Minimum Wage

by Rey Montano

Minimum wage remains a contentious issue in America. Here in California, minimum wage is set to raise from $15.50 to $16 in January of 2024. However, is it enough?  

You might find that the rhetorical tactics used by opponents of raising the minimum wage have remained largely the same; the idea that small businesses will have increased overhead and need to increase prices to stay afloat still resonates with a certain type of crowd, and even now large corporations are presumed to not be able to afford a higher wage, while CEO pay goes up, and up, and up, and up. Now, the CEO-to-worker pay ratio is around 344:1 according to the Economic Policy Institute, despite widespread economic turmoil for most workers at around the same time. The stock market continues to shoot up while CEOs line their pockets, abandoning their hard-working employees that make up the majority of the labor. The minimum wage was instituted by President Roosevelt to support a family with dignity, and now we find that minimum wage can hardly support a single person in anywhere with genuine economic mobility.  

For example, Forbes Home found that the average Californian spends 28.47% of their monthly income on rent, with the nationwide average being at 30%. To put that in perspective, the U.S Census Bureau found that the median household income for Californians was $78,672. That leaves approximately $4689.51 for other expenses, including groceries, utility bills, gas, your car payment, insurance, debt payments, and a myriad of other things that ultimately can add up to be stressful for the average American. According to the New York Times, the average American is in fact considered “rent-burdened,” while rent rates skyrocket completely out of sync with the rate that income is raised.  

All of that to say, $16 is hardly even enough to live in many places. The Federal minimum wage has not been raised from $7.25 since July 2009. Whether you agree with minimum wage being the solution or not, the writing is on the wall: something needs to change. 

https://www.dol.gov/general/topic/wages/minimumwage 

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/25/realestate/rent-burdened-american-households.html#:~:text=The%20rent%2Dto%2Dincome%20ratio,from%2025.7%20percent%20in%202020. 

https://www.marketplace.org/2023/01/20/the-average-u-s-renter-now-spends-30-of-their-income-on-rent-a-new-all-time-high/#:~:text=Average%20U.S.%20households%20now%20spend%2030%25%20of%20income%20on%20rent%20%2D%20Marketplace 

https://smartasset.com/retirement/average-salary-in-california 

https://ktla.com/news/california/californians-spend-second-highest-percent-in-rent-study-says/#:~:text=A%20study%20published%20by%20Forbes,California%20annual%20income%20of%20%2476%2C614.&text=California's%20average%20monthly%20rent%20in,the%20state%20as%20a%20whole. 

The Origins of Common Superstitions

By: Levi Gagliano

There are many superstitions that come from many different religions. Here is the explanation and background for a few known beliefs.

Angel Numbers: A common belief for some spiritual people would be the repetition of numbers, or “angel numbers.” These numbers usually come in sets of three or four, some examples would be 11:11, 333, 666, etc., and they typically taken as a sign, pointing you in the right path.

Splitting Poles: Some friends believe in the back luck received from splitting poles. If you are walking in a group and you accidentally “split the pole,” you are basically cutting off your tie to a person, giving you bad luck. After realizing, some people will say, “Bread and butter” to reverse it.

Umbrella: People nowadays believe that opening an umbrella inside was rude and a curser of bad luck. This stemmed from centuries ago, when the Ancient Egyptians thought it would anger the god of the sun.

Walking under a ladder: During the time of the Egyptians, they would put ladders on top of gravesites to allow the dead to make it to heaven. Because of this, the belief that evil and good spirits reside inside the gap was created, causing those to believe that walking underneath a ladder is a bad omen since you are colliding with the spirits.

Mirrors: There are a handful of beliefs that involve mirrors. Those who are spiritual typically believe that mirrors are portals to another world. That they lead to a side of the undead. People tend to think that if mirrors are facing each other, it would disrupt the flow of energy, if it were facing a bed, it will mess with your energy, making dreams uncomfortable.

Magpies: A from of divination that influenced most Christians believe that magpies are a sign of the devil. This originates from an English folktale rhyme, first recorded during the 1780’s. Believed to be an ornithomantic poem to remember the danger of these birds.

One for sorrow,
Two for joy,
Three for a girl,
Four for a boy,
Five for silver,
Six for gold,
Seven for a secret,
Never to be told.

Eight for a wish,
Nine for a kiss,
Ten a surprise you should be careful not to miss,
Eleven for health,
Twelve for wealth,
Thirteen beware it’s the devil himself.

Sources: https://www.spirithalloween.com/blog/friday-the-13th-common-superstitions/#:~:text=If%20two%20people%20are%20walking,Yum!

https://blog.lovegardenbirds.co.uk/magpie-superstitions/ - :~:text=Early%20Christians%20believed%20that%20the,and%20evil%20across%20many%20cultures.

https://www.allure.com/story/what-are-angel-numbers

Male Cheerleaders

By: Betzabel Macedo

Over the past years Cheer has been a female dominated sport. With cheer being a female dominated sport not many males tend to try out. The Competition Cheer team is a co-ed sport, and to go to Nationals, it is imperative to find males of the mat. Currently, the Warrior Varsity Sideline team has one male, Darrell Austin. The Competition Cheer team has two males, Damaree Farris and Roberto Azua. Males allow the Cheer team to incorporate more stunts into their routines.  

Damaree Farris said that being on the Comp Cheer team for the past two years has been a good experience for him as well as a way for him to have fun. Damaree stepped up after finding out from his friends that the Competition Cheer team was looking for males. He thought that this would bring in more college opportunities for him. He and a friend had joined the Competition Cheer team 2022; his friend quitting mid-season, leaving Damaree the only guy on the team. Damaree wasn’t worried though; he focused on himself. At Nationals he got his own room and played his PS4 in the hotel room. 

Roberto Azua said that being on the Competition Cheer team so far hasn’t been too hard nor too easy, but still fun, just not a fan of the late practices. He joined after Damaree asked him to join. Roberto doesn’t feel weird being on the team because he isn’t by himself.