March 2012

Crimson Volume 71 / 03.28.12 / Issue 6

The Student Newsmagazine of Paso Robles High School

UNLIMITED

POW801 Niblick Rd. Paso Robles, California ERFU L

HELPFUL

What is your identity?

Explore identity problems & solutions

Special Section >>pp. 1i-8i Budget cuts hinder student studying at school library

Blind date: Picnic at Barney Schwartz Park

>>p. 04

>>p. 12

Q and A: Students debate Artist of the month: Junior for the Republican party Taylor Machado discovers a candidates talent for painting >>p. 13

>>p. 18

Crimson

March 28, 2012

Volume 71, Issue 6

ON THE COVER: Seniors Alex Ball, Allysha Newnam, and Brady Zubia and junior Noel Phillips stand as faces of solutions to identity questions. Read their stories on pages 1i—8i.

Photo illustration by Kim Boswell

Staying strong There is a unity unique to PRHS— a special brand of Bearcat strength that shines its brightest when the going gets tough and they get going.

opinion

14 The college experience Students departed on a two-day trip organized by AP English teacher Aaron Cantrell as a part of his growing business, CollegeTrips.org.

editorial

Organ donation Anatomy classes have launched a campaign to get over 100 students on campus involved in something not only physical, but positive.

health

Memetic mutation Memes and their full influence on so many groups in society is yet to too be seen, as these ever changing mutations morph themselves into the current trends.

sci-tech

Special Edition Crimson investigates the problems students face and the teenagers who have overcome the odds and are breaking out of the mold.

02 | Crimson 3.28.12

Photo by Olivia Musial

@ crimsonnews.org

Paso Robles High School

center

Check in for weekly blogs, sports coverage and an updated calendar of events.

web www.crimsonnews.org

News NEXT

HERE’S — the —

‘Welcome back, Linda’

Spanish teacher returns to teaching after cancer battle

by Dakota Cleland, Reporter

After a 16-month absence due to Stage IV skin cancer and chemotherapy treatments, Spanish teacher Linda Bernhardt, who now goes by Linda Ward, returned to work on Monday, March 5.

“It is truly a miracle that I have been healed and am well enough to return to my Bearcat family,” said Ward in a staff e-mail she sent on Feb. 26, in which she announced her return to work for the third trimester of 2012.

“Linda’s return to teaching is like how a bumblebee exists. A bumblebee’s wings are too small for its body. Aerodynamically, they shouldn’t be able to fly, but yet they do. Like how miraculous it is for a bumblebee to fly, it is a miracle how my friend has returned to teach kids,” remarked algebra teacher Jacqueline Masucci.

Upon coming back on her first day, staff posted a banner on the attendance office door that read, “Welcome back Linda! The Bearcats have greatly missed you, and wish you nothing but smooth sailing.”

Throughout the day, she received warm welcomes, flowers and gifts from many members of l staff and past students.

“I ran into her one day after school, and when I saw her, it was a joyful moment. We hugged and cried,” said senior Aisha Hernandez, who has been a T.A. for Ward ever since the second half of her freshman year.

Colleagues have given gifts to Ward in support of their beloved friend, like Masucci who brought her a basket with a vast assortment of items, from stress balls and headache pills to granola and hand sanitizer, all in an effort to help keep her friend energized throughout the day.

Also invaluable to Ward’s getting back to health is physical education teacher Kathy Smith, who continues to bring her food and supplies. Once a week, Masucci and Smith personally delivered love, food, and support to Ward.

But among the droves of students and the tokens of appreciation, Ward returned to the rhythm of her fast-paced bumblebee-like style that greatly benefits her students.

“I love it when I see the light bulbs go off and kids responding in Spanish. It reminds me of why I love teaching Spanish,” Ward said.

ATTENTION PRHS!

PRPS HAS DECLARED THE FOLLOWING FURLOUGH DAYS : MONDAY, MAY 7 FRIDAY, MAY 11 MONDAY, MAY 14 FRIDAY, MAY 18 FRIDAY, MAY 25 MONDAY, JUNE 4 AP testing dates and Finals Week will not be changed.

Vandalism strikes But administration downplays damage

by Aidan Farrell, World Co-Editor

In the past months on a campus sparkling with new buildings and remodels, windows have been broken and a snack cart was burned to the ground.

The food cart incident occurred over a weekend and left the cart completely beyond repair, leaving the district to buy a new cart due to the damage. This act of vandalism represents one of the few defacing events that have occurred on campus, upsetting many students and teachers.

With these occurrences, many have been given the impression that vandalism at PRHS is a common issue, dealt with on a regular basis. However, the school is not targeted or abused as frequently as other schools in the area, according to administrators.

“The most recent vandalism event was the burning of a Food Services serving cart by the serving lines in the main quad area.

Needless to say, this is a very serious issue. But we’ve also had www.crimsonnews.org

windows broken both in the Library and in the new two-story classroom building,” Assistant Superintendent of facilities Ashley Lightfoot said.

Assistant Principal Ed Brown sees the problem, but found the situation minor.

“I don’t know why people think vandalism is such a problem here,” Brown said.

“We actually get hit a lot less here than other schools in the area,” Brown said.

Lightfoot believes the students play a big role.

“We have security on campus, but the most effective way to combat vandalism is for the students not to tolerate it,” he said.

Officer Bob Velazquez agreed that the problem on the campus is minimal—not to say that the true events are unimportant, but that “vandalism is simply a part of society.”

Paso Robles High School

Positive statistics exist amid news of cuts and crimes

GOOD NEWS 50%

RETURNING WITH A SMILE: Ward poses with her second period class after returning to teach Spanish for the third trimester. PRHS is glad you’re back! Photo by Lauren Rodrigues

Library cuts

decrease in tobacco smoking in the U.S. since the mid ‘90s.

—National Institute on Drug Abuse

37%

decrease in the pregnancy rate of 15- to 19-year-olds since 1991, the lowest in the past two decades.

—Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

30%

decrease since 1996 in 25- to 29-year-old American women who had been married and were currently divorced.

–U.S. Census Bureau

25%

decrease since 1997 in teen binge drinking in the U.S. —National Institute on Drug Abuse

1.8%

average percentage of death rates from cancer have fallen in the U.S. each year since 2002, due to increased awareness and the development of the HPV vaccine.

—American Cancer Society —Kathryn Wingfield, Co-Editor-in-Chief Crimson 03.28.12 |

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SCALING BACK ON BOOKS PRPS librarians suffer loss of hours, benefits, and pay

by Shanna Dowling, Managing Editor

“I am afraid that there may be more cuts in hours, so access to the library will be further limited. The library will then just become a house for books,” Kermit King Library Technician Pam Hutchinson said.

Amid continuing budget woes, library cuts make hitting the books harder.

Students hoping to cram in last minute study time before class on Thursday, Feb. 16 were met with a locked door and a posted announcement: the library will open at 8 a.m. and close at 3:05 p.m., eliminating the opportunity for before and after school use.

At the nine libraries within the district, hours are shrinking, maintenance is decreasing, and times are getting tougher.

With a reduction to six-hour days for Library Technicians, local schools faced a loss of two Technicians to retirement and two to alternate jobs as they left the field when their benefits were retracted.

