Nominee: Nicole Pi

Portfolio Name: Simplicitas (Simplicity)

Portfolio Contents/Descriptions for Each Piece
・ Pg. 2: Volume 1 Issue 1 Cover Page
・ Pg. 3:Volume 1 Issue 1 Features Page
・ Pg 4: Volume 1 Issue 1 Local News Page
・ Pg 5: Volume 1 Issue 1 Global News Page
・ Pg 6-7: Volume 1 Issue 4 Entertainment Spread

Portfolio Statement
Looking at the titles and descriptions of my designs, it is clear to see that my work is largely in service to others.
When designing the layout of The Talon, my goal is to draw readers in, and then keep them invested. This means
appealing to my audience and luring readers into absorbing the important topics that are covered in the school
tabloid.

Before now, I’ve always been in service to my own creativity. Using whatever materials I had, my only aim was to
visually illustrate a combination of my subject and my emotions. This new role of enhancing an entire staffs’ work
through a visual display was a challenge, but importantly, a wonderful opportunity for growth.

I became a multimedia artist. My 11x4 Adobe Illustrator page is my canvas, my mouse is my paintbrush. The
articles, artworks, survey data, photographs: my paints.

I learned that the best way to keep a reader engaged was through simplicitas (simplicity), hence, the title of this
portfolio. Keeping the items on the page minimal to make sure the reader had a clear path to follow was a priority. I
wasn’t amplifying student voices through editing but through formatting. My creativity was no longer applied
through shapes and lines, but through a careful choice in font, positioning, and color. It was a whole new
experience.

My process starts with a blank sheet of paper. On my desk is a document with all the articles the Editor-in-Cheifs
want in the issue. Next to it is another document with all the student surveys that have been conducted in the past
month. I begin my sketches while remembering the lessons I’ve learned.

Two articles per page, max. Find the best photograph, make sure it’s on the front cover. There isn’t room for a
sidebar? Add a page and make room. Position the articles about social justice to be near the beginning and make
sure they stand out. Keep the lighter news at the end, have the reader leave with some positivity.

Then, I dole out assignments to the other graphic designers and start on my own. When everything’s finished, I
compile all the pages and flip through, making sure the information is balanced and the colors complementary.

My process isn’t set in stone. I am self-taught and still learning. Eight months ago, I started designing the tabloid
wide-eyed and with zero experience, hoping to be a speakerphone for the talented staff members of The Talon.
Now, four tabloids later, I am more experienced, still with a deep desire to share truthful, ethical journalism with the
school community.

I am proud to be a member of the National Scholastic Press Association, and I will continue to be inspired by the
thousands of talented student-journalists across the nation. This portfolio is just my first step into journalism, and I
look forward to being a part of a movement of changemakers, working to make journalism accessible to all!
 DEL NORTE HIGH SCHOOL

VOLUME 1 No. 1 December 2020 dntalon.com | @dnthetalon

MARCHING SEASON
BEGINS &
ENDS
DURING
PANDEMIC
Musicians reflect on their ex-
perience in the music program
during the pandemic.
see page 3

Picture Credits: Allison Huang

Dr. Jennifer Kitelinger directs the
marching band on their last day of
practice for the season, November 16th.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT COVID-19 IMPACTS ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Deanna Hu (’22) “COVID-19 Pandemic Dev- Features 2-5
“Hu (’22) Publishes Book astates Small Businesses” Local 6
Exploring Asian American see page 5 Global 7
Identity” Opinions 8-10
see page 2 Entertainment 11-12
Sports 13-14
 The Talon Vol. 1 No. 1 3
FEATURES

Clubs In
COVID-19:
MARCHING SEASON BEGINS AND
Perpectives of
Nighthawks
ENDS DURING PANDEMIC
As the first trimester comes to a of holding marching band rehearsals during
By Ida Mobini
Staff Writer

