The Monarch: April 2014

INSIDE:

Women Superheroes Too Sexy? (see Opinions, Page 5)

Serving the Archbishop Mitty Community

Volume 23 Number 4

April 2014

The Science of Wellness Dr. Denise Pope Shares Her Wisdom

By Madeleine Fernando A student survey created by Dr. Pope’s team Staff Writer was then conducted on March 27 to identify student uccess. An ideal all of us desire to achieve, perspectives on topics such as work load, parent but can rarely define. To each individual, expectations, sleep patterns, academic integrity, and success may have a different meaning. stress. The survey focused on all facets of student However, in high school most students all seem to life: emotional, social, and even physical, addressing be striving for the same basic goal: to maintain high students’ educational goals and expectations—on and grades and participate in a range of extracurriculars. off of campus. With the help of a program mentor, We often exert ourselves to our limits with the ultimate Mitty hopes to utilize the survey results to create intention of getting into that dream college. beneficial goals for the school as a whole.

Yet, Ph.D Stanford graduate and professor, DeMitty is participating in the Challenge Success nise Pope argues that this is not the type of success to continue to identify and meet student needs. Alhigh school students should be striving for. Instead of ready facilitating an eighth period block schedule achievements on paper, Pope describes that students and numerous student activities and events, Mitty is should be more invested in learning. committed to relieving unproductive student stress As Pope states, “We send messages as parents, and allowing for a healthy high school experience. educators, and as a society, that those who get the best As Ms. Caputo states, “The faculty, staff, and grades and who go to the best schools are considered administration at Archbishop Mitty have always successful. How wrong they are...I blame all of this been in tune with student success and wellness. I on a problematic definition of success.” personally have never worked with a community Photo Courtesy of L.A. Cicero Pope has dedicated over a decade of her life re- Dr. Denise Pope examines the value of stress on high school students. more centered on its students than AMHS.” searching and lecturing on topics surrounding student In September, members of members of a Mitty Pope discusses these ideas in her book, Doing School: engagement and purpose-guided education. She has Student Wellness Committee will be attending a twoled several projects in the interest of student well-being, How We Are Creating a Generation of Stressed Out, Ma- day conference at Stanford where they will hear from the including her SOS: Stressed-Out Students project and the terialistic and Miseducated Students, in which readers see co-founders of the Challenge Success Program along with Challenge Success program, which both have the mission the perspectives of five high-achieving high school students several distinguished speakers including New York Times of providing schools and families with the resources needed and the many sacrifices they make to excel. Doing School bestselling author Dr. Wendy Mogel and Stanford professor to produce motivated and intellectually-capable students. unveils society’s troubled and flawed system of education Dr. Tina Seelig. Committee members will also participate These programs seek to educate teachers and faculty in that has transformed from a positive learning environment in conference sessions focusing on student wellness. creating a healthy atmosphere that maintains a sense of to a stressful atmosphere of cheating and manipulating the Mitty’s interest in the Challenge Success Program is system in order to reach the ultimate ideal of success. academic integrity. just one of many examples of the faculty’s and administraA well-known figure within various educational tion’s interest in student well-being. It is yet another way Especially with the pressure of trying to juggle a full course-load of classes and extracurricular activities, groups, Pope and her work on student wellness were already in which Mitty hopes to develop and grow as a school, a students across the nation are struggling to somehow keep familiar to Mitty’s administration. However, after recogniz- further effort to make an already great school even better up with their demanding schedules while still earning the ing student wellness as an area of focus in Mitty’s latest for its current and future Monarchs.

“A’s” and top SAT scores so desperately needed for college WASC study, Associate Principals Ms. Kate Caputo and admissions. Pope’s programs hope to fight against these Mr. Keith Matthews met with Pope and discussed having academic pressures and challenge our nation’s educational her speak to the faculty, as well as having Mitty participate For more on Denise Pope’s Challenge Success Program, in a conference that Challenge Success would host. ideal of a “successful” student. please see Justice Awareness, Page 7.

S

Change for a Reason: The Redesigned SAT

By Veronica Marquez Staff Writer If you are a high school junior or senior planning on attending college you have most likely taken the SAT—a standardized test that is a major component in the college admission process, as well as a source of much stress for students nationwide. The current SAT, which has not been updated since 2005, will be undergoing major changes that will be implemented in the Spring of 2016. David Coleman, the College Board President since 2012, criticized the SAT, stating that it has become disconnected from the real work of high schoolers.

A Revamped Format While the test name has not changed, much about the SAT has. Test takers will now be given the option to take the test on the computer. The test will also revert to its original grading scale, the highest possible score being a 1600. While there is currently a 1/4 point penalty for answering a question wrong, the new SAT will not penalize for wrong answers and the use of a calculator will no longer be allowed on some of the math sections.

Additionally, in every test, there will be excerpts from documents such as the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights in order to participate in the Great Global Conversation about freedom, justice, and human dignity.

Optional Essay Currently, the essay is a required component of the SAT. Test takers are given 25 minutes to formulate an essay. However, in the new version, not only will the essay be optional, but it will be a 50 minute essay. Rather than the current response to a broad, sentence long prompt, the essay will require students to read a passage and respond in an analytical way. If students opt to take the essay, they will receive a separate score for the essay and another score for the remainder of the SAT.

Relevant Vocabulary Obscure vocabulary words such as maelstrom, adumbrated, and fecund will be replaced with ones commonly used in school and work such as empirical. The test will consist of relevant words in context and will test the ability to interpret, synthesize, and use evidence found in various sources such as informational graphics and multi-paragraph passages from literature and literary nonfiction. These texts will come from the humanities, science, history, and social studies and career-related sources. For the passage-based questions, at least one question will require test takers to go back to the passage and select a quote that supports their answer.

see SAT, page 2

CONTENTS:

Opinions ........................................4-6

FOCUS ...........................................10-11

Sports.........................................16-17

News..............................................1-3

JUSTICE AWARENESS ................... 7-9

Arts & Entertainment................12-15

PHOTO ..........................................18-20

Page 2

SAT

April 2014 • News continued from page 1

with Khan Academy in order to offer free online practice problems and videos explaining these problems. Through this internet-based approach to SAT preparation, all students with access to a computer will have the opportunity to practice, study, and engage themselves at their own discretion.

Currently, only about twenty percent of teachers see the SAT as an accurate measure of students’ work. The ACT, commonly described as a more straightforward version of the current SAT, has gained wide popularity among students, as 1.8 million students took the ACT last year and only 1.7 million took the SAT. To address this preference, the SAT will soon adapt to emphasize an understanding of what is most important for college readiness and success.

Furthermore, with the exponential cost of SAT preparatory classes typically costing a minimum of $300, many students are at a disadvantage if the family is unable to pay for such a costly course.

“It is time for the College Board to say in a clearer voice that the Junior Sol Kim prepares for the SAT test. culture and practice of costly test preparation that has arisen around admissions exams On April 16, the College Board will release drives the perception of inequality and injustice in more detailed specifications about the test and samour country,” Mr. Coleman said. “It may not be our ple test questions. The new SAT hopes to not only fault, but it is our problem.” reinforce the skills and evidence-based thinking that With this attitude in mind, the College Board students learn in high school, but also respond to the hopes to counteract this issue with the new SAT. more imperative question of whether the SAT and Additionally, the College Board will be partnering standard testing as a whole is becoming obsolete.

Behind the Scenes: Monarch Madness

By Laura Galang Staff Writer You know that one event Mitty hosts each year at the City National Civic in Downtown San Jose? The one everyone talks about?

Oh yeah, Monarch Madness, just one of the greatest nights to be a Monarch. Here’s a glimpse of what happens behind the scenes:

Bringing History to Life What’s a better way to start the night than to watch Father James Okafor and Principal Mr. Tim Brosnan dance? Exactly, nothing. This year, the teacher dance was based on the 2006 film Night at the Museum which is set in New York City’s Museum of Natural History whose exhibitions come to life when the sun sets.

As exemplified in their outstanding performance, weeks of practice take place in preparation for the Madness. Many of the teachers were both nervous and excited dancing in front of the student body, but all of them had a very positive experience.

Mr. Tim Wesmiller explains his favorite portion of the dance: “There is always a short section in the dance transitions that the ASB officers let us freestyle. Ms. Tamara Monson and I have been know[n] to break out the patented worm from time to time.

It’s a blast as long as I don’t hurt my back!”

“The Mitty Way” WASC Committee Report Includes Highest Praise

View, and St. Francis Watsonville.

The visiting committee’s main purpose was to verify the school’s self-study. In order to get an Every six years, Archbishop Mitty undertakes unbiased, in-depth view of the school, the visiting a rigorous accreditation process, which involves a members of WASC spent time observing classes, careful self-study as well as a near week-long visit talking to teachers and other staff, and questioning from members of a select WASC committee made students.

Students themselves played a major role in this up of administrators and teachers from schools process of self-study and accreditation. Not only comparable to ours. were students involved in the classroom observaThat visit is the culmination of two years of work by Mitty administration, faculty, and classi- tions, but they also formed a special WASC student fied personnel. In preparation for the visit, teams committee. These students, a mix from each class, of faculty and administrators met within focus were chosen to represent the student body of Archbishop Mitty durgroups to consider ing a lunch with areas such as what the visiting WASC students learn and members. how students are Isabella Orsi, assessed. a sophomore memAs a first step, ber of the WASC the school’s misstudent commits i o n s t a t em e n t tee, comments, was reviewed to “ We w e r e t o l d validate that the to evaluate what document was still we thought were accurate and relepros and cons and vant. Then, admingive insight to any istration, faculty, other critiques we and staff met in Photo Courtesy of Mr. Luie Lopez personally had as the focus groups The WASC team that visited and evaluated Mitty for its accredidation. Mitty students.” to concentrate on Mitty’s various priorities such as curriculum devel- In a discussion during lunch, Mitty students had a chance to provide valuable insight that could poopment and co-curricular programs.

Mrs. Jennifer Jackson, the WASC coordina- tentially have a direct impact on the school’s future.

From the faculty focus groups to the students tor, explains, “In preparation for the visit itself, I organized seven faculty and staff meetings to in their classrooms, this process has proven to be complete certain tasks (answering the guide ques- a valuable aspect of the school’s development as tions, collecting evidence, reviewing drafts of the a highly regarded institution. Mrs. Jackson commented that Mitty’s evaluation was “outstanding” report, etc.).”

In addition, Mrs. Jackson also met with focus and “one of the greatest reports [Mr. Brosnan] has groups that followed a detailed process of self- seen in all his years in Catholic education.”

To highlight a few strengths, WASC praised examination outlined by the FOL (Focus on Learn“the school’s administration, faculty and staff, the ing) procedure, which centers on the institution’s dynamic campus ministry program, the implementaapproach to student learning.

After this rigorous self-study, the school read- tion of a one-on-one computing program, and coied itself for the actual WASC committee to come curricular offerings that provide for award winning see the school in action. Members of the team who programs in athletics, performing arts, and more.”

With the accreditation process having come to visited Mitty during the four day evaluation included a close, the words of one of the committee members the president of Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory, perhaps summed it up best. So impressed was he the Principals of Mission Prep San Luis Obispo and by how Mitty performed in most every area that he St. Lawrence schools, a retired Superintendent, the director of Counseling from Serra High School, and pointed out the street we are on should be renamed teachers from St. Ignatius, St. Francis Mountain from “Mitty Way” to “The Mitty Way.”

By Emily Malig Staff Writer

Photo Courtesy of Mr. Luie Lopez

Mr. Tim Brosnan salutes during the dance.

PIT Crew The workforce behind the Madness, the Pit Crew, is responsible for setting up and organizing each of the events. In being a member of the Pit, allegiances a student has for his or her class are somewhat subdued. Rather, a Pit Crew member’s allegiance lies with the entire Mitty Community. Sophomore Elizabeth Shroyer says, “In the Pit, you see all sides of the competition equally, not just your class, and even though we want our own class to win, we support each other no matter the outcome.”

Being a part of the Pit has allowed students to see a different side of the Madness—and for some, this is meant literally. When being asked what she had enjoyed the most, freshman Daisy Luna commented, “My favorite part of being in the Pit Crew was being up front. I got to experience it from a completely different perspective.”

Sweet Incentives If you’re an Ethics teacher like Mr. Dick Howard, you would deny having any affiliation with bribery. However, class representatives conveniently bring forth treats as sweet incentives just before judging begins. One of the lesser known aspects of Monarch Madness—as it is engulfed by the cheering and excitement—are the bribes given to the four judges, Mr. Mick VanValkenburg, Mr. Dick Howard, Ms. Kate Caputo, and Ms. Jennifer Salmon, before the Madness ensues. This year’s bribes mainly consisted of baked goods: chocolate covered cake pops with Ms. Caputo’s name written on them, a “Hearts on Fire” cake very reminiscent of the LIFE Team logo, and a large sheet cake decorated with blue icing.

Whether or not bribes affect the judging is unknown. Mr. VanValkenburg discreetly hints, “I mean if the juniors give you something that just blows you away, you might look at their dance or their Roar a little differently without even quite knowing why.”

Photo Courtesy of Mr. Luie Lopez

Student representatives present Ms. Kate Caputo with treats.

News • April 2014

Page 3

Ice Hockey vs. Roller Hockey

By Kern Luo Staff Writer “Ice Hockey? Don’t you mean roller hockey? I didn’t even know we had an ice hockey team!” This is generally the response garnered when asking a majority of the students here on Mitty’s campus about our obscure Ice Hockey Club. Sure enough, a number of students on campus know it exists—“It’s just a club for people who like the Sharks, right?”

