirus will be taken care of, it’s just a logical time,” Schemerhorn said. 

Time is a factor, in addition to several others or individuals who can affect the outcome of the new year. Junior Alessandra Garrido states her views on who can alter 2021.

“I am unsure as of now who could change the course of our history, however, I believe individually we are capable of changing the course of 2021. As a generation we are going forward into the future,” Garrido said.

2021’s outcome on each individual country will have various results. America as a nation was devastated with high death tolls and things lost, but this year could be an opportunity to turn things around.

“The US; right now, we’re the headline. Our surge in Coronavirus cases as of late as well as the inauguration of a new President puts us at the front of every news article,” Schermerhorn said.

A new year is also a time for new beginnings, for ourselves or the community around us. Some choose to mark these beginnings with goals set in mind.

“I definitely want to become more established in fitness and branch out in my music choices, I also want to save enough so I can improve my style,” Martin said.

Each citizen, whether they be old or young, has hopes in mind of what is to come of 2021. However, we must wait in anticipation to see if our predictions will come true.

“I will walk with a little bit of fear into a year that is hopefully as rewarding as what so far seems already so chaotic. Hopefully with the vaccine we will be able to have a slightly more normal summer, but I think everything will be the closest to normal by December,” Garrido said.

Schermerhorn shares the potential humanity has for this coming year, whether it be good or bad for all.

“I believe individually we are capable of changing the course of 2021. As a generation we are going forward into the future, discovering new skills that have the power to change the course of the human race and I believe that if not this year, then soon we will individually figure out how to make a change in our world,” Schermerhorn said.

Feature

Never too early for Holiday spirit

By Diego Hernandez Co-Editor-in-Chief

As the temperatures turn colder and the year-end holidays are drawing near. This year due to Covid-19 these events will look different than in previous years. In Helotes, some debate whether or not Holiday decorations should be allowed before Thanksgiving day. Students junior Julia Wade and junior Ryan Summerhays weigh in.

Decorations can be seen as a positive or a negative idea for post Thanksgiving. Some students love seeing the holiday decorations.

  “I love Christmas decorations, but having them before Thanksgiving is something I could never support. Christmas is a time that begins in December not before,” Wade said.

  Another viewpoint is that people should do what they feel is right.

“I think it’s a person’s choice, I don’t feel it can be wrong or right to do so. Truly, I’m not bothered to see Christmas decorations after Halloween,” Summerhays said.

 Some feel decorations are only for December. Wade shares her opinions on when it can be allowed.  

  “I’m willing to put up anything related to Christmas the day after Thanksgiving, or mainly the week of December 1st. I’ve onced waited so long as to the 20th,” Wade said.

In favor, Summerhays shares his time frame.

  “Personally I wouldn’t mind having them before December begins. My family and I typically put them up the first week of the month,” Summerhays said.

  In our early years, we are influenced by our family members, friends, and social relationships for ideas that we choose to believe. From minor to major characteristics, the choice of Christmas decorations is among these. On the opposing side, Wade shares how she was influenced for her decision.

  “My decision is mine and mine alone, my relationships actually all oppose me. My family actually does too and I’m fine with that, but it’s how I feel that matters,” Wade said.

  In favor, Summerhays shares his background.

 “I have personally cultivated this opinion myself. I’ve learned how different people deal with the stretch between the holidays,” Summerhays said. 

  Christmas decorations have a wide range of what they can be. These items range from tree lights to ribbons on pillars. Their presence also ranges from being interior inside the home or exterior on its four walls. In favor of decorations, Summerhays shares what he classifies as decorations.

  “Christmas decorations to me are the tree, the lights, and other things that correlate with rainbow or red and green lights,” Summerhays said.

In the opposition, Wade states what she considers decorations.

  “Christmas decorations include bells, ribbon, and the garland that can be put on light poles and signs,” Wade said. 

  For each side there can be a certain degree in which they tolerate the hanging or setting up of decorations. This can be argued as the seen or non visible decorations that can still bring that sense of holiday cheer. Wade shares where she would tolerate them if not the whole shebang.

  “I’d allow them to possibly be in your room or on your phone as a lockscreen or such. Having them outside applies to after Thanksgiving though,” Wade said.

  “Typically our decorations are just inside. We occasionally put lights outside but really its up to whether or not we want to,” Summerhays said.

  In times of seclusion as Covid 19 wages on, some stances could have a potential of being changed. This being due for the need of a little joy in our days, as the family risk lockdowns continue. Wade shares if her opinion could be swayed. 