think this is the best we’re going to get, and I

Interviews Conducted
by Nicole Pi
Entertainment Editor
PROS
“It’s a lot easier to switch
gears and get work done after
a club meeting and not as
tiring without the commute to
and from school. ”
-Shefali Chaubey (ʻ24)
“People are more on time,
and they leave on time. For
in-person meetings, it would
take a lot longer to get started,
but now that everyone can be
muted on entry, meetings are
generally more efficient...
[It’s] a lot easier to share
presentations, notes, and
resources virtually with
everyone being on a device. ”
-Vivian Chung (’21)
CONS
One thing that I noticed
(which goes along with virtual
learning), is that people are
less likely to voluntarily partic-
ipate. It’s just not as interac-
tive.
-Kyson Cockrell (’23)
“[The] only way freshmen are
able to learn about the
existence of the club is if you
follow them on Instagram, or
if you get an email from the
counselors. So it’s been kind of
a scavenger hunt, looking for
clubs you want to join.”
-Shefali Chaubey (ʻ24)
close, so does the marching band season. For
the past several weeks, the Del Norte March-
ing Band has returned to campus for their
traditional Monday night rehearsals, and
November 16th marks the final segment of a
turbulent, albeit successful season.
At 6 p.m., the first of three groups
arrives at the stadium. While the football and
cheer teams are still practicing, marching
students separate into their sections and
occupy different corners of the track to stretch
and warm up. Eventually they make their way
onto the field, spreading out across the yard
lines. Drill instructors weave between the
rows of students and provide individualized
instruction while maintaining social distanc-
ing. Of course, everyone is wearing a mask.
Each group of students spends
roughly an hour at the stadium before the
next sections arrive. Over the span of three
hours, about eighty students come on and off
the field to march, maintaining a 1-to-12 ratio
between instructors and students.
“It’s kind of like a well-oiled machine
at this point,” says band director Dr. Jennifer
Kitelinger.
When schools were initially shut
down in early March, Kitelinger wasn’t
surprised. Moreover, she was prepared—al-
though under the impression that classes
would resume in May. In May, still deep in
quarantine, she began to meet with different
band and orchestra directors to discuss how
marching bands would function over the
summer. Kitelinger spoke with the school
principal to decide the best-case,
middle-ground and worst-case scenarios for
the music program. “It was just so many meet-
ings,” she recalls.
By the time it was possible for certain
groups to return to campus, it was obvious to
Kitelinger that the marching band would have
the easiest time adjusting: “Because it’s
outside, I can so easily space them out and
keep us safe. I feel very comfortable knowing
I can do that.”
Kitelinger explains that the objective
COVID-19 is to give senior members a chance
to return to the field, and to provide freshmen
with the education that they need in order to
be successful in their following years in the
music program.
Saxophonist Karina Levinson (ʻ23)
can already see the benefits of having a
marching season for the freshmen. “It’s nice
looking to the future [of the program] because
now, out of this, the freshmen have the knowl-
edge that [returning students] got last year,”
she says. “For the future years, they can still
pass it on.”
As for sophomores and juniors,
Kitelinger states that the goal is to perfect
marching technique: “We’re seeing the bad
habits that have formed without marching, so
[we’re] digging at the bad habits and fixing
them—which isn’t a bad thing at all. There’s
still a lot to learn.”
While the Del Norte Color Guard
and drumline are able to rehearse their winter
shows for now, the marching band has no
upcoming performances. Their wind instru-
ments pose a safety hazard, which means
there is no playing taking place—only march-
ing. For drum major Raaghav Thatte (ʻ21), not
being able to play any music is the worst part
of how the pandemic has affected the music
program. Even then, he made the decision to
return to in-person rehearsals—“Because I
miss it,” he says with a laugh.
Despite the many restrictions and
cancellations, the general consensus among
students is that it feels good to be back on the
field, where they can reunite with friends and
help newcomers improve. Kitelinger feels that
although students are bummed about not
being able to play a show, they are still doing
what needs to be done.
Trumpet section leader Megan Corri-
gan (ʻ21) believes that the band has adapted
well to the changes. “This is the most normal
we’re going to get with the pandemic,” she
says. “I wish we could have our regular
marching band where we get to have a field
show, get our music and play together… but I
think we did a pretty good job with it because
we’re still on the field.”
Rishi Carlton (ʻ21) notes that, as a
section leader, it was particularly rewarding to
see the growth of students across all grade
levels. Their improvement was impressive
considering how little time they had during
rehearsals: “We had…probably six hours on
the field, or less. That’s insane that we made a
ton of progress.”
For each round of students, Monday night
ends with a drill down—a marching competi-
tion that determines who can march correctly
as Kitelinger quickly shouts out different
commands: “Forward, march! Left flank,
march!” If a student is caught in an error, they
are directed to the sidelines by a drill instruc-
tor. The purpose of a drill down, Kitelinger
tells the group, is to develop skills that will aid
students in a real marching show; they’re
bound to mess up at some point, but how fast
can they recover? To Carlton, the drill down is
the “last hurrah” of the season. Students cheer
each other on, commend each other for their
efforts and applaud the last one standing.
“We haven’t done much, so it was nice to
bring [the season] all together,” Carlton says.
At the end of the night, drum majors Thatte
and Kiersten Russ (ʻ21) give one final address
to their fellow band members. Congratula-
tions are in order, not only for making it
through an unorthodox season, but also for
making the best out of difficult times. Finally,
the two stand back-to-back, bring the students
to attention and call out, “Band dismissed.”
There’s sadness in it, but also pride.
Although there is no opportunity to put on a
marching show later in the year, the hope is
that a small pep band will be allowed at poten-
tial football games. “We’re hoping there’s
something we can do,” says Kitelinger.
Ultimately, she feels optimistic about the
future of the music program in the face of
COVID-19: “It was definitely hard to figure
out what we were going to do, but I feel like
we’re hitting our stride.”