Little do they know, the ice hockey club at Mitty is a legitimate team that competes in the Sharks High School Hockey League, a Bay Area youth hockey league hosted by the San Jose Sharks. And, if there is any misconception that our ice hockey team is not a strong contender in this league, the team in fact finished second in the league two weekends ago, barely losing to Valley Christian.

For those unfamiliar with ice hockey, this sport is similar to roller hockey, with a key difference being that ice hockey is a contact sport. Like football, a focus of ice hockey’s gameplay that is integrated into the game’s strategy is the fact that players can knock each other onto the ground (or ice).

According to senior Michael Lehr, president of the club, “This style of play, combined with the incredibly fast pace of the game, requires everyone to be aware of everything that is happening on the ice all the time and forces quick thinking and reactions.”

Because many of the students on the team are multi-sport athletes playing for other Mitty teams, the team is currently on a game-only schedule. Practices are not required because the ice hockey team is a club rather than an athletic team. Ice hockey, by law, is not considered a high school sport by the state of California. Therefore, many of the players on the Mitty team play for hockey clubs outside of school, some competing against other clubs nationwide.

However, the popularity of high school club ice hockey in California is increasing rapidly, with more and more schools participating in the high school hockey league here in the Bay Area.

This year, there are over a dozen teams in the area competing in the league for the seasonal high school hockey championship. In the future, hopefully ice hockey can gain enough recognition to Photo Courtesy of KG Sports Photography be included as a varsity sport, elevating During a game against Valley Christian High School, the popularity of the game as a youth junior Brennan Powell passes the puck. sport in California.

By Wyatt Iwanaga & Emilie Schott Staff Writers The Roller Hockey Club has been around at Mitty even longer than it has officially been a club. However, as of late, this club has taken off and established itself as prominent in the Mitty community by creating three different divisional teams.

Out of seven divisions, Mitty has a Division I team (Gold), a Division III team (Black), and a Division VI team (White).

All three teams practice at the Silver Creek Photo Courtesy of Laura Iwanaga Sportsplex through Rollin’ Ice twice a week.

The seven divisions are divided by the Freshman Logan Penning controls the puck in a Gold Team game against Pioneer. skill level of the teams—Division I having the highest level of skill and competition. There are three seasons a year, with about 10 games capped by a single-elimination tournament for the championship that concludes each season.

So far this year, the Gold team has captured the Championship twice (in the fall and winter season) and is poised to sweep the Division I Championship for the year if the team can win in the spring. The teams have games every Saturday for twelve week sessions. Since the roller hockey teams play year round, students are able to have the flexible schedule necessary for balancing recreation, schoolwork, and athletics.

The game itself is similar to the format of ice hockey. However, it is less physical, as checking (using physical force to either gain possession of the puck or to disrupt the opposition’s play) is not allowed. Thus, the clothing of inline hockey players is lighter and less padded than that of their ice counterparts. As a whole, roller hockey is seen to be more focused on skill and speed rather than on the strength required for heavy physical hockey. contact in ice hockey The Roller Hockey Club has devoted members who buy all their own equipment and uniforms, and are responsible for getting themselves to practices and games.

Ms. Lauren Matusich, the moderator for this club, asserts that, “Roller Hockey is a great sport that combines speed, skill, and teamwork. Our club is filled with dedicated players and supportive parents making Saturday nights entertaining and rewarding.”

TEACHER CENTERED Coach Bret Almazan-Cezar

By Ramya Balasingam Staff Writer The success of the Archbishop Mitty High School Women’s Varsity Volleyball team over the past several years has culminated in its current position as the number one high school women’s volleyball team in the nation according to MaxPreps. This overwhelming success is not only due to the skill and dedication of the players, but also to the excellence of the Head Coach—Mr. Bret AlmazanCezar, who is referred to as “Coach A-C.” Coach A-C was recognized for his coaching prowess this past season by prepvolleyball.com, who named him National Coach of the Year. He has coached women’s volleyball at Mitty for fourteen years, is the veteran of twelve state championship matches, winning seven, and has finished two seasons with a perfect record.

Asked about his impressive success on the court, Photo Courtesy of Josie Lepe/Bay Area News Group Coach A-C responded rather humbly, answering that alCoach Bret Almazan-Cezar looks on during though “recognition is always nice…all we ever try to do a match last fall against Valley Christian. is to get better every day. Any personal accolades I receive are earned by the effort the players put in.” The effort made by coach and players alike and the strong sense of teamwork and faith these Mitty community members have is a manifestation of the founding principles of Archbishop Mitty High School.

Yet, while teachers and coaches in these two vastly different realms may appear to have distinct approaches to their success, the underlying sense of community, work ethic, and support Mitty coaches and teachers preach during practices and classes is in part what propels Mitty students to their victories. Also, it is noteworthy that many of Mitty’s head coaches—including Coach A-C—are also academic teachers. Indeed, Coach A-C credits the success of the Mitty women’s varsity volleyball team to the school’s core values of integrity, hard work, community, and a positive attitude. Coach A-C notes that the growth the volleyball team has experienced under his coaching over the past Photo Courtesy of KG Sports Photography fourteen years is a result of his “recognition of Women’s varsity volleyball team prepares for a game. the co-curricular value of what [Mitty] does.”

He went on to add that “[Mitty] uses sports to help the students learn about life. Mitty teaches intellectually competent, just, faith-filled, and respectful leaders in a gym playing a game.”

Asked about his feelings going into the next volleyball season, Coach A-C responded optimistically, saying “Next year, the volleyball team will simply do the same things it always does: work hard, support each other, and represent Mitty.”

Volume 23 Number 4 Advisors Mr. Mick VanValkenburg & Mr. Craig Whitt News Ashley Do, Pei-Ling Lee, Jenni Sherwood, & Sara Wiltberger Opinion Jessica Dumov, Katherine Kirst, Kaitlin Miliken, Rachita Pandya, & Sanika Puranik Justice Awareness Riya Dange, Carlisle Micallef, Manasi Patwa, & Leanna Syrimis Focus Meghana Killedar, Lina Lalwani, Sanjana Sarathy, & Kerri Yen Arts & Entertainment Niki Griswold, Mitch Hanson, Jisoo Kim, Kasturi Kulkarni, & Shannon Lam Sports Arjun Balasingam, Varun Chhabra, Katie Ericksen, & Pooja Patel Photo Emily Guzman, Amanda Le, Chloe Stevens, & Rachel Wakely Archbishop Mitty High School 5000 Mitty Way, San Jose, CA 95129 The Monarch is published for the students, faculty, and parents of Archbishop Mitty High School.

OPINIONS

Opposing Viewpoints: How Do You Feel About Poverty?

HELPLESS

By Eric He Staff Writer

When I was eight years old, my neighborhood organized a garage sale to help the victims of Hurricane Katrina. On the flyers that were passed out, the statements “Help relieve the suffering” and “Make a difference” were present along with a picture of the devastation the storm had caused.

Back then I didn’t know any better. I truly believed that some neighborhood in Santa Clara could put New Orleans back onto its feet. We raised close to $200 and donated it all to the Red Cross. I thought we were heroes.

As it turns out, that comprised 0.001 percent of the total funds collected by the Red Cross for Katrina.

As a whole, our society consists of good and ethical people. We say the right things, believe the right things, and more often than not, do the right things. But in what context?

When we turn on our televisions before we go to bed at night and see an image of extreme poverty or a natural disaster, what’s the first thing that comes to our minds? If we had any sort of human emotion, we would probably react with sympathy. Then, a number pops on the screen and urges us to send a text to the Red Cross to donate $10 toward helping the victims. Perhaps we’re feeling a little generous and want to feel good about ourselves before we call it a night, so we send the text.

More likely than not, that would be the extent of our actions. From there, we would put our phones away, change the channel to something less gruesome, go to sleep, and wake up the next day with little to no recollection of what we saw last night.

Thus lies the central problem. Many first world societies are plagued by inaction. Sure, we can donate $10. We can go on Facebook and like posts with pictures of suffering children, but a like does nothing whatsoever to help those children.

This is a perfect example of what is known as “slacktivism.” In essence, “slacktivism” is using the Internet to support a social cause with little time or effort involved.

Examples include signing an online petition or the aforementioned liking on Facebook.

A study done by the University of British Columbia’s Sauder School of Business found that “liking” may actually lead to less giving.

Because endorsing a cause on Facebook is made public, it satisfies people, making them less likely to actually donate towards the cause. Make no mistake, social networking sites such as Facebook are terrific for spreading ideas, but at the same

time, this has made the average person a “slacktivist” who expects everyone else to do the heavy lifting.

We are also desensitized as a result of the media and what they define as “poverty.”

Non-profit campaigns and other organizations often display an extremely sick-looking child as their “face of poverty” in an effort to persuade us into donating. But does a person need to look like he or she is on the brink of death to be considered poor? Would we donate to charity if the aforementioned “face of poverty” was a middle-aged, single mom living off of welfare? Probably not, because our minds are distorted to believe that only people in extremely dire straits need our help.

In addition to being hyperbolic, such images may also be counter-productive.

The media plays a big role in shaping the opinions of the public, and if all that we see regarding poverty is discouraging, we are less motivated to donate to a seemingly never-ending crisis.

We aren’t told that the percentage of extremely impoverished persons has dropped by more than half since 1990. We aren’t told that the per person income in Turkey and Chile has grown steadily, and is now where the United States was in 1960, with other developing countries not far behind. We aren’t told that in the tiny African country of Botswana, the average income is a whopping 30 times more than it was in 1960. We aren’t aware of any of these things, because the media decides to pick and choose only the negative statistics to tell the public. The lack of good news makes us complacent: We don’t think we can make a difference, because we have been led to believe that all of our efforts to do so have been unsuccessful thus far.

Fixing global issues is more than liking Facebook posts or reading a few online news articles—be they good or bad.

Poverty affects millions of people all over the world, but being barraged by pictures of starvation, overwhelming statistics, and downright depressing stories only leaves us feeling helpless. We all know that poverty is a problem in our world, but if the majority of us are desensitized to it, then how can we even begin to solve it?

“Ultimately, the more we see about poverty, the more detached and apathetic we begin to feel towards it.“

EMPOWERED

By Kaitlin Milliken Opinions Editor Selfishness is an inherent part of hu- were by individuals, totaling $223 billion. man nature. We are taught to put ourselves That’s right, individuals, not corporations or first—a completely valid point! It’s impos- the government. Common men and women sible to help anyone if your own footing working together can have a huge impact is amiss. However, it is easy to take self- on the social structures that improve our interest to the extreme. Many people, dis- society. This evidence not only reveals the appear within their own personal universes power of our collective contributions, but and forget about the rest of our community. the number of people moved to donate.

They forget that people face food insecurity, An alternative way we stand against are unemployed, and endure the terrors of the wrongs in our society is through volwar on a daily basis. unteering, which has been on the rise in In an age when it is increasingly easy recent years. The “2013 World Giving to fall prey to egocentrism, how does one Index” conducted by Charities Aid Foundaput the trivialities of his or her life into tion categorizes countries by the number of perspective? By gaining knowledge about volunteers in a country per month and the social-justice issues. percentage of the population who particiBy learning about human rights infrac- pates in service. The United States was in tions on both a global and local level, we second and third place out of more than 130 temporarily transcend the problems of our countries. About 45% of the population and own social spheres and glimpse society’s 115 million people each month invest time more pressing problems. The articles we into improving their community. read in religion class and the charity adAnother inspiring trend? There had vertisements we see on television bring been a huge jump in the number of young real world issues to our consciousness. volunteers. As of 2008, 15-24 year olds These messages change the way we think. were the least likely to volunteer, yet now We remember how lucky we are to receive we are the second highest represented age a quality education, possess freedom of group. Teen volunteering is crucial to the speech, and have toilets that flush. We un- development of our society, as it instills derstand that the aspects of living we call young people with a sense of compassion rights are privileges other people can only that follows them into adulthood. There wish to possess. is nothing more If a heightcompelling than ened understandthe personal i n g o f o n e ’s stories shared fortune is not through volunenough, exposure to injustice strengthens teering. Meeting people at a soup kitchen, our sense of moral responsibility to others. talking to people on an ECJ, or spending After reading a powerfully written article time with hospital patients bring statistics in Time about the refugee crisis in the Gaza to life. The facts that we hear become more Strip, or SNAP in the United States, one than numbers—they represent people. should experience a wave of emotion. Most This association formed during volpeople perceive this as guilt. Instead, I see unteering helps us empathize with others. it as conscience stirring. The reader sees A healthy sense of empathy evokes action, the necessity of change and has a desire to which leads to us bettering the world in facilitate it. Instead of suppressing our sense which we live through more service. And of social obligation, we should embrace our the cycle continues. conscience.

There have been claims that modern One way that we can fulfill the call society is more desensitized than ever of our conscience is by donating. It is a before. Millenials have been considered common misconception that our individual “apathetic”—too concerned with social contributions are miniscule in creating so- media to pay attention to the world outside. cial change. According to data collected However, we still have the same conscience

by Giving USA for their “Annual Report and moral construct of our ancestors. Teens on Philanthropy,” 72% of donations made are moved by the same news articles about war, affected by their own experiences with poverty, and long to live in a better world.

Furthermore, today’s youth have a wealth of resources at their fingertips that they can use to gain a fuller understanding of social issues. We are equipped to not only feel empathetic but to act upon that empathy.