This school year, the district entered into new territory, as it eliminated the position of District Librarian for the first time.

“I really miss working at the library. That’s why I went back and got my Master’s. It’s hard being told you can’t do what you want to do. I really enjoy the student interaction in the library.

It’s different than in the classroom,” former District Librarian and current Social Studies teacher Stephanie Lowe said, who misses giving students book suggestions and helping them with library academics.

Sacrifices at schools

Anne Quinn, two-year Library Technician at Georgia Brown Elementary, finds the state of district libraries “very concerning.”

With a leaking roof threatening to mold and damage books during stormy weather due to the district’s “deferred maintenance,” Quinn worries about the safety of her campus’ volumes, as well as the lack of necessary funds to replace them.

As a dual immersion school, half of Georgia Brown’s shelves are stocked with Spanish books falling apart since their purchase 15 years ago, and the district has rejected the $2,000 order to get them replaced. For Quinn, even cataloguing donated books into the system is too time-consuming with hours being cut, let alone the efforts required to order, track, and distribute textbooks which Quinn says is virtually impossible under the new restraints.

“There is so much work to do that I work about an hour and a half extra for free every day, just to try and keep my head above water. The union representatives tell me not to do this, because they say that I should let it get really bad so people complain about how things are at the library and then the district will realize that 30 hours are not enough to maintain a library, yet I feel I have to work extra for the sake of the students,” Quinn, who works six hours a day, five days a week, said.

Pecuniary priorities

At the Lewis Middle School Library, which was once a resource for students nine hours a day, services have been cut

04| Crimson 03.28.12

75 percent and Library Technician Karyn Barton, like most district library technicians, has faced a loss of medical benefits due to her reduction to six hour days as well as a 25 percent pay cut.

“I don’t believe any other educational category has been cut this severely. There is a misconception by people who think libraries are a place only for circulating books—not true.

We are responsible for so much,” Barton said, who has been forced to shrink library availability by two and a half hours, eliminating before and after school use.

“I know the board has had a very difficult time in making choices to cut programs, but I feel this one really needs to be looked at again,” Barton said.

The circulation rate of books averages between four and five thousand a month at Virginia Peterson Elementary School, with as many as 200 items being checked out an hour on busy mornings. For Laura Caloca, Library Technician since 2007, this is a hefty job to keep up with on six hour days, with the added pressure of having to close libraries if Technicians are ill or have personal commitments—a district change that suggested “an increasing negative impact for school libraries” in her eyes.

“I feel I came in at the end of an era and the beginning of a new phase,” Caloca said, who worked six-hour days prior to the cuts in 2009-2010.

Elusive employment

“Personally these cutbacks have been difficult. The loss of my medical benefits and the loss of security have scared me for the future. The uncertain future for our school libraries also has me scared. I focus on my desire to present children with books that might excite them with knowledge, or inspire and motivate them to do better,” she said.

Library Technician Pam Hutchinson, the first of four Teacher Librarians in the district to be pink-slipped in 2009 as a Librarian at Lewis Middle School, faced years of unemployment before returning to the field this year. She was forced to leave her love of library-based teaching behind for a more clerical position.

“As money gets tighter, libraries suffer,” Hutchinson said, who is sad to see library collaboration projects such as Social Issue and History Day become obsolete with deepening downsizes.

“This district, over the years, has spent a lot of money on their libraries and should be very proud of the facilities and programs that have been developed. If our libraries are cut anymore they will become unusable,” Bauer Speck Library Technician Shauna Udell said, who has been employed in the district library program since 1988.

A necessary evil

“It’s been kind of an inconvenience, but I can understand why they might have needed to do it,” senior John Charnley said, who spends nearly all of his nutrition and lunch breaks in the library, and had spent a daily half hour there before school prior to the cuts.

Tim Gearhart, board member and teacher of 36 years, has defended the library program, personally realizing the value Paso Robles High School

LIBRARY LEADER: Library Technician of 29 years Cecilia Hanks said she struggles with the 25 percent pay cut and loss of insurance as she is forced to work over her retirement time to earn an extra fourth of service credit per year. “My work hours don’t even span a full school day. I would love to be able to provide full library services again,” Hanks said. Photo by Shanna Dowling

of libraries to students, but recognizes vulnerability of nonclassroom programs to the cuts.

“The board is trying to keep any cuts away from the classrooms as long as humanly possible. I’ve argued that our library services, including a set of teaching librarians, are an important and integral part of a successful classroom experience for our students at all grade levels. Unfortunately, if the money just isn’t there to pay the salaries and benefits of library staff, we can’t employ them and everyone suffers,” Gearhart said, who believes the district will be able to begin revitalizing the program within the next four years.

As district debt issues continue to ensnare Paso schools, departments across the board are being forced to downsize, and cuts are expected to continue, leaving district libraries in eminent danger.

Library Losses Library availability reduced by two hours

Loss of staff medical benefits

Elimination of district and teacher librarian positions Facility damage Funding cut, book orders refused

25% pay cuts for library staff

www.crimsonnews.org

New rooms bring new routes

News NEXT

AP Biology

Twenty teachers moved out from old or temporary rooms and into the 1000 building on Friday, Mar. 9 after two trimesters of construction. Don’t get lost looking; here are the latest relocations.

MOVING IN: Seniors Tally Jansen Van Rensburg and Max Blanton help move boxes for AP Literature teacher Aaron Cantrell, Room 1026, during second trimester finals week.

The AP Lit class’s final was a practice AP test and was taken on Sat. Feb. 25. Photo by Lauren

Graphic by Sydney Matteson

Rodrigues.

1010, Johnson, English 1012, Schroeder, English 1014, Wood, English 1016, Rose, Health 1018, PE Dept.

1011, Enriquez, English 1013, Baldovin, English 1015, Kerr, Health 1017, Stroud, Economics 1019, Olivera, ROP Sports Medicine

1020, Roberts, English/Yearbook 1022, Harvey, English 1024, Stover, English 1026, Cantrell, English 1028, Pierce, English

1021, Blinkwolt, English 1023, Spohnhauer, English 1025, Lewis/Cheri, English 1027, Arnette, English 1029, Storage closet

Administration, teachers trash trimester Semester system returns for next year after three year absence

by Jonathan Kisch, Opinion Editor

Standing valiantly behind a podium facing six questioning board members, Principal Randy Nelson and a dozen PRHS teachers and staff successfully fought to implement a new semester schedule for the upcoming year: the six period modified block semester schedule with 50 minute tutorials on Thursdays.

The new schedule, approved by five of the six board members and favored by 76 percent of 64 teachers at PRHS, is designed to “promote the academic success of every student in every class” through tutorials that “will provide students with targeted academic intervention for 50 minutes on a weekly basis,” according to the mission statement and objectives presented by Nelson to the district board meeting on Mar. 20. Yet, Fifty-six percent of 596 PRHS students surveyed said that they do not support the switch to the semester system.

“I have to look out for what is best for all the students at PRHS, and I firmly believe that the six period block semester schedule with a tutorial will be beneficial to all students at PRHS,” said Nelson.

With the implementation of the new schedule, the credit www.crimsonnews.org

requirement to graduate will have to be recalculated. Classes will drop from 15 classes to 12 classes during the school year, 99 minute block periods will occur on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and the bottom three classes on registration forms will have to be dropped from schedules.