LLAMAS (’23) FORGES FRIENDSHIPS THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA By Mia Magdarog

Staff Writer

Social media has been looked down upon as just another factor
to the phone addiction teens face around the world. However,
this year many have changed their perspectives and focused on
the advantages of these apps. Although screen times may be
greater than the hours of sleep students get in a night, teens
spend a majority of these hours communicating with close
friends. In fact, Ava Llamas (ʻ23) met her best friend earlier this
year thanks to the power of social media.
Prior to the pandemic, Llamas barely used social media
as a means of communication with her friends. Other than the
occasional scroll on Instagram or quick text, she didn’t use
TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, or even FaceTime all that much.
However, when schools shut down, students were
robbed of their main form of socialization. Llamas mentions that
with the fully virtual setting, she’s unable to have those small
gestures of friendship at school, such as a simple wave during a
passing period, laughing together during lunch, or smiling across
the room to friends in her class. Llamas used to see these apps as
another way to fill up her free time, but it is now an important
part of staying in touch with her friends. With strict social
distancing guidelines in place, teenagers have heavily relied on
social media and their phones to connect with friends. Some of
Llamas’ favorite apps to utilize are TikTok and Pinterest. She
says she sees TikTok as a time killer and a great way to make her
friends laugh. On the other hand, with Pinterest, Llamas and her
friends have crafted their ideal futures together, getting inspira-
tion for activities to do as soon it’s safe to reunite.
However, Llamas is still reluctant about hanging out
with others during this time.
“I don’t know who they’ve been around,” she said, “so I’d much
rather be safe at home knowing I did my part in containing the
spread of COVID.” Despite the lack of human-to-human connec-
tion, over the past couple of months, Llamas has even created
new friendships. “Oddly enough,” she said, “I feel like I’ve
created such special friendships even if we haven’t seen each
“
Oddly enough, I feel
like I’ve created such special
friendships even if we haven’t
seen each other in person.”
-Ava Llamas (’23)
other in person.”
Instagram has been a key factor in growing the friendships
Llamas and her friends have created. Although she has had the
app for a long time, Llamas says she barely used it. Before
technology became the main way to communicate, she used
Instagram more to keep up with what was happening in the
world rather than to connect with others. This all changed at the
turn of the new school year in early September.
Days before the new Virtual Learning Academy
officially launched, Llamas tapped through stories full of
students’ new schedules in hopes of finding at least one friend, or
simply anyone, in her class. Then, she came across one story
where someone in her grade included the logo of a YouTuber she
watched. After a back and forth debate between to send or not to
send in her head, Llamas built up the courage to reach out.
“It was nerve wracking,” she said, “hitting that send button to a
girl I’ve never talked to and only seen around school before. Little
did I know, because of her Instagram story, I would have made a
new friend.” What Llamas saw as simply seeking a familiar face
led her to meeting someone new.
Llamas adds that the pandemic has both positively and negative-
ly affected her friendships. Focusing on the silver lining, Llamas
believes that she has been able to connect with people on a much
deeper level than she would have if she were in school. Ava Llamas
 6 Del Norte High School December 2020
LOCAL NEWS

