Fresno High Walkout ICE Protest 

By Sofie Zuniga 

On Friday January 30 during lunch time 200+ students at Fresno High walked out of school in solidarity as an act of protest to speak up against, and to actively voice their disagreement about what is happening with the ICE officers and victims, all over the U.S. Fresno High staff were very supportive, by opening the parking lot gate as soon as lunch ended and approximately 200 students, took an unexcused absence and walked out of classes. Students were walking to prove their voices can be heard, even though they may be students. This protest was for the many Fresno immigrants too afraid to speak up about how they have been treated unjustly, discriminated, and disrespected. Our community and the so-called “illegals” who cannot speak up for themselves or for those who have spoken up but have never been heard.  

The conditions of the ICE system are so corrupt and inhumane; no one deserves to be treated in this way. They are taking children away from their families and placing them in cages, they are killing innocent people who were nothing of a threat, and most of all separating hardworking families with nothing to show this country but love and endless hard work. Any ICE officer is truly sick and a terrible human being. Half of these “enforcers” are not even certified agents they are just random people pretending to be enforcers with ICE like gear and masks going around and hurting innocent people. This is not an enforcement for American protection; this is racism and discrimination with a fake purpose to spread negativity and segregate our nation. This issue is so bad in the country that students of all levels such as high schoolers, middle schoolers, parents, and even children are taking time out of their day to get people to see what is being done and the wrong that is happening. 

The protest ended around 3pm, right when school ended. First, the students from Fresno High walked down Echo Street and started to walk toward City College. Students chanting with anger and disappointment in their voices, “Ice Out of Fresno!” Fresno High students made it to Tower District on Olive St. They marched up and down Tower with the hope of change and justice for the people suffering from ICE. They then were guided by admin from Fresno Unified District to walk downtown to the Education Center. Fresno Unified Employee Janie Delesurda stated, “We have a lot of students who are children of immigrants and I love that they are being allies to them, and I think it is an important part to step up as Americans right now.” Once they made it downtown, employees and admin gave the students water. The Fresno Bee was seen asking students questions about the protest and taking photos of the signs made by the students. Some saying, “You can’t be illegal on stolen land.” Students almost losing their voices from chanting so long, getting praise and honks of encouragement from passing cars and even city buses. Some students endured blistered feet, sore backs, from carrying their backpacks. These students and this generation will make change and will better America, they just cannot do it alone. 

Fall Semesters Academic Awards

by Pablo Jandres

The Fall Semester Awards took place on January 29, celebrating academic and athletic achievements. Gates for attendees opened at 5:30 p.m., and award recipients were required to arrive early to check in and locate their names at the tables. The ceremony unfolded in Royce Hall, where numerous students were recognized for their hard work and dedication during the fall semester.

Once inside, all guests were seated in Royce Hall, eagerly awaiting the announcement of students' names. Recipients were called up individually to accept their awards, whether for sports achievements or academic honors like the Honor Roll. The Honor Roll acknowledges students for their outstanding academic performance, particularly their grades and attendance, reflecting their commitment and effort in achieving success. Cali Alvarado expressed, “The event was great; I was glad to make my parents proud.”

Hmong New Year is one of the most valued cultural celebrations amongst Hmong people. It is a mark for the end of the harvest season and the beginning of the new year. Hmong New Year is traditionally celebrated between late November and early January. Within this cultural celebration, there is time for rest and renewal all while honoring ancestors after a year of hard work. 

The festival is known for its vibrant colors throughout the clothing and the decorations. The traditional, intricately embroidered outfits worn to this occasion consist of vibrant, fun colors and silver jewelry. Music and dance play a huge role in this celebration along with a traditional game called “pov pob” (ball tossing) where young people toss cloth balls to one another to make friends, socialize, and sometimes even find love. 

Hmong New Year is also a spiritual time. This celebration allows families to give thanks to their ancestors, participate in rituals for good health and prosperity, and give people time to reflect on their year and welcome new beginnings for the future. 

Hmong New Year is more than just a festival; it is a powerful expression of identity and cultural pride that has been passed down through generations. 