The switch from trimester to semester still remains an issue split by two conflicting sides comprised of students, faculty, and teachers striving towards attaining the unattainable: the perfect schedule that will accommodate the needs of all.

“After making hundreds of calls across America I discovered that there are no perfect schedules. I recall five different people on the trimester system that I talked to, and all of them were either getting off the trimester system schedule or looking forward to getting off it,” said district board member Jay Packer, regarding his own experience in the difficulty of schedule making in the past.

Science teacher Mark Fairbank supported the switch to a block semester schedule because of the benefits of extended class time.

Paso Robles High School

“The new semester will require longer periods. Without longer periods it will be impossible to perform labs fully and reach science standards,” said Fairbank, who is part of a national group of teachers writing new CA science standards.

Regardless of the split between opinions, the semester schedule will be in effect next year. The schedule system which was dropped in 2009 is finally rearing its head again.

AT THE PODIUM: Principal Randy Nelson addressed the school board on Mar. 20 to express his objectives in returning to a semester system.

Photo by Jonathan Kisch

Crimson 03.28.12 |

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News New Rooms

PREVIOUS

San Diego bound

AP Bio plans an adventure to Southern California zoo

by Nicolette Jolicoeur, Managing Editor and Emily Cone, Managing Editor

The 19-student Advanced Placement Biology class will be taking a “behind the scenes” trip over spring break to the San Diego Zoo where teacher Gaylene Ewing’s aunt is the lead mammalian keeper. There, the students will delve deeper into biology by getting up close to the zoo’s animals.

But they won’t be hibernating like bears; they’ll be camping out by the beach overnight.

“It’s exciting to finally put what we learned into action,” said senior and AP Biology student Zarmeena Khan. “Out of all the AP classes that I’ve taken, this one is by the far the most like an actual college class. The class is full of great kids, and Mrs. Ewing is incredible. It’s so much hard work, but it’s also really fun and rewarding.”

Five fund raisers were put into work for this class trip, including an animalthemed car wash, photography by Ewing at Mondo Cellars ,and a contest to see which student can collect the most donations and be crowned the “Biggest Bio Nerd,” a “prestigious” award according to Khan. which went to Junior Javier Jimenez, who raised over $160, earned the crown.

“The students have been collecting their donations which are counted weekly. If they beat me, I have to make

them cookies. The student who collects the most gets the honor of being the Biggest Bio Nerd for 2012, and their name—the first of many to come—will be affixed forever on the Biggest Bio Nerd sign in my classroom. It has been very successful so far, raising over $500 for us,” said Ewing, who has taught at PRHS for three years.

The Academic Boosters Club, Mesa Vineyard Management, and an anonymous donor have helped the class raise a total of $2,120. With a carwash on Mar. 23, the class finally made it.

“I am amazed every day by my students,” Ewing said. “They are constantly coming up with ideas for fund-raising, all while learning the metabolic pathway of glucose or the intricacies of protein synthesis. They are truly an amazing group of young adults, and I am thankful every day I get to teach them about biology and slowly convert them into insane bio nerds!”

During the San Diego venture, the class will learn about animal behavior in captivity versus the wild, zoo-keeping students on the trip procedures, and the science of ethology—the study of animal behavior—by filling out ethograms, catalogues of all behaviors exerted by an animal.

“Our class has put a lot of effort into raising the money necessary for this trip,” junior Matt Camou said, who said he was excited for the trip.

The class is the only PRHS course achieving its goal of conducting research in the Southern Californian sun.

19

$706

from “Nerd Jars”

MAKING IT RAIN (left): Ewing playfully poses with the money the class has raised, a total of $2,120.

ALL SMILES (right): AP Biology students pose with Ewing on Mar. 21 with money and projects in hand (some students not pictured). The class will travel to the San Diego Zoo to study animal behavior. Photos by Olivia Musial

dollars needed Graphics by Shanna Dowling

A final warning Cuesta cries for accreditation assistance

by Kelly Munns, Editorial Editor

Alumni Ben Zucker uses Cuesta College as a stepping stone into his future, but he may have to rethink his path, as Cuesta has to prove its accreditation by October or it will close.

Cuesta College has been placed on “Show Cause” and has seven months to show that their accreditation is valid to the Accrediting Commission for Community and Junior Colleges, an agency that evaluates two-year colleges in California and Hawaii. If they fail to do so, Cuesta will close down to the ACCJC, who which has been evaluating the college since Jan. 1, 1968.

“I probably wouldn't be in a very good position. All the classes I've taken are supposed to be for transfer or working towards transfer. If it got closed down, I’m not sure what I would do,” said Zucker, who graduated in 2011. Zucker has completed math, English, Public Address, and Psychology and is currently enrolled in Sociology, Music Appreciation, Geology of Hazards,

06 | Crimson 03.28.12

and U.S. history.

For enrichment students that are still in high school and completing a class at Cuesta from now until the fall semester, the credits earned will still be transferable to any other accredited college or university, a move that will be required if Cuesta stumbles. Junior Cailee Gang remains optimistic.

“I think [Cuesta is] a great way to get ahead in college and high school. It’s really not much harder than the high school classes, and you get double credit, so it’s a great opportunity,” Gang said, who has taken Economics, Geology, and Sociology at the college.

In January 2009, the college was placed on a “Warning” status and was followed a year later with the “Probation” status.

In early 2011, Cuesta’s “Probation” title was prolonged, and in January 2012, the ACCJC announced that they will take action by terminating accreditation if the standards are not met. All Paso Robles High School

Cuesta’s state and federal funding will be lost.

“I was disheartened by the news coming the year before the college's 50th anniversary, but I am confident we will resolve the commission's concerns and reaffirm our accreditation,” Superintendent and President of Cuesta College Dr. Gilbert H. Stork said, referring to the three standards the institution isn’t meeting: planning and assessment, technology resources, and financial planning and stability, according the college’s newspaper, The Cuestonian.

Cuesta will submit a summary report addressing each of the ACCJC’s concerns in October and by November an ACCJC team will visit Cuesta to assess the college personally. In January 2013, they will report their findings and the decision will be made to keep Cuesta up running or shut it down. www.crimsonnews.org

Staying strong through tough times

Editorial NEXT

Cameron Holt

PRHS demonstrates inspiring tenacity

by Nicolette Jolicoeur, Managing Editor, Olivia Musial, In-Depth Editor, and Kathryn Wingfield, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Two fairly big earthquakes in elementary school. Giant Has PRHS been cutbacks to the budget in hopeful and middle school. Construction optimistic amid in high school. Keeping tough times? their heads up through it all: priceless.

Yes: 18 The classes of 2012-2015 have experienced a lot in the early portion of their lives. To say that their schooling has No: 6 been normal would be a very, very large stretch. But what is it that makes them come together and stay strong through it all?

It’s a unity unique to PRHS— a special brand of Bearcat strength that shines its brightest when the going gets tough and they get going. PRHS has proven that they care about their education and about each other, even in the wake of misfortune.

Sean Pierce’s AP English Language Seminar classes participated in a note-writing session, addressing three teachers who received pink slips. Approximately 100 letters were written by the junior class to English teacher Steve Arnette, Agriculture teacher Mark Clement, and American Sign Language teacher Kay Vetter.