INCREASED POLITICAL
AWARENESS IN YOUTH
By Rohit De Staff Writer
Within the past year, the American youth have become increasingly
more active in national affairs. The youth’s interest in domestic
politics was evident on social media and through organized rallies in
relation to this year’s US presidential election and its handling of the
COVID-19 pandemic. Contrary to the belief that young Americans are
not interested in politics, the youth this year have shown themselves
to be concerned with having their voices heard, as well as wanting to
promote systematic change across the United States
Since the beginning of
2020, the nation has been in a “Youth this year have
cautionary state as a result of
the COVID-19 pandemic, shown themselves to
leading many students to be concerned with
attend school from home.
During their drastic increase
having their voices
in time at home, students had heard, as well as want-
more time to themselves and ing to promote system-
fewer distractions. Curious as
to how the pandemic was
atic change across the
being handled, they utilized United States.” Nicole Pi
this time to become aware of
the situations brewing across
the nation. While most high schoolers cannot yet generation that will make important decisions for As another student at Del Norte stated, “I
vote, they have been proactive in spreading infor- the country. posted about the election a lot because I wanted
mation and ideas to those of voting age in order to “I think my voice needs to be heard because others around me to be inspired to be involved,
influence their decisions. In “Poll: Young People much like a huge portion of the American popula- especially from the dynamics of this year it was
Believe they Can Lead Change in Unprecedented tion that can’t vote, politics does affect my life and clear to me that the election was extremely signifi-
Election Cycle” by Tisch College, it has been noted many others so those with the power to vote should cant. I knew my audience was mostly underage or
that nearly 79% of the young people nationally do their part in representing us. I also think it’s ineligible, but I hoped that it would inspirethem to
surveyed said that the pandemic helped realized important for those of us who are not yet eligible to initiate political conversation within their house-
how politics affects their lives and how important it vote to be politically aware because this is really the holds and sub communities.”
is for their voice to be heard by the government. only opportunity we have to understand our politi- Teenagers became more self-aware in 2020
A student at Del Norte observed how the cal opinions without deciding the fate of an import- and realized their voice matters. Concerned with
lockdown has impacted the youth and their aware- ant election.” how the nation was handling the pandemic, the
ness that aspects of the nation need change: In an effort to reach as many people as youth developed opinions and beliefs on how
“I think the pandemic opened everyone’s eyes to possible, teenagers have found social media to be policies should be conducted in America. More-
the importance of political awareness and seeing as an effective place to express their concern for the over, future voters gained confidence to express
everyone has the time I definitely noticed my peers future of America. During this year’s election, their voice in matters that concern the whole coun-
cared a lot more about the news, especially with a social media platforms, such as Instagram and try. More youth are becoming politically engaged at
new election this year and all of us significantly Twitter, were frequently used by high school age an earlier age than previous generations, develop-
more mature than the last election, most of us were students to convince others to cast a vote for each ing diverse opinions and ideas. As the youth
definitely more politically aware.” candidate. The youth’s perspectives offered new expresses their voice progressively, they'll be able
She continued by remarking that her opin- ideas to consider as voters tried to make to leave a mark on the nation, knowing it was their
ion has a right to be heard, as she is part of the next well-grounded decisions. activism that promoted change in their community.