May we realize our potential and continue to be a force for positive change in the world.

“[W]e still have the same conscience and moral construct as our ancestors.“

Opinions • April 2014

Page 5

PUT A CAP ON CAPITALISM

By Jacob Isaacs Staff Writer

Ah, the American dream—that timeless idea that, with hard work and luck, anyone can succeed. How better to fulfill this dream than through investing?

Capitalism, which “creates” most of the world’s wealth, is in part based on private investors funding private corporations. Then, these corporations return portions of the companies’ profits to the investors. While money sometimes goes through private investors, corporations more often receive capital through the stock market.

But while apparently reasonable, stock values are often based on arbitrary and subjective events. When stock increases in price, traders decide to sell it for more, because good news about their company has appeared. Inversely, the price goes down because of bad publicity.

Investors are infallibly bipolar: they base stock prices on whatever scrap of news turns up. Essentially, news creates enormous variation in a stock’s value, though the company itself may not have changed at all. With more news, the value will tip again. So, how can we base an entire planet’s economy off of perceived value, and not off of concrete worth?

The principal goal of the stock market—capitalism’s main tool— professes to be funding companies, while at the same time giving investors partial ownership of them. In practice, both of these suppositions work out differently.

While investors do give capital to their corporations of choice when a company first releases stock, most transactions bypass the company entirely. Usually, they occur between individuals at prices they negotiate themselves. As mentioned earlier, people are fallible. If you look at stock market trends, you see that the market’s growth significantly outpaces inflation. Yes,

there are more industries now than in previous years. But perhaps, people want a way to make quick money. Perhaps, they realize that technology’s improvement increases its perceived value, leading to constant “growth.” Perhaps, they place money in a system that is guaranteed to enlarge, regardless of reality. This is the current state of capitalism.

But what, exactly, are people trading? Investors say little pieces of the company, but is that true? Why would someone spend $1,200 just to be a part of Google? Because stock is just another form of money. Like currency, it has no inherent value. Also like currency, it creates value without creating wealth. When any currency is worth more, you can buy more with it, but it’s zero-sum. If your stock goes up in value, that doesn’t mean there is more cash in the world, just that you can trade stock to someone for more of it.

Investors only profit when markets increase—and they make them increase.

Capitalists’ greed makes the rich richer while ignoring the ever-expanding lower class. Look at the numbers. In 2007, 13.6% of the bottom 20% invested in stocks and other holdings, while 91% of the top 10% did so. The bottom twenty percent had $6,500 in holdings, on average. The top ten percent had $219,000—34 times that of the lowest twenty. This means the wealthiest folks have 22.8 times as much as the bottom 20%—many of whom are not even below the poverty line. Capitalism is a “hobby” for the rich, who get most of their assets from investments. Why should we support this worldwide system, which exacerbates the widening gap between rich and poor?

Stock has no purpose but to grow in value. The powerful rich venerate capitalism because it lets them compound their wealth, at the expense of those who can’t afford investing. Some European countries have realized this and responded in turn. Denmark has a highly progressive income tax and the lowest income inequality in the world.

Meanwhile in America, Warren Buffett’s secretary pays taxes at a higher rate than he does—and he’s one of the richest men on Earth. While capitalism probably isn’t going anywhere, a bracketed income tax like that in Europe balances the scales of wealth.

The rich do not need any more rewards than they already have, nor the poor punishment.

“Capitalists’ greed makes the rich richer while ignoring the ever-expanding lower class. “

GRAND THEFT ART

By Jordan Rehbock Staff Writer

Different works of art convey a message to the audience in different ways. The visual arts use shapes, colors, textures, and feats of engineering to deliver the creator’s ideas. Music relies on sound and words to do this. Literature develops a narrative that creates meaning through the imagination of the reader. In our digital era, a new artistic medium has emerged that combines all these aspects of art into one work: the video game.

Those who write off the video game as undeserving of the title of “art” should not forget that just as there are various types of literature, so too are there various types of video games.

I wouldn’t claim that a children’s book teaching the ABC’s is a work of art; I, likewise, would never be so bold as to group Angry

Birds in that acclaimed category. However, the understated game, Journey, allows players to partake in a beautiful sojourn through a mysterious world, all the while sharing the experience with a random, real person as silent, yet meaningful company. Another artistic work is the 2007 title, Bioshock.

Bioshock The game not only creates stunning new worlds but also develops a narrative that explores anarchist ideology. It immerses the player within a tale where his or her moral choices determine the outcome for the protagonist. Even controversial titles such as the Grand Theft Auto series craft a satirical criticism of our American society through the lens of the criminal world.

This list of art-worthy titles continues. It’s time to take a step back and reassess how we define video games.

Many video games are more than games. They are art and should be regarded as such.

WANTED IN COMICS: SUPER WITHOUT SEXY The 1950s were a different era—we get it. So when vintage comics have Mr. Fantastic save the world while the Invisible Woman saves shoes from a Bloomingdale’s sale, okay. Different times, different world. Sue doesn’t do that anymore. No, 21st century Sue is too busy squeezing into a body suit that vacuum seals onto her (which, for mysterious reasons, cannot zip up completely) to catch a sale anywhere.

The over-sexualization of super-heroines is a growing controversy with the revival of the comic industry, popularized once again because of its recent movies. It’s no secret that early comics were targeted at boys, but the industry has, of late, attempted to widen its audience with increasingly empowered female heroes. Terrific! But let’s, for a moment, examine the most popular of the female leads.

Within Marvel’s The Avengers, Black Widow is an autonomous woman with an intelligence to con the Silvertongue god, Loki. Natasha, like Sue, owns only vacuum seal-on clothes of leather, spandex, and faulty zippers.

Catwoman, of Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight Rises, is also a member of the “All My Clothes Shrunk at the Dry-Cleaners” club, and her stiletto boots are anything but practical for a fight. And Wonder Woman, coming to theaters in the Batman/Superman team-up, could crush a man with her thighs, but does she have to wear a glorified

swimsuit to do it?

The truth is, most fans don’t mind. It’s empowering to showcase women who own their femininity and their strength, and the Black Widow inspires us all to be a little more fabulous while we beat Russian gun smugglers into submission. But when do unnecessarily sexualized poses and disproportionately sybaritic bodies become a problem? When sexuality is a super-heroine’s primary quality, when the story is lost in the degradation of its female characters, and when we pretend that a heroine can’t be super without sexy, well that’s a problem.

The industry walks that line now, promoting heroines that use sexuality as a weapon, and leaving behind those such as Wasp and Batgirl, neither of whom use sultry smiles to kill a man. A Thor: The Dark World poster depicting Lady Sif in battle, hair awry and blood on her forehead—the image of a consummate warrior—felt progressive, publicizing a woman who does not rely on revealing curves to overcome foes. But then, the latest Black Widow poster for

By Erika Kawaguchi Staff Writer

Captain America: The Winter Soldier, featuring a photoshopped Scarlett Johansson with enhanced curves is a troubling step backwards.

Clarification: ScarJo’s waist is not the width of her jaw, nor should it be.

It’s a different time, yes, but is it really a different world? In the comics, we have empowempow ered women—some of whom embrace sexuality, such as Lady Sif—who can hold a sword to Loki’s throat without batting a lash, and some such as She-Hulk, who defy dainthe traditional, dain ty image of super heroines with her mussubstantial mus culature.

But with films pushing characcharac ters whose sexuality is a qualdominant qual ity, it prompts us to ask ourselves: reHow far have we re ally come?

Page 6

public. According to the Director of Risk and Environmental Policy at Washington, D.C.’s Enterprise Institute, it costs $240 to deal with a ton of recyclables, whereas it cost only $130 to deal with a ton of landfill.

Even at many commercial companies like Target, we are pushed to abandon plastic and endorse paper bags. However, many people fail to realize that using recycled paper bags still consumes resources. To resolve the real problem, we, as a society, must reduce the materials we use. So, the next time that you are encouraged to recycle, you can pride yourself in being a “real” environmentalist by looking to resolve the root of the problem rather than dealing with the after effects.

HE T N O

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When most people think of classic literature, the first thing that comes to mind is long-dead, obscure English authors. Hours are spent trying to decode the meaning of each sentence. Thus, it is of little wonder that students scream to the heavens about these “classic” writings. Despite the general hatred, these literary works are worth more than the trip to SparkNotes that they often receive.

Jane Austen is one of the most discussed classic novelists due to her still bestselling novels Pride and Prejudice and Emma. But how are her books still selling over 200 years after their publication? One might credit an excellent publicist, but the real reason is that most of her books have been given the “Hollywood treatment,” which attempts to relate classics to younger audiences. The most recent example has been the video blog adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, starring the main character in the novel, Lizzie Bennet, called “The Lizzie Bennet Diaries.”

With so many adaptations released, you would think that Jane Austen novels would stop selling; however, they have not. Why? The characters found in the pages of the

CHRONI

CL E

S

By Jessica Dumov Opinions Editor When we think about travel, we see suitcases, hours upon hours on stuffy planes or a crowded car, and a myriad of expenses. So what is the point of traveling, especially for us Californians when we live in such a beautiful, secure part of the world?

The beach is an hour away in one direction and cosmopolitan San Francisco an hour the opposite way. But having made the effort to see other places, to be a stranger in a country so different from my own, I know that there are several reasons why travelling around the world should be on your bucket list.

Travel is a form of education in itself. Whether you go to Paris to visit the Louvre or to Washington DC to visit the Smithsonian, there is a rich history to be found in the halls of these buildings. Though it is possible to simply look paintings up on Google Images, it is not the same experience. To stand in front of Van Gogh’s “A Wheatfield with Cypresses” is to look into the soul of a man who has not been around for over 100 years. To walk past “Liberty Leading the People” by Delacroix is to walk through a moment in French history.

Not only does travel make you a more well-rounded person in terms of history or art, it makes you a more open-minded person as well. Every country is rich in culture—a culture so different from our own. Even from city to city, traditions and social behaviors may vary. We, admittedly, are a highly diverse community; we can walk into a Thai restaurant, walk out, and find an Italian restaurant next door. But remember, just because we’ve seen a lot does not mean we have seen it all. Similar to how looking up Renoir’s paintings online is not the same as seeing them in person, traveling to Japan to try traditional cuisine is quite different from driving 10 minutes to do the same.

In the end, travel is of immense value. It is an adventure worth investing in. Travel is education, understanding, an open mind, and, of course, memories. Though it may take a significantly larger amount of effort than driving down to the local sushi restaurant or driving up to San Francisco, it is definitely an expense and experience that will be worth your while.

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By M Writer Staff

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You might like to think of yourself as an average “ Good Samaritan.”

You recycle some paper. You turn-off some leaky faucets at your house. And at the end of the day, you feel good about yourself; you might even call yourself an environmentalist. Sadly, you are mistaken.

The “ go green” movement started in the 1990s and grew to prominence with the advent of global warming. Most of us are familiar with alleged environmental alarmism.

However, how much do we to pay heed to these warnings. What worldview should we adopt when it comes to helping nature?

First, let us consider recycling: an essential facet of the environmentalist’s attitude. When most people recycle paper, they feel a sense of pride for having helped preserve the environment.

But what many environmentalists fail to realize is that while advocating for recycling, they are simply supporting a culture of overconsumption. Is it okay that I use a lot of paper to print my assignment if I recycle it?

Instead of supporting the idea that recycling will automatically help the environment, we must use less paper.

And significantly, over-recycling ends up costing the American

By Maya Guhan Staff Writer

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REUSE-LESS

April 2014 • Opinions

novel are transcendentally human: they make rash judgements, they laugh until their sides hurt, and they make senseless decisions in the name of “love.”

Essentially, these characters are us.

Not only can we identify with these classic stories, but they are also the foundation for widely-read modern novels. Many of the beloved novels of our generation are based on stories that were created centuries ago. Consider the seemingly outdated tragic love story of Romeo and Juliet. Now think about the modern best-seller by John Green titled The Fault in Our Stars.

Madly in love teenagers? Check. A world entirely opposed to the starcrossed lovers’ happiness? Check.

A widely-discussed, widely-known ending? Check. Most of the concepts from Shakespeare’s work have been repeated in romance novels ever since.

So, grab your favorite cup of tea and cozy blanket, find a comfortable seat, and open up that daunting novel on your shelf dedicated to “Books Family Members Gave Me.” Who knows, maybe you’ll find yourself in the pages.

TOO MANY VOICES

By Maxine Patwardhan Staff Writer What do you do online? Do you spend your time scrolling through GIFs on Tumblr?

Watching video game commenters or vloggers like Jacksgap on Youtube? Have you seen the more than a million videos uploaded

by Syrians about the conflict in their country?

Whatever you watch, there are thousands, maybe millions more voices shouting to be heard on the Internet. Though being able to voice one’s own opinions and listen to viewpoints that are often suppressed is one of the greatest things about living in this age, not everyone can be heard over the sound of cats playing the piano. Available content is limitless in the Internet Age. Time is not. And so, it is incredibly important that we fill the time we have with something that is of value.

If you type in “Ukraine” on YouTube, the first video you see will have approximately 700,000 views. It sounds like a lot, until you realize that San Jose has about 1 million people in it, and typing in “cinnamon” will get you Glozell’s Cinnamon Challenge video as a first result with 36 million views and counting. YouTube seems like the perfect way to gain grassroots support for a cause, or to educate people about issues that we often ignore. However, videos made to have at least some educational value—even those created by large Youtubers like Jack Howard—are stuck below a video of a cat sitting in front of a fireplace

for an hour.