Junior Riley Edwards wrote a letter to Arnette, her sophomore Honors English teacher, expressing her appreciation for what he did for her.

“I just told him that he helped improve my writing so much and I still use what he taught me in my writing. I told him that I kept all the essays from last year with his comments and I still read them to help me improve on my weak spots. I greatly appreciated him and he made a big influence on not only my writing, but on my life. I wrote to him because he is definitely one of my all time favorite teachers! It would crush me to see him go. Our students need him,” Edwards said.

Clement will be greatly missed, according to junior Kaitlyn Bedell.

“Upon hearing the news that Mr. Clement would not be

Crimson Staff votes:

C

returning to our Agriculture Department next year, I was extremely disappointed that our district would let such a wonderful teacher go. Mr. Clement has always been a wonderful help to all sorts of students. He has helped countless students, including myself, find their way to success and happiness.”

Along with support for pink-slipped teachers, students have been helping staff move into the 20 new classrooms in the 1000 building, and, earlier in the year, into the science building. Over 20 students assisted their instructors on the weekend, lending a helping hand to those whose job it is to help them.

“I helped Mrs. Spohnhauer because that is the least I can do for someone who has done so much for me. I am positively, absolutely sure that she appreciated our help,” senior Pastor Mariscal said. “The school didn’t want us to help her at all, even when they knew she had a problem, but we kept insisting that we would help her and finally she got permission.”

Along with moving into new rooms, PRHS has had the challenge of being one of 31 schools in CA that is in Program Improvement. However, PRHS’s Academic Performance Index (API), based on CST results, has improved greatly over the past three years.

PRHS’s API score hovered at 749 in 2009, jumped to 775 in 2010, and last year’s results improved to 781. Each improvement is a testimony to the way students and faculty work together to build up the accreditation of the school.

“I want to be an 800 school. I want to shoot for gold,” said Assistant Principal Chris Jones, who hopes that this year’s CST result will cross 800, a goal that both Lewis Middle School and Flamson Middle School have reached.

By working together and helping each other through tough times, PRHS has grown as a community, as a family, working with a common goal to get students to where they want and need to be. It’s invaluably encouraging to know that in the midst of disheartening layoffs, cuts, and changes, they haven’t lost their heart at all. Take a look around and you’ll still see students and staff with crimson blood pumping through their veins and shining white smiles on their faces, a sight they’ve proved will never fade, no matter what challenges the board, state legislature, HAPPY HEAD UP: Senior Diana Ayala helps English teacher Aaron Cantrell move into room 1026. Moving began Friday, or unknown future may present. Great job, Bearcats.

March 9. Photo by Lauren Rodrigues

newsmagazine Student Journalism at Paso Robles High School

Kathryn Wingfield Co-Editor-in-Chief Web Team

Megan Rodrigues Co-Editor-in-Chief Center Co-Editor

Emily Cone Managing Editor -Photography Photo Essay Editor

Shanna Dowling Managing Editor -Print News Co-Editor

Amanda Hutchinson Managing Editor -Web Center Co-Editor

Nicolette Jeff Mount Jolicoeur Advisor Managing Editor -Staff Feature/News Co-Editor

Kim Boswell

Clarisse Dart

Ryan Morrison

Nikianne Ochoa

Josh Orcutt

Sinéad Schouten

Sarah Wilson

Analia Cabello

Aidan Farrell

Sydney Matteson

Olivia Musial

Maria Petiy

Brielle Silletti

Copy-Editing by

Laura Callahan

Daniel Hipp

Megan Luth

Kelly Munns

Lindsay Reed

Courtney Thompson

Front Page Editor

Reporter

Health Co-Editor

Dakota Cleland Reporter

Sci-Tech Co-Editor

World Co-Editor

Reporter

Jonathan Kisch Opinion Editor

www.crimsonnews.org

Graphic Designer

Graphic Designer

Food Editor

Angela Lorenzo World Co-Editor

Sci-Tech Co-Editor

In-Depth Editor

Editorial Editor

Sierra Mosely Graphic Designer

Sports Co-Editor

Reporter

Reporter

Lauren Rodrigues Reporter

Sports Co-Editor

Business Team

A&E Editor

Summer Volle

Blind Date Co-Editor

Paso Robles High School

Feature Co-Editor

Nickie Gurney Jason Moscato

Crimson is an independently funded, monthly publication of the journalism class at Paso Robles High School. We publish monthly newsmagazines free to students and teachers. Subscriptions are available for US mail delivery for $18.

Editorials reflect the majority opinion of the staff and do not necessarily reflect the views of Paso Robles High School, its faculty, administration, or students.

Crimson is an open forum for the exchange of ideas. We welcome feedback in form of letters or e-mails. Letters must be signed but names can be withheld upon request. All stories, graphics, typesetting, and layouts are completed by Paso Robles High School students. The staff actively pursues advertisement accounts but reserves the right to refuse those deemed overly controversial or aimed at illegal behavior. Some material courtesy of American Society of Newspaper Editors/MCT Campus High School Newspaper Service. Crimson is designed using Adobe In-Design and Photoshop and prints with Atascadero News Co. PRHS • 801 Niblick Rd., Paso Robles, CA 93446 www.crimsonnews.org prhsjournalism@pasoschools.org (805) 237-3315 ext. 5601

Crimson 03.28.12 |

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Feature PREVIOUS

At e

PRHS Unites

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hi s tuba d n a n e

Junior Cameron Holt excels in music, community

by Sarah Wilson, Feature Co-Editor

ou’ve probably seen him before: five foot eleven, dark hair, black backpack.

Oh, and a shiny gold tuba.

Ringing any bells? This is the typical view PRHS students have of junior Cameron Holt, known tuba player and musical genius. But Holt’s talent did not begin with the tuba, nor does it end with that brass apparatus.

Fourth grade Holt picked up a recorder for the first time in 2004 and discovered his knack for music. In fifth grade he joined the Pifer Elementary band as a trombone player. Still no tuba. In Holt’s elementary eyes, the trombone was the instrument with which he could play the charismatic Loony Toons theme.

As a Daniel E. Lewis middle schooler and 6th grader, Holt switched to tuba.

“Our teacher at the time, Mr. Schmutz, was in desperate need for tuba players, so he offered anyone who joined-over a free fast food meal of their choice. So naturally, I switched to tuba.

It took him a good two years to pay up on that deal, in retrospect,” Holt laughed at the memory.

Though Holt’s choices in instrument seem to have been based on chance, it was a choice that launched his musical career.

Today, Holt currently participates in 11 different musical groups, including four PRHS classes, four county-wide groups, two self-assembled rock bands, and an annual statewide competition. He has received more than 20 awards for excellence in music, the most recent of which he earned for Outstanding Jazz Performance at the Cuesta Jazz Festival, which took place Feb. 25 at Cuesta College campus. He received his first award in 7th grade, earning first chair in the California Band Director’s Association All-State Band. He has been in the organization all four years since.

“That is really what cemented me as a musician in my opinion. It really pushed me to become even better than I already was, and it showed me that I do have a talent for this. And I think ever since then, I’ve been keeping progressing,” Holt said, who placed third chair this year and hopes on making first chair next year.