  “In all honesty, my stance could change just because of how this year has been going. Christmas has always been special to my heart, and the thought of it being so different even to be taken away is terrible so i’d like to enjoy as much of it as I can,” Wade said.

  “Being at home hasn’t really changed my opinion. I just feel neutral on the process of shifting from holiday to holiday,” Summerhays said.

  In the conclusion of the year 2020, we have witnessed a series of escalades of numbers and depression. However, Christmas and the ending of the year could potentially result in higher spirits for Helotes and the nation. The debate of the permittance of Christmas decorations is still even today growing, but perhaps their presence will change the course of our almost year long holiday.

Opinion

Editorial: Equal representation for all

By Taylor Alton Staff Writer

President-Elect Joe Biden is not the only winner this election season. Various communities nation-wide have found remarkable representation among the senate, house of representatives, state legislatures and even in the place of Vice President. Women, Native Americans, African Americans, Asians, members of the LGBTQ+ community, Latinx people, and Muslims have been elected making a mark across the country.

The most well-known “first” this election would be Vice President-Elect Kamala Harris, who happens to be the first woman, the first person of South Asian descent, and the first black person to hold this important position in the office. In Orange County, California, Michelle Steel and Young Kim will be taking two seats in the House of Representatives as two of the first three Korean American women elected. Another historical candidate is Yvette Herrell of New Mexico. She is the first Native American Republican to serve in Congress and is part of New Mexico’s historical congressional representatives, all of which are women of color.

Speaking of these women and their leadership positions, 2021 will have at least 141 women serving in Congress, 14 more than in 2019. Specifically, the Republican Party played a significant role in this new record. Although there are far more Democratic women than Republican women in the House of Representatives, the Republicans went from 13 women in the house to at least 26, doubling their numbers. Going back to explicit diversity, approximately 51 congresswomen are women of color, more than ever before. Despite women only making up about one-fourth of Congress, this new representation still packs quite the punch, allowing for American citizens to see themselves represented in government, regardless of gender.

Other monumental moments belong to the LGBTQ+ community. Mauree Turner ran as the democratic candidate for the state legislature in Oklahoma. Their win makes them the first openly non-binary state legislature in the whole country, and also the first practicing Mulsim in the position for the state of Oklahoma. In New York, newly elected congressmen Ritchie Torres and Mondaire Jones will be the first openly gay black men holding this position in Congress. Similarly, all the way in Flordia, Michele Rayner-Goolsby will be the state’s first openly queer black woman in the House of Representives. And Shevrin Jones will be Flordia’s first openly gay Senator. As for the transgender community, Delaware’s Sarah McBride will be the country’s first transgender Senator. As mentioned before, this remarkable diversity allows people nation-wide to gain a sense of belonging by seeing people they can relate to, in those political positions.

2020 has been a crazy year, full of ups and downs. But this election season has brought hope for a better future. These record-breaking candidates are more than just some numbers and names. They are a step in the right direction towards unity and inclusivity in America. Politics aside, everyone can agree that diversity brings us together, instead of tearing us apart. And with that being said, congratulations to everyone who ran for office whether they won or lost, they are setting the precedent for younger generations that you can do anything regardless of race, religion, gender, and sexual orientation.

News, Uncategorized

Rank-Choice voting proposed in Texas

 By Cristian Velazquez Staff Writer

In Texas HB 117 and HB 740 concerning rank-choice voting will be addressed in the upcoming 2021 legislative session. Ranked-choice voting, also known as instant runoff voting or preferential voting, has been an alternative way to hold elections. If the bills pass, we will no longer have to hold costly runoff elections. In November rank-choice reform passed in Alaska, two cities in California, two cities in Minnesota, and a city in Colorado. Along with those states, 17 others use ranked-choice voting in some capacity.

  “Voters rank candidates in order of preference –first choice, second choice, and so on. If a candidate gets more than half of the first-choice votes, they win just as in any other election. If no candidate gets a majority of the first-choice votes, the candidate with the fewest is eliminated and voters who picked that candidate as their first choice will have their votes count towards their second choice. This process is repeated until a candidate accumulates more than half of the votes, thus serving as an instant runoff while eliminating the additional costs and time associated with runoff elections,” according to Ranked Choice Voting for Texas.