I’m not saying that you shouldn’t watch your cats or vloggers. Entertainment does have value; laughing and fangirling can build a sense of community and make you happy.

But on the Internet, you have power. The power to be more knowledgeable and maybe even make the world a better place by hearing a few people that have more to tell and more to make you say than lolz.

Justice Awareness

Does An “A” a Day Keep the Problems Away?

Program Addresses How We Can Improve Student Health

By Riya Dange and Manasi Patwa Justice Editors Visits to a medical clinic follow a standard routine. Once the patient checks in, the receptionist hands him or her several forms. The questions cover the standard topics. Allergies, measles, mumps, medication history, etc... However, one question stands out: “What is your GPA?” Despite the evidence that links excellent academic performance to psychological well-being such as cigarette and alcohol abuse, numerous issues nonetheless still exist for high-achieving students. And so assuming that students with top grades are free of health and mental complications is a mistake.

For example, an August 2013 study by the American Psychological Association surveyed American students, asking them to rank their stress level on a scale of 1 to 10 (with 1 being the lowest). 27% of teens reported feeling extremely tense (8-10).

The results of such stress are manifested in the high suicide rate for teens. According to a 2012 study published in the Clinical Psychological Science journal, the suicide rate for those aged 13-17 is higher than that for adults aged 24-30.

Many attribute these shocking stress statistics to the high-pressure academic culture that has become common in American schools. In 2009, lawyer and mother Vicki Abeles set out to produce a documentary about academic pressure. Titled Race to Nowhere, the film explores the dangers of the cutthroat competition that dominates today’s

schools. “I think there is tremendous pressure on all kids to get the grade, to get the test score…which is creating an epidemic of unhealthy kids who are also arriving at college and at the workplace unprepared,” Abeles told The Washington Post in 2010.

This is where the Challenge Success program comes in. Founded by Dr. Denise Pope, Dr. Madeline Levine, and Jim Lobdell, the program “works with schools and families to develop research-based strategies that provide kids with the academic, social and emotional skills needed to succeed now and in the future.” The founders’ aim is to ensure that students are able to maintain healthy lifestyles, in which they value learning more than simply obtaining the coveted “A.” Therefore, the organization’s staff works with schools, parents, and students to lower students’ stress levels

through targeted curriculums and parenting strategies.

For school systems, Challenge Success offers membership options, in which program directors can collaborate with educators to create a healthy academic environment. Furthermore, Challenge Success offers schools access to conferences, planning sessions, and guides––all to serve the purpose of helping students thrive.

Toward that end, the Challenge Success program has seen success with about 100 schools in the past ten years.

However, Challenge Success officials believe that reform is not limited to the administration level. Instead, it recognizes, “Nobody said that growing up was easy.”

It encourages students to form “Challenge Success teams” and initiate projects to resolve student stress. One student––Aliza

Gazek––organized a workshop on stress reduction for her Jewish youth group.

Parents are not left out of the picture either. Live and online courses allow parents to learn techniques for raising engaged, content, and healthy children. Challenge Success combines research and parenting strategies to concoct a variety of ways that parents can contribute to lowering exacerbated student stress levels.

Earlier in January, Dr. Pope spoke to Mitty faculty about academic culture and fundamental issues in the American school system, a first step by the school in examining the wellness of its own student body.

As Dr. Pope endeavors to reform student wellness, we as students must closely examine the various aspects of the academic culture that surrounds us on a daily basis.

From the definition of “intelligence,” to drug use, to loss of identity, to sleep deprivation, academic culture across America is overwhelming and even stifling at times.

However, as the Challenge Success program shows, we can solve this by creating a healthier learning environment, in which students are encouraged to thrive in their academic pursuits and to understand that their health cannot be sacrificed.

Medical clinics inquiring about GPAs do not remedy the situation—but inquiring about how we can lessen stress levels and live healthier lives does.

For more information about Dr. Denise Pope’s visit to Mitty, see News, Page 1.

An Interview with Teachers Without Borders: Mr. Herrera

By Riya Dange Justice Editor The tall, smiling man with the chin curtain beard answers to many names. Deacon, Mr. Herrera, ––and, of course, the most famous––“Voice of God.” January of this year, Mr. Herrera returned from a two-week-long trip to Kenya. On February 6, I sat down with the “Voice of God” himself to discuss the impact of his Kenyan journey on his character, and how he brings these experiences to the classroom.

RD: What exactly did you experience in Kenya?

Mr. H: Yes, I went to Kenya for two weeks. There, I became acquainted with the work of two organizations addressing poverty: Caritas and Catholic Relief Services. I was able to see what they were doing specifically to address poverty in that country. I visited rural communities in which people make less than one dollar a day. I saw the slums in Nairobi and the impoverished conditions throughout the country.

And I visited sites where the organizations were working to address those issues.

RD: Are there any particular stories that you remember?

Mr. H: Well, the dramatic experiences that affected me most were driving through impoverished areas in the hills and seeing the people get drinking water from ponds and streams that were polluted. Just seeing all the children and orphans, being impacted by their poverty, wondering what their future would be. I’m glad that at least there’s some hope because there are organizations like Caritas and CRS that are trying to make a difference in their lives.

RD: I’ve always thought of the mall bombing as a link in a series of violent events. But you say the region is more normal than we usually portray it to be. So how do you bring this and your other Kenyan experiences into the classroom?

Mr. H: There are two things that I’m going to do to bring the experience back. I’ve made a little video, which I’m going to show to all my ethics classes. I also already talked to the faculty about my experiences. And I’m also giving talks to parishes, Catholic schools, and more.

RD: You run outside of Mitty that focuses on similar justice issues. Could you say a little more about that?

Mr. H: So I facilitate a teen interfaith group here in San Jose. Basically, we take ten teenagers from all different faiths on an immersion trip to New Mexico. We also meet once a month to engage in justice-related issues. We’ve been doing it for a couple years now, so it’s a few years old.

RD: And what are CRS and Caritas doing to combat poverty in Africa?

Mr. H: They have a number of projects. Small businesses are being given micro-loans, and that’s helping families make an income. For example, there was one fellow who was given a hose so he could do car-washing in the slums. And another fellow was given a sewing machine. He used that to start a car seat upholstering business.

RD: How did you find out about these initiatives?

Mr. H: I talked to the CRS regional director. He told me that they are currently helping 20,000 Somalian refugees in northern Kenya. They’re working on water projects by Lake Victoria; the water there––well, you can’t drink it. And I was also able to see how Caritas and CRS are collaborating on projects to promote the peace and welfare of people in Kenya.

at the mall was an isolated instance. Like here, the people live normal lives; they don’t live in fear.

RD: Kenya has experienced turmoil of late. The recent bombing of a mall in Nairobi, for instance. How has your trip to Kenya affected the way you view current events such as this?

Mr. H: I was actually about half a mile from the mall that was bombed when I was in Nairobi. There were no signs of violent activity then. Before I went to Kenya, I read through the State Department report, which contained fifty to sixty different safety concerns. But when I got to Kenya and met the people there, I found that the opposite was true. People were embracing. I found nothing to be afraid of. It was like a home away from home… The violence

RD: Do you have any final details that you definitely want Mitty students to know about your trip to Kenya?

Mr. H: One last thing is I had the chance to talk to the Archbishop of Nairobi. I asked him some questions, and what he said really impacted me. He said, “The main purpose of the Church in Kenya is to preach the Gospel, but you can’t teach the Gospel to people unless their human needs are met first.” And that impacted me because it showed that he cared for justice in Kenya. By increasing people’s standard of living and lifting them out of poverty, you make them more able to learn the Gospel. He also said, “In order to change the world, people need to do more than they’re doing now. If we continue to do only what we are doing now, the world will never get better.”

RD: So what is the big takeaway you want Mitty students to obtain from this?

Mr. H: The big takeaway is this: we have to make use of all the gifts that we possess to address the needs in our community and to promote world peace. There’s no time to waste. The time is now.

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April 2014 • Justice Awareness

The David O. Russell Case: How Hollywood Protects Its Wolf Pack

By Niharika Bhat Staff Writer The Academy Awards. It’s every fashion blogger and movie critic’s dream, and the media attention focused on this cinematic event shines a bright spotlight onto the lives and work of nominees. This year, before the 86th Academy Awards, the spotlight shimmered brightly upon Oscar-nominated David O. Russell, director of the acclaimed hit American Hustle, a movie centering around the lives of con-men and women, and their fragile interpersonal relationships.

Critics have lauded his unique direction of the film, and an Academy Award seemed a realistic possibility for the director. However, few know that Russell recently assaulted his nineteen-year-old transgender niece––and then admitted it in a public statement.

Hold on. The same man nominated for an Oscar and hailed as a brilliant director?.

According to the statement that the victim, Nicole Peloquin, released to The Chicago Tribune, Russell inappropriately touched his transgender nineteen-year-old niece––who is still in the process of completing the sex-change––making her very uncomfortable.

When faced with these allegations, Russell admitted that he had inappropriately touched Peloquin, but told the police that Peloquin was “acting very provocative toward him.” According to Peloquin, after the incident Russell made her “pinky swear” not to tell anyone. Ultimately, charges against Russell were dropped because the alleged assault wasn’t witnessed, and there was insufficient evidence to prove that the assault occurred.

The lack of attention accorded this issue highlights not only the patriarchal privilege of the film industry and media, but also the excuses that society makes to defend its “chosen ones.” Russell admitted that he had sexually touched Peloquin––his own family member––who had been struggling with her gender identity and sexuality for years. In no world should the physical violation that occurred be acceptable; but in glittering Hollywood, these issues are too often hidden away by privilege and power.

The media is silent on the outrage the famed director committed, and has continued instead to focus only on his films.

Our media has, from the beginning of the printed word, had clear loyalties toward the dominant force in society: straight, white males. Their scandals are labeled neatly as “mistakes” and glossed over. But isn’t the real mistake failing to hold these men accountable for their actions? Although American Hustle, the film that Russell directed, did not win an Academy Award, the lack of media attention given the “golden boy” director’s indiscretions clearly demonstrates the utter hypocrisy in our society.

And Russell is not alone in being implicated in assault and sexual misconduct.

A fellow filmmaker (and cisgender white male companion),Woody Allen, has been accused of child molestation of his adoptive daughter, Dylan Farrow. In a recent open letter to The New York Times, Farrow explained the sexual abuse that she claims to have taken place in 1992. Farrow’s mother immediately sought action against Allen, bringing him to court, but charges were dropped due to inconclusive evidence.

Sound familiar? Woody Allen and David O. Russell stand among other alleged sex offenders and transphobes in the film and media industries, yet too often too little is done to bring their actions to public attention.

Gentrification in the Bay

By Amulya Yerrapotu Staff Writer At first glance, it seems as though a new Starbucks in the neighborhood would be a positive development. Coupled with a boutique and five-star restaurant, it is almost like the entire neighborhood is being reformed. Unfortunately, the appearance of such high-end retail drives up rents, often pushing poorer residents out, in a process known as gentrification.

The problem with gentrification is that home prices grow at a rate disproportionate to the income of residents. Though it is illegal in the United States to drive up rents to purposefully evict residents, this unfortunately happens anyway. Lower income families are forced out of their homes and replaced by people who earn higher wages.

Though studies indicate that gentrification is not always bad, especially in cities like New York and Chicago, there seems to be unanimous agreement that one of the areas where the problem is at its worst is right here in the Bay Area.

In San Francisco in the last two years the average rent on a two-bedroom apartment has increased by 33%. Historically poorer neighborhoods are slowly being transformed as start-ups push out local businesses, and young tech workers who earn more are driving out lower income families. Considering the sluggish eco-

nomic growth after the 2008 recession, it is no surprise that residents are simply not making enough to keep up.

The wave of gentrification washing over San Francisco has been met with a backlash, as many residents realize how the city is changing.

One business the dissenters, for now, are focused on is Google Buses. Large tech corporations, such as Google, employ fleets of buses to shuttle workers to and from their jobs. These routes often run through neighborhoods in which gentrification occurs, and tend to correlate with sharp rent spikes. As a result, many locals associate these buses with the gentrification crisis.

Protesters have taken to picketing and blocking bus routes.

The city is proposing several pieces of legislation that would put a cap on rent growth, but it is clear that these bills will not be passed immediately. Meanwhile, gentrification continues, unchecked.

However, there are some ways for regular citizens to make a difference.

Supporting local businesses––a seemingly small act––can make a large difference. So maybe next time you’re craving a Double Chocolaty Chip Frappuccino, try the local coffee shop down the street, instead of heading over to Starbucks. Insignificant as it may seem, it could make a small difference to lower income families facing eviction at the hands of quickly gentrifying neighborhoods.

Scientists have released news of a new blood test that could potentially detect Alzheimer’s in patients before the disease takes full effect.

The Dutch government has mandated that all immigrants into the country display fluency in the Dutch language, exemplifying intolerance––especially toward Muslim immigrants.

The man responsible for the 1991 shootings at a Buddhist Temple in Waddell, Arizona, was recently sentenced to 249 years in prison. The shooting killed 9 people.

P r o t e s t s i n Ve n e z u e l a continue between opposition demonstrators and government forces that began last month. So far, 31 fatalities and 461 injuries have been reported.

Inequalities on College Campuses?

By Sarah Nehemiah Staff Writer We are the so-called millennials. We have vanquished the notion of white privilege; we pride ourselves on our acceptance of and belief in equality. Racism is dead to us, kept alive only by those Rush Limbaughs who occasionally spew racial epithets. That’s all true, right?

