The Monarch: April 2013

InsIde:

Basketball’s Unparalleled Season (see page 14)

Serving the Archbishop Mitty Community

Volume 22 Number 4

April 2013

Beyond The Office

Outreach Genesis Program Offers New Opportunities

By Pei-Ling Lee & Jennifer Sherwood Staff Writers Walking down the 200 wing of Mitty, students pass an office labeled “Outreach,” normally adorned with seasonal stickers and phrases. During lunchtime, they can often see a group of their peers hanging out in the opened office doing homework or maybe playing Jenga on the trash can. However, what many do not realize is how integral this program is for the Archbishop Mitty community.

Originally run by Ms. Latanya Hilton (Class of 1992), the Outreach Genesis Program is a unique resource for everyone in the school community. Promoting diversity on campus, Outreach works to provide young men and women of underrepresented groups with academic and social assistance to attain success within the AMHS student body.

For the past two years, the glue that has held the Outreach together has been Ms. Patsy Mireles. As the Outreach Coordinator, she oversees the Romero Program, moderates LASU, and provides social and academic support for students.

When asked about her favorite part of the program, Ms. Mireles said, “I love my kids. I love who I work with. They are not generally students who I teach, so I get to know them on a more personal level through wonderful conversations and discussions. I love that Mitty provides this type of a support for minorities.”

Along with Outreach, students can participate in the Latin American Student Union (LASU), the African American Student Union (AASU), or the Romero program, which all hold culturally significant events. One of the most recognized events is LASU’s Food Day when students can experience Latin American cuisine. Equally as appreciated is the AASU’s annual Djembe drum performance by Oriki Theatre: a non-profit community that shares African culture through teaching and performing dance, music, and poetry.

The crowd involved in Outreach ranges from teachers and high school students to eighth graders who are in the process of choosing which high school to attend.

Sophomores Veronica Marquez and Denise Oceguera work on homework in the Outreach Office.

To assist them, the Romero Leadership Institute, currently in its fifth year, is an exclusive one-week leadership program for high-achieving eighth grade Latino students.

There, they get the opportunity to see educational possibilities in high school and college, strengthen their cultural identity, and develop vital leadership skills. Among the many activities, students make sandwiches to feed migrant workers and also hear successful alumni share their stories.

All the while, they abide by Archbishop Romero’s words on the importance of giving back to the Latino community through social justice and leadership.

While establishing a penchant for service, they learn vital leadership skills with the aid of Latino role models.

These role models, in fact, are merely some of the 20

Romero students on campus. During the summer, many return to the leadership program as mentors for incoming students. Because of their active involvement in all aspects of the Mitty community, they are a testament to why Outreach is such a success.

Similarly, the “I AM” camp, which is starting this summer at Mitty, is a leadership program for African American seventh graders. In partnership with Jack and Jill of America, a non-profit organization focused on youth development, this new program will be overseen by Ms. Patsy Mireles, Mr. Greg Walker, and a committee of parents who intend to make it as successful as the Romero program.

It parallels the Romero camp in its objectives to enhance leadership skills, develop cultural pride, and provide intellectually curious African American middle school students with educational opportunities. Through this program, students are exposed to the characteristics of leaders and explore in through various activities how they can develop those attributes within themselves.

Reflecting upon her experiences, sophomore Veronica Marquez emphasizes, “I really enjoy Romero and LASU, but what I like about Outreach the most is that it builds a sub-community in Mitty.”

She continues, “Mitty is a community, but Outreach is a community within Mitty for minority students. It gives me a place where I belong, where I can talk to kids who are from similar walks of life as me. It makes me feel I have a role at Mitty and makes me proud of who I am as a Latino student.”

For years, Outreach has been a beacon of unity within the Archbishop Mitty community, enabling a diverse mix of opportunities for students of different ethnic backgrounds.

Offering a unique group of scholars roles in leadership, education, and service, the Outreach Program has proven that diversity and community can be one in the same.

Mock Trial: Going to Court and to Victory

By Sara Wiltberger & Katie Ericksen Staff Writers

The Mock Trial team first received the facts and witness statements of this case at the end of September. That means that over five months of devotion and preparation There is a genuine judge, a collection of attorneys taking lengthy notes, a prosecution went into this trial, including mornings, late starts, after school times, weekends and and defense team, a jury, witnesses, a bailiff, a court-clerk. There is even a podium and informal scrimmages. gaval. However, this is not your ordinary criminal justice proceeding: it is Archbishop As Piyali Banerjee articulates, “Anticipation was bubbling, but we knew that we Mitty’s very own Mock Trial team. really brought out the best in each other as well as ourselves. After putting in 200% In its best performance in five years, co-capeffort, it was really all that we could ask for.” tains Pratyusha Javangula, Terah Tollner, Megan The hundreds of hours put in by each of the memGrabeel, and Piyali Banerjee led the Mitty Mock bers paid off as the team went into the competition with Trial team to the Santa Clara County Semi-Finals a perfect record of 5-0, Mitty’s first ever undefeated on February 26. Under the scrutiny of real attorneys stretch. Although the team lost against Monta Vista and therefore cannot move on to the finals, they have and judges, the team lost by a narrow margin to reached a level of prestige that has not been achieved Monta Vista High School: a highly esteemed comin years—an unprecedented season for an unprecpetitor in the world of Mock Trial. Despite the close edented team. loss, the team finished among the top four Mock The members of this team each exhibit extraorTrial teams in all of Santa Clara County.

In this prestigious competition, the Mock Trial dinary abilities for high school students: confidence, team both defended and prosecuted the People v. articulate public speaking, and sportsmanship among Vega criminal hit-and-run case. The case involved them. But more importantly, this year the team proved the immense potential of all the students involved. an accomplished high school swimmer, Adrien While everyone at Mitty knows that high school stuVega, and his Italian foreign exchange student, Toni dents can thrive in the classroom and on the field, this DeLuca. The two were driving in the family vehicle Pre-Trial and Trial Attorneys on season has demonstrated something greater than that. when they struck a bicyclist. They, however, did not the Mock Trial team, ready for competition.

Pratyusha Javangula reflects upon this historic stop, and Vega was arrested and charged with felony. year, “I have learned the value of extensive preparation, the pride of mastering someThe plot twist is that Vega claims that DeLuca was driving the car.

Senior Chitra Marti expresses, “Cases are structured so that the facts are not con- thing after years of dedication, and the tingly feeling when they announce your school clusive as to whether or not Vega is guilty.” That is, akin to legitimate court cases, the as the winner. I learned to be the best at what I do, and to represent the black and gold attorneys must winnow through doubt, lies, and conflicting accounts in order to deliver with pride.”

Fitting words for a Monarch. their most persuasive argument.

OPINIONS

Opposing Viewpoints The Educational System: Is It Outdated?

Onward and Upward

Let It Be

By Jessica Dumov Opinions Editor

By Varun Chhabra Staff Writer

When we think of “old school,” images of bright, high-waisted jeans with baggy, Bon Jovi t-shirts come into our minds.

However, what can be seen as outdated is not only the fashion of the ’80s, but the academic system as well. We spend the majority of our young lives in school, from kindergarten all the way to our last day of college, only to be shipped off to some job that will hopefully lead to an eminently successful career. All of these milestones are evident to every individual familiar with the current school system, but it’s the daily academic struggles that are often emitted from the whole story of our education.

The present American school system consists of 12 grades, each of which includes core subjects such as math, science, English, and history. Though these subjects are accepted as the fundamentals to what builds a well-rounded citizen, no student needs as much education in each subject as they get within the current system.

The academic requirements served their purpose well 20 years ago, but with the substance of the curriculum rapidly advancing, the number of year-long courses has taken an onerous weight on students, specifically high schoolers. For example, by senior year of high school, the majority of students in America are in pre-calculus or calculus math classes. The advanced principles taught in these courses are unnecessary for future success unless one is planning to take a math-related career path. The same goes for nearly every other subject, creating unnecessary yet mandatory general education.

Now, this doesn’t suggest that in-depth education is not important. On the contrary, the outdated system stymies interest in a particular field and discourages further specialized education. A system that forces too many academic courses on a student restricts him from delving into a particular subject with all his heart and soul. After all, does the next Einstein really need to be passionate about John Steinbeck?

The purpose of the educational system is to create well-rounded, knowledgeable citizens who will go out to better the world and in turn better themselves. However, the world is constantly changing. As we watch our developing nation, we must stop and wonder: Is there a more practical way of educating our future generations?

Luckily, there is. Many other countries have already discovered structures of schooling that are more efficient.

For example, European nations have taken the last two years of secondary education—junior and senior year to us Americans—and specialized it so students are given free choice for what courses they take. By specializing these final two years, students are allowed to choose up to six courses that focus on whichever major they wish to study; students can shape their schedules according to whatever career they

wish to pursue. Thus, a student can focus solely on the arts or on math, depending on personal preference. This means that by the time students enter university, they already know what profession they are going into and can immediately start focused and specific work in their field.

Many may say that students are not ready to pick their major at such an age, but in reality, the specific educational requirements in of the UCs and colleges in general too much restrict students from exploring further into what branches of education they enjoy.

A potential law student does not require four years of math, but rather more experience in the political sciences.

Even American colleges, writes Amy Grisak, a specialized education expert, say that it is healthier for students (and for their parents’ bank accounts) if they come out of high school knowing their major. She says, “when a student doesn’t declare a major, they’re more likely to take unnecessary classes and are not focused on a specific end goal.”

General education might add to one’s level of overall intelligence, but in the end, most of it will go unused.

The UC system highly recommends that students choose their majors, because when a student applies as undecided, he or she has a harder time getting into the classes that they desire, since students who applied to that major get priority. If fewer classes were required of high school students, teenagers could delve into their true interests at an earlier age, removing unnecessary, arduous work.

Society needs educational reform.

Though teens are not as mature as they will be when they turn 40, we are not children.

We are growing, intelligent human beings who are becoming adults. Choosing our paths is what growing up is all about. Three to four years of every core class is necessary.

Some trends are meant to be classic, like rock and roll from the ’80s, but others, such as our current educational system, should stay in the era that it came from.

It’s time to let go of the past.

Course requirements are the basis for a high school student’s schedule. They require a student to take a certain number of classes per year, creating a balanced schedule with various core subjects such as math, science, history, English, and foreign language.

At Archbishop Mitty, students must take six core classes every year with the inclusion of religion, leaving two periods for the addition of other classes or leisure.

Some argue that course requirements force students into classes that they do not wish to take and that students could better spend their time in subjects that relate to what they want to pursue as a career.

However, I believe, course requirements are necessary in high s ch o o l as they provide a balanced learning experience, helping students become well-rounded and able to tackle the challenges in the career path they choose.

In debating the usefulness of course requirements, one must first look at the primary purpose of high school. Unlike colleges and universities, high schools are meant to be backbones of further education, not places of specialization. As Mitty states in its mission statement, “...the School seeks to prepare its students for college and for responsible leadership in the global society of the 21st century.”