THE COSTCO DEBATE By Eva Crickard

Staff Writer

The 27 acre plot of land known as the “Black Mountain Ranch site” is slated to be leased to POCN members also argue that, if a Costco is built on the site, noise and light pollution may
Costco. harm local wildlife.
The site is located at the corner of Camino del Sur and Carmel Valley Road and owned by Once negotiations with Costco conclude on November 9th, it will be next
Poway Unified School District, and was declared a “surplus” plot of land by a committee of to impossible to make any further changes because the process will be monitored by the City
local residents. This conclusion is in stark contrast to the site’s original purpose of being used of San Diego.
to build a middle school. The new deal with Costco could potentially provide an annual “Only those in the district who live in the City of San Diego will have a voice, which
source of income for the district over the next 40 to 60 years. leaves approximately 40% of the district disenfranchised from
However, many members of the community are opposed to the the process. As for the remaining 60% who are eligible to vote
new development plans. “Only those in the district when this gets onto a City ballot, their voices will be drowned
Protect Our Community Now, a local non-profit organi-
zation, was recently founded by a group of concerned residents,
who live in the City of San out as they make up only 11% of the population of the City of
San Diego,” a spokesperson from POCN told CBS 8.
families, and friends in order to delay the negotiations and Diego will have a voice, For this reason, the group feels they need to act now
ensure that the district community has a voice in the process.
According to the company website, a lot has changed in the
which leaves approximately in order to make sure that all of the community’s concerns are
addressed.
community since the land was last assessed. POCN hopes PUSD 40% of the district disen- However, leasing the land to a big company like
will reevaluate the land and choose to build a new middle school, Costco could bring in revenue that would help support the
which would reduce the growing class sizes of PUSD
franchised from the process. schools that the district already has. For example, one district
schools. One anonymous resident proposed the idea of a board proposal estimates that the annual rent payments from
career-specific teaching site where students from the three nearby high schools: Del Norte, Costco would bring in as much as $38 million in profits after 60 years. These earnings could
Westview, and Mt. Carmel, could receive direct instruction for professions. be put towards acquiring more equipment, like chromebooks or docu-cams that students
Additionally, POCN members feel that the district did not comply with the expect- or teachers require to continue improving the virtual education experience.
ed level of transparency about the land and failed to provide sufficient notice to the commu- Ultimately, the outcome of this decision will have a significant impact on the PUSD communi-
nity before the negotiations began. POCN spokespersons argue that, if a Costco warehouse ty. Whichever route PUSD decides to move forward with, their decision will have a lasting
was built on the site, the resulting heavy traffic and potential car accidents would negatively effect on trust between the district and the community.
impact the daily commutes of residents in the area.
8 Del Norte High School
GLOBAL NEWS
A Potential
Mink Massacre
By Vivian Magahis Staff Writer
Iris Ding
Around the world, animals are crammed into
small cages on fur farms that breed, skin, and
ultimately kill animals for their fur. While the
fur industry is often questioned for its ethics
and necessity, it is now facing a bigger dilem-
ma as new COVID-19 strains are being
discovered among farmed minks in Denmark.
The World Health Organization
(WHO) states that in June 2020,12 variations
of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that produes
COVID-19, were found on mink farms. WHO
cited transmissions between humans and
minks as the primary cause of infection. Also,
due to the dense population, poor living
conditions, and constant transfer of the virus
between minks and humans, the chances of
genetic modification increased. As of Novem-
ber 6, Denmark, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy,
Sweden, and the United States have reported
detections of SARS-CoV-2 on their mink
farms.
On November 4, 2020, the Danish
prime minister, Metter Frederiksen, called for
a mass extinction of 17 million minks in Den-
mark. Danish scientists are worried that the
mutation will hinder the search for an effec-
tive vaccine, but the plan to extinguish the
minks has been dropped because there was
no legal authority to support it. Francois
Balloux, director of University College of
London’s Genetic Institute, told CNN that he
believes that there is no immediate risk of a
mutation from the mink farms “creating some
kind of new, different super strain.” There is
still not enough evidence to determine the
impacts of the COVID-19 mink cases on the
rest of the world. However, during a Chatham
House webinar, CDC Director Dr. Anthony
Fauci states that “it does not appear, at this
point, that the mutation that’s been identified
in the minks is going to have an impact on
vaccines and affect a vaccine-induced