We’re in a post-racial America, yes?

Well if that’s the case, why, then, is it that the enrollment rate of African Americans at the University of Michigan has dropped from 6.2% of the student population in 2009 to 4.6% of the student population in 2013? Why has there been an increase in protests regarding racial diversity on college campuses, including at the University of Michigan and UCLA? The truth of the matter is, inequality isn’t dead. We millennials aren’t in a post-racial America, after all.

Consider this: In November of last year, fraternity members held a party at the University of Michigan centered around mocking African American stereotypes, such as “rappers, twerkers, and gangsters.” Their slogan for the party? Bring everyone “back to da hood again.”

This party was quickly cancelled due to ensuing protests, and even though it never actually occurred, this party sparked a new wave of critics who spoke to the flaws of our generation’s willingness to appropriate racial stereotypes in the name of good fun.

Social media has provided an outlet for many students to speak out about issues of race on college campuses. One student at the State University of New York at New Paltz, Jordan Taylor, claims that during his freshman year, somebody had placed a “colored only” sign above a campus water fountain. More good fun, perhaps.

Students at UCLA have spoken out about the UCLA School of Law’s blatant misrepresentation of African American admission rates: the school boasts that 35% of students admitted into the class of 2016 are “students of color,” but in reality, only 33 out of 1,100 students are African-American––only about 3%. This led to a protest on campus with 120 students boasting t-shirts with this “33/1100” fraction printed on them. Clearly, our generation has not been spared the effects or experiences of racial inequality.

Where do we go from here? President Obama clearly still has hope as seen with his “My Brother’s Keeper” initiative. According to the official White House website, the president intends to help boys and men of color find mentors and networks that can guide them toward a successful and prosperous future. Although this is a step in the right direction, it’s unsettling that in a time when the youth vote helped elect President Obama, the same youth population finds itself on campuses where inequalities still persist. Only time will tell if our generation is truly the one that will end such inequalities, but it seems clear we haven’t yet remedied the historical consequences of discrimination—even on our college campuses.

Justice Awareness • April 2014

Page 9

Crisis in Ukraine

Israel passes law to draft Ultra-Orthodox Jews into the military. Yoni Chetboun of the Jewish Home Party stated that this legislation “comes at the peak of a wave of anti-religious legislation that seeks to dilute the Jewish character of Israel.”

France convicts Rwandan Ex-Intelligence Chief of murdering over 500,000 people during the Rwandan genocide of 1994.

Hundreds of students remained barricaded in Taiwan’s Legislature. They are protesting the ruling party’s push for a trade pact with China, which demonstrators claim will hurt the island.

By Margarita Zvereva and Giulia Travostino Staff Writers Imagine waking up and seeing your neighborhood literally split down the middle.

Your neighbors, the people you have been friends with for years, are throwing barbs and insults your way. Children you have gone to school with since you were five are told not to now avoid you as you are a supporter of an opposition government. Recent tumult in Ukraine has transformed these images into reality.

What began as local protests has escalated into a regional conflict that threatens to escalate to an international scale. When news of protests in the Ukraine broke, it was clear that the Ukrainian people desired to become part of the European Union in order to trade with Western European countries. Meanwhile, the Russian and Ukrainian governments desired to continue trading without the interference of the European Union.

Malaysia Prime Minister Najib Razak announced that flight MH370, based on new evidense, ended in the Southern Indian Ocean. Search parties continue to look for debris in suspected locations

Laws That Seek to Marginalize

Policies of Intolerance Spread

By Nivedita Ahlawat and Nikita Dandia Staff Writers “A preconceived idea of what it all meant, for those that liked the same sex… The right wing conservatives think it’s a decision, and you can be cured with some treatment and religion… Man-made rewriting of a predisposition, playing God, aw nah here we go… America the brave still fears what we don’t know, and ‘God loves all his children’ is somehow forgotten.”

Macklemore could not have proclaimed it better––we still fear what we do not know.

America’s laws have, at their best, been created and reformed with the goal of equality for all, regardless of ethnicity, religious beliefs, gender, cultural background—and in the recent past, sexual orientation. Of course, America has overtly discriminated in the past against groups such as Native Americans, immigrants, women, African Americans, Jews, and, at present, homosexuals.

Recently, eight U.S. states––Alabama, Arizona, Mississippi, Louisiana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah––have implemented laws banning the promotion of homosexuality in schools. In fact, South Dakota and Missouri have even prohibited school districts from enacting anti-bullying policies.

Arizona and Utah have banned teachers from discussing homosexuality in a positive light. Moreover, Alabama and Texas have required teachers to describe homosexuality as detestable to the public and consider it a criminal act, even though criminalizing homosexual activity has been unconstitutional since 2003.

Kansas House Bill 2453 received a significant amount of media attention before finally being defeated in the Senate. Under this legislation, individuals would have been given the right to refuse to “provide any services, accommodations, advantages, facilities, goods, or privileges; provide counseling, adoption, foster care and other social services; or provide employment or employment benefits related to the celebration of any marriage, domestic partnership, civil union or similar arrangement...if it violates that individual’s religious beliefs.”

All these policies utilize religious freedom as a sword––rather than a shield––against the rights and needs of others. Moreover, such policies allow for the lesser treatment of another person because of their background and orientation to legally persist in everyday America. Historically, one does not have to think very hard about the various periods of injustice that featured policies such as these.

At Mitty, there have been significant measures taken to ensure such discrimination does not occur on campus. Shepherd, an organization with our school’s Campus Ministry Department, is a place where students have the ability to speak freely about difficult issues related to social inclusion, fear, harassment, and discrimination due to stereotypes.

However, not all high school students are as lucky––schools across the nation are currently facing a crisis, for some are now legally required to discourage even the discussion of homosexuality.

An individual’s sexual orientation does not define him or her. In 1 Corinthians 13; 4-8, the Apostle Paul wrote a great description of love, however he never truly defines what love is because love can be displayed in patience, kindness, humility, and forgiveness.

We all have the right to love and be loved. Macklemore says that his hit single “Same Love” was inspired by the notion of “gay” as a derogatory term in our society today. He uses his widespread influence and takes the initiative to change the perception of what “gay” means in our society, and we need to continue to do the same.

So while there are clear indications that injustice is occurring throughout many regions of America, there is also evidence of hope and acceptance that can rise to combat these occurrences in our society today.

In the midst of all this lies the Ukrainian region of Crimea. For centuries, the Crimean Peninsula has been disputed among the Ukraine, Russia, and the Ottoman Empire. Over the years, this region has been fought over and occupied numerous times: tensions trace back to the Crimean War of the 1850s. Ukrainian independence from the former Soviet Union in 1991 eventually created a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic population that has essentially split allegiance between Eastern and Western Europe that is reminiscent of the Cold War. In the past several months, there has been a growing dispute between the Ukainian people and their government, a dispute that recently led to the ouster of that government.

Taking advantage of this state of near-revolution and instability, Vladimir Putin––the current leader of Russia––made clear Russia’s desire to annex Crimea. While extending support for the Ukrainian government against the protesters, Russia also mobilized efforts to take Crimea. With popular local support, Russian military forces then moved into Crimea.

Due to local instability, an official election was called. In Crimea, with a 83.1% voter turnout, 96.77% of the population voted to join Russia according to The Washington Post––likely as a result of strong ethnic ties to Russia in the region. In response, Putin officially annexed Crimea into Russia on March 21. Today the Russian flag flies beside the Ukrainian flag over government buildings.

Following Russia’s military offensive and effective occupation of Crimea, President Obama warned Putin that forceful action would have strict consequences. Due to military occupation, the European Union and United States have placed economic sanctions on Russia, mainly targeting the oil and gas industries. These actions have the potential to disrupt the global economy, but are necessary to discourage Putin in his endeavors to make further incursions into the Ukraine. The sanctions are also intended to cripple Russia’s economy to the extent that Russia would not be able to economically absorb Crimea.

Alumni Centered

Arts & Entertainment

spamalot of heart

By Jisoo Kim and Maya Ruiz A&E Editor and Staff Writer

“Animals are thrown off of a catapult. If that didn’t make you want to see the show, I don’t know what would have.”

But for those A&E devotees who desire some context beyond this fabulous insight into the recently completed spring musical Spamalot from senior cast member Garrett Meyer, director Mr. Doug Santana reminds us that the show is “a musical based on the 1975 comedy film and cult favorite, Monty Python and the Holy Grail. It is a parody of the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table on their quest for the Holy Grail—and the musical version features many of the classic quotable moments from the popular film that audiences love and remember such as The French Taunter, The Knights of Ni, The Black Knight, Tim the Enchanter and Not Dead Fred.”

Integrating such quintessentially Pythonesque elements into the legacy of Mitty musicals involved coupling the fast-paced nature of the multilinear plot with high overall production values. Most of the actors had at least five wigs, costume changes, and makeup adjustments throughout the two acts. The set included many moving pieces, like the large wooden rabbit used to parody the Trojan Horse, and there were several complicated dance sequences. Mr. Santana adds, “This musical was a challenge worth accepting since the end result was so hilarious, but it was one of the largest shows we’ve produced at Mitty in recent years. It was also exciting since Archbishop Mitty is one of the first high schools to produce Spamalot since it is such a new title—so many of our audience members saw the show for the first time on our stage.” Because Spamalot was made available for licensing just a few years ago, it is not likely that Mitty theater fans would have seen a non-professional production of the show prior to ours.

On the other side of the script, the students performing had to “Find Their Grail”—that is, carve their own path to overcoming what was challenging for their specific roles. For junior Will Haubl, the double-edged sword lay in the worry that “everyone will know every line because Monty Python’s movie was so popular. We had to match everyone’s expectation of what the show would be like, based off their past experiences with the film.” Additionally, as Patsy, King Arthur’s servant, Haubl explains, “I had to be able to make the audience laugh without saying much because I did not have many lines, but I was in most of the show.”

Garrett Meyer claims that one of the best parts of the show is the characters. He played Sir Robin (a cowardly knight), a guard, and Brother Maynard (a priest that advocates the use of lethal weapons and grenades). He said that “having to differentiate these characters was very difficult. Nonetheless, the challenging aspect of these parts was welcoming, as I got the chance to broaden my horizons.”

Fellow senior Myha’la Herrold agrees that “all the characters are so lovable that you want them to succeed in their crazy antics.” But at the end of the day, Spamalot is a farce: “I love Spamalot because it challenges the actor to execute the kind of comedy that requires an incredible amount of discipline because all the things we did were completely serious to us. This show was also really fun for the actors because it was so fun for the audience! We had as much fun as they did laughing at us.”

For those hungry for more after curtain call, our very own leading gentlemen of the Performing Arts department, Mr. Santana and Mr. Mason Kimont, will be taking their experiences as this show’s director and pit orchestra conductor respectively to a production of Spamalot in late April at Marquee Productions in Downtown San Jose.

By Kasturi Kulkarni Staff Writer

Having watched my friends’ performance at Interact Club’s charity dinner, I was thrilled to interview juniors Prachi Nawathe, Nicolas Kuo, and Raka Dey about their acoustic pop group EyesOpen.

A&E: Hi guys! Can you talk about what instruments you play?

Nic: I play the guitar!

Raka: I play drums! Well, I play the Cajon—that wooden box I sit on.

Prachi: I sing.

A&E: How did EyesOpen get started?

RD: Prachi and Nic wanted to do an open mic, so I tagged along. I started giving them a little beat and they were like, “Hey, wanna join us?”

PN: It was casual at first, but we thought, “Hey! It would be so cool if this could be a regular thing!”

A&E: How would you describe EyesOpen’s sound and genre?

PN: We like to take songs you would assume to sound a certain way and change them around so you see a different side to the song.

NK: We usually cover pop songs, but we try to give them all acoustic feels.

RD: We’ve covered classics like “Sunday Morning” by Maroon 5 and “Bleeding Love” by Leona Lewis.

And some of our musical influences are OneRepublic and Parachute. We love them.

A&E:: Where else have you performed besides the Interact Club’s charity dinner?

NK:: Our main venues are pretty much Interact events! Our first one was last year’s International Night for Area 12.

PN: We love senior home visits and Mitty’s Music for Hearts club.

NK:: We really want to do Santana Row, coffee shops, or open mics in the future.

PN: We’re so busy that getting show dates to line up is a struggle.

A&E: I have to ask, where did the name EyesOpen come from?

RD:: Ah, a long time ago we were doing a medley of “Firework,” “Dynamite,” and “Grenade,” and there’s that one line in “Grenade” that goes, “Had your eyes wide open, why were they open?” I kept missing my cue, but the name stuck.

A&E: Can we look forward to an album, or future performances?

NK:: You should subscribe to EyesOpenOfficial on YouTube! You’ll find all our updates there.

Events April 4/9-10: HAIM at the Fillmore 4/10: Bastille at the Warfield 4/11: 5 Seconds of Summer at the Fillmore 4/17-18: Empire of the Sun at the Fox Theater 4/17-18: The 1975 at the Fillmore 4/18: Lana Del Rey at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 4/19: Broken Bells at the Fox Theater 4/19: Ellie Goulding at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium 4/20: Bombay Bicycle Club at the Fillmore

May 5/5: Ingrid Michaelson at the Fox Theater 5/6: Childish Gambino at the Fox Theater 5/10: twenty one pilots at the Fox Theater 5/14: James Blunt at the Fillmore 5/18: Iggy Azalea at the Fillmore 5/20: Christina Perri feat. Birdy at the Fillmore 5/28: Bruno Mars at the Oracle Arena

Arts & Entertainment • April 2014

Page 13

Diversity is Write

By Anamaria Falcone Staff Writer Here’s a question for you: can you name a screenplay writer? Come on, you don’t even need to know movies to answer this. I have a hunch that Quentin Tarantino, Woody Allen, or possibly recent Academy Award winner Spike Jonze (Her) came to mind. Easy, right? Here’s a tougher one: can you name a female screenplay writer? If you could, then I congratulate you on your knowledge of women writing in the entertainment field. If you couldn’t, then you’re about to learn some valuable information about women in one of the most highly undervalued positions in Hollywood.