High schools such as Mitty are supposed to guide students into college so that they have a chance at succeeding in various fields and majors. Taking a variety of classes is one of the most practical ways do this. Course requirements are the best way to make sure that all students, regardless of whether they know what they want to major in or not, receive a comprehensive education in various subjects in order to guarantee adequate preparation for college.

Some argue that strict course requirements are detrimental to students who already have set goals for the future and know what they want to pursue. For example, a freshman who knows that he or she has a strong edge in mathematics and science might find it useless to take history classes.

Likewise, a junior that sees his or her

calling in the liberal arts might find it unnecessary to take a difficult chemistry class.

However, students such as these are few and far between. Studies have found that 80% of college-bound students are undecided in their major and out of the 20% who do declare a major, 50% change it.

While these statistics might be somewhat out of proportion in a college-preparatory school such as Mitty, they do raise an important point: high schoolers are still developing. In high school, students are still finding out who they are, and most do not have a clear picture of their future.

A comprehensive education regulated by requirements is necessary so that students can learn as much as possible and ideally find out what they want to pursue in college.

In addition, even for the students that know exactly what they want to pursue, the future—college and beyond—is still very unpredictable. As different fields become prominent, unforseen career shifts may become a reality.

In the 1950s, who could have guessed that computer technology would be such a dominant industry. Who knows what the next big thing will be? One of the panelists in Mitty’s last career symposium had initially pursued law in college, but ended up in marketing. Studies suggest that the average worker changes careers approximately 5-7 times throughout life.

Consequently, students in high school should be exposed to as many different subjects and ideas as possible so that they could fall back on this education in the future if something like this occurs. Current course requirements are the best way to ensure this.

Lastly, a balanced education with core course requirements is a great way for students to develop new interests and critical thinking abilities even if they do not wish to pursue a career in one of the required subjects.

Personally, I have been inclined toward the math and science fields for many years, and always found those subjects to be the most relevant. However, classes in history and English have had an invaluable effect that math and science never could have had.

Reading novels such as Invisible Man and The Scarlett Letter in English classes, and writing countless essays in classes such as APUSH and WHAP have helped me hone my critical thinking capacities and abilities and to analyze in ways that a math or science classes never could. These are skills that will definitely help me no matter which career field I choose to pursue.

While some students dismiss certain classes as irrelevant or unnecessary, I truly believe that all my classes at Mitty have given me a well-rounded, beneficial learning experience. In short, course requirements help students in various ways and therefore are an indispensable part of high school education.

April 2013 • Opinions

paper Or pLastIc?

By Katherine Kirst Opinions Editor

You have an English paper due in two weeks, and before you know it, there are only three days left. The panicking begins and you haven’t begun reading the book that your essay is focused on. Turning on your iPad, you

Page 3 check online for e-books—you shop Amazon and iBooks but luck is not on your side since your book isn’t available “electronically.” With less than three days to read the book and write a paper, you resort to drastic measures: You decide to visit your local library.

After navigating the harrowing aisles, you finally come across your book. The physical act of holding a book is now foreign to you, your arms have long forgotten the weight of paper in comparison to an iPad, and when you swipe your finger over the cover, the page doesn’t turn automatically.

Who knew opening a book could be such exhausting work?

As comical as the above scenario may seem, the sad truth of the matter is that for the current and future generations, the simple act of walking into a library containing actual paper may become obsolete.

Electronic books are slowly subsuming the printed format as the preferred vehicle on which people read. E-books topped print sales for the first time in 2011, a continuing trend. Newly released hit-novels may sell as many digital copies as paper ones; the proportion is growing quickly. And let’s not forget the mass closing of bookstores.

The largest selling point for e-books is that of convenience. For example, measured en masse, the stack of “books I want to read” sits precariously on the edge of my bookshelf and eclipses 5,000 pages. E-books offer easier storage and portability, especially for travel—the Kindle ereader sold by Amazon is commonly depicted at the beach, which is a great place to bring your electronic devices—so, an e-book makes sense to those seeking ease of access.

Such a small item that contains a bookcase full of stories, recipes, and solutions for world peace would seem to offer a very advanced solution to my housekeeping problem. But for people who truly love books, print is the

only medium that will satisfy.

People who need to possess the physical copy of a book, not merely an electronic version, believe that the objects themselves are, in a word, sacred. Some people may find this attitude baffling, arguing that books are merely old objects that take up space. This is true, but then again, so are your grandparents.

But truly, books are much more than spine-bound compilations of words. Books as physical objects matter to me, and many other people, because they evoke the past.

There are books that I need sitting on my bookshelf. The first children’s book my parents ever read to me, Winnie the Pooh, a compilation of poems by Emily Dickinson that my grandmother passed down to me from her childhood, and my battered copy of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, complete with innumerable creases in the spine and physical indentations in the paper from tear marks when Fred dies.

Printed books possess the power to transport the owner back to their past, to bring to mind memories that extend much further than simple words on a page.

An e-book can never hope to achieve such an influence. Digital technology is funny—you “own” an e-book, but in reality, you don’t. You’re simply paying for the right to access data.

Electronic books are ideal for people who have clutter issues, or who don’t want other people to see that they are reading books about sparkly vampires, but they are useless for those engaged in a lifelong love affair with books. Books that we can touch, books that we can smell, books that we can depend on. Books that make us believe, for however short a time, that we shall all live happily ever after.

Is FOOtBaLL endangered?

By Eric He Staff Writer We all love football. We love the amazing catches and the game-saving interceptions.

We love those do-or-die moments when our team is facing a fourth-and-goal. But what is it that we love most about football? The bone-crushing, nerve-jarring hits that—unbeknownst to many—are ruining the game of football as we know it.

The negative effects of playing football have been well-documented recently, and the debate has escalated into a national discussion after the suicides of Junior Seau and Jovan Belcher. Seau retired in 2010 after a highly successful NFL career, and then shot himself in the chest at his home in Oceanside, California, last May. While suicide pulls at our hearts, Belcher’s incident is much more heinous. Last December, the Kansas City Chiefs linebacker killed his girlfriend at their home, and then drove to the Chiefs practice facility where he shot himself in the head in front of his coaches.

These men seemingly had it all—the money, the notoriety, the millions of screaming fans. On the outside it looks as though they are living “the dream.” However, both Seau and Belcher suffered from a condition known as chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), a disease caused by multiple hits to the head. The symptoms of CTE include aggression, depression, short-term memory loss, and heightened chance of suicide. Perhaps the worst part of it is, CTE currently can only be discovered via an autopsy after death, so current players have no clue whether they have the disease. Last year, Boston University did a study of 35 brains of deceased former NFL players with histories of head trauma, and alarmingly found that CTE was present in all but one.

So, if football is being portrayed as such a dangerous game, should our youth—specifically high school students—be encouraged to play the sport?

In his book Concussions and Our Kids, Dr. Robert Cantu, a clinical professor of neurosurgery at the Boston University School of Medicine, argues that kids should not be allowed to play tackle football until age 14. Kids are not miniature adults. Even if a child’s head is 90 percent of its adult size, their necks are much weaker. Therefore, a jarring hit will likely cause more damage—both short and long term—as the brain is jerked around with greater force.

However, even at the high school level, such consequences can be dire. Although

teenagers are unlikely to suffer from a disease as traumatic as CTE, they are still exposed to one of its causes: concussions. It’s rather simple; repeated hits to the head and—even if one does not experience a recurrent number of concussions—could one day contribute to CTE. Because any football player of any age is exposed to the possibility of concussion, the risk lies at the high school level. Grantland, an affiliate of ESPN, recently released a rather disturbing statistic. Neurologists concluded that high school football players who suffered three or more concussions were nearly ten times more likely to display abnormal responses to head injury, such as loss of consciousness or amnesia.

As more and more damning evidence comes out proving the violent and destructive effects of football, what is going to happen to the sport in the future?

Call me crazy, but football will one day disappear in high school and lower levels.

It seems outrageous right now, since football is undeniably the most popular sport in America, but just think about it.

With all the great minds we have researching and finding new information on the effects of playing football, parents will eventually come to realize that it is too risky to allow their children to participate. As a result, schools will pull the plug on the football program entirely, citing how harmful it can be to our youth.

new-wave edUcatIOn

What if I told you that everything you thought you knew about education was wrong? What if students learn better on their own or in peer teams, rather than sitting in a classroom and listening to a teacher?

These are questions Sugata Mitra has been asking since the late 1990s. Mitra, a professor of educational technology at Newcastle University, won the prize for his concept of “self organizing learning environments,” an alternative to traditional schooling that relies on empowering students to work together on computers to solve their own problems. Students lead while adults provide encouragement, rather than top-down instructions. Mitra believes that teachers are not obsolete, but their roles may be changing as students increasingly have access to self-learning tools.

When examining the research comparing students learning cooperatively and individually, a very interesting paradox appears. Common practice in schools today has teachers

By Rachita Pandya Staff Writer

often separating students from one another and having them work on their own. However, the vast majority of the research comparing student-student interaction patterns indicates that students learn more effectively when they work cooperatively.

A study from the Institute of Education at London University suggests that teachers should act as “guides on the side,” rather than directly giving instruction. The project, involving more than 4,000 students between five and fourteen, found that children who worked together in peer groups became more focused on their work. The amount of thoughtful discussion in the classroom often doubled in many classes.

Furthermore, the Cooperative Learning team at the University of Minnesota recently did a meta-analysis on all studies that compare cooperation and individualistic learning (122 studies from 1924 to 1980). The results indicated that students understand material more quickly when working together. The results hold for several subject areas and age groups from elementary school through adult. Students achieve more in cooperative interaction than in competitive or individualistic interaction.

The ability of all students to learn to work cooperatively with others is the keystone to building and maintaining stable careers and relationships in the future. Being able to perform technical skills such as reading, speaking, listening, and problem-solving, are valuable but will be rendered of little use if the person cannot apply these skills in a community setting. We need to reconcile school practice with current research, and encourage a healthy portion of instruction to be cooperative.