“He has an unusual understanding for music for his age,” Holt’s private music instructor Ken Schmutz said, who describes Holt’s aptitude for music as being “above the norm.” Schmutz has watched Holt in action, and is impressed with his

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Paso Robles High School

improvement. “You need to play from the heart, and he’s definitely done that."

Holt plans on majoring in music education with a minor in music performance before becoming a music teacher. He is currently looking into the Westminster Conservatory of Music in New Jersey, approximately 2,873 miles from the PRHS band room.

But he doesn’t limit his musical talents to the big crowds. Holt brings his passion to smaller audiences as well.

Similar to AP English teacher Aaron Cantrell’s Rock-Out Fridays, AP English teacher Sean Pierce set aside approximately 15 minutes on a couple of Fridays in his class for Holt and junior DreSean Sutton to show off their skills and entertain their peers on guitar and keyboard.

“Their classmates and teacher were duly impressed, and their efforts demonstrated that music is a powerful means [besides written language] of expressing ourselves,” Pierce said, who had Holt in his third period class second trimester.

Outside of the band room, Holt stays busy as president of both the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) club on Mondays at lunch and Students Against Violence Everywhere (SAVE) on Wednesdays at lunch. Wednesday evenings, he helps lead worship with music at his church, Atascadero First Assembly of God. “He is a great guy and a great player. He really has grown in his musical talents over the years and it will be cool to see where he takes it. I sure appreciate the effort he puts into the worship team and his music,” junior Morgan Moore said, who attends church with Holt. On Feb. 29, Holt performed for the New Light Visionary Church for Black History month, playing tuba and guitar, singing, and finishing with “Amazing Grace” on the tuba. He also played guitar and sang at the Paso Robles Senior Center on Sunday, Jan. 16 in celebration of Martin Luther King Jr. He performed songs such as “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” and “If I Had a Hammer.”

Does he ever feel rewarded after performing for an audience?

“Every time. I’ve never been disappointed by a crowd because every time I go out there I give it my all and even if it wasn’t good, I at least know that I did my best and I’m very proud of that.”

Holt is currently in the Cal Poly All-State Honor Band which takes place at the Cal Poly Performing Arts Center on Apr. 15. He describes himself as a “very confidant performer” and has no qualms or nerves about his future.

“As long as I give it my all, I never walk away unhappy.”

Photo by Megan Rodrigues www.crimsonnews.org

Feature NEXT

Jewels of Central Coast

Heritage and hospitals

Senior studies in the walls of an operating room in Argentina

by Kim Boswell, Front Page Editor

Buenos Aires

FOREIGN AFFAIRS: (Above) Emily Grandoli sits with her uncle Gonzalo Luis Grandoli and grandma Aitu Hernandez at El Tigre in Buenos Aires. (Below) Grandoli ventured to the House of Congress during her time in Argentina.

“Anestesia, escalpelo, succión.”

Senior Emily Grandoli will perhaps be hearing such words while watching from behind the glass as her uncle performs a surgery from within the pale walls of the Buenos Aires operating room.

Living out a dream first hatched in Sept. 2011, Grandoli now walks the halls of the Centro de Educación Médica e Investigaciones Clínicas (CEMIC) in Buenos Aires, Argentina shadowing her uncle, Fernando Grandoli, chief orthopedic surgeon at the hospital. This one month of education is preparing Grandoli for her future in medicine.

“I’m looking forward to not having the American standards and just immersing myself in the culture,” said Grandoli, smiling in anticipation, twelve days before her thirteen hour flight from LAX on March 6.

Grandoli moved to Mendoza, Argentina when she was three and a half years old along with her parents Karen and Fabian and her older brother, Thomas, who is now a freshman studying at the University of California Santa Barbara. Fabian was offered a position as a vino culturist and the family lived there for three years.

“My favorite memory is probably when my mom, brother and I would walk down our street to the ‘kiosko’ that was on the corner about two blocks away from where we lived. My mom would buy us a little candy or something and they always had the best stuff,” said Grandoli, recalling days when she and her brother went to preschool and first grade at a private elementary school in Mendoza, Argentina.

The idea of travelling back to Argentina was first dreamt not by Grandoli but by her mother, Karen, who teaches third grade Spanish and math at Georgia Brown Elementary.

“Emily is leaving for Argentina Monday for almost two months, and I’m starting to miss her already,” wrote Karen on her Facebook. Responses of encouragement from friends lined up on March 1.

“Both her dad—who is from Buenos Aires—and I thought it would do her some good to get away from the busy life of a high school senior, practice her Spanish—which was rusty—and re-connect, or meet for the first time in some cases, her cousins, aunts and uncles and grandma,” Karen said.

Grandoli wanted to visit her childhood home to get in touch with her heritage, and her Argentian accent has already returned. She also returned hoping to find inspiration for her future. She currently works at San Luis Sports Therapy where she has found a passion for the medical field. She is also in the Athletic Training program at PRHS. She visited her uncle Dr. Fernando Grandoli on Monday, March 26 in order to try to shadow him at CEMIC for the remainder of her trip.

“Hopefully this will help her decide on a career path.

Who knows maybe she’ll even end up going to school there,” Karen said.

But Grandoli has other plans.

Since her arrival in Buenos Aires, she has been on a double-decker tour of the province, explored underground tunnels, and returned to Mendoza, where she lived as a child. But she still feels drawn toward the United States for her education at her dream school, University of Washington, which she visited on Valentine’s Day. “I’m so thankful everyday that I wake up,” she said via Skype on March 15 in her aunt’s guest room. “I don’t want to rush into a program, I want to take my time and see what I’m really like.”

After 45 days in Argentina, Grandoli was left with a five hour jet lag, a cup of coffee every morning, 40 blocks of walking to go to a restaurant, ‘Dulce de Leche’ for dinner, memories with her family to last a lifetime, and she is now one step closer to her dream of becoming a doctor.

Photos used with permission of Emily Grandoli Graphic illustration by Sierra Mosely

www.crimsonnews.org

Paso Robles High School

Crimson 03.28.12 |

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In-Depth PREVIOUS

Jewels of the Central Coast Emily Grandoli

Cal Poly’s architectural graveyard: an eccentric gem

by Megan Rodrigues, Co-Editor-in-Chief and Amanda Hutchinson, Managing Editor

SHELL SAFETY: Built from 1963-64, the Shell House is 1,000 square feet complete with a fireplace and light switches. It is known as one of the most impressive architectural structures. Photos by Megan Rodrigues

10 | Crimson 03.28.12

Upon a grassy knoll where six mustangs are grazing a mere 20 feet away on the green hills, lays a building.

The building’s walls reflect the sunlight onto another structure six feet away that is known as one of the most memorable parts of California Polytechnic’s Poly Canyon; this unforgettable sight of a mirroredlike walled structure, called the “Shell House,” resides in what Cal Poly students distinguish as, the Architectural Graveyard.

At first glance, Cal Poly appears to be strictly a college campus in San Luis Obispo. Dorms line up on the right side of the street, while on the left side there is Einstein’s Bagels and Jamba Juice, both popular student eateries. But behind the student housing is the Poly Canyon hiking trail. The year-round trail is moderately easy, stretching three miles and gaining only 300 feet in elevation, but this hike is about more than the beauty of nature or an outdoor exercise.