response.”
As for the fur farming industry, the
virus could shut it down quicker than was
expected. BBC predicts that if Denmark
decides to permanently shut down more than
1,000 mink farms, about 6,000 jobs would be
lost. Although those in the fur industry claim
that the demand for fur is still high and the
industry must therefore be kept alive, many
animal activists protest against the mistreat-
ment of the animals and demand that the
industry be dissolved. Also, removing fur
farms would decrease the amount of harmful
substances entering the environment. With
8,000 pounds of ammonia being released into
the atmosphere every year and animal feces
being dumped into freshwater bodies, People
for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
show how both air and water quality are
declining. Although environmentalists,
animal activists, and large fashion brands are
pushing for the regulation and ultimate ban of
fur farms, the pandemic just might beat them
to it.
December 2020
POLAR BEARS TO BE EXTINCT BY 2100
Polar bears may be extinct by 2100. By Emma Sandrew
According to a recent study by Staff Writer
Peter Molnár for the University of Toron-
to, increased greenhouse gas emissions
may cause sea ice, polar bears’ primary
hunting ground, to completely disappear
before the century is over.
In a different study, Molnár and his team
studied polar bear energy use and body
mass to predict the number of days a
bear can go without food. They then
combined this information with the
predicted number of days seas will not
have ice to reach their dire depictions of
2100.
Other researchers have reached
similar conclusions. According to the
National Snow and Ice Data Center, this
ice has decreased by near 13% per
decade since 1970. Sea ice is depleted
when ocean waters absorb heat from
greenhouse gas emissions, causing
ocean temperatures to rise. Polar
bears stalk holes in the sea ice to
catch seals; as sea ice declines, polar
bears begin to starve.
Bromaghin states in his study
that the polar bear population
decreased 25-50% due to starvation
during sparse ice periods, further
linking decreasing sea ice to death.
To endure the summer on land or on
ice when seas lack sufficient prey,
polar bears use energy reserves that
they build up during the winter. This
allows them to work off their fat
until they are able to hunt for food in
the following seasons. As a result,
polar bears tend to fast for long peri-
ods of time. But if they go too long
without food, their bodily functions
and reproductive capability
decrease.
He also predicted that polar bears will experience their first reproductive failures by 2040,
most noticeably in the Davis Strait and the Southern Hudson Bay in the northern reaches of
Canada. Molnár concluded that if greenhouse gas emissions continue to escalate, the only remain-
ing population of polar bears will be on Canada’s Queen Elizabeth Islands, the polar bear habitat
closest to the Arctic Ocean. Even if emissions were significantly reduced, most of the polar bears
would experience reproductive failure by 2080.
Reporter Gloria Dickie for The Guardian in her article “Most Polar Bears to Disappear by
2100, Study Predicts” states it will take between 25 to 30 years for sea ice to re-stabilize if green-
house gases were to start decreasing tomorrow. Globally, greenhouse gas emissions need to be
reduced to minimize the catastrophic impact on polar bears. Lowering emissions could also give
scientists more time to come up with other solutions to help this endangered species. Changes are
necessary to prevent polar bears from becoming extinct.
IIllustrations: Iris Ding
 12
Entertainment
Number 8: Promising Young Woman
CW: Rape/Sexual Assault
Promising Young Woman is the directorial debut for actor
Emerald Fennell, who also wrote the film. The film covers
Cassie Thomas, a woman who takes revenge on predatory
men after a traumatic experience. The film is nominated for
Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actress, Best Original
Screenplay, and Best Film Editing.
It is very difficult to articulate why I dislike this film, and that
is for a variety of reasons. My grievances with this film go
down to how its narrative is handled, as well as how it han-
dles its themes. It is near impossible to be specific about these
grievances with these two things without spoiling the film, so
I will not attempt to. It is also difficult to criticize this film so
intensely without feeling as though it looks like I am dismiss-
ing films that cover topics such as rape culture, sexual assault,
and patriarchy. I want films to cover these topics. I am glad
films with these themes are being made. That does not mean
I think all films covering these themes are automatically good
by virtue of their exploration of these themes. This film is irre-
sponsible in its exploration of these themes, and it is difficult
to look beyond this fact when talking about a film that is
intended to confront its viewers with its themes.
Beyond its poor exploration of its themes, the film itself is
fine. I would be lying if I said there weren't commendable
aspects of this movie. The film itself isn’t completely generic
in presentation, which makes the experience more special. I
wish this film was so much better, as it is a theme I want to be
explored in more films. I just wish it was executed better.