According to a recent Entertainment Weekly article, female screenplay writers have been trusted to write for films of the following genres: musicals and animation. Sometimes if a woman writer is really lucky, she’ll be trusted to create an animated musical. This year’s female writer of the year award goes to Jennifer Lee for co-writing Frozen, the third highest grossing film of 2013. Not surprisingly, it’s an animated musical.

True, Frozen won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, implying that Lee’s writing and even directorial skills were top notch, but no other women were noted as a writer or director by the Academy other than Lee this year. Every writer nominated for an Academy Award in the field of writing this year was a man.

The last woman to win Best Original Screenplay at the Oscars was one of the most famous contemporary females in writing for film: Diablo Cody, the woman who wrote Juno. Cody is one of the few females to break the status quo in her creation of a family-oriented film with her story about teen pregnancy. To expand her resume of non-animated/musical features, Cody also wrote horror film Jennifer’s Body and dark comedy Young Adult.

There’s not a lack of female directors like Cody in the film industry. In fact, there are a number of women who are stepping it up in Hollywood like Cody and Jennifer Lee, who should both be praised for making such excellent films in their careers so far. No, we’re not low on females who write. We’re low on females getting writing opportunities in major films.

Apparently, Hollywood still doesn’t think that women are “comfortable” with giving orders to men, even though we’re living in the 21st century.

Crazy, right?

Hopefully we’ll be seeing more female names in the credits when it comes to writing. I know mine’s going to be up there someday.

A Phantasy Come True Michelle Phan’s Real Life Fairytale

By Lauren Dang Staff Writer

26-year-old Vietnamese YouTube sensation and philanthropist Michelle Phan came from a poor family with no means of support, moving constantly due to her father’s gambling addiction. In many interviews, she recalls how her father walked out on his family in the middle of her high school career, leaving Michelle, her mother, and her brother destitute and abandoned. Refusing to give up, Michelle worked odd jobs day and night to support her family, and tucked away money bit by bit to save up for college. Although her mother pushed her towards the medical field in hopes of securing her financial security, Michelle begged and pleaded to go to art school and eventually won her mother over. And it was at the Ringling School of Art and Design where she received her very first laptop. On May 20, 2007, her life was changed forever when she uploaded her first video to YouTube. Within the first week, her natural makeup tutorial gained over forty-thousand views.

Fast forward seven years later and Michelle’s channel has over 890 million total views and 5.9 million subscribers, while averaging over five thousand new subscribers per day.

Without a doubt, people rightfully call her the most successful beauty guru on the YouTube platform. Google offered Michelle one million dollars to upload twenty hours of content in one year, an offer that she gladly accepted. With her success and popularity, she founded three successful companies: Ipsy, FAWN, and EM cosmetics. After working for Lancome, a company under L’Oréal, L’Oréal Lux granted Michelle her own makeup line, EM cosmetics.

Some under L’Oréal believe that EM will have ten million dollars in sales this year alone, as the company has already opened their first store in New York and ships worldwide, unlike most well-known beauty brands.

To add to her growing success, Michelle has been featured in magazines such as Vogue, Seventeen, Vanity Fair, and Forbes, and has a current partnership with Dr. Pepper. Michelle not only hopes to educate her viewers with her makeup and skin-care tutorials packed with informational tips, but also aspires to make her viewers more confident and proud of who they are. She has undoubtedly paved the way for the beauty community, and has inspired millions of girls all over the world to start their own beauty channels.

Accumulating over 120 million views per day, Michelle Phan continues to empower young women all over the globe with her inspirational words and inspiring videos.

By Shayne Jones Staff Writer

“I CAME IN LIKE A WRECKING BALL!” This one phrase commonly plagued the minds and mouths of teenag teenagpremiered back in ers all over the world when said video ce lebrity who created the September, as they saluted the rising celine. Yes, we’re talking about the foam finger-brandishing, hip-thrusting, tongue sticker-outer Miley Cyrus: a young woman whose post-Disney rise to fame has escalated and even topped that of other pop stars like One Direction.

Apparently, Cyrus was eager to prove to her fans that she doesn’t need a man to be the happy, independent woman she strives to be. She was insistent on kicking off her world tour on Valentine’s Day, and fought any complications that came her way to do so. Teenagers, including Mitty students, are flocking by the masses to the Bangerz Tour. Though discussing Miley is now like beating a dead horse, her stop in San Jose did make her relevant on Twitter timelines once again.

Asked whether she liked the singer or not and why, junior Emma Cappiello proudly stated, “I personally love Miley Cyrus. She is a role model despite what other people say about her. The messages that she sends, except for a couple songs, are pretty relatable, and she has a dream for girls to recognize their true beauty.

I gained a lot of respect for her.” Emma attended the show at the SAP Center on February 25 and described it as “probably one of the best concerts I have ever experienced—and I’ve been to a lot of concerts.”

Another young concert-goer, sophomore Caldon Williams, says that he loves Miley because she “isn’t afraid to express herself.”

All around Mitty, students seem to admire Miley simply because she is unique and outgoing, as well as creating some pretty kick-butt performances. This particular concert featured incredible visuals, the costumes were diverse and colorful, and, at one point, Miley even went to the section of the venue behind the stage—where fans can barely see the performer—to sing to those who bought tickets back there.

Not everyone responds to Miley this positively. For some, she is simply too much. Her provocative outfits and movements often come across as inappropriate messages rather than inspirational ones. This is not to say that owning your personal image and being confident are bad things, but sometimes, this message is lost on the people who focus instead on Cyrus’s tendency to expose herself. All of these elements are mainstays on the tour.

One thing that many people can agree on, however, is the fact that Miley Cyrus was never the person “Hannah Montana” was created to be. Miley herself even said while holding a poster of her iconic childhood character, “This is not me; this is what they made me.” Under contract, Miley was forced to hold back the performer and person she truly was, but today she’s simply taking advantage of the opportunity to celebrate her true self. So whether you are a Miley fan or not (it is clear that some of her actions are slightly less than tasteful), she is a girl with a goal to break from convention. No matter how controversially she may be pursuing that goal, her efforts have shown the world that the girl who had “the best of both worlds” is part of the real one now.

The Voice: The Right Choice The Voice kicked off its sixth season ing “bromance” and Shakira's quick wit on Feb. 24 with Adam Levine and Blake and hilarious remarks, fans were able to Shelton remaining as coaches and Usher enjoy more than just the singing.

The friendly dynamic between the and Shakira returning to replace Christina Aguilera and Cee Lo Green. This season four coaches is truly one of the reasons comes with a lot of viewer excitement, why The Voice is such a strong show. Anpartially because it is premiering right other reason why The Voice has become on the heels of Levine winning People such a success is because the show has Magazine’s coveted “Sexiest Man Alive” always separated itself from other singtitle, but mainly because of the return of ing competitions by veering away from fan-favorite coaches Shakira and Usher. the term judging and choosing to coach When Shakira and Usher first be- their contestants instead. That this show came coaches during the show’s fourth is unconventional in its approach to guidseason, they both offered something that ing aspiring musicians is what separates fans responded really well to; viewers ap- it from the multitude of other singing competitions that are decreasing preciated Usher’s charisma and in popularity. frequent dancing just as much as This season hopes to con conthey enjoyed Shakira’s tough yet tinue drawing in viewers, and loving approach. it also hopes to showcase the Once the fourth season best rising stars. Last season ended, the two coaches were ended with Team Adam’s swapped out for Aguilera and Tessanne Chin winning the Green, who fans honestly competition, thus ending thought didn’t contribute Blake Shelton's three year much to the show, aside reign as champion. from sequined outfits, of The stakes are deficourse. Fortunately, pronitely high for this season, ducers made the smart debut the level of talent on cision to bring Shakira and the show has always Usher back for this season been equally as high and everyone is eager to which leaves viewsee what the coaches ers everywhere very have in store this time enthusiastic for what’s around. Between ShelBy Winni Cherukuri to come. ton and Levine’s persistStaff Writer

Page 14

March 2014 • Arts & Entertainment

Why Leonardo DiCaprio Just Can’t Win an Oscar

By Nicole Rejer Staff Writer For a few months before the 2014 Oscars, the media was full of speculation concerning the future winner of the 2014 Best Actor award.

While Matthew McConaughey seemed like the most likely contender for the Oscar based on his performance in Dallas Buyers’ Club, many argued that Leonardo DiCaprio deserved to be recognized for his performance in The Wolf Of Wall Street. As we all know, McConaughey went home with the award, but after the Oscars, social media was buzzing over how Leo was, once again, left empty-handed. DiCaprio has had a long and satisfying career, so why does the Oscar keep evading him?

In all honesty, based on this year’s nominees for the award, DiCaprio’s chances were slim. Although Leo’s performance in The Wolf of Wall Street was praiseworthy, the film and the roles it offered, sadly, were not Oscar-worthy. Many of the other contenders, like McConaughey and Chiwetel Ejiofor (12 Years A Slave), put everything they had into vulnerable and heart-wrenching performances that were complemented by plots that were insightful, moving, and most of all, original. In comparison, Leonardo’s character and the plotline of the movie were shallow, and fell flat. And we all know that the Oscars are more about poignancy than satisfaction.

Another reason people have argued that DiCaprio deserves an Oscar is the fact that he’s been in many other notable movies and has been repeatedly snubbed (which I also disagree with, but let’s save that for another time). DiCaprio may be plagued by a reputation for having a pretty face and being “mediocre,” but his greatest flaw is that he is not willing to take the risks that usually accompany Oscar-winning films.

If you share a Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Instant account with your family or friends, both your ads and your recommendations can get pretty odd. It’s certainly disconcerting to see My Little Pony, Downton Abbey, and The Walking Dead all under the

By Siddharth Kulkarni “Recommended For Staff Writer You” heading. Obviously, Netflix has been recording information about what you’ve been watching. But exactly how much do they know, and, more importantly, how do they use it?

The Internet has transformed television irrevocably. Gone are the days of buzzwords like “primetime” and “ratings.” Now terms like “binge watching” and “Big Data” dominate the scene. Netflix, with its databases full of information on user watching habits, knows exactly what you want to watch, even if you don’t. Shows like the Netflix original House of Cards benefit hugely from Netflix knowing when viewers pause, rewind, fast-forward, and hit play, telling them what viewers want to see more of (which, in the case of House of Cards, happens to include sex scenes).

Meanwhile, the big television networks are getting worried. Many corporate executives need only to look with trepidation at the music industry as a terrible harbinger of what the Internet can do to an entire medium. As the Internet gained steam in the early 2000s, services like Napster and Pandora brought effortlessly customized music to people free

Death of Primetime

Throughout his movie career, he has focused on big blockbuster movies, keeping him popular and in the spotlight, but doing him no favors in terms of his quest for an Oscar. It may be in his best interests to forgo the high-budget, high-profile films he tends to gravitate towards in favor of a more obscure, but potentially inspired independent production.

Although his fans are indignant over Leo’s lack of Oscar recognition, the reality of the situation is that his four nominations and subsequent losses are far from uncommon. Many worthy performers have been nominated six, seven, or eight times with no win.

Take Meryl Streep for example. She’s arguably one of the most talented actresses of all time and has been nominated for 18 Oscars, but has only won three times.

DiCaprio’s had a notable career thus far, but he still has the time and opportunity to blossom and grow even further.

Never let go, Leo! Your Oscar dream is still within reach.

of charge, but the bigwigs of the music business scoffed at the possibility of the Internet destroying their monopoly. Yet iPods and MP3 players started to dominate the market, and with the advent of iTunes, the camel’s back had been broken by one straw too many.

The Album Era was over; the record and the CD, murdered.

The Internet can also serve as a defibrillator of sorts, bringing back TV shows that have been left for dead, whether cancelled, unaired, or stuck in development hell. The most prominent example is the notoriously cancelled Arrested Development, whose creator, Mitchell Hurwitz, felt that normal television networks were not the place for his reboot: “If there’s a way to continue this in a form that’s not weekly episodic series television, I’d be up for it.”

In 2013, Netflix answered his call, recognizing how popular the original show was and seeing an opportunity to add more original content to their website. The fourth season’s novel twist gives viewers freedom largely appropriate for Netflix: all the episodes take place simultaneously because each is told from the perspective of a different character, and there is no set order to watch the episodes in.

Television and music aren’t the only mediums that have been transformed by the Internet. In recent years, more and more movies are depending on Internet publicity to do well—and often, the production of a movie is driven entirely by the Internet alone! The website Kickstarter, a New York-based startup, utilizes a crowd-funding platform to help finance independent projects. The entire process works something like an artistic spoils system, with a you-scratch-my-back-I-scratch-yours mentality: project creators have to raise a certain amount of money in a certain amount of time, and the most generous backers get their wish for fame fulfilled à la cameo roles in the film and invitations to after parties. The most conspicuous example is producer Rob Thomas’s latest, Veronica Mars (see review on page 15 at right). At 5.7 million dollars, the film’s budget is more than twice the amount of money the creators were expecting.