The Cal Poly Architectural Graveyard is different than most trails: it’s quirky.

Sprinkled throughout this land, there are structures and houses, built starting in the ‘60s and ‘70s, that use uncommon building supplies such as glass as walls, and the appearance of the structures is truly uncommon, unique and psychedelic.

“Poly Canyon is one of those places that no body knows about, but deserves more attention. These structures are truly works of art,” said sophomore Nickie Gurney who visited a year ago. Efforts to find more PRHS students who visited the Architectural Graveyard turned up in vain.

The College of Architecture and Environmental Design students who previously dreamed and erected these distinctive visions participated in an architectural competition held annually.

“The fundamental idea was to create a place for experimental structures so that students could test innovative ideas on university lands,” said Margot McDonald who was the advisor of the Design Village Club in 1993, and is currently a professor of architecture at Cal Poly teaching building energy courses, historic preservation, and 4th year design in the B.Arch.

One of the structures, the Underground House, is described as “may have been designed by Dr. Seuss,” according to hikespeak.com. The smooth rounded building appears to be about the size of a small bedroom from the outside perspective, but once inside, the white concrete structure has stairs that lead Paso Robles High School

down to another room that has an opening that gazes out at the other structures.

The “Shell House” was built by architectural and engineering students, Larry Gangwisch, Ronald James, Ketzel, Roger Marshall, David Wright, and James Zimmerman under the advisors George Hasslein, Wesley Ward, Harvey Koehnen in 1963-64, and 1975. The Shell’s sliding door opens an estimate of at least 1,000 square feet house that has a fireplace and light switches. Though the building appears to be the home to late night partiers (with Coors Light cans on a table), the original beauty of the house does not falter. It is one of the most impressive structures to architectural student, Seth Meyers, who resides in Poly Canyon as Caretaker according to polyland. calpoly.edu.

Ironically, these two structures are the structures that Meyers says need the most work.

“The underground house has been rebuilt multiple times and it has failed repeatedly to stop leakage so it was brought above ground. The Shell House will hopefully someday be turned into a caretaker’s house, so to be able to be livable there is a lot of renovating that is needed on that,” Meyers said according to polyland.calpoly.edu.

“It is not a junk yard of cast away architecture, but I feel a scrapbook of the school, like if each student were able to cast their hand print in concrete as they left the school,” President of the Design Village Competition, Haley Coughlin said. “Seeing student work realized is one of the wonderful parts of Cal Poly, we pride ourselves as a ‘learn by doing’ school and this shows people that we put our money where our mouth is.”

The 2012 competition takes place Apr. 13-15, and the theme is Metamorphosis. The competition’s website archive dates back to 1974, with themes starting during the 1983 competition when it was “Romanticism/ Rationalism,” and last years 2011 theme of Social Parametrics.

The rules of the competition are simple: the structure must serve as shelter for the team, relate to the nearby designs, and benefit the hometown community, meaning all pieces of the structure must come from the canyon. The award categories are Best Overall — Judge’s Choice, Structural Craftsmanship Award, Most Adaptable Award, Livable Space Award and People’s Choice Award.

This eccentric gem lays tucked away in the hills of Cal Poly’s campus, representing a time capsule of decades of architectural dreams that became a reality. www.crimsonnews.org

Grijalva gets

In-Depth NEXT

Blind Date

Junior competes in SkillsUSA auto competition

by Kelly Munns, Editorial Editor

With a soldering iron in her hand, junior Bryce Grijalva is gearing up for her first SkillsUSA State Conference as the only girl from PRHS in San Diego this April.

On Feb. 11-12 in Paso Robles, Grijalva won gold in the SkillsUSA Region 2 Conference, granting her a spot in the State Conference Apr. 12-15 in Riverside. By the end of the weekend, she was the only female out of four participants from PRHS to win gold in Mobile Electronics, and she is the only girl of 28 students in her ROP Auto Mechanics class beside senior Raquelle Coxsey. Coxsey already graduated but is still considered a high school student.

“I think she is fantastic. She is an academic student and also connects well with hands-on [material],” said Auto Mechanics adviser Greg Boswell, who has been teaching auto for six years at PRHS. Boswell previously worked in the industry for 25 years with General Motors as a Master Technician.

Grijalva’s event entails a completion of soldering t-joints and splice-joints, reading resistance tubes, making a door lock, wiring speakers, creating a portfolio, taking a written test, and advancing in a job interview.

Seniors Cameron Button, Sean Doran, and Coxsey competed along side her, and won the competition last year.

“I told [Bryce] right before [the competition] that she was probably going to win. I guess girls pay more attention to details than guys do,” said Button, who has taken Auto Mechanics all four years of high school.

Grijalva found her niche freshman year when she entered her Introduction to Auto Mechanics class in 2009. Since then, she has completed Auto 1 and 2 her sophomore year and is currently enrolled in ROP Auto Mechanics with 27 boys.

“My mom told me to join [Auto] because she wasn’t brave enough to do it in high school herself. She thought it would be cool for me to learn how to do everything by myself so when I’m older I will know how to work on cars,” Grijalva said, who has decided that this is a hobby, not a career.

Boswell is very impressed with her talents.

“She encompasses everything on the vehicle that’s electronic.

From computer systems, stereos, door locks, and heated seats, she does everything,” Boswell said.

Grijalva looks forward to competing in the SkillsUSA State Conference and is preparing by making projects, studying her Mobile Electronics Installation textbook, and fine-tuning a portfolio containing a resume, a letter on introduction, and example projects.

SOLDERING WITH BLING: Bryce Grijalva practices making a door lock by connecting the diode to the motor. This is her first year in ROP Auto and she plans to continue next year. Photo by Kelly Munns

“I’ve been cut by my board several times, twice resulting in stitches.

I got seven stitches in my nose in high school and six in my cheek –both from getting hit in the head by my surfboard. No shark scares, thankfully!”

Surf’s up

Eight teachers tough it out in the surf “When surfing I’m reminded about everything good in life and all negativity is forgotten.”

-Kiley Wilson, surfer for 20 years

“[My favorite part] is the challenge, uniqueness of the waves, [and the] peacefulness.”

– Geof Land, surfer since age 11

-Duane McRoy, surfer since he was 13

“[My brother and I] would push each other into the waves. I was little and the board was big, so it was like standing on the sidewalk. I was hooked. It is a disease, not a sport!”

-Brian Kerr, surfer for 44 years

“Learning takes a long time! But every session makes you better in small ways, from timing to strength to balance.”

-Jeff Mount, surfer for 32 years

“I love being outside and in the water. I love the amazing scenery and the smell of the ocean.”

-Jon-Paul Ewing, surfer for 17 years

“The only [student] I’ve surfed with is Nick Stair. He is my little surf buddy—you can quote me on that.”

-Dave Boicourt, surfer for 5 years SURFING CALIFORNIA: (Above) Dave Boicourt walks into the foggy line up in Morro Bay. (Bottom left) James Fisher pulls in the back door con gusto. (Bottom right) Jeff Mount rides off the top at Willow Creek.

“Being in the water, there is an ambiance that is very addicting.”