Page 4

Opinions • April 2013

YOU vOted FOr whOm? Political parties, opinionated groups with often politically active themselves. And if

By Maxine Patwardhan black and white boundaries, are commonly associpolitical influence is not coming from home, Staff Writer ated with our do-nothing Congress. So if this is the it comes from elsewhere. case, how could everyday Americans feel complete In California, a liberal state, a person is and total loyalty to their own party? simply exposed to more positive opinions about During the Republican primaries, there were some Democrats, and therefore may begin to see Democrats who absolutely detested eventual nominee Mitt Romney, who as more attuned to their needs, more trustworthy, and more could not stand his policies, his character, or his record. Yet those “electable.” These feelings about a certain party continue through same people tell me they voted for him last November. all the changes in the economy and the globe. Individuals rarely stray David Brooks, a conservative writer for The New York Times, wrote from the political path of the party they accepted in childhood. Their vote is less affected by issues, it turns out, than by emotional attachment. columns making fun of Romney, and frequently took jabs at him on PBS’s Such loyalty to party leads to an inability to compromise. This lack of coNewshour, calling him a flip-flopper, among other not-so-favorable names. operation leads to last minute budget deals and endless talk of going over the fiscal Yet a couple months ago, when faced with the choice between Romney and cliff. As long as people vote for something simply because it is supported by their a Democrat, he endorsed the Romney ticket. Brooks was a Republican pundit, and party, widespread bipartisanship does not have a chance. Establishing the bipartisan Romney was the Republican candidate. The choice was simple. For many of those atmosphere is an imperative step in passing important legislation that will allow the devoted to their party of choice, voting for another candidate is practically treason. government to fix our deficit, reform immigration, and improve education. However, Bipartisanship is as rare in our citizens as it is in Congress. this will require a change of attitude among the American people—it will demand a willAmong the undecided, choosing a candidate is influenced by factors outside of ingness to vote for a person because of their platform, not their party, and a willingness platforms and issues. A University of Michigan study showed that children often grow to let our politicians know that it is not simple loyalty, but rather the issues that matter. up to vote the same way as their parents, and people from politically active families are

mInImUm

wage

By Eric Whitehead Staff Writer As a key point in his 2013 State of the Union Address, President Obama proposed to raise the federal minimum wage from the current $7.50 to $9.00––a 20% increase. To the average teenage worker like you and me, this sounds great: more money in our pockets for the same amount of work we have traditionally done. I can eat at more restaurants and go to more concerts!

However, the President failed to address the potential adverse effects of this proposal.

The main flaw in this plan is that it will not fully achieve the goal it aims for: to reduce poverty by inducing more wealth into the lower-middle class. While a worker’s salary might receive a boost, businesses will not increase their payroll, simply because they cannot afford to.

My father, who is a small business owner, currently has about a thousand employees, half of whom are paid minimum wage. If required by law to increase the pay of those workers by 20%, he would be forced to lay off 20% of those workers, because he cannot afford to pay all of them.

So, while many workers would prosper with this kind of pay, there would be a large group of people left unemployed,

which is an even worse scenario.

Furthermore, when companies with many minimum wageearning employees are forced to make cuts, it merely becomes survival of the fittest among the workers: the least qualified or unskilled laborers are the first to go.

It’s not just one company making cuts—it’s numerous across the country. Soon we’ll find ourselves with a massive population of unskilled laborers, again, unemployed.

For minimum wage reform to logically work the way it is envisioned, small businesses would suffer. It requires a large sum of cash and cut in profits to jump-start the process of paying workers more, such that they can spend more. To pay workers an extra 20% businesses have to gain that extra 20%. Prices of products are raised. And the economy is back to square one.

More money available to buy the same products only leads to inflation, which devalues property, essentially doing little good for the economy.

In sum, this is an issue which the federal government should not try to dirty their hands with. Taking more money from hardworking businesses is not the answer, rather the answer lies with the availability of jobs. To put it simply, more jobs means more money and a happier America.

the pen Is mIghtIer than the swOrd

By Sanika Puranik Staff Writer The pen is a vessel of power, proof that good things come in small packages. In the midst of today’s tumultuous power struggles, censorship has emerged as one of the key tactics regimes use to maintain a dictatorial rule over their people. Censorship, specifically in print, suppresses the voice of the common man, dismantles any traces of democracy, and stunts the marketplace of ideas a free press fosters.

Perhaps the most famous instance of journalism holding government leaders accountable for their actions is the infamous Watergate scandal, which prompted President Nixon’s historic resignation due to the investigative journalism of Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein. However, while America has emerged as a relatively safer haven for journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists in the last five years world-wide, 463 journalists have been exiled, 712 have been jailed, and a shocking 514 have been killed. To put it in perspective, that’s over 25% of Mitty’s student body.

In China, many recently gathered to protest censorship outside the offices of the Guangdong newspaper Southern Weekly. In response to the protests, the Communist Party stated that they have “absolute control over the media,” refusing to even acknowledge the Chinese peoples’ freedoms of expression. Similarly, in Sudan, about 200 journalists, among them Faisal Mahmed Salih, have

been pushed into unemployment. As Salih said, “Due to censorship, readers don’t buy newspapers because all of them are the same.”

Consider the story of Malala Yousafzai, a young 15-year-old girl who wrote a blog for BBC detailing her life

under the Taliban regime in Pakistan. As Yousafzai rose in prominence, her anti-Taliban remarks made her an enemy in the eyes the government, and on October 9, 2012, she was shot in the head and neck in an assassination attempt by a Taliban gunman.

Miraculously, she survived the attacks, but her writings in the press have left the Taliban vowing to kill her and her family for her outspoken ideas. The writings of journalists such as Yousafzai are the voice of the voiceless; newspapers should be the peoples’ open forum of expression. Thus when the freedom of press is denied, the basic human rights of a person are infringed upon.

The unadulterated freedom of the press is also crucial in the spreading of knowledge and the sharing of various opinions, creating a free-flowing marketplace of new ideas.

In the past, newspapers were key in spurring several events that have helped move society forward. Had the devastating pictures and effects of the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki been censored, would the world be blind to the horrendous effects of nuclear war? Clearly, the press is paramount in spreading information and exposing new ideas that could change the course of our country.

Plain and simple, censorship sucks. It never will be okay to control the voice of the common man for powergreedy motives. Censorship has no place in our forwardmoving society, and in order to keep progressing, freedom of the press needs to be recognized as a basic right and necessity. As Thomas Jefferson declared, “The basis of our government being the opinion of the people, the very first object should be to keep that right; and were it left to me to decide whether we should have a government without newspapers, or newspapers without a government, I should not hesitate a moment to prefer the latter.”

Arts & Entertainment

Spotlight on : The Singers of Exodus And by AnnaLiese Burich and Bella DiLisio A&E Editors

By Mitch Hanson Staff Writer

d l o r r e H a l ' a Myh

Ryan Ballard

C h r is t i n

a Mo o re

How long have you been performing? How did you get started?

For as long as I can remember, really. I got my “career start” when I was six in a play called The Velveteen Rabbit at Children’s Musical Theatre San Jose. It was actually my mom’s clients and friends that suggested I do CMT, so, because I always loved to sing and dance, I started taking some classes for young people, like tap dancing, and it just led to where I am now.

How long have you been performing? How did you get started?

I’ve been performing since I was about six years old.

I started doing rip-off fairytale shows at a local theater company, and then made my way to the Children’s Musical Theater by age eight, where I have done the majority of my shows over the years. I kept doing sports and other activities simultaneously, but by middle school I decided to pursue theater and music full time.

How long have you been performing? How did you get started?

I’ve been performing since I was 8! I saw shows with my granny and was too scared to audition for them until I was older. I’m glad I did! I didn’t get addicted to theater until I was ten, when I did my first CMT show. I was in The Boyfriend and was the smallest part imaginable, but I was so happy! I continued to do shows there and started voice lessons and dance lessons shortly after.

Do you prefer to sing or act? Why? I can’t decide because I love them both too much. They both are such a big part of my life, and I can honestly say that I want to perform forever: in fact, it’s all I have ever wanted to do.

Do you prefer to sing or act? Why? I really do love both, but I’m a firm believer that acting is the foundation for all theater. A great voice means nothing if it doesn’t make you feel. I prefer musicals to plays because music just adds heightened emotion that plays can’t provide, but the acting always comes first for me.

Do you prefer to sing or act? Why?

Who are your musical inspirations? Why? Adrienne Eller (Mitty alumni class of 2011): she’s crazy talented.

What is your favorite part about performing?

I really like the ability to make the audience feel what I feel.

Whether it is through my acting, singing, or dancing, I love the ability to express my emotions through performing. I also love entertaining them! The joy I can bring an audience member by taking them on a journey through my eyes really keeps me performing. For example, in The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee at Mitty, I loved getting the chance to express myself through my character Olive and make the audience feel what she feels. It’s truly amazing.

Upcoming This Spring Pardon My French Presents “Diaper of Steel”: April 26th Oui oui monsieur, they’re back. During their fall show, they drew from a hat the title of their next show: “Diaper of Steel.” Intriguing, right? I don’t know what it could be about, do you? A bionic baby? Perhaps. A magic diaper? Maybe! You better bring your tissues, because tears of laughter will undoubtedly be streaming down your face.

Spring Choral Concert: April 18th Music is debatably the closest thing we have to magic. Soaring harmonies, striking chords, mind-blowing notes, and fierce vocal chords. Sure, you can plug into your iPod through your headphones and listen to music, but absolutely nothing compares to live music—feeling it wash over you and rattle your bones. Come to the spring choral concert and experience this next-to-magic.

Spring Instrumental Concert: April 23rd Same thing here, except instead of fierce vocal chords, you’ll hear fierce instrumental chords. You’ll hear the music wash over you two times in one month? That is pretty darn lucky. Plus, it would be incredibly lovely of you to go support your friends in the orchestra and band.

Who are your musical inspirations? Why? I have sort of a trio of inspiration, and I call them the three “J’s”: Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz, and John Mayer. I love the raw, acoustic feel to all of their music, and individually, they’re all great vocalists. Other favorite artists include Regina Spektor and Ben Folds.

What is your favorite part about performing?

There’s nothing like being on stage. It’s the best feeling in the world, and I do shows over and over because I can’t get enough of that sensation. When shows are really wellrehearsed, and you’re fortunate enough to be surrounded by really talented people, the result is amazing. It’s so much better than the real world.

That’s a really hard question. Singing goes hand in hand with acting; it’s just a way to show emotion. So I guess acting? But singing is the best too. Both? They each have their own special qualities; I love singing because it’s passionate and fun and a really unique way to show emotion, but then I love acting for the same reasons! Why would you make me choose?

Who are your musical inspirations? Why? No one is coming to mind. Freddie Mercury.

What is your favorite part about performing?

Being able to make people feel things, be it sadness or happiness. People come to the theater to escape their daily lives, and it’s pretty awesome that we have the ability to help them do that. We can take them to different worlds: somewhere as simple as a spelling bee or as complicated as a murder mystery in 1930s England. We are successful if the audience leaves feeling differently than when they came in.

The A&E Crossword

Across 1 How to…?

7 Exodus Drummer (surname) 9. Makes his own c-l-o-t-h-e-s 10 Senior model gal 11 Runs the choirs 12 There are 39 13 Anne Hathaway’s shining moment 17 First speller eliminated (surname) 19 Mitty rapper’s misspelled moniker 20 Fearless musical director 22 Her violin playing is better than Tsou-Tsou Down 1 She’s too good for stock photos 2 It’s all…that…jazzzzzz (next fall) 3 The Mystery of Edwin ____ 4 What language are we pardoning?

5 Anticipated movie with special significance for seniors 6 Angel on the guitar (first name) 8 Canadian dreamboat on the base (surname) 14 Liturgical theme song 15 Drama(tic) teacher 16 Drink of choice for jazz in the fall 18 Mitty’s own DJ ____ 21 Queen of the Royals

Page 6

April 2013 • Arts & Entertainment

It's Easy Being Green

(GOOD SOUND)

By Marian Wyman Staff Writer

By Bella DiLisio A&E Editor

Whether you know him from his informative Crash Course videos, his entertaining Twitter account (@realjohngreen), or as the author of countless young adult novels, John Green has certainly made his mark on today’s media. Green is the intelligent, powerful voice of today’s youth. Invite him into your life and allow one of his many projects to change you.