During Winter Break, two teams of students from Fresno High School proudly represented FHS at the Hmong Olympic Games, held during the Fresno Hmong New Year Celebration at the Fairgrounds. This exciting event combined fun games with elements of Hmong history and culture. The competition was hosted by Mr. Yang from Edison High School and his Hmong Heritage Students III class in collaboration with the Fresno Center. 

 Fresno High students earned multiple medals and three trophies! Two of these trophies were for 1st and 3rd place in the individual dance competition. The talented students, Macy Yang (1st place) and Plumeria Yang (3rd place), created and practiced their impressive routines in just one week. Their hard work truly paid off! 

 Participants & Backups from Fresno High and Their Achievements: 
(All students below contributed to winning the 2nd place all-around trophy based on total points) 

• Alirisa Vue (9th) 

• Ahlyis Lor (10th) 

• Cody Yang (9th) 

• Sam Yang (10th) 

• Caylyn Yang (10th) 

• Yeng Her (10th) 

• Ayden Lor (10th) 

• Preston Yang (9th): 3rd place medal for the “Crossing the Mekong River” boat event 

• Plumeria Yang (10th): 3rd place medal & trophy for the Traditional Hmong “qeej” dance event 

• Jacky Vang (11th): 2nd place medal for the “Crossing the Mekong River” boat event 

• Kelvis Vue (10th): 2nd place medal for the “Sandal & Rubber Bands” event 

• Macy Yang (12th): 

• 1st place medal for the “Dress Up a Mannequin in Hmong Clothes” event 

• 1st place medal & trophy the for Traditional Hmong “qeej” dance event 

A special “thank you” to Eliane Ly for providing text and photos about Fresno High School!

Women's Alliance   

By Jessenia Varela-Gomez

The Women’s Alliance is a women-only mentoring class dedicated to helping students develop personal behavior and academic skills that will help lead them to be successful in class, their careers, and their adult lives. They are active on campus with the goals of administering their leadership skills and spreading kindness. They have performed different activities on campus, like giving out kindness stickers and painting rocks for someone special. This is not all that they do, as they have spent time on a medical research project.

They spent months researching ACES to PACES, the study of Adverse Childhood Experiences to Positive Childhood Experiences. Their purpose was to inform themselves and others about all the different experiences that adolescents under eighteen go through. Their advisor, Dr. Kinman, who often submits the work of her residents, decided to submit the work of the Women’s Alliance as well. They were selected by the conference to come out and share.

On January 17, four students from the Women’s Alliance got the chance to present their research at the Western Medical Research Conference in Carmel, California. Seniors Ysabellah Cervantes and Neveah Jordan, as well as Junior Mia Burciaga and Sophomore Valerie Aguilar, were present to represent the Women’s Alliance in front of a large audience of medical students. “As a high schooler going to a medical conference, it felt like an accomplishment to share my research with people in the medical field,” said Senior and President of the Women’s Alliance Ysabellah Cervantes.

Things are “Strange” at FHS

by Valerie Juarez

On January 10, the Fresno High ASB had news that our Winter Sports Rally Spirit Week was going to be Stranger Things themed. Since Monday was off for MLK Day, we began on Tuesday with "Skater Day." Students wore graphic tees to channel their inner Max Mayfield—it was a pretty low-effort way to start the week, which the students all appreciated.

Wednesday was "Swap Day," where students dressed like teachers and vice versa. Honestly, not a ton of people went all out for this one, which was kind of a bummer, but the ones who did went out of their way to look like a specific teacher. It made for some hilarious moments in the hallways! Thursday kept the theme going with an '80s throwback day. Seeing everyone pull out the vintage gear to bring those Hawkins vibes to FHS was a definite highlight.

FHS wrapped things up on Friday with a "White Out" day. Since most people have something white in their closet, it was by far the most popular day of the week—staff and students were matching for once! “I thought the spirit week was amazing; it’s nice to see FHS try to adapt to the new trends our generation has,” said Tajay Jones with fond memories of the week. It felt good to see the school tapping into stuff we're into.