-James Fisher, surfer for about 50 years

Photos used with permission of Dave Boicourt, James Fisher, and Jeff Mount

www.crimsonnews.org

–Analía Cabello, Reporter, and Maria Petiy, Reporter Paso Robles High School

Crimson 03.28.12 |

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Picnic in the park

Blind date Bryce Grijalva PREVIOUS

Juniors enjoy an afternoon in the sun

by Summer Volle, Blind Date Editor and Clarisse Dart Sci-Tech Co Editor

GO-FISH (above): Andrews and Galvez sit under an Almond Blossom Tree and enjoy the sunny afternoon. The daters were at Barney Schwartz Park from 3:30 to 6 p.m.

SOAKING UP THE SUN (below): After the picnic, the daters went down to the lower part of the park to play on the swings. With the breeze swaying, it was a cool 66 degrees Fahrenheit. Photos by Sarah Wilson, Graphic illustrations by Ryan Morrison

12| Crimson 03.28.12

Under blossoming trees at Barney Schwartz Park, a red-flowered blanket and cheery blue and green picnic basket awaited juniors Cara Andrews and David Galvez on Saturday, Mar. 10 at 3:30 p.m. The busy parking lot gave way to two nervous-looking juniors, one with a single flower waiting in his hand. The windy warm weather set a calming mood as Galvez greeted Andrews with a pink Dahlia amid the humming sound of kids running around for a birthday party, and a lady playing guitar while singing on a park bench.

The mood between the two was instantly bubbly with no gaps in conversation; they were both very energetic and eager to get to know each other. The couple settled down on the blanket and began digging around at the goodies in a basket that included two bags of Nacho Cheese Doritos and Lay’s potato chips, crackers, confetti cupcakes, sugar cookies, and a game of “SkipBO.” They endlessly jabbered about various things including Spanish, sports, and their interests while attempting to figure out the card game.

Andrews asked if Galvez could speak Spanish; he responded saying that he could understand it but couldn’t speak it very well, whereas Andrews has been taking Spanish since elementary school.

Andrews continued to instigate conversation and asked if he played any sports. He informed her that he has played water polo for the past three years. She realized that she had seen him with the other polo players she knew. She then discussed her love of cheer of three years, track of two years, and soccer of one year. Throughout their casual conversation, they both continued to figure out the Skip-BO game, joking that they should play UNO with it instead.

“We could probably understand these directions if we read the Spanish directions,” Galvez joked.

After deciding that UNO didn’t work with the Skip-BO cards, they decided to play Go-Fish, but not before Andrews showed him a card trick she learned at Hume Lake.

She giggled and enthusiastically asked him to pick a card for her magic trick.

Paso Robles High School

“Do you want me to show you how to do it?” She asked, while Galvez sat awestruck.

They daters continued to smile and talk over their confetti-sprinkled cupcakes, soon getting bored with the card game.

The serene atmosphere of the lake at the upper part of Barney Schwartz Park was the perfect setting to take a walk, so the blind daters voluntarily got up from the picnic and started to walk around the lower area.

After they enjoyed their time alone, they planned a prank, scaring the journalists documenting the date. The hysterical laughs took a while to die down, and were followed by couple of pictures near the gorgeous waterfall.

Nearing the end of the date, the couple decided to explore around the lower part of the park and discussed more things that they were interested in, like KONY 2012, and how they both were interested in getting involved. They talked about how they were probably both going to MORP on March 16 and some of Andrews’ interests such as her role as a dancer in the May production of “Guys and Dolls.”

Upon approaching the lower playground, they decided to be little kids again and playfully joke and run around the play structure. Galvez helped little kids across the sliding monkey bars and told Andrews that he loved kids. When the swings freed up they decided to swing and have an ongoing conversation about movies and TV shows that they enjoyed.

“I really liked Lizzie McGuire,” Andrews confessed.

Galvez responded, “I liked that show, too, even though it was probably more girly.”

After the conversation petered out and the wind picked up, Galvez, as a gentleman, waited for Andrew’s ride to get there before he left. They departed with hugs and smiles.

Rate The Date David Galvez

Cara Andrews

Rate: 8 Rate: 8 Favorite Part: Favorite Part: “Scaring the “Getting to know journalists with Cara.” David.”

Second date: “Yes, Second date: “I but as friends. It was would probably just cool getting to know hang out with him. He her.” is a really nice guy.”

www.crimsonnews.org

Q&A Two students voice their opinions on who they think should represent the Republican Party

by Megan Rodrigues, Co-Editor-in-Chief

College trip

Graphic illustration by Sierra Mosely

Blake Campbell-Taylor, 11

Zach Mondo, 12

Pro Romney

Why do you support this candidate? We need a more political moderate, someone with

business experience and world experience— someone who [has] been involved in politics.

Mitt Romney has a good record as governor of Massachusetts, and he has a strong record as a Republican and a really strong record as a capitalist. He’s not going to run the nation in the wrong direction, he’s going to promote the market, he’s going to promote low taxes and he’s hopefully going to promote an agenda that will bring America back to where it used to be.

What are Romney’s views on the military? He believes in a strong America. He does not want us to cut our military spending at all. I believe that, too. Our military is what keeps us safe, it’s what protects our power around the world, and we’re the world’s last remaining superpower. That’s not a position we should easily give up.

What are Romney’s views on foreign affairs? He wants a strong America abroad. He’s going to be really hard on China, them being the currency manipulator. He’s not going to back down. He’s going to make sure our goals and our influence stay strong and that we have the power to influence world affairs in a way that will help America the most.

Have you always supported Romney? Yes, since 2008. In ninth grade , I supported Romney all the way. I was sad that he didn’t get the nomination, but I always thought he was the best.

How do you feel about Romney’s attack ads? I think he’s almost been forced to abide

by Gingrich and Santorum. Originally he was going to attack Obama; he wasn’t going to worry about these other people, which I thought was a good strategy. But eventually all these accusations started coming out from his own party to the point where he needed to fight back. I think Romney has the right to fight back against any accusations that are made against him.

Romney has a history of changing his views often. Do you support that at all or do you just believe everything he says? I think a man has a right to change his opinion

over the course of time. I think it’s always a really good thing that he’s always analyzing what he believes in, looking at what it means, and saying he’s still comfortable with that. And in the past if he’s supported more liberal ideas, that’s in the past. It’s what he supports now. Yes, you want to judge a politician on his records, but also you have to remember he had to do what was the best for his state and for himself. And for now, that’s what he believes in and that’s what I believe in. So I believe in him.

www.crimsonnews.org

Opinion NEXT

Pro Santorum

Why do you support this candidate? I believe he has the best chance to be president

in a general election. I believe he has a strong record of fiscal and social conservatism unlike Romney, who is a very good man, but not the best man to take on Obama in a general election.

Why do you feel that way? [Romney is] too moderate. His health care proposal was a basis for President Obama’s health care reform for the United States. With [Romney], in terms of health care policy, you’re getting more of the same. You’re not getting true reform.

What are Santorum’s views on military? Santorum is a patriotic person. He believes in a strong military. I have to agree with him there. I believe that military is a big part in defending the United States and our freedom, and his record is very pro-military.

