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The Student Newspaper of Oxford Academy

The Gamut

The Gamut

The Gamut

Xavier Lopez

Xavier Lopez, Staff Writer

Xavier Lopez, a junior and a first year Gamut staffer is excited to forge his path in the world of journalism. Growing up around older brothers, he has always been invested in video games, particularly story games like the Last of Us Part II and Red Dead Redemption Two. One of his favorite characters, Master Chief, comes from those original games his brothers used to play (Halo). Master Chief’s tragic backstory is what inspires Xavier to create multiple short stories of his own that include such themes. Influenced by his family once again, he also dabbles in sports. Previously he played baseball for 12 years and has been repping the 49ers with his dad despite other family members remaining as loyal Raiders fans. As Xavier has always had a passion for sports and video games, he hopes to tackle both with heartfelt articles in the following years.

All content by Xavier Lopez
THE CALIFORNIA HIGH SPEED RAIL SYSTEM: A waste of time, money, and resources

The California High Speed Rail System is Unnecessary and Overfunded

Xavier Lopez, Staff Writer May 13, 2026

California is wasting millions of tax payer money. In 2008, California voters approved Proposition 1, which proposed the plan to connect major cities San Francisco and Los Angeles, using a high-speed rail system. Originally, the projected cost was around $30 billion, but since, it has climbed to an astounding...

THE ULTRA-WEALTHY: What Billionaires really care about.

Stop romanticizing billionaires

Xavier Lopez, Staff Writer April 17, 2026

The public is infatuated with the ultra-wealthy. Billionaires are often praised for “riching right,” captivating lower-classes with luxurious mansions and cars. However, these elites more often than not prioritize profit over people. People must stop romanticizing the lifestyles of billionaires who...

SCORING BIG: Senior Colin Das and David Jung celebrate their achievements surrounded by proud teammates. (Photo courtesy of Anthony Newman)

Journey to 1,000 points

Xavier Lopez, Staff Writer March 18, 2026

On Jan. 24, as the boys basketball team neared the end of their season, seniors Colin Das and David Jung made Oxford history as the first and second all-time scorers for the boys’ varsity basketball team, both surpassing 1000 career points. The journey to success had started a long while back: Das...

NEW YEAR, NEW LAWS: Shocking changes to speed limits and minimum wage. (Photo by Pixabay.com)

California introduces changes to road and workplace laws

Xavier Lopez, Staff Writer February 4, 2026

With the welcoming of new California laws, drivers need to be aware of updated regulations  regarding school areas, construction zones, and highways. Additionally, workers can expect a change with California's new minimum wage bill. As of Jan 1st, the speed limits have been updated in multiple California...

SUDANESE CIVIL WAR: The two-year conflict has led to 150,000 estimated casualties. (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons)

Sudan’s ongoing conflict

Xavier Lopez, Staff Writer December 12, 2025

Since April 15, 2023, tens of thousands have died in the reincarnated Sudanese Civil War, with no end in sight. The war in Sudan began when the de facto leader, General Abdel Fattah al-Burhan, and Lieutenant General Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo disagreed on how to reform Sudan’s security sector. Sudan...

WAIT, BATTLEFIELD’S FUN AGAIN?: DICE bring us back to the good days of Battlefield. (Photo by Battlefield Studios)

“Battlefield” returns bolder and better with “Battlefield 6”

Xavier Lopez, Staff Writer November 21, 2025

On Oct. 10, video game development company DICE Studios released Battlefield 6: a hardcore first-person shooter game that received overwhelming love from fans all over the world. This release comes as a welcome surprise for fans disappointed by Battlefield’s previous releases that failed due to rampant...

HERE WE GO AGAIN: MLB hits off the 2025 postseason. (Collage by Xavier Lopez)

MLB continues their fall classic with the 2025 postseason

Xavier Lopez, Staff Writer October 29, 2025

It's that time of year again for America's pastime: a month of post-season baseball in October. This year marks the 121st World Series, continuing a long-held tradition dating all the way back to 1903. Since then, we’ve seen legendary players like Jackie Robinson (Dodgers 1947-1956), Babe Ruth (Yankees...

REACHING OUT: Show Choir and Advanced Girls collaborate to perform their song together

Fall into “Good to be Alive”

Xavier Lopez, Staff Writer October 18, 2025

On September 19th, Oxford Academy’s very own choir program rolled out their first choir show of the year, "Good to be Alive.” For OA Singers, September is a time to start really preparing for their first show. However, above all Mr. Hogan, director of the program, pushes for students to have...

IMPROPER ALLOCATION: Funds for the raid, but not for first aid.

Why is deportation adored while healthcare’s ignored?

Xavier Lopez, Staff Writer September 24, 2025

On July 4, President Trump signed his Big Beautiful Bill into law, granting immigration-border enforcement over $170 billion in funding for the next four years and increasing ICE’s annual budget threefold from $8.7 billion to over $27 billion. This makes ICE the highest funded law enforcement agency...

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Xavier Lopez