Young Adult Fiction: Ironically, young adult fiction is largely a forgotten genre for high schoolers. We’re so caught up in high-level academic material that we don’t have the time or the desire to read for pleasure. But trust me, Green’s books are worth it. The books aren’t called “young adult” because they’re lesser, but because whether the subject is love, illness, substance abuse, or depression, each is presented in a way that will most strongly impact teenagers who face many of the same problems. One such example is The Fault in Our Stars. Soon to be made into a movie, this bestseller follows the lives of two teenage cancer patients as they cope with their families, their diagnoses, themselves, and each other. It is unique not only in its subject matter but also in its delivery: Green tells the story in a way that teenagers can understand and relate to. They know true pain and true love because they have seen it exemplified in Green’s strong characters.

Crash Course: WHAP students beware, John Green is the brain and personality behind the quick and informative videos that have helped you ace many quizzes and tests. This project has been up and running for more than a year now, and in combination with videos of various different subjects (Ecology, Literature, and Biology, to name a few) taught by Green himself and his brother Hank, the channel has engaged and informed its viewers. Crash Course is special because it’s so unique.

The videos are hilarious and the curriculum challenging, and no one masters tutoring like these brothers. They bring something special to academia, and it’s truly fun to watch.

Vlogbrothers/DFTBA/Social Media: “DFTBA: Don’t forget to be awesome.” This is the motto of John and Hank’s vlog channel, Vlogbrothers. The two brothers make biweekly videos about their everyday lives, and each video is watched by a band of loyal “nerdfighters.” The topics are constantly changing: politics, cartooning, science, and their families.

John Green also makes an impact through his Twitter account. Whether he is posting fans’ art, articles about books he’s written, or just his opinions on pop culture, Twitter is a great way for Green’s fans to interact with him. As a master of the Internet, John Green can really bring his fans into his life.

John Green brings a new voice to teenagers, on YouTube, at the bookstore, and through social media, and it revolutionizes the way we think, communicate, and act.

Two summers ago, I had the pleasure of discovering one of my new favorite bands, a young group by the name of Bad Suns. Based out of Los Angeles, this group of four (Chris, Gavin, Ray, and Miles) is wise beyond their years when it comes to making music.

And with the release of their newest single, “Cardiac Arrest,” this band is determined to prove that their sound cannot be easily pigeonholed.

And why can’t one specifically identify their sound? They don’t want to be categorized. “We love all types of music,” explains main vocalist Chris. “We try to avoid listing influences, because we don’t want listeners to have a preconceived idea of the band before they actually hear our music. The tag line we’ve been throwing around is ‘Sounds and words to provoke the body and mind.’ We make music that we feel anyone could enjoy.”

As far as making universally enjoyable music, they have indeed succeeded. Every song they have released to date has been brimming with passion and spirit, each one more unique than the last. They do, in fact, provoke the body and mind with sensational lyrics, ones far too complex to mindlessly copy and paste into one’s Facebook profile picture caption. To do that would be a great injustice. I mean, with lines such as “The scenery is new to me, blank canvas and a brush/ Seek harmony, find misery/ Not the end though, and crescendo” from “If You Say So,” and “I’ll try my best, how much do I invest?/ Like cardiac arrest, high voltage in her lips” from “Cardiac Arrest” how could anyone use them for shallow purposes? Their lyrics are about real experiences, not any specific message.

They seek only to “convey emotions and give perspective.”

As far as their newfound success, the band remains relatively humble, though one would expect some overconfidence, because, well, they’re amazing. To say they have talent is an understatement. Yet they take the feedback from “Cardiac Arrest” in stride, commenting, “Getting such a positive response from the release of ‘Cardiac Arrest’ has been a really nice feeling. We’re really proud of that song. For months and months, we were some of the only people who had heard it, so to put it out there and have such great feedback has felt incredibly rewarding. Hearing your own song on the radio stations you grew up listening to is a really incredible feeling.”

Their unobtrusive nature sets the band apart, for one can predict that when (not if) they come upon national fame they will not let it go to their heads; they will remain the same grateful, friendly guys who also happen to make outrageously hilarious posts on their social media pages. This is all made possible because of their inexplicably natural chemistry, which Chris describes as “almost too good to be true.” He further remarks, “We’re all best friends, and we love making music, [especially] the music that we’re making. There’s an honesty to what we’re doing, and we think that’s something that should never be undervalued. We’re going to stick around for a long time.” I sincerely hope they do, because the music industry needs more people like them. And, to indulge in a cheesy moment, I’d probably go into cardiac arrest if they don’t eventually find great success.

Fashion For You As fashion blogging rises in popularity, massive numbers have been allowed to form communities based off a mutual interest in the creativity and beauty of expressing oneself through fashion.

Many privileged bloggers have become celebrities and are granted access to runway shows, allowing their fans and followers a more intimate look at high fashion through their photos and videos. Fans connect and relate to the bloggers they follow, forming a kinship that, through the vlogs and diaries of the bloggers, allows them to feel as if they were present at the shows as well.

Jessica Stein’s blog Tuula has gained a loyal band of followers who tune in for Stein’s daily posts on her couture outfit ensembles and world travels; Jessica Quirk’s What I Wore targets the average girl as she uploads her DIY projects, outfits of the day, and announcements on local NYC sales; while viewers love the chic Garance Doré by a photographer and illustrator who blogs about her daily fashion inspiration as well as her glamorous trips abroad.

Yet these blogs are only a small sampling of the sources of inspiration for fashion-oriented

By Kendall Perata females everywhere. Looking and on fashion blogs or Instagrams Niki Griswold that offer the latest styles from Staff Writers people in tune with the industry, such as Derek Blasberg or Karlie Kloss, can be helpful as well. The presence and work of these bloggers has made the high fashion industry so much more accessible to the general public, and has begun to eliminate the class barriers the industry is famous for upholding.

Since the birth of couture in medieval times, beautiful, intricate garments have been marks of the wealthy.

Fashion has progressed with society, developing into a massive empire of designers, magazines, models, and haute couture lines.

But one thing has stayed constant: the exclusivity of the industry. Accessibility to high fashion has always been limited to the wealthy, a status symbol that only bolsters the high-class image. Magazines give us glimpses into the couture world, but never without the triple zero prices printed in the lower corners, a constant reminder of who has the privilege of indulging in the art. But with the rise of thrift shops, affordable fashion, and the Internet comes an opportunity for the middle class to access this world.

It’s terrible to fall in love with an outfit in a magazine only to find out that the shoes alone cost more than your entire summer salary. While it may seem hard to find affordable and stylish pieces to add to your wardrobe, looking at the right stores can make it easier than you think.

Find stores in the middle: to get Nordstrom quality at Forever 21 prices, check Nordstrom Rack (there’s one very close to school). Research the current season’s runway styles and brainstorm how to wear them in teen-friendly ways. If you see a look you love on the runway, you could easily find similar pieces at stores you regularly shop at. It’s okay to invest more than usual in classic, good-quality pieces that you will wear for several years.

Hit up some thrift shops, where you may even find designer clothes for reasonable prices; there’s a pretty big one called Crossroads quite close to Valley Fair. Also, stay away from stores like Hollister that are expensive and unoriginal and will result in you wearing the same outfit as your friend and the same style pieces season after season.

Here are some simple tips to avoid these pitfalls: survey your wardrobe before you shop to see what you actually need, and look at stores that you wouldn’t normally for unexpected pieces. Looking to be fashion forward can often be hard in a retail industry with exorbitant prices, but it doesn’t have to be if you look in the right places.

With a little time and thought, fashion can be not only fun, but also affordable.

Arts & Entertainment • April 2013

Page 7

Monarch Critics

A Night to Remember The Romance Falls Out

By Kasturi Kulkarni Staff Writer

By Jisoo Kim A&E Editor

Maroon 5’s Overexposed North Ameri- screaming, Maroon 5 burst out with their can Tour kicked off in mid-February, stop- popular single, “Payphone.” Unquestionping at San Jose’s HP Pavilion on March ably, Maroon 5 is a band to see live, as they 13 to perform to an extremely pumped, bring a whole new level of enjoyment to fasold-out audience. Grabbing the most of the miliar tunes like “Misery” and “This Love.” audience’s attention was dominating lead Levine ran around the stage, making singer Adam Levine, along with bandmates every audience member feel welcome and James Valentine (lead proud to be a fan. The guitar), Mickey Madlighting and screen den (bass), PJ Morton projections brought (keyboards), and Matt even more enjoyment Flynn (drums). to the experience.

As one of two Rozzi Crane, opening acts, Owl recently signed to City began the show Levine’s record label, with a half-hour set joined the band with of catchy electroniher soulful voice for ca, playing hits like “Moves Like Jagger” Picture Courtesy of Kasturi Kulkarni and “Wake Up Call.”

“Fireflies” and “Good Time.” A majority of Throughout the the audience (myself included) gave a stand- concert, Levine would initiate a call-anding ovation when the second opening act, response to get the audience singing with Neon Trees, made their dramatic entrance. him. Most memorable was a beautiful Lead singer Tyler Glenn was bursting acoustic rendition of “She Will Be Loved,” with energy, bouncing around the stage which he dedicated to “all the ladies out with his carefree attitude and a blue, glittery there in the audience.” suit. He impressively belted out tunes like It has been confirmed that three-time “Animal” and “Everybody Talks,” often Grammy Award-winner Maroon 5 is workwith backup vocals from drummer Elaine ing on some new music while they continue Bradley. They definitely put everyone in the to finish up their tour. right mood to welcome the group we had If they return to San Jose someday, I come to see that night. highly recommend seeing them in concert With the entire crowd on its feet and for an unforgettable night.

It’s been called the tradeoff of 2013: we got Fall Out Boy back and lost My Chemical Romance. Only a month and a half after FOB burst back onto the scene with the single “My Songs Know What You Did in the Dark (Light ’Em Up),” MCR just as abruptly announced their split.

I came across both bands around the tender age of 12, when any mild emotional turmoil I might’ve felt hardly befitted the screaming of My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade. I was unintentionally an undevoted fan until high school, and though I greatly appreciated Fall Out Boy’s 2008 release, Folie a Deux, I only casually took in the news of their 2009 hiatus.

It’s a weird coincidence that the two bands making headlines recently also represent my change from being a passive fan to an active one. But with Fall Out Boy on indefinite hiatus, I paid little attention to the never-ending reunion rumors. After the excitement of My Chemical Romance’s high-energy 2010 album, Danger Days: The True Lives of the Dangerous Killjoys,

died down, my interest admittedly waned.

Thankfully for the better MCR fans (some of whom identify as part of the MCRmy), the New Jersey natives withstood drummer drama and came out with the project Conventional Weapons, a compilation of unreleased songs that was released in five parts from October 2012 to February 2013. They began working on a fifth album and appeared on Yo Gabba Gabba’s Christmas special.