As we progress into the 21st century, technology is changing not only how we live our lives but how we entertain ourselves. The latest developments in the world of television, perpetuated by Netflix and Kickstarter, are simply the modern continuation of a chain of innovation, from the gramophone, to the radio, to the television, and now, onwards, to the Internet.

Arts & Entertainment • March 2014

Page 15

Monarch Critics

G Eazy: Back in the Bay

By Lauren Belotti Staff Writer

For the last three years, I have been he allowed his Santa Cruz audience access trying to see G Eazy (otherwise known as to material usually reserved for family and Gerald Earl Gillum) perform in concert, and friends. In fact, at multiple points in the on March 4th, I finally got the chance to evening, he confessed that “Santa Cruz feels see his “These Things Happen” tour at the like a second home to me.”

Catalyst in Santa Cruz.

G Eazy is in a unique poOriginally from Oakland, sition in his career: when he this artist is known for his collaborates with artists who confident, and at times poetic, are outside the rap arena, his rap style. Born and raised in works (“Marilyn” and “Runthe Bay, G Eazy was not afraid around Sue”) hit new heights of to show his hometown spirit creativity. But, when he works throughout the evening, even with other rap artists, his work making quick changes from a tends to rely on rap cliches, Sharks to an Oakland A’s jersey. which, while enjoyable, are far Although the show started from memorable. two hours late, once he hit the In a time period where stage, the energy within the stylish teens are raiding thrift crowd instantly elevated. For stores, G Eazy is retrofitting many who had only seen the music from the 1950’s and dapper and suited up G Eazy 1960’s. He could be classified before on album covers, getting as a “retro rapper.” What makes to witness his interactive and him unique is his ability to take passionate stage dynamic within universal themes and combine the intimate setting of the venue them with older melodies and was a surreal experience. his own sense of modern angst.

Everyone in the audience Photos by Lauren Belotti Three years ago, I heard left feeling as if they had a deeper under- “Endless Summer,” G Eazy’s earliest ode to standing of G Eazy and his music. From creativity, and I wanted to know the person having his mother come on stage to greet the behind the song. Last month, after a long audience, to premiering never-before-heard wait, I finally felt a deep understanding and singles from his latest unreleased album, appreciation for this rap artist.

uppets Least Wanted

By Camille Contreras Staff Writer

When going to see Muppets Most Wanted, directed and written

by James Bobin, I had an open mind about the movie, because I loved watching the show as a kid. Unfortunately, it was not worth the time or money. The movie opens with a song about sequels, in which they state that everybody knows the sequel is never as good as the first one.

They were right.

I wouldn’t recommend spending your money on this movie for a number of reasons. First, the writing is sub par and the dialogue is not very funny. Secondly, there are way too many cameos, including one by Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga for about 15 seconds. My least favorite was Celine Dion, which, as expected, was way over the top, lengthy, and pretty much pointless.

Third, there are a lot of cheesy movie references that are super predictable

and not very comedic. This gave off a vibe of the writer trying way too hard to get some laughs. Lastly, there was a lot of singing and especially bad Broadway numbers. It’s nice to have a couple of songs, but this time it felt like everything was a song or dance number, leaving no room for comedy or plot build up.

Just about the only semi-good parts of the movie were scenes with Tina Fey, who plays a Broadwayobsessed prison guard in a Siberian prison, and Ty Burrell, who plays a French detective who basically employs just about every European stereotype you can think of.

However, even their roles were not that great due to the average writing. Overall, this movie was not a success and I would definitely advise you to save your dollars and time on this one.

In a Nutshell

By Jisoo Kim A&E Editor

By Klara Barbarossa Staff Writer

By Lexi Breitbart Staff Writer

By Kristyna Otto Staff Writer

Thankfully for fans of the 1980 original, Cosmos: A Personal Voyage a worthy new version is here. As a producer of this sequel, Seth MacFarlane of Family Guy fame traded his usual crude humor for honoring the legacy of the late astronomer Carl Sagan. This iteration of the show, known as Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey, stars acclaimed NOVA host Neil deGrasse Tyson as narrator in place of his former mentor, Sagan himself.

Thanks in part to the astonishing footage of outer space, it is no exaggeration to say that people of all ages will enjoy each episode, slowly discovering their place in the universe. Historical animations strike the delicate balance between freshman religion class cartoons and the Deathly Hallows paper cutout scene narrated

by Hermione.

Every week, a new theme merges history and all types of science so effortlessly and successfully that there’s no doubt Sagan himself would be proud.

Have you ever gone to the movies and felt surrounded by a cult? Veronica Mars, a CW show about a spunky private investigator, was cancelled after its third season.

Fans took their obsession to the next level by crowdfunding $5 million through Kickstarter to help create its film version.

Sitting in the audience among fans sporting Veronica Mars t-shirts, I didn’t fully understand some of the references.

However, I still appreciated the movie without having watched the series. As a newcomer, I enjoyed the tricky mystery and the heart-pumping action.

The audience loved the undeniably witty dialogue and performances delivered

by Kristen Bell and Enrico Colantoni. Appearances from Max Greenfield and James Franco were the cherries on top of this already delightful movie. I left the theater with a smile on my face, wondering why I missed the show’s hype in the first place. Perhaps fans can next convince Netflix to show it too!

Instead of sticking with the signature aesthetic of chart topper “Pumped Up Kicks,” Foster the People’s new album Supermodel, as frontman Mark Foster says is, “more organic and more human.”

Supermodel still incorporates the enticing pop formula that led to the band’s initial success, but also manages to change the overall sound of the band.

Acoustic light rock, passionate psychedelic sounds, and hummable tunes all contribute to the band’s embrace of a new, raw sound as they reject over-produced studio music. This album is described as being “achingly, devastatingly beautiful,” and I couldn’t agree more. I am in love with this album; every track is memorable and perfectly transitions to the next, creating a rhythmical, soulful journey with a liveat-a-concert vibe.

This impeccable album and a nearly sold out world tour is an incredible start to what is clear to be a memorable 2014 for the Foster the People.

Thrilling, entertaining, thought-provoking and action-packed are all words that can be used to describe the new movie Divergent.

Starring up-and-coming American actors Shailene Woodley as Tris, Ansel Elgort as Caleb, and English actor Theo James as Four, the film is based on the eponymous book by Veronica Roth, and follows the story of Beatrice Prior—more commonly known as Tris. Set in a future in which the city of Chicago has been divided into five factions that each represent various virtues.

However, some ruin the system created for peace by belonging to more than one faction, and they are the ones known as the divergent.

Comparing the movie to the book, the movie is very similar, which is definitely pleasing to any fans of the Divergent novel-series like myself. Without a doubt, when you leave the theater after seeing Divergent,, you will be completely satisfied and begging for the sequel.

SPORTS

Baseball Starts Strong

Men’s Golf Tees Off

By Sanjay Raman Staff Writer The whirring of baseballs is in the air. Springtime has come which means that baseball season is here. The Monarchs, led by Coach Bill Hutton, look to build upon the success of last year’s team and contend for a WCAL title.

On the mound, 2013 WCAL 2nd Team senior CJ Romero (5-3, 2.62 ERA last year) fronts the staff along with junior lefty Kristofer Bubic (2-2, 2.95 ERA) , junior Kyle McBerry, and junior righty Brett Foley. Offensively, the Monarchs hope to get the most from senior Second Team members Trenton Scharrenberg (.333 Batting Average, 15 RBIs) and Luke Rasmussen (.354 BA, 10 RBIs), along with catcher Chris Zapata (.250 BA, 12 RBIs).

Photo courtesy of Mr. Luie Lopez Rasmussen said the team wants “to compete and be in every game this year.

Junior Tommy Hudson mans first base.

From a team standpoint, we would like to win the WCAL and achieve a high seed for the CCS playoffs. My first two years on Varsity, we made it to the quarterfinals of the CCS. We would like to get to the semifinals at San Jose Municipal, play in the Championship game, and win it.”

However, the team must face the challenge of replacing alum Spencer Erdman, who started at shortstop for the last two years. Coach Hutton said, “Replacing a shortstop is always hard, but replacing one as dynamic as Spencer will be tough.”

However, according to CJ Romero, “Our key contributors are everyone on the team, from the bench to the starting lineup. That’s why baseball is a team sport. You can’t win a baseball game with just one guy.” The Monarchs began their non-conference schedule with a convincing 3-1 win over Salinas high school, getting a complete game from Romero.

In their first game at the Mike Hazlett Invitational from March 4-8, the Monarchs dispatched Leigh High School 7-0, with Rasmussen knocking in four runs, including a three-run homer, and Bubic pitching six shutout innings for the win. Senior outfielder Drew Mount also went 2 for 3 with two RBIs. In their second game, the Monarchs were defeated 10-3 by a tough Wilcox squad, though Rasmussen went 3 for 4 with two more RBIs. They were able to rebound with a 2-0 win over Homestead, getting five shutout innings from McBerry in his first varsity start. The win clinched third place in the tournament for the Monarchs, a solid start to the year.

It won’t be easy for the Monarchs to win WCAL considering the talent they will be competing against. Saint Francis is currently ranked 1st in the entire nation according to MaxPreps which makes them a very tough opponent in a talented West Catholic League.

According to Bubic, “Every opponent in our league is a tough opponent. There are no days off. St. Francis is the returning champ, but with our guys, we can beat anybody.”

The team has clearly proved their mettle of late with a thrilling 8-7 walkoff victory against St. Mary’s High School on March 14, featuring a home run by Rasmussen along with an RBI single in the bottom of the 7th by junior Brooks Allen to cap off the win.

To start off the WCAL season, the Monarchs beat Serra 9-7, led by Mount who drove in three runs and Bubic who drove in two and pitched two solid innings. Additionally, Mount was named Player of the Game for leading the Monarchs to a 5-1 victory with two hits and two runs against rival Bellarmine on March 21. The team looks to build on their impressive 9-1 start to the season in the upcoming weeks.

By Amrith Mylvara and Jorge Rodriguez Staff Writers The Monarch golfers started their season nicely, with victories over St. Ignatius and Bellarmine by three strokes each. From there, the boys have taken control of the WCAL, defeating Serra 184-189, Sacred Heart 201-279, St. Francis 193-209, Valley Christian 178-209, Sacred Heart Cathedral 184-258, and St. Ignatius 188-203.

The team has its eyes on lofty goals this season, but nothing is out of reach for these promising young talents.

As junior Austin Lin explains, “We are trying to become the first team in Mitty history to have an undefeated season. Also, we hope to capture the WCAL Title as well as the CCS Title.

Last year we gained valuable experience nearly winning the NorCal tournament and finishing 4th in State. We have learned what it takes to compete at that level. We will truly consider this a successful season if we are able to hang a State Championship banner in the gym.”

It is clear that this year’s Monarch golfPhoto courtesy of ProImage ers have had some very valuable experiences Junior Ed Hackett drives. throughout the past few years. Though the Monarch golfers of last year were successful in their own right, this year’s golfers feel that they have what it takes to be even better.

Along the way to a successful season, the Monarchs will compete in several key tournaments. Interrupting their league schedule next month is the premier 2014 Champions Invitational in Palm Springs, which lasts an entire weekend and includes teams from across the nation. These squads are the best of the best across the United States, so the Archbishop Mitty men will have to play to their utmost ability to be successful. The Monarchs, who finished in fourth place last year, look to take home the trophy with their revamped roster and a determination to avenge their close finish. The Monarch golfers, eagerly hoping for a fantastic finish at this event, have prepared for their moment in the spotlight at this invitational for a while now, and strongly believe their hard work will translate into results. The team also finishes their season at the Aptos Invitational and hope to use that opportunity as a chance to cap off an already stellar regular season with a very strong finish to lead into a likely playoff run.

To add more accolades to an already stellar season, senior Shintaro Ban triumphed at the 2014 San Francisco City Championship by finishing the competition on a tear and winning all the way from the number 32 seed, and the team as a whole placed second (391-388 to De La Salle) in the prestigious De La Salle invitational.

Captained by the University of Nevada, Las Vegas-bound Ban, the team is reaching its peak in terms of skill, but remains conscious that a team should be much greater than the sum of its parts. Team chemistry and bonding has been highly emphasized by Coach John Mosunic, qualities which many team members attribute to the Monarchs’ consistent ability to stay on top of a very competitive West Catholic Athletic League.

With an fully invested coach and a very close-knit group of young men, the Monarch golfers have been able to rely on this brotherhood and confidence to pull out close victories.

Several of their WCAL victories (204-207 over St. Ignatius and 188-191 over Bellarmine) have come down to the wire, but this team has managed to remain unfazed under extreme pressure. Characteristics like these are what build championship-level teams, and the Monarchs are well on their way to, hopefully, their first State title.

Basketball Brings Home Titles

By Varun Chhabra Sports Editor The Women’s Basketball team has had yet another dominant season, having captured their tenth NorCal championship and playing for the CIF State Title as the paper goes to press.

On Saturday, March 22, the team pulled off a nail biting NorCal finals victory against McNair High School with a final score of 57-54. The game featured many lead changes with McNair leading 19-17 at the end of the first quarter and Mitty coming back to tie the game 31-31 at the half.

With 3 minutes left in the game, the Monarchs were down 52-51 but were able to pull off a close 57-54 win, propelling the team to the State title game against Chaminade on March 29 at Sleep Train Arena in Sacramento. Sophomore Player of the Game Jahnay Anderson had a stellar performance, hitting four three pointers in the first half and ending with 5-5 from three-point range and a perfect field goal percentage.