  Proponents have stated there are many benefits to implementing ranked-choice voting. One of the main ones is that ranked-choice voting dramatically reduces the spoiler effect, a situation since candidates who try to split votes will have their votes go to a different candidate when they lose. Another popular benefit of ranked-choice voting is that elections become less expensive and less tedious as governments don’t need to establish runoff elections. Another benefit is that since competing candidates will also be vying for 2nd, 3rd, etc. place votes, campaigns will shift their focus from maligning other candidates to expanding their voter base, making the political climate less toxic. Proponents of ranked-choice voting also cite the policy’s implementation in other developed countries such as Australia and Ireland.

   Opponents argue that ranked-choice voting is overly complicated and can confuse voters, citing the repeal of ranked-choice voting in South Carolina, Burlington, Vermont, Ann Arbor, Michigan, Pierce County, Washington, and Aspen, Colorado. Another point opponents make is that when the candidate(s) a person has chosen loses, those votes become meaningless and disenfranchises voters.

   On the national stage in the United States, ranked-choice voting has been gaining traction. 2020 Presidential candidates who support ranked-choice voting include Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, Howie Hawkins, Sen. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, Bill Weld, and Andrew Yang. 

   Texas also has a recent history with ranked-choice voting. Since 1997, 12 bills in the Texas Legislature have tried to implement the reform in Texas (75(R) HB 2355, 76(R) HB 569, 76(R) HB 1765, 78(R) HB 135, 78(R) HB 1362, 79(R) HB 197, 79(R) HB 1790, 80(R) HB 2209, 86(R) HB 3514, 86(R) HB 2010, 87(R) HB 117, 87(R) HB 740). All of them have died in committee except for HB 117 and HB 740, which has been filed for the upcoming 2021 legislative session. In a policy workshop for ranked choice voting by Humanity Forward Texas, Rep. Terry Meza talked about how her bill, HB 2010, died in committee.

   “We filed a bill for preferential voting… once all the bills are filled then the speaker assigns them to whatever committee he thinks… is the most appropriate committee for that subject matter. So, of course, this bill is assigned to the Elections Committee. And from there starts the effort to get your bill heard. You wouldn’t think it would be such an effort but it really is because there are so many bills filed that the committee chair has the power to decide whether or not a bill’s going to be heard. So in this particular case Stephanie Klick, Republican out of Tarrant County, was the Elections Committee Chair and with all 10 of my Election Committee bills, any time I’d to talk to her about any ways to make voting easier, her standard answer was ‘voter fraud’”.

   During 2000 and 2001, An effort to get ranked-choice voting in Austin gained substantial momentum. The Austin Charter Revision Committee recommended the reform that year in January 2001 and a petition by Clean Campaigns for Austin gathered signatures to get ranked-choice voting on the ballot. However, a lot of progress was dismantled after Secretary of State Henry Cuellar penned an opinion in July 2001 saying the policy was illegal. Citing Texas Election Code Sec. 275.002 (To be elected to a city office, a candidate must receive a majority of the total number of votes received by all candidates for the office), Sec. Cuellar opined that “the meaning of the word ‘majority’, as the Texas Legislature has used it in the Code and as it has been interpreted by the courts, is the majority in the ‘classic’ or ‘traditional’ sense, i.e., [consisting] of more than half of the original votes, as cast and not re-assigned by the voter’s secondary or tertiary intent, and if no candidate receives more than half the votes, a runoff election is required”. Although the opinion isn’t legally binding, it has substantial persuasive authority. The Clean Campaigns for Austin petition was halted, The 3 city council members who had supported ranked-choice voting dropped their endorsements, and the policy was dropped from the recommendation of the Austin Charter Revision Committee in December. Later, in March 2003, Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott dealt another blow to ranked-choice voting in Texas by concurring with Sec. Cuellar’s assessment of the issue in an opinion, saying “state law conflicts irreconcilably with, and thereby preempts, instant runoff voting”.

   Ranked-choice voting has been implemented in Texas in certain areas. Texas A&M University, the University of Texas at Austin, University of Houston, and Rice University use the method for their elections. The Texas Democratic Party also allows county or senate districts to use it to choose party officers and delegates.

   In the summer of 2019, a nonprofit organization called Ranked Choice Voting for Texas was created

   As the Overton Window shifts toward innovative solutions to problems with our government ranked-choice voting’s momentum shows no sign of stopping in the coming years. As the issue becomes more and more popular in the discussion, it is important that we think about whether this will be a good policy for the United States, for Texas, for Bexar County, and Helotes/Grey Forest/San Antonio area.