Meanwhile, the day before the final release of Conventional Weapons, Fall Out Boy shocked the music world with a new song and the announcement that their fifth studio album, Save Rock and Roll, would come out on April 15, 2013.

Vocalist/guitarist Patrick Stump repeatedly maintains that despite the members’ various solo projects during the hiatus, they never really broke up – the hiatus was just that, a hiatus, a break in activity. I would wager that with either band, with all its ups and downs, the MCR frontman’s post-breakup tweet (“Beyond any sadness, what I feel the most is pride”) fully applies.

In a Nutshell

By Nicole Rejer Staff Writer

By Shannon Lam Staff Writer

By Chitra Marti A&E Editor

By Gaby Sant’Anna Staff Writer

Bon Jovi, which celebrates its 30th anniversary this year, is one of the few hair bands that successfully climbed out of the ’80s and continues to produce great music today. Following a four-year break after recording their last album, these rockers burst back onto the scene on March 12, releasing their new album What About Now. The title track is sure to join the likes of “Livin’ on a Prayer” and “It’s My Life,” while no doubt also getting air time with more enlivening guitar riffs and uplifting lyrics.

One of my personal favorites, “Beautiful World,” also comes through with Bon Jovi’s signature message of perseverance, trust, and faith. Jon Bon Jovi’s voice invites us to overcome our hardships and realize that we are, after all, blessed to be alive.

Although they’ve been together for 30 years now, Bon Jovi proves to us that rock isn’t going anywhere anytime soon, and that acts like them just get better with age.

Justin Timberlake has it all: six Grammy awards and four Emmy awards, a successful acting career, and hoards of teenage girls all plotting to replace Timberlake’s new wife, Jessica Biel. The 20/20 Experience only emphasizes Timberlake’s artistry.

Filled with smooth beats, Timberlake combines R&B and pop together to make you want to stop whatever you’re doing and dance. Even the abnormally long songs–two of which are eight minutes long–will still keep you wanting more. And even though Timberlake usually sticks to his usual upbeatedness that gets him on the radio, he experiments in “Blue Ocean Floor,” a song that reveals his raw emotions and sensitivity.

And even if you’re already sick of hearing “Suit and Tie” on the radio, this album is filled with songs that remind us of how mesmerizing Timberlake’s voice is.

In 2006, Justin Timberlake brought sexy back. With The 20/20 Experience, sexy is here to stay.

Eric Clapton knows he’s old. He doesn’t need you to tell him. And, as a selfaware old person, he doesn’t have much to worry about. He’s got more than enough $100 bills to line his coffin and 17 Grammys to use as a pillow.

Yet although Clapton is God, he’s now a God who’s ready to look back at his life, and this is exactly what he does in Old Sock, a medley of Clapton’s favorite childhood songs, from “Goodnight Irene” to “Still Got the Blues.” In fact, the album only features two new songs by Clapton. Every song is deliberately paced, deviating from his signature cries on “Layla.” Perhaps this is Clapton’s new signature–a new signature to reflect the old sock he’s become.

“Further on down the road,” he tells us, “you will accompany me.” We’ll all reach the point where Clapton is in his life – a point where he’s not in it for the awards or the money, but for the fun.

About a year ago, I discovered the music of flatsound. flatsound, written without capitals, is a project by lo-fi bedroom musician Mitch Welling, who records using mostly a guitar, his voice, and ethereal sounds. His latest album, Sleep, is a concept album that never disappoints, delivering poignant music that ranges from relaxing to unsettling to hopeful.

But, flatsound is not your typical musical album that you can buy on iTunes.

Welling is not mainstream, no. He wants each of his listeners to have a personal, nostalgic feeling, harkening back to the era of floppy disks and cassettes. So Sleep is only available on cassette, and every package comes with pins, handcut patches, and signed thank yous from Welling himself. Listening to this album is an experience all its own, and quite a wonderful one at that. Welling’s upcoming album Cure of the Commonest Kind will be released sometime within the year.

Drawn by Morgan Czeropski Staff Artist

By Kenny Nguyen Staff Writer

For many, learning a second language such as Spanish or French can be truly difficult.

But imagine if one can learn 10, 20, or even 100 languages. Such is the case for the Lebanese instructor Ziad Fazah, who claimed he knew 59 languages.

Most significantly, John Bowring, prominent politician, diplomat, and economist, claimed he knew more than 200 languages and could speak around 100 of them.

But what contributes to such amazing lingual skill?

Many say that this skill is attributed to one’s experiences: If one needs to use several languages in their daily life, there is a greater incentive to know and perform the languages well. This fact may hold true for Bowring and Fazah, who required the use of several languages for their professions as a diplomat or as a linguist, respectively. So, what then may be the maximum number of languages a person can learn? Scientists have been scratching their heads at the possible number; however, people have long believed that the languages they can speak are defined by their environment and their efforts to learn new languages.

Perhaps, we shall soon see people who can speak 200 languages, perhaps even 500!

By Sarah Tsou Staff Writer

Ever wonder why people “kick the bucket” when they die?

Or suffer from a “Charley horse” leg cramp? Look no further! Listed below are some common phrases and their fascinating origins—enjoy!

Kick the bucket Meaning: to die The origin of this phrase is a bit morbid—though there is not much evidence to support this particular theory, it is believed that this saying stems from the notion that people hanged themselves by standing on a bucket with a noose around their neck, and then kicking away the bucket.

Hence, “kick the bucket.”

Fly off the handle Meaning: to get very angry, very quickly This particular phrase takes its roots from the humble axe. In the days before mass manufacturing, the axe heads were manually fastened to their handles, and unfortunately, this was sometimes done very poorly. There was always a chance that the axe head would “fly off the handle” and cause a very dangerous situation.

Raining cats and dogs Meaning: torrential rain, downpour There are two potential origins for this oft-cited idiom. One commonly-held (though very morbid) belief is that this phrase refers to the days before garbage collection, when people would simply dump all of their trash in their gutters— including deceased house pets. Whenever it began to rain hard, the garbage, including the corpses of dogs and cats, would be carried into the streets.

On a much happier, less disgusting note, another theory suggests that the phrases originated in a time when the roofs of houses were made of hay.

Cats and dogs enjoyed snuggling up in those roofs; but when it rained, the cats and dogs would often slide off the roof and fall to the ground.

There, isn’t this origin so much better?

Costing an arm and a leg Meaning: very expensive This phrase originated in pre-photography times, when people who wanted or needed portraits made would call upon a painter.

Interestingly enough, each limb (arm or leg) that the customer wanted to appear in the official portrait would add significantly to the cost.

Read between the lines Meaning: to perceive or understand a hidden meaning This phrase finds its roots in medieval books—here, monks (when transcribing religious texts) would often add their own annotations and comments about the meanings and interpretations of the lines. And where did they add these?

Between the lines of the principal text being transcribed.

Charley Horse Meaning: a muscle cramp, especially in the leg/foot This phrase holds its origins in England, where, in 1640, King Charles I expanded the London police force. The new recruits were nicknamed “Charleys” and forced to patrol on foot, since there wasn’t enough money at the time to provide horses for all new police. The Charleys often joked with one another that their sore, cramped feet and legs were the result of riding “Charley’s horse”—a nonexistent horse.

Bury the hatchet Meaning: make peace with an enemy The origin of this particular phrase is straightforward—some Native American tribes declared peace by literally burying a tomahawk (hatchet-like weapon) in the ground.

Speak of the devil Meaning: refers to instances where a person appears, right after you mention their name The origin of this phrase lies in the belief many people held that you can actually summon the Devil, just by saying his name.

Second string Meaning: replacement, backup The origin of this phrase is really quite literal—during medieval times, an archer would always carry with him an extra bow string (a second string...haha get it?) in case the one on his bow broke.

By Lina Lalwani and Kerri Yen Staff Writers

How can knowing another language benefit today’s generation? Besides having a greater range of communication and being familiar with a different culture, the ability to speak more than one language can positively affect the brain in the many different activities we do every day. A study performed by the University of Kentucky showed that speaking two languages can help slow aging effects on the brain. Leading researcher and neuroscientist Brian Gold and his team created an experiment to study the task-switching speeds of monolingual and bilingual people. They required participants to look at different shapes and colors and identify them as quickly as they could.

The doctors also took MRA scans of their brains, and gave them several simple tasks to do. When the study was concluded, they discovered that the seniors who had known more than one language since they were children had greater cognitive flexibility—the ability to switch from one task to another—than their monolingual peers. Not only could bilingual people switch tasks faster, but their brain activity was also different from the people who spoke only one language. From an early age, bilingual people have stimulated their brains to think in different languages. Thus, their ability to think in greater ranges and “on their feet” has transferred over to other cognitive tasks in everyday life, making the bilingual brain more complex than it may seem.

By Sanjana Sarathy Staff Writer

Have you ever wondered from where the word ‘digital’ originated? How about the phrase ‘break a leg’?

The English language consists of a medley of terms that come from languages around the world, like Sanskrit and French. The science of etymology enables us to trace most words all the way back to their original meanings.

Many words we use today that come from interesting backgrounds.

Consider the word “pedigree,” which is defined as the line of one’s ancestors. This relatively simple word comes from the French term “ped du gru,” meaning crane’s foot.

The foot of this bird resembles the symbols used to create a family tree, which in turn is associated with the line of ancestors, or pedigrees. Another word with an interesting origin is “malaria,” an infectious disease transmitted by

mosquitos. By breaking up the word, we can derive the whole term; using medieval Italian, ‘mal’ means bad, while ‘aria’ means air. During that era, people believed that this deadly disease was a result of the bad air near the swamps of Rome.

Finally, the word ‘cab’ (short for cabriolet) has a unique origin. In Italian, the word ‘cabriolet’ means ‘to jump in the air,’ describing the springy quality of horse drawn carriages. Eventually, the English used this term to refer to the yellow taxis we call cabs today.

English is a language that borrowed a variety of terms from other languages. Through etymology, we are able to discover the unique history of each word and appreciate it in our daily lives.

By Cathie Deane and Justin Tam Staff Writers

English The English we know today is actually a blend of three languages: Old English, French, and Latin. In the first millennium, Germanic tribes invaded Britain, and the languages they brought with them developed into Old English.

In 1066 French invaders conquered England and thus added French, transforming the language to Middle English.

To add to this, the Renaissance and the development of the printing press brought thousands of new words into the language and led to early modern English.

Hebrew Hebrew was originally written without the use of vowels, and thus, did not indicate how the words should be pronounced. It was later modified in the 8th century to include dots and dashes beneath the letters to show the appropriate vowel that should be placed. However, this system of writing is not used in every medium: in schools, grammar books have the dots and dashes, but in books and magazines, they are omitted. Hebrew is a complicated language to master, because one must be familiar with both the traditional and modified versions.

Romance Languages Ever wonder why Spanish, French, and English seem similar? These languages are part of a family of languages called Romance Languages. These include other tongues such as Romanian, Portuguese, and Italian.

Romance languages are derived from Latin and gradually diversified as people within different regions developed their own dialects and accents.