Number 7: The Trial of the Chicago 7
The Trial of the Chicago 7 is Aaron Sorkin’s latest film and
second directorial work. The film covers the 1969 trial against
seven antiwar protestors charged with counts of conspiracy
and crossing state lines with intent to start a riot at the 1968
Democratic National Convention. The film is nominated for
Best Picture, Best Supporting Actor, Best Original Screen-
play, Best Cinematography, Best Original Song, and Best
Film Editing.
Though I don’t feel as though this is the worst film of the
nominees, I feel as though this is the least deserving film of
the nominees. All of the other nominees feel as though they
explore something genuine, whereas Trial feels like it wants
to capture something for its timeliness rather than its content.
This film screams cultural revolution until the very last
moments where it finds itself conceding to the system it sets
up the entire film opposing. The emotions of the film feel
incredibly artificial, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing, but
when executed in the way this film is, the artificiality behind
this film becomes hard to ignore. Sorkin shines as a clever
screenwriter, packing his interesting story structures and
punchy dialogue, but matches it with an incredibly sloppy
direction that does not do the story justice. This film exists on
a very weird plane of not being the best in a lot of areas. This
isn’t the best film of 2020 about the effect the Vietnam War
has had on oppressed members of American society, that
would be Da 5 Bloods. This isn’t the best courtroom drama of
2020, that would be Mangrove. This isn’t even the best film
nominated for Best Picture that features Fred Hampton as a
character, that would be Judas and the Black Messiah. Over-
all, Trial stands as one of the least exciting picks in this year’s
nominee list.
Del Norte High School June 2021
93rd Acade
The Best Picture Nominees
By Jason Marcaida, Staff Writer
Number 6: Mank
Mank is David Fincher’s first film in 6 years. The film
follows screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he devel-
ops the screenplay for Citizen Kane. Mank is this year’s
most-nominated film, competing for Best Picture, Best
Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Origi-
nal Score, Best Sound, Best Cinematography, Best
Production Design, Best Costume Design, and Best
Makeup and Hairstyling.
This film is a stylistic and narrative shift away from
Fincher’s typical crime drama affair. The film is based on
a screenplay Fincher’s father wrote in the ’90s. The film
is a passion project of Fincher’s, and it is clear that a lot
of care was taken in the production of this film. The tech-
nical aspects of the film are incredibly impressive, with
much attention paid to feeling like a film from the era it
is depicting, suiting the subject matter of the film even
more. The performances from Gary Oldman and espe-
cially Amanda Seyfried are great. The film is well made
from a technical standpoint, however, the film is not that
will emotionally entice audiences beyond one viewing of
the film. The structure of the film is more interesting
than a typical biopic of this type of subject matter, but it
does not create a more lasting impression for it, which is
a shame considering how monumental its subject matter
is to the art form of cinema. It is a worthwhile watch, but
not one that is entirely necessary or impressionable.
Number 5: Nomadland
Nomadland is Chloe Zhao’s third feature film and the
winner of the 2020 Venice Film Festival’s Golden Lion
Prize. The film follows a woman who decides to navigate
America as a nomad after the death of her husband, the
closing of her town, and the economic recession. The
film is nominated for Best Picture, Best Director, Best
Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematogra-
phy, and Best Film Editing.
This film has been this year’s awards darling, racking
countless awards from critics circles and other ceremo-
nies. Though this film did not register with me
the same way it did for a lot of people, I still
believe this film is very well made and very
worthwhile. Nomadland is an ambitious film.
The film mixes elements of fictional drama and
documentary filmmaking so seamlessly that the
result feels grounded in reality more so than
many other films that try to achieve the same
goal. There is a real weight to this film, a depth to
it that is added because of its blending of drama
and documentary. Throughout the film, real
nomads are featured, who tell their real stories
about who they are and why they decided to live
the life they do. These moments are the most
interesting part of the film, far more than the
meandering fictional story. To be honest, if this
film was a documentary following the nomads of
America rather than a film about a fictional
nomad that interacts with real nomads, it would
be far stronger. The fictional story meanders at
many points, and it takes away from the atmo-
sphere of the nomads. Overall, this film is
flawed, but still worth a watch, and definitely
deserving of the awards it may (and probably
will) win.
 The Talon Vol. 1 No. 4
emy Awards
From WORST to BEST
Illustrations by Nicole Pi
Number 4: Judas and the Black Messiah
Judas and the Black Messiah is the second feature film
by director Shaka King. The film follows the betrayal of
Chairman of the Illinois Black Panther Party Fred