Earlier in the second round of NorCal on March 15, the team demolished Dublin High School by a score of 71-35, holding the opponent to just 2 points in the first quarter! Senior player of the game Kelli Hayes dominated all around with 22 points, 9 rebounds, 4 steals, and 5 blocked shots.

Next, the team blew out Clayton Valley Charter in the NorCal semifinal by nearly the same margin with a final score

of 84-49. In this final home game for the Monarchs, Hayes had a shining performance once again with 22 points, 8 rebounds, 4 assists, and 6 steals.

Regardless of their outcome at State, the team has had a phenomenal season, showcasing all the talent that Coach Phillips and Mitty women’s basketball has to offer.

The men’s team also had a great season, winning WCAL and CCS titles. A new key contributor to the team was sophomore Ben Kone, a tall and powerful presence in the paint. In the CCS title game against Serra, Kone led the way offensively with 26 points and 16 rebounds. Although they were down 16 points in the first half, the Monarchs displayed great poise and Photo courtesy of ProImage control, leading to a thrilling 8-point victory.

The team carried this momentum into the first round of the NorCal Open Division playoffs with a solid 67-59 victory over El Cerrito High School. Initially, the Monarchs struggled with missed shots and turnovers leading to a 25-15 deficit early in the second quarter. However, the team took control towards the end of the half with a 17-4 run and never looked back. Senior point guard Matt McAndrews had a clutch night, scoring 12 of his 32 points in the 4th quarter to seal the Mitty victory.

In the NorCal semi-finals on March 18 the Monarchs lost by 13 to Capital Christian. However, their season was one to be proud of with a fifth consecutive CCS title.

Basketball teams get pumped for their games.

Sports • April 2014

Page 17

Women’s Lacrosse

Winter Recap

Newest Addition to Mitty Athletics

By Arjun Balasingam and Varun Chhabra Sports Editors

By Sam Baker and Justine Marlin to Mitty. Though the team has some seasoned players, freshStaff Writers man Morgan Peterson believes it is important to “focus It’s finally here: the spring sports season at Archbishop on a lot of drills that grasp more on the basics of lacrosse” Mitty! With our many distinguished teams, this season (shooting, passing, defense, and offense drills). proves to be exciting across the board. In fact, a new team Additionally, sophomore Madison Cairns thinks that is making its debut this spring! “the team needs to work on shots from the 8 meter arc, That’s right, this year Mitty is proud to introduce you quick accurate passes, and making good sharp cuts to the to the Women’s Lacrosse program! Men’s Lacrosse has ball on offense during a game.” always been a focal point of the spring season, and now the Despite being untried, these ladies showed no fear female Monarchs are ready to finally show what they’ve in their opening game against George Washington High got! With skilled players and a well-seasoned coach, this School. The ladies stormed the field and came out victoriseason promises to be yet another source of excitement for ous with a 15-1 win. Gabriella Segoviva, sophmore, says the Mitty community. the ladies “have improved so much from the first practice Though it has its amazing to see taken some time the progress that to bring womwe have made as en’s lacrosse to individuals and as Mitty, choosing a team.” the right coaches Sophomore was a key part Elliott Picone exof the process. plains that “teams Junior Katherunderestimate us ine Toy says, “It because we are a was important new program with because all the beginner players,” girls who play labut our Monarchs crosse outside of are far from weak. school finally got In fact, in the a chance to be part first jamboree, a of a team at Mitty tournament with too.” multiple teams In true Mitty from different style the head varleagues, that our sity coach, Luca Wo m e n ’s L a Photo courtesy of ProImage crosse team parJacobsen, comes Sophomore Elliott Picone looks to pass. with an impresticipated in they sive résumé. She honed her stick skills in high school and only lost one game out of the five total that they played. college, and then went on to represent the United States The team has high hopes for the rest of the season and in international competitions. She is currently the head Elliott believes that “it will be a challenge, but with practice coach for women’s lacrosse at San Jose State University. and determination, we will be able to get the win.”

Before she came to Mitty, she led the girls at Notre-Dame Elizabeth Deane adds that she thinks the “team can go High School in San Jose to two league championships in against the odds and be a big competitor.” just three years.

The Monarchs are showing promise in their season so Mr. Will Scharrenberg, the Director of Athletics, is far, and they will likely be one of the many teams to earn happy to finally have women’s lacrosse at Mitty. He com- league titles for Mitty in the near future. ments, “It’s a long process because you’ve got to recruit Despite two tough losses against Leland High School coaches who are qualified. You’ve got to get into a league, and Gunn High School, the Monarchs bounced back with and you have to make the adjustments to the necessary bud- a dominant 16-5 victory against Sacred Heart Cathedral on get because it changes how things are done in the spring.” March 11. Player of the game, senior Luey Maclean led This additional sport has been a great opportunity for the Monarch charge with 4 goals and 3 ground balls. The the players—whether experienced or new—to show their team continued strong, crushing Woodside in a 16-1 match. skills.

The ladies’ next home game is against Castilleja on Some, like sophomore Elizabeth Deane, played for April 4, with Varsity starting at 4:00 p.m. Come and root club teams, such as Vipers Lacrosse, before the sport came for your women’s lacrosse team in their first season.

r e c c o S s ’ n e M

lley Chrisefeating Va D : ts h g li h Winning Season Hig CAL Semis.

W in 0 4 rs s. tian Warrio Serra Padre point over 1 y b L A C W rall record 16 -3-4 ove s: g in k n a io ns. CCS Titles & R AL Champ C W ). e u g in U.S. (11-1-2 lea in CA, #89 2 3 # s. st li a o ve d up Quarterfin ranking s m te ta S d n a National n. ssful seaso after succe

cer c o S ’s n e m o W

ry e 7-1 victo ts: Decisiv h g nli o h C ig .

H is Sem Season High in CCS m a er h y n la P ra .

B n so against in post-sea ls a o g ty in 3 b a ly n M de r ce de d o ntral defen e o c ls a r— a ; e se y n efe of the g asset to d n . ro n st so a a s se a g durin Kanu—w ts is ss a 2 d n als a adde d 3 go rd overall reco gs: 18-5-4 s. in n k n io a p R m a & h CCS C Titles WCAL an d ). e u g a le (7-2-3 #10 in CA.

Wrestling

first-ever Capturing s: t h g li h ig ruction of Season H 49-13 dest a h it w e 0 -12 an d WCAL titl enior Day. 6 S n o is c n ra d Sacre d rival St. F st Serra an in a g a s ut o 67-9 blow ectively. e dral, resp h at C rt a e H hampionship s: WCAL C g in k n a R iors ChanTitles & at CCS. Sen ce la P h rt doza qualiTitle! Fou Daniel Men d n a z e ir dler Ram pionships.

State Cham fie d for CIF

Swimming

Track & Field Making Strides

By Katie Ericksen Sports Editor Track and Field is one of the biggest athletic programs on campus, consisting of approximately 170 athletes. Each event has its own coach, and practices are structured to enable athletes to practice with their coaches.

The Men’s team is strong in the Frosh/Soph Division this year, with an abundance of talent, especially in the 4x400 relay and long distance. Although the Varsity team is struggling to replace the strong athletes it has lost in the past few years, last year junior David Power won first place in Frosh/Soph Pole Vault at the WCAL Championships, vaulting 12 feet. David is gunning to clear even more heights this year, earning the varsity team points as he goes.

Having won 8 of the past 10 WCAL Championships, the women’s track team hopes to maintain that tradition.

Women’s Track has, for many years, been able to pull through in almost every event to claim the WCAL cham-

pions title. Despite the loss of some key athletes last year, particularly in mid-distance, an abundance of new athletes only means more talent. Women’s Head Coach Dina Oakland comments: “We want to cultivate the attitude of excellence with focus and great sportsmanship.”

With a powerhouse team, especially in sprints and long distance, excellence is certainly within reach. The sprinting team is primarily underclassmen-based—including sophomores Tiana Travis, Jamie Albin, Victoria Peyser and freshman Te’Mesha Paxton—and the long distance team is primarily made up of cross country runners, including sophomore Julia Lemak. Also notable is sophomore Julia Chizanskos, the returning WCAL Champion in the hurdles.

Most recently, the women beat Valley Christian by 20 points, while the men were narrowly defeated by 8 points. There are two more home meets this season, as the Monarchs seek to out run, out jump, and out throw SHC on April 2 and St. Francis on April 30.

Justin Read: “ I enjoy swimming

because it enables me to have a refreshing physical outlet after all of the classwork I’ve done all day. I get to push myself to see how fast I can go and enjoy spending time with friends in the process.”

Photo courtesy of Justin Read and Amanda Shore

Softball Photo courtesy of ProImage

Senior Carlisle Micallef (center) dominates hurdles. Junior Liesel Judas and sophomore Julia Chizanskos closely follow.

Amanda Shore: “The most important

part of Mitty softball is the philosophy instilled in us by Coach Yocke and reinforced by my teammates.

Mitty softball expects effort, hustle, and attention 100% of the time.”

Page 18

April 2014 • Photography

Through The Lens

Heather Stanbury

Monarch Photography

Camille Daszynski

Nathan Earnshaw

Rachel Wakley

Photography • April 2014

Page 19

Kinsey Heucke

“Time does not change us. It just unfolds us.”

- Max Frisch Madeleine Jones Class of 2014

I know your priority is film, so how are film and photo similar and different?

Filmography and photography are similar in the way that they are both designed to let you hold onto memories for as long as you would like and watch them over and over again. They are different because when I shoot video, I am spelling out a story and making it blatantly obvious what it is, but when I take a picture, there is a story behind it, but I let the viewer interpret it. Both film and photo kind of go hand in hand for me. As much as I enjoy editing videos, I also like working on photoshop with pictures. I love telling stories and making others feel the same energy I have when making videos or taking pictures. I have a passion for both—I love them, and I don’t think I’ll ever stop doing them.

What does time mean to you?

I would like to say I value time a lot, but the first thing that comes to mind is that I don’t have enough time! Because it’s senior year, I’m trying to enjoy everything because we only have two months left in high school. It’s crazy to think about; it seems like only yesterday I was a freshman.

Interviewed by Rachel Wakley, Photography Editor

Photography • April 2014

Page 20

Humans of Mitty Vol. 2- 2014

Archbishop Mitty. San Jose, California

THREE CENTS

Humans of Mitty is a spinoff of “Humans of New York,” a collection of photos taken by a man named Brandon, who began his project in the summer of 2010. “Humans of New York” resulted from an idea that he had to construct a photographic census of New York City. This unique collection of photos now provides a worldwide audience with glimpses into the lives of the citizens of New York City. We have set out to do the same with students of Archbishop Mitty High School.

Max Bieber (‘14): My New Year’s resolution was to teach myself to do a handstand, and I did.

Rachel Wakley (Photography Editor): Who’s your best friend?

Trenton Scharrenberg: My dad.

-Rachel: How did Trent saying you’re his best friend make you feel?

Mr. Scharrenberg: It made me feel very good. It's the best thing I've heard all week.

-Rachel: How has time affected your relationship?

Trent: It's stayed the same more than it's changed. He's my buddy; he's my dad; he's always been there.

-Rachel: What's it like driving to school together every morning?

Mr. Scharrenberg: The first year was great; it was just the two of us, so we listened to Sports Talk. Once we added the girls to the mix, we added songs, and that changed it.

Trent: I've always enjoyed it for the logisitcal advantage; I get a spot right in front. On the way there and back my dad and I can talk the most so I really appreciate it.

Katarina Pance (Staff Photographer): What are the pros and cons of being a freshman?

Gabriel Sharp (‘17): I don't really have to do hard work, which is a pro and a con.

A down is that I'm a freshman. It sucks being a freshman.

-"What are you most looking forward to?"

"Not being a freshman so I can go to prom."

Kata: What are the pros and cons of being a junior?

Pooja Patel (‘15): Well the pro is being an upperclassman ‘cause I get to smush all the freshmen, even though I’m not taller than them. The cons are all the classes I need to take, because they’re really hard.

Kata: What are you most looking forward to next year?

Pooja: Second semester.

Max: Do a follow-up in two weeks.

Kata: What are the pros and cons of being a sophomore?

Josiah Panlilio (‘16): One pro is that you’re not a freshman anymore, but that can also be a con. Also, sophomore year you know a lot more of what to do, what not to do, and you get to know more people.

-Kata: What are you looking forward to next year?

Josiah: Probably being an upperclassman because you have a better chance at winning Monarch Madness as a junior and not almost getting last.

Kata: What are the ups and downs of being a senior?”

Lauren Cech (‘14): An up is that you feel a lot less stressed. I can’t really think of a down.

-Kata: What are you most looking forward to next year?

Lauren: Better food from the cafeteria and more freedom.

Kata: What were the ups and downs of your time in high school?

Mr. Abb: I had a great time in high school, loved it. I had terrific friends and enjoyed every moment of it. The only down was probably my first year physics teacher, who wasn’t the greatest.

-Kata: What are your best memories from teaching at Mitty?

Mr. Abb: All the friends that I’ve made, from students to teachers.

Watching the babies of instructors become seniors and then graduate is so special.

-Kata: What will you miss most about teaching when you retire?

Mr. Abb: Oh my goodness, wow. I’ll miss the excitement of having the unknown happen. Everyday is different, everyday is unique.

I’m going to miss that. When I’m retired, I’m going to know exactly what’s going to happen. I’m going to wake up, eat breakfast, and play golf. It’s a routine.