Page 10

Photography • April 2013

Katarina Pance Class of 2014

What words would you use to describe your photos?

The words that I would use to describe my photos would be yin and yang.

Why do you love photography?

I love photography because I see it as a way to express myself. Every photo has a story just like every person has one, and each picture is a way to express one aspect of my story. You can learn something new about me in almost all of my photos.

Interviewed by Chloe Stevens

Sharvil Gupta

Monarch Photography

Beyond the Lens

Contrasting Elements of Nature

Mitchell Hanson, Staff Writer

Dillan Patel

These two photos evidently contrast each other, yet contain subtle similarities that enhance each captured moment. The photo on the right has a defined shot of an elephant, the focal point of the picture, maintaining the elephant as the focus is achieved through the bokeh, or blurring of the background. The photo on the left differs from the elephant in that there isn’t a focal point: the entire picture is blurry in order to depict the iridescent beauty of nature. Another major difference is the decision of using black and white versus using color: the photo on the right in color would distract from its focal point–the greenery of the background would take away from the grey elephant–while the sunset in black and white would take away the serene aura of the photo. However, there is one commonality between the two photos: they highlight the beauty of nature.

April 2013 • Photography

Page 11

Chloe Stevens

Myha’la Herrold

Anisha Trivedi

Con•trast|kon-trast| The state of being strikingly different from something else Lindsey Allen

Megan Baggett

Justice Awareness Profiles in Justice

Eradicating a Global Threat: Freedom from Polio

Spotlight on Karen Liou and Charlie Liou Laura Georgiev Staff Writer Each student at Archbishop Mitty High School completes at least 20 hours of community service each year in order to graduate.

Siblings Karen and Charlie Liou have volunteered their time to a remarkable organization serving children with special needs.

What exactly is this organization all about?

Karen explains, “ Friends of Children With Special Needs helps these children by providing them with love, hope, respect, and support. The organization sets up a volunteer with a special needs student, and the volunteer guides the student to complete activities. There are three different sets of skills the student is exposed to: arts and crafts, life skills, and exercise.” Charlie and Karen work to help the children of FCSN develop lifelong skills that will support and guide them in everyday life.

How does volunteering your time for this organization promote justice in our community?

“Volunteering here presents an opportunity for people marginalized to learn life skills to cope in today’s society, gain acceptance and support, and adjust after their parents have gone.”

Charlie adds, “These people are a minority, and I am helping them gain respect and learn necessary skills they need in life.”

Disabled members of our society are often shunned and alienated because of their condition, and both Karen and Charlie are working to change that.

How have these volunteer hours influenced the children of FCSN? How has volunteering here influenced you ?

These two volunteers recognize that they have a huge impact on these students’ lives.

Karen concludes, “I hope that these children are able to become accepted in this society and can live happy, meaningful lives. Through volunteering, I have become more appreciative of life and I’ve become a more open-minded person.”

These disabled students are remarkable individuals and should serve as an inspiration to the world around us.

Manasi Patwa Staff Writer Not long after the beginning of the New Year, millions of Americans rushed to local pharmacies and clinics, ready to immunize themselves. Now, three months into 2013, it seems as though the frenzy has settled down; Americans have once again overpowered the flu virus.

Unfortunately, however, this privilege—to effectively combat a widespread illness—is usually reserved for the most developed nations in the world.

In particular, polio and measles still today remain formidable threats in some third-world countries.

Virtually nonexistent in the United States for decades due to the powerful vaccine, polio seems to have become forgotten in countries like our own. But in Pakistan, actions taken by the Taliban and other groups seem to counter the Pakistani government’s attempts to rid its nation of the disease. In addition to Pakistan, only two other countries saw any cases at all: Afghanistan and Nigeria.

In December, a group of Taliban members conducted a drive-by shooting near a polio vaccination drive in Pakistan, killing nine.

A similar attack took place just last month, killing seven vaccination medical workers.

Such attacks hamper the efforts of groups like the World Health Organization—and therefore halt the eradication of the illness. Furthermore, extremists have been publishing and spreading pieces of misleading information and stirring suspicion of America in the Pakistani citizens’ hearts, eventually persuading them not to get vaccinations.

Additionally measles still stands as a major illness in Pakistan. With 306 measles-related children deaths in 2012, eradication has been hurt the same way

polio’s elimination efforts have. Inadequate access to resources, combined with low levels of health awareness in some areas, have made the entire prevention process far more difficult. And many families refuse to vaccinate themselves, completely persuaded by misinformation–as happens in the United States with even flu vaccines–that the vaccines may lead to other health issues.

Nigeria accompanies Pakistan in its fight against polio, and shares many of the same problems. With an increasing number of cases of polio in 2012—almost twice the number reported in 2011—Nigeria has been primarily responsible for the spreading of virus strains.

And the overlying sentiment in many areas is similar to the belief of some Pakistanis: that the vaccinations are contaminated, and may contain hazardous materials. The healthcare system often is unable to reach into the most rural areas, and therefore fails to extend adequate polio prevention resources to those in need.

So how can the eradication efforts be improved? The answer lies in more vigorous vaccination attempts, and better education. With several renowned organizations like the Center for Disease Control and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation pouring money and workers towards such eradication movements, all we need is a better strategy. Ensuring that all children are vaccinated, for example, would help to prevent further spreading of the disease.

The flu comes year after year, and families often drive to the nearest doctor’s office in an attempt to overpower the virus. But let’s hope that polio and measles—and the other diseases we fear—disappear.

Let’s hope that countries around the world can embrace a life free of these illnesses.

Time for Justice: Agent Orange Nikita Dandia Staff Writer

If interested, visit http://www.fcsn1996.org/

M.A.P. Corner Mitty Advocacy Project Update Brenan Balbido Staff Writer Next year, the Mitty Advocacy Project plans to travel to D.C. to tackle the following issues: human trafficking, teen homelessness, gun violence, immigration, and education budget cuts.

As long as there are imperfections in the world, the quest to solve those imperfections is always present.

The Mitty Advocacy Project is part of that quest. If we take a step back and take in just how serious and complex the these issues are, it is commendable that the Mitty Advocacy Project aims to tackle these areas of concern head on.

Although the Vietnam War ended nearly forty years ago, there is still a legacy that continues to bring agony and hardship to many Vietnamese citizens.

It is the shocking aftermath associated with the use of Agent Orange, one of the most toxic compounds imaginable.

During the war, the United States, through Operation Ranch Hand, sprayed an estimated eighty million liters of herbicides over South Vietnam, of which about 60% was Agent Orange, which contains dioxin (a very toxic chemical). The original purpose of Agent Orange was to clear the surrounding vegetation. However, it is often recognized as a method of chemical warfare.

The chemical isn’t diluted with water and cannot be easily decomposed. Because of this, Agent Orange,

even after forty years, still contaminates the lives of Vietnam’s youth. Exposure has caused substantial health problems for the Vietnamese, such as incurable diseases, horrific birth defects, cancers, and death.

Many cases have been brought to the Supreme Court by victims who want sue companies who manufactured Agent Orange, but they are constantly turned away. Agent Orange Justice is contributing to the Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange/ Dioxin in an effort to compel the US government to decontaminate those parts of Vietnam still plagued by Agent Orange and in turn to repair millions of lives.

It takes only minutes to take action and inform your congressional representative that you want them to take such action. Bring back the bill, H.R. 2634, the Victims of Agent Orange Relief Act of 2011.

April 2013 • Justice Awareness

Page 13

The Battle Against Homelessness Leanna Syrimis Staff Writer Each year, approximately 1% of the United States population experiences homelessness: about 3.5 million people. In the Bay Area alone, this figure reaches 35,000 people.

Equally shocking: up to 50,000 youths and teens in the United States are homeless for at least six months of each year.

To address this issue, there are numerous organizations in the Bay Area alone created not only to relieve homelessness in the immediate sense, but also to attempt to ameliorate the underlying causes of the problem. One such organization is The Bill Wilson Center in Santa Clara.

The Bill Wilson Center provides emergency relief services and supplies for the homeless, as well as several temporary and permanent housing programs for different age groups.

Since homelessness is often the result of instability and unemployment, The Bill Wilson Center strives to create a safe, stable and loving community in which its clients can seek the assistance they need and get themselves back on their feet. They provide many counseling and community-building programs aimed primarily at ensuring the mental and physical health of its clients, both as individuals and as families.

Additionally, The Bill Wilson Center encourages teens and adults to get involved in the battle against homelessness. The Center offers the Chat 4 Teens (online peer counseling) program for minors interested in volunteering, as well as the Contact Cares (hotline) and Center for Living with Dying (grief counseling) programs for adult volunteers.

Through The Bill Wilson Center, among other local organizations committed to ending homelessness, we have the power to change the lives of those around us and inspire hope for a better future. With even a small amount of our time, support and love, we can come together as a community not only to end local homelessness, but to prevent it in the future as well.

To learn more about the Bill Wilson Center, visit: www.billwilsoncenter.org/

Lance Armstrong The Fall of a Hero Sankar Srinivasan Staff Writer After kicking off his cycling legacy with 1st place in the Junior National Road Race of 1991, he never looked back, winning the Tour de France seven consecutive times from 1999-2005. He defeated cancer and founded the Livestrong Foundation, etching his name in halls of fame and in mankind’s collective conscience, both as an inspiration to cancer patients and international cyclists alike.

And now, Lance Armstrong has been stripped of all his titles and confessed to his history of extensive doping.

Doping is not new in the history of competitive cycling. One of the most controversial scandals was the Festina affair of 1998. The team was caught at customs with more than four hundred capsules of anabolic steroids and EPO—a hormone that increases red blood cell count. As a result, the entire team was forced to leave the competition, and further investigations resulted in the discovery of an intricate doping network.

More recently, the 2010 Tour de France winner, Albert Contador of Spain, was found to have small levels of stimulants in his blood and was subsequently stripped of his title. This brings to mind an unfortunate reality of the sport: none of the major names of competitive cycling have gone without a doping violation in the last ten years.

Lance Armstrong was very clever. As the key participant in the doping network, he evaded the anti-doping agencies, found ways to pass tests, and ultimately kept his titles. His involvement began when he met with controversial sports trainer Michele Ferrari, who later received a lifetime ban after being charged with the trafficking of sports-enhancing drugs. However,

Ferrari is not fully to blame for Armstrong’s doping, for Armstrong had actively sought out Ferrari.

During Armstrong’s career, pressure mounted on him with accusations from former teammates, opponents, and advocates of the anti-doping movement.

When a 1999 urine sample showed traces of corticosteroids, Armstrong had a doctor issue a pre-dated prescription for a cream battling saddle sores—thus presenting an alibi to anti-doping officials.

But even Armstrong couldn’t outrace fate.

Ultimately, the USADA found him guilty of doping and trafficking sports-enhancing drugs last year.

Lance Armstrong may not have been the only drug-using cyclist, but he certainly was the best known. The mass outcry by the media erupted solely due to the fact Armstrong was a legendary cyclist caught doping, but the fact is that many other professional cyclists dope as well. We are completely forgetting the vast majority of competitive cyclists who are not Armstrong yet continue to illegally dope.