Feature

College preparation, scholarship searches

By Emma Szabo Co-Editor-in-Chief  

With the first semester ending, it’s time for upperclassmen to start thinking about college if they haven’t started already. Juniors took their PSATs in October, and seniors should start applying to colleges. It’s time to prepare to make their transition out of high school easier by applying for scholarhips.  According to Mrs. Irma Vaughn, the school’s College Career Military Adviser, a scholarship is a financial aid award designed to assist students to pay for college expenses. Scholarships do not have to be paid back and can be a one-time award or a renewable award. Meaning that if a student meets the designated requirement, they can continue to receive funding every year up until graduation.

  “Students can be awarded scholarships for academic excellence, athletes, majors, military affiliation, age/grade level, gender, hobbies/interests, and traits,” Mrs. Vaughn said.

  College is a very expensive investment for most people, and scholarships provide them a way to pay off the expenses. One common misconception about scholarships is that they only apply to college tuitions, but that isn’t always the case.

  “Scholarships help to cover the cost of tuition, housing, books, and other college expenses. Students might receive the scholarship money directly in their name, but in most cases, the funds are sent to the college or university the student plans to attend,” Mrs. Vaughn said.

  Another misconception is that scholarships are solely grade or sports-based. There are many different types of scholarships that are available for students to apply for. While many scholarships are for good grades and athletic ability, there are kinds for almost every hobby or trait. From scholarships for musical abilities to ones for being left-handed, the number of scholarships out there makes it easy for everyone to find something for themselves. But there’s more to scholarships than just being good at something. Scholarships require students to submit an application to their host, which is usually the trickiest part.

  “Most scholarships will require the student to submit an application, official transcript, at least 2 letters of recommendation, SAT/ACT score (if available this year), essay, and financial aid forms,” Mrs. Vaughn said.

  But since scholarships are so important, when should you start applying for them? Mrs. Vaughn says that most students start applying for scholarships once they’re juniors or seniors in high school, but there are scholarships for students as young as elementary and middle school age, meaning that it’s never too early or too late to apply.

  So where can you find and apply for scholarships? You can usually find scholarships online through college pages or websites that are made specifically for scholarships, but you can also find scholarships through our school’s career center.

  “The Career Center can help you with scholarship searches, transcript and test score orders, templates for essays and resumes, and providing you with the form that is needed for your counselor to write you a letter of recommendation,” Mrs. Vaughn said.

  So as the semester progresses, it’s important to think about college and how you can make the next phase of your school life less stressful. College doesn’t always have to come at such a heavy price; if you utilize tools like scholarships, you can go to college and finish with less worry and less debt.

News

Staying home for Holidays due to Covid

By Micaella Rodriguez Staff Writer

  The holidays will look a little different due to COVID-19. During Halloween, some students felt torn between going to parties with friends, going trick-or-treating, or just staying home under the direction of their parents. The number of cases in Bexar county increased since Oct. 28, 2020 with 281 daily cases until the December 2, 2020 peak of 1,499 daily cases. Cases on campus have also been rising, with 4 reported cases the week after Halloween, 4 cases the following week, 7 cases the week before Thanksgiving, 8 cases after we returned from Thanksgiving, and 14 cases reported December 7-11, 2020.

  Some students are choosing to stay home and reduce exposure. Freshman Enrique Chapa chose to stay at home with his family for Halloween. Chapa mentioned that he doesn’t have any high-risk family members.

  “We just don’t want to get sick and like, prevent it,” Chapa said.

  Compared to previous Halloween memories, he wished he could do his usual holiday tradition.

“Probably just going around my neighborhood and getting candy from my neighbors,” Chapa said.

  Many people this year aren’t going to be able to celebrate their normal traditions such as trick-or-treating and going out with friends. Some people on the other hand such as freshmen Ellie Price and Lauren Loudermilk have decided to have a lesser gathering such as hanging out with close family or friends. 

  Price’s plans to go to a small dinner with her family and their close friends. She said she also wanted to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Her Halloween plans would be going to dinner with her family and her family’s close friends. Price said that her family decided to celebrate this way to limit the number of people they came into contact with. Price shared if the pandemic didn’t happen this year, she’d go to the annual corn maze and spend time with friends. 

  Loudermilk shared that her family was also going to spend the evening with her parents’ close friends as well. She said that the other family has young children and they were planning to do some simple games such as cornhole to entertain themselves at home. They chose to have a small gathering because she said since her mom works at a middle school, she knows how serious and high the numbers are at schools.