Hampton by FBI informant William O’Neal. The film is
nominated for Best Picture, 2 Best Supporting Actor
awards (Daniel Kaluuya and Lakeith Stanfield), Best
Original Screenplay, Best Cinematography, and Best
Original Song. It is also the only film nominated in this
year's ceremony to come out in 2021.
Judas and the Black Messiah is a solid, entertaining,
biopic. The performances across the board are stellar,
with Kaluuya being the clearest highlight, giving one of
the best performances of the nominees as the invigorat-
ed revolutionary Fred Hampton. The filmmaking on
display is skilled, the story is consistently intriguing and
revelatory, the technical aspects are well cared for. This
film provides a new perspective of the Black Panthers in
American cinema that we don’t get enough of in the
mainstream and it does so in a way that doesn’t alienate.
The film, like Hampton himself, invites the audience to
see eye to eye, regardless of differences in race, to
achieve a common goal of the greater good. It is some-
what disappointing that the film doesn’t go in-depth
about the politics of the Panthers. It plays less like a
political film and more like a drama with simpler story-
telling elements, ala The Departed. However, this
doesn’t take away from the film being a great film with
excellent performances and an entertaining plot.
Number 7: Sound of Metal
Sound of Metal is the second feature film by director
Darius Marder. The film follows metal drummer Ruben
Stone as he begins to lose his hearing. The film is nomi-
nated for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Supporting
Actor, Best Original Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and
Best Sound.
Though this film may follow the typical structure of a
person experiencing immense transitions in life, the
film differs from others of similar stories by its presenta-
tion and how it handles the subject. The film so cleverly
presents the experience of being deaf to really make the
audience understand the pain and difficulty of losing a
crucial aspect of your life from his perspective. The
sound design in this film is excellent and needs to be
experienced with the best audio system available. The
performances are very raw and realistic, with Riz
Ahmed and Paul Raci giving two powerhouse perfor-
mances as a man transitioning into a life that cannot
include his previous sources of joy, and a man who
found peace in his deafness respectively. Sound of Metal
is a film that will leave a lasting impression, especially
with its haunting ending.
Del Norte High School June 2021 13
Number 2: The Father
The Father is an adaptation of Florian Zeller’s play of the
same name. Zeller handles this adaptation. The Father
follows an elderly man who begins to lose his memory. The
film is nominated for Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Support-
ing Actress, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Film Editing, and
Best Production Design
If one were to simply consume the advertising material for
this film, one might reasonably guess that this film is another
Oscar-bait drama about an old person. However, this film is
far more than that. This film, much like Sound of Metal,
depicts a loss of the main character’s senses from the perspec-
tive of that character instead of from the outside looking in.
The Father puts the audience in the shoes of someone with
dementia and shows how distressing the disease can be.
Anthony Hopkins gives what is one of the greatest perfor-
mances of the year, with intense dramatic range throughout
the film. The editing behind this film is near genius in its abil-
ity to disorient and confuse the viewer, further driving home
the experience of dementia, so much so that it genuinely
becomes difficult to see this narrative working as a theatrical
production, which is where it originally comes from. This film
is heartbreaking. It aims to be a downer. And it succeeds with
flying colors.
Number 1: Minari
Minari is the fifth film by director Lee Isaac Chung. Heavily
based on Chung’s childhood, Minari follows a family of South
Korean immigrants as they settle onto an Arkansas farm
during the 1980s. The film is nominated for Best Picture,
Best Director, Best Actor, Best Supporting Actress, Best Orig-
inal Screenplay, and Best Score.
This is an incredibly personal pick for me. Again, this entire
list is a personal ranking. This film is my pick for not only the
best film out of these eight but my favorite film of 2020. This
film is one of intense empathy. There has not been a film that
has made me cry more. Minari shatters your heart and
proceeds to put it back together stronger than ever. The film is
incredibly emotional, each scene carrying indescribable emo-
tional weight. The story is set up in a way where the audience
wants nothing more than for the characters to be ok. The
audience wants nothing more than the story to work out for
the characters, in spite of the challenging journey that lies
ahead of them. Minari also puts to screens the experience of
the Asian American family, specifically that of the Asian
immigrant family. This film is so successful in nailing its
representation of being Asian in America, that it is not unrea-
sonable to say that it is the defining Asian American film.
Minari is a beautiful, powerful film that must be on every-
one's radar, especially those who are Asian American.