The issue carries over even to high school athletes, who sometimes feel the need to take steroids to succeed in their sports. However, one positive result of the Armstrong case is that it has brought still more attention to the doping issue in general.

The sport of cycling, though marked by periodic greats such as Armstrong, continues to be bogged down by the continued issue of collective cheating. Let us all hope that the fall of a hero has opened the eyes of the world.

J U S T I C E O N C A M P U S

The Archbisho p Mitty Commun ity is actively involved in just ice. During lent , we added money to our rice bowls, donating small amounts of inhabitants of un money each day to the derprivileged na tions. In addition, “Green Week” and the “Blood Drive” further Mitty’s contribution to a more just and humane w orld.

Arjun Balasingam Staff Writer eek,” also The “Green W hosted W arth eek,” is referred to as “E emphasize the lub in order to C en re G ide ideas e th by planet, and prov ly nd ie fr oec an ribute to importance of munity can cont m co is th in on pers bers of the as to how each e to live. Mem ac pl y th al he a et ake Mitty making this plan inod hope to “m V ti ri P t en id d Pres ng reusable Green Club an campus by selli ly nd ie fr lly ta en as well as a more environm aste collection” w ean g in st es every bottles, [and] ho ing Mitty Minut ur at fe d an es iti b hopes organizing activ , the Green Clu is th gh ou hr T k. er to day of the wee that much clos to bring Mitty sustainability environmental

The Blood Drive is an event hosted by the Blood Center of the Pacific. It was brought to the Mitty community about four years ago, after the Campus Ministry department wanted to expand its justice-related events by adding one that “serves others in a different and unique way,” explains Ms. Christina Leone.

The need to donate blood is often overlooked, as statistics show that approximately 44,000 blood donations are required each day.

Students who donated one pint of blood saved three lives!

DNA Analysis:

Too Private to Violate?

Brianna Mims Staff Writer

When someone is arrested, three things happen: the suspect is handcuffed, read his or her Miranda Rights, and driven to a local law enforcement station. On occasion, an officer will swab the inside of the suspect’s cheek to collect a DNA sample, encompassing the suspect’s entire genome. This DNA sample will serve to indicate if the person arrested may have been involved in any other crime.

It sounds like all part of the procedure, right? Well, in the case of Maryland v. King, U.S. Supreme Court justices will be deciding whether taking a swab of an arrestee’s DNA is an invasion of privacy. In the specific case, a man named Alonzo King was taken into custody for allegedly pointing a gun at a group of people. When police officers obtained his DNA sample, they were able to match it to an unsolved sexual assault case six years prior. However, the Maryland Court of Appeals threw out the conviction because King was presumed innocent of the sexual assault during his initial arrest. Thus, there was no reason to take a DNA sample which is only required for those convicted of a felony.

On the other hand, the federal government supports warrantless DNA collection, believing it to be essentially a fingerprint.

Unlike a fingerprint, however, DNA testing can link an individual to a crime that he or she may not originally be a suspect for. Is collecting DNA an invasion of privacy? Where exactly do we cross the line? The U.S. Supreme Court will ultimately determine if our privacy is worth invading in an attempt to solve various unsolved cases or if our DNA is just too personal to violate.

SPORTS

Men’s Basketball Captures NorCal Championship

By Cameron Schott Sports Editor It wasn’t the result that the men’s basketball team had hoped for, but the Monarchs capped their season with a Northern California Open Division title, falling just short of their third consecutive state championship.

“This year was a challenging year,” said senior Aaron Gordon. “There were so many obstacles we had to overcome with injuries and fatigue. But we pushed through and got four championships. If we had that state game back we would win.

I love basketball and the whole experience was enjoyable.”

In the final game of the season, Mitty faced Southern California power Mater Dei with the state’s Open Division title on the line.

The Monarchs took control early – opening the game on a 6-0 run – but trailed 13-10 after the first quarter. After a back-and-forth second quarter, Mater Dei led 24-22.

Mitty had another good start in the second half with a 7-3 run, but that would be the final Monarch lead of the evening.

Mater Dei rode the stellar play of junior Stanley Johnson to a 50-45 victory. Johnson finished with 26 points and 12 rebounds including five three pointers.

Gordon had a strong night of his own with 22 points and 20 rebounds in his final high school game, but the Monarchs fell just short of their ultimate goal.

Though neither team had a good night shooting the ball, Mitty’s 22 turnovers were likely the difference.

“The turnovers affected our game against Mater Dei because they led to too many easy fast break opportunities,” said head coach Tim Kennedy. “ When we were able to set up our defense we did a good job making them shoot tough shots and held them below 30% shooting from the floor. Obviously, we lost out on offensive possessions where we didn’t even get up a shot.”

The final game, however, was not indicative of Mitty’s entire postseason.

In the first round of the California Open Division playoffs, the Monarchs faced Newark Memorial, the same team that Mitty defeated in the Division II NorCal Championship last season.

The Monarchs started slow, as junior Joey Frenchwood

led the Cougars to their first 14 points of the game.

Although Mitty trailed 18-7 after the first quarter and 29-26 at the half, there was never a sense that the Monarchs would face an early exit.

Mitty opened the second half on a 15-0 run to capture the lead and never looked back. Despite the early struggles, Mitty moved on with a 63-51 victory.

“The key to beating Newark was our mentality in the second half,” said senior Brandon Farrell. “We stuck to the scouting report and turned defensive stops into baskets. We played our brand of basketball.”

three-pointer to seal the victory.

The Crusaders never led in the game, although it was too close for Mitty’s liking.

“We got out to a big lead but they made adjustments at the half, so we had to grind out the win,” Peterson said of the victory.

Mitty moved on to play Sheldon, a team that the Monarchs had defeated earlier in the season; however, Sheldon was missing key players in the prior meeting due to injuries and transfer rules.

Mitty’s season was expected to end in Sleep Train Arena a week before their matchup with Mater Dei. But instead, the Monarchs dominated in their most complete performance of the season, the 70-50 win evidence of the team’s preeminence in the Northern California region.

“The adjustments we made for facing Sheldon were to put Aaron on Darin Johnson, and he was able to frustrate him all night and make him force tough shots,” Coach Kennedy said. “The other adjustments were to close down the paint and not let their skilled wing players get driving lanes to the hoop.”

Kennedy added, “The last key was to limit their offensive rebounds and our players did a great job executing. What made it an easier victory was they struggled to hit outside shots, our guys made plays on the offensive end and we executed our keys as mentioned.”

Although this season capped the Photo courtesy of Mr. Luie Lopez career of numerous senior contributors-Aaron Gordon obviously foremost among Senior Aaron Gordon after Capturing the WCAL TItle. them--they should still be a team to watch The competition would only get tougher as the Mon- next year. Yes, Mitty will once again lose four starters to archs advanced. graduation, including Gordon, but the Monarchs will be Modesto Christian was their next challenge, and this back ready to compete next season. time it was Mitty who started strong. After opening with a With key juniors such as Peterson, Matt McAndrews, 9-0 run, Mitty took a 34-20 advantage into the half.

Ian Aguilar, J.P. Rindfleisch, and Ted Young returning, the But the Crusaders would never go away. Modesto Monarchs are poised for another strong year.

Christian had a strong third quarter to narrow the lead and “This year we had many contributions from younger eventually trailed 52-51 with less than a minute left in the players,” said Peterson. “Next year they’re going to have game. to take on larger roles.”

In one of the most important possessions of Mitty’s It’s the end of an unbelievable era, but the Monarchs season, junior Connor Peterson knocked down a crucial hope to continue the winning tradition into next season.

Men’s Soccer Wraps Up Historic Season 2012-2013 Squad Proves Itself as Best Team in Mitty History

By Erik Chu After capturing the WCAL crown by going undeHowever, in the semi-finals, Mitty faced one of its Sports Editor feated in league play with a stellar 9-0-5 regular season toughest challenges of the year when it faced Leigh.

Capping off a truly historic season, the 2012-2013 record, Mitty recorded a thrilling comeback victory in After a hard-fought match in regulation, the Monarchs Men’s Soccer team dominated in the CCS Finals against penalty-kicks over Bellarmine to take the WCAL playoff prevailed in penalty kicks off of multiple clutch saves by Lincoln High School. title as well. senior goalkeeper Ryan Foo. The Monarchs jumped out to an early 1-0 lead with The Monarchs then cruised to a 2-0 victory against In the end, all these games prepared the team for its a goal by junior forward Tanner Haas in the 22nd minute. Santa Clara in the CCS Quarterfinals. final matchup of the season against Lincoln, and with their Then, to put the game out of reach, the Mondominating performance, it is clear the team archs scored another goal off of a penalty kick by came ready to play. senior forward Connor Kurze.

All in all, the team accumulated an With stifling team defense and a superior effort impressive 19-1-6 overall record, with Maxfrom senior goalkeeper Ryan Foo, who recorded Preps recognizing them as #15 in the nation yet another shutout, Mitty’s victory was never in and #5 in California. doubt.

“We had an extremely successful season The shutout was Foo’s 18th of the season, a because our team was equipped with quality Mitty record. in all areas of the pitch,” said senior Aditya When the final whistle blew, the Monarchs Kotte. celebrated their 2-0 triumph with a Gatorade-bath “Our team had everything: an incredible for Head Coach Cesar Sanchez. keeper, solid back line, the best midfield in “Today we faced a team that was very good, the league, and the best forward in the league, and we did the same routine we do every game: plus incredible depth on the bench for when keep tight in the back, try to control the middle, and players were fatigued or injured.” keep possession,” Coach Sanchez told Prep2Prep.

With nearly half the team returning “It was a great game,” he added. next season, the Mitty Men’s Soccer team is The team’s impressive run featured a lengthy confident it can defend its WCAL and CCS Photo courtesy of Mr. Luie Lopez journey that began with a challenging regular titles next winter.

The 2012-2013 Men’s Socer Team Gathers to Celebrate Its CCS Championship. season schedule.

They may just be right.

April 2013 • Sports

Baseball Aims to Finish Strong

By Jorge Rodriguez that used lockdown pitching to keep the potent Staff Writer Mitty lineup at bay. In the end, some timely hitThe Archbishop Mitty Baseball team has ting in the final inning allowed the Warriors to started its season off strong and currently stands defeat the Monarchs 3-1. at 11-5.

Mitty responded by putting together a strong Mitty’s success can be in part credited to performance against Riordan and pulling out a an extremely potent lineup. The team has been 3-2 win, in a game in which pitching, defense, a scoring machine this year, averaging over five and timely hitting all played a role. runs per game.

The team then faced off against the Serra On March 9, the Monarchs went into Saint Padres, the top team in Northern California.

Francis (Watsonville) obviously determined.

With an outstanding pitching perforWith strong performance from junior C.J. mances from sophomore Romero, the Monarchs pitcher Tommy Hudson defeated Serra and their and senior infielder seLoyola-bound starter, nior Eduardo Sanchez, Matt Gorgolinski, 2-1. the Monarchs scored five The Monarchs hope runs in the second inning to carry the momentum en route to a dominant they gained through this 14-4 win. victory into the second Sanchez led the half of the season. way, going 2 for 2 and Prolific offensive slugging a bases-loaded outputs from seniors double to contribute to Sanchez and Erdman his four RBI. have helped key the Senior Spencer Erdteam’s big start. Their man chipped in, connect.344 and .366 batting ing on his only official averages, respectively, at-bat for a double that have led the team to a drove in 3 runs. very solid .283 batting Sanchez was happy average and a solid inPhoto courtesy of ProImage with the effort in this field duo.

Junior Luke Rasmussen sizes up the pitch. win, saying, “Our drive When it comes to and pure determination helped us regain who pitching, however, senior Brandon Aguilera we are as a team and led us to one of our bigger and sophomore sensation Brett Foley have led wins this season.” the charge.

This key victory was huge at the time, as it Foley has eleven solid innings and 3 wins to extended the team’s winning streak to three and his credit, not to mention a 1.91 ERA. kept the team rolling at 6-1.

Meanwhile, Aguilera has 15 strikeouts in 13 Despite the win, though, the Monarchs have innings, while giving up no earned runs. also dealt with adversity. The following game, the Together, Foley and Aguilera have led the Monarchs encountered a Valley Christian squad pitching staff to a dominant 1.57 team ERA.

Softball Continues Dominance

By Brian Consiglio However, it has not only been the offense Staff Writer that has been clicking on all cylinders, as the The Women’s Varsity Softball team is abso- pitching has been phenomenal as well. lutely dominating this spring and, as of April 3, Sophomore Desiree Severance has already holds an undefeated record at 11-0. Their torrid won 8 games this year on the mound with a start has not gone unnoticed, as they are ranked 0.68 ERA. 4th in the nation and 4th in California, according Despite her great individual numbers, howto MaxPreps.com. ever, she knows that the team’s success cannot What has been the key to all of their early be measured by a statistic. season success, and what do the high rankings “As a team we have really good chemismean to the players? try. We all push each other to strive to be the “It is a reflection of best that we can be,” said our dedication, countSeverance. “Our team less hours of hard work is special because of the at practice, and love for competitive fire that we the game that we get to have burning inside.” play every single day,” All that passion and says sophomore centerchemistry on and off the fielder Haley Wymbs. field has created a bond “I would love noththat has yet to be broken ing more at the end of this season. the season than to look Head Coach Brian back and say, ‘Wow. Yocke has prepared the Look at what we acMonarchs for anything complished.’” and has an incredible The Monarchs have knack for boosting the already accomplished team’s morale. so much, including a “I could write a 9-1 victory over rival book on his love for the Presentation, with a big game, his coaching abilgame from Harvardity, and how he inspires Photo courtesy of ProImage every player,” explains bound senior Catherine Sophomore Danielle Bowers pounds the zone.

Callaway, who had two sophomore centerfielder hits, two runs, and two RBI. Haley Wymbs about Coach Yocke.

Senior Ashley Chestnut chipped in as well In their remarkable season so far, the Monwith two extra-base hits and a run scored. archs have stayed focused on the task at hand, Mitty dominated once again in a 19-2 taking it one game at a time. trouncing of Westmont, a game in which Cal According to Severance, “the thing we need Poly-bound senior Kiersten Nordin had three to focus on as we continue through league play hits, scored three times and drove in two runs. is giving 110% and playing as a team.”

Callaway had yet another prolific offensive If the team can accomplish this, there is no output as she went 3 for 4 with a homer, 3 runs, doubt the Monarchs will continue their early and 4 RBI. success throughout the season.

Page 15

Highlight Reel

Lacrosse Coach:

mr. wade tam

Highlight: coming

together as a team to get their first win of the season, 19-1 over leland high school

michael cerone:

“we play really well as a team since we have great chemistry both on and off the field. the key moving forward is not to focus on the big picture, but the little things and take it one game at a time.”

Senior Cameron Gyorffy

Photo courtesy of ProImage

Badminton Coach:

mr. Wilfredo Vargas

Highlight: Avenging

last year’s loss to pioneer with a dominant 10-5 win.

Irene yu: “Despite some tough losses to open up the season, the team has made huge strides and is ready to begin its climb up the BVAL standings.

With experienced senior leadership and talented underc lassmen, we’ re confident we can finish off the season strong.”

Senior Chitra Marti

Photo courtesy of Mr. Luie Lopez

Men’s Golf Coach:

mr. John mosunic Highlight: Winning their first tournament in Salinas despite playing in hard rain and winds of about 30 mph austin lin: “After losing our first match with Saint Ignatius, our team has had great success, winning all of our matches since our tough loss.”

Junior Shintaro Ban Photo courtesy of ProImage

Women’s Swimming Junior Hannah Urrutia

Coach: mr.tom miller Highlight: Continuing the team’s tradition of success by

starting off the season with a lengthy winning streak. danielle tran: “The coaches are there for us, pushing and encouraging us every meet and practice. the whole team is connected and we’re all close and open with each other.”

Photo courtesy of ProImage

Compiled by Stephen Kwok Sports Editor

News • April 2013

Page 16

Mitty’s Scientific Revolution

Career Symposium

By Omid Mirfendereski & Payam Mirfendereski indicated interest in courses ranging from health and nutrition Staff Writers to marine biology and beyond.

To create a more engaging academic program, Archbishop Mr. Sampson has also proposed a certain GPA threshold Mitty’s Science Department has decided to change its curricula for students desiring to double up on science courses their for the subsequent school years: there will be greater stan- junior and senior years. The changes to the science curricula dardization, greater variety, will align Mitty with many other and a greater emphasis on schools in the region, which experimentation throughout require three years of science the department’s courses. instead of two and a half.

One of the most sigRecognizing that science is nificant changes is that all an especially progressive field, freshmen will be taking as well as an increasingly ina biology course and all dustrial domain, the department sophomores will be taking also aims to integrate modern a chemistry course. technology into the science curHowever, rising sophoricula. Students will be met with mores will continue to take a greater emphasis on the skills either biology or chemistry of leadership and effective comas before, depending on munication in the classroom, their freshman year classes. and will be able to connect the Students perform an experiment in their science class.

Therefore, the Class of information learned at school to 2016 will serve as a transitional class, and changes to the events currently taking place in the world of science. science curricula will fully take effect from the Class of 2017 All the changes serve to uphold one of the chief objeconward. tives of the Science Department: the application of knowlMr. Paul Sampson, the Department Chair, explains that edge, creative and critical thought, and communication in juniors and seniors will be able to take physics or any of the the classroom. Students should be able to connect the skills, other AP courses currently offered by the department. AP knowledge, and critical thinking fostered in the classroom and Environmental Science, however, will become a lab course laboratory with the real world and to develop, as Mr. Sampson in the future. Students desiring to take AP physics both years states, “a deeper appreciation for science.” will be able to take AP Physics C: Mechanics one year and “We are excited about the opportunity to make these AP Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism the next. changes because we recognize how they will improve the stuIn addition to these options, the department will offer dent experience in science,” explains Mr. Sampson. Affirming several new semester-long electives to dedicated science that “even AP content is moving away from an emphasis on students. They have not yet been decided upon, but the breadth and depth to the use of experimentation as a platform committee responsible for developing the new curricula has for understanding concepts and theories,” Mr. Sampson hails proposed courses on biotechnology, biochemistry, and urban these changes as a step in the right direction. agriculture.

All told, Mitty’s Science Department has begun a program The direction of these new electives comes from a survey that will undoubtedly foster and cater to ever brighter and taken last year, in which sophomores, juniors, and seniors more creative minds.

By Pooja Patel Staff Writer Have you ever thought of making a career out of your passion for sports and fitness? Or are you looking for the perfect career fit for your compassionate personality? The upcoming career symposium, “Careers in Health and Wellness” on April 10th, promises to offer new insight into nursing, fitness, and personal training, by featuring experts in all three professions.

The nursing profession offers a holistic approach to patient care by taking into consideration the patient’s environment, psychology, and quality of life. The symposium will offer the opportunity to meet a registered nurse who specializes in nutrition consultations for cancer patients. Additionally, the seminar will feature an executive of a fitness company, allowing attendees to learn more about how to turn their passion for athletics into a career. Lastly, this symposium will also feature the owner of a personal training facility, who specializes in exercise prescription and coaching.

This career symposium is the perfect opportunity for you to learn more about a possible future in Health and Wellness.

“Careers in Health and Wellness” will occur during the Activity Time on April 10, 2013.

STUDENT CENTE(RED) Arjun & Ramya Balasingam

By Veronica Marquez & E. Maya Ruiz Staff Writers Brother-sister duo Arjun and Ramya Balasingam, class of 2014 and 2015, respectively, developed one of the top ten West Coast project submissions in the 2012 Siemens Competition this past November.

The competition, sponsored by the Siemens Foundation and organized by the College Board, is one of the most prestigious science and engineering competitions in the country. Through a blind reading of 1,504 research papers submitted across the nation, Arjun’s and Ramya’s project was chosen as one of the top sixty, ultimately earning the award of Regional Finalists.

In a six- to seven-month period, Arjun and Ramya developed an algorithm to minimize the power consumption of computer chips. With the guidance of their mentor, a professor at the University of California, Santa Cruz, along with a determined work ethic powering them to debug every line of code, they successfully coded long lasting technology to be utilized in environmental instruments and bridge monitors.

Their computer chips can be used in devices that need to be perched in hard-to-reach places, like the Golden Gate bridge, or in locations that are ordinarily expensive to get to. Sensors on the bridge, which could use Arjun’s and Ramya’s code, would signal when the bridge is under a lot of stress and let engineers know when to fix it. Their engineering project stood out against the other life sciences based projects they saw presented at the regional competition, which was held at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech).

Working with professors to create their project and presenting their work to other professors at Caltech were the two aspects that Arjun and Ramya appreciated most. Learning from their mentor at UC Santa Cruz, they were able to gain a greater understanding of the processes and the individual components of the computer chip.

Arjun explains, “I think getting the professor’s guidance and then using that knowledge to develop something new—because we didn’t just take it out of anywhere—was kind of interesting. I liked that the best.”

After working with professors to develop their project, the pair then presented their project in front of professors at Caltech, an experience Ramya describes as “humbling.” They also found it rewarding to have the opportunity to hear different presentations and meet other competitors.

Their experience working together, on the other hand, was “interesting,” according to Arjun. Ramya concurs, saying that they “didn’t fight too much” and that her favorite part of the whole experience was simply working with her brother on a project in their common field of interest.

Since that time, both Arjun and Ramya have developed their own individual projects and competed in numerous other competitions. Currently, Ramya is working on a project about geometric carbon sequestration to mitigate climate change. Arjun, meanwhile, is building a novel device to harvest wind energy to power wireless sensor nodes.

Regardless of the result of their competitions, the brother-sister duo will continue to amaze the technological world with not only their innovative ideas, but also their deep passion for science.

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