What are Santorum’s views on foreign affairs? I can tell you Santorum consistently talks about strong national defense and about protecting our interests and the interests of our allies around the world.

Have you supported Santorum from the beginning? No, I was looking at possible candidates and I recently settled on him.

Who did you support in the past? Well, before the whole scandal hit Herman Cain that forced him to drop out of the election, I’ve been a supporter of him. Of course when that scandal hit, I had to change my endorsement. I had looked at Newt Gingrich for a while, but I decided against that. I think I found the guy I’m going to support now.

How come you supported Gingrich and why did you stop? I had supported Gingrich because I believed he had the skills necessary to win an election, but then I saw him and Romney destroy each other’s reputations, and I decided that was not the person I wanted to go in a general election.

So you’re more in favor of a clean campaign? Just stick to the facts? Maybe somewhat of a balance; in honest truth, you have to run some number of attack ads, but not to the point Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Romney are doing it.

Will you be able to vote? Unfortunately I will not. I miss the age requirement by several days.

Paso Robles High School

Crimson 03.28.12 |

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Opinion PREVIOUS

Republican Q&A

4

2

1

colleges

days

of a kind adventure

A look inside the collegetrips.org experience

by Olivia Musial, In-Depth Editor

In a cold, blacked out parking lot at 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 21, there sat a red and blue bus with 50 teenagers and five chaperones inside. In the chilly February air, as the sun peaked through the horizon, the bus departed from Templeton High School and headed north up the California coast on a journey to discover the college experience.

Students from PRHS and THS spent a two-day overnight trip visiting Stanford University, UC Berkeley, Sacramento State, and UC Davis.

The trip, organized by AP English teacher Aaron Cantrell, is a part of Cantrell’s growing business named CollegeTrips.org, a company whose main goal is to give hundreds of central coast students an eye-opening first-hand experience about college life by visiting campuses.

“Regarding the college-section process, I’m increasingly convinced that visiting is an essential aspect of one’s due diligence. Walking around a campus, taking the tour, and talking with current students who are North County alumni; I hear again and again how helpful all of this is towards finding the right school” said Cantrell, who has led 15 college trips.

By getting a first hand look of the schools, students were able to realize which school environment fit their personality and standards.

“UC Davis, no competition. Everyone there was so friendly and just stoked to be there, and it’s located in a town where you won’t get mugged by cracked out bums, like I did in Berkeley,” said junior Daniel Bruhns about his favorite school and his unique experience at Berkeley.

The college trip allows students to see exactly where they would fit in. Each student’s perspective differs with each school and the college trip helps show kids where they could find their own niche.

“I learned that while some people consider certain schools as “excellent” and some people consider other schools as “bad.” You really have to visit a campus yourself to figure out if you would fit in at that school or not,” said junior Danica Boggs, who personally felt she would fit right in at UC Davis.

However, the college trip is not all serious business. Highlights of the trip include a chance to bond with other students on the long bus ride; which includes watching movies like The Sandlot,

14 | Crimson 03.28.12

FACES OF THE FUTURE: Students pose by the UC Berkeley University Library. Berkeley was one of four campuses explored and evaluated on the college trip.

We Are Marshall, and Paul Blart: Mall Cop, answering trivia questions about a college in exchange for free gift cards to Starbucks and Jamba Juice, and if one is lucky, the impromptu beat-boxing styles of Cantrell himself.

“I usually will drop a beat on the bus ride home as a way of letting lose, celebrating, and having fun after our tour adventure,” said Cantrell, about his free-styling skills.

Attendees are a part of a unique balance on the college trip; a balance between the anticipation of one’s bright future and the want to hold on to childhood just a little bit longer.

College tours offer the expectations of the future, but the bus ride, trip to the mall, and memories made with hotel roommates make for a fun, unforgettable experience for all.

“It was a lot of fun bonding with everyone and all the schools were amazing and helpful [towards] getting an idea of what college I want to go to,” sophomore Rayeann Leatherwood said, about her favorite part of the trip.

College trips are an affordable way to experience what college life is really like, with trips ranging from $150-$170, students are able to understand what the next four years entail for them. Collegetrips.org never turns a student away for financial reasons if they are interested in coming.

“Seeing the reactions of the students as they step foot on a campus for the first time. It’s priceless. Some are outright giddy,” THS counselor and chaperone Lenora Jeter said, about her experience with college trips.

The next college trip is tentatively set for June 18 and 19 and will visit USC, Pepperdine, and two San Diego schools. Another trip is planned for late July that will be a comprehensive trip, a week long trip that will go from northern CA to southern CA with night time activities such as SAT prep, workshops, and a True Colors workshop.

With informational and informative tour guides and alumni testimonials, College offers students a unique way to tour a wide variety of college campuses and find out where their perfect fit is.

SWAG STATUES: Cantrell poses with a statue from the Les-bourgeois-de-Calais by Auguste Rodin, which pays tribute to the heroism of six burghers during the Hundred Years War. Photos by Olvia Musial Paso Robles High School

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Opinion

Courtney’s Column

NEXT NEXT

Letters

Oh, the irony!

The expansion of school with the shrinkage of teachers

by Courtney Thompson, A&E Editor

www.crimsonnews.org

Photo by Angela Lorenzo

THE TEST OF TIME: Paso Robles’ signature clock tower stands proudly in the center of the downtown park. Rebuilt after its collapse in the 2002 earthquake, the tower serves as a symbol of Paso’s resiliency and timelessness. Photo by Megan Rodrigues

A look from the inside Paso Robles worthy of its worldwide recognition

by Jonathan Kisch, Opinion Editor

Paso Robles: an ever expanding small town growing teenager, but in time, age will bring an appreciation for the on the merit of its great wines and a homely feel. It is not quiet, quaint Paso Robles that it is worthy of. often that Paso Robles is mentioned among famous travel “Many kids our age think Paso Robles is uneventful and destinations like Miami, Tuscany, and Sydney, but in a recent boring but I think with age most people will grow to appreciate top 10 list of worldwide spring travel destinations on Fodor’s its beautiful scenery and entertaining activities especially for Travel Intelligence website Paso Robles was named tourists” said junior Jensen Andrew, reflecting on the fourth best place to visit in the entire world. One teenage dissatisfaction of their hometown. question arises: do Paso Robles residents think of There are also those that have immigrated to their hometown with the level of regard it deserves?

Paso Robles and have come to love it. For them, The answer may vary, but there must be something Paso Robles is contrasted to other cities they have special about this small town lived in. that attracts tourists and has “I understand people Many kids our age think Paso Robles is caused a 20 percent growth wanting to get away from uneventful and boring, but I think with age in the last 10 years. the town they grew up in most people will grow to appreciate its beautiful Our 30,000 Paso Robles and start their own life, but population primarily falls scenery and entertaining activities, especially for I am in no hurry. I moved tourists. into two different groups on here from Orange County Jensen Andrews, Junior this issue: those who want and that area isn’t that to high tail it of Paso and those who prefer to stay exciting. It doesn’t have anything that Paso doesn’t within the town that they have grown to love. Many have except more people. I am in no hurry to leave, teenagers express their dissatisfaction for Paso but then again I haven’t lived here my whole life.

Robles, describing it as boring and expressing their Eventually I want to move somewhere else but for yearning to leave. now I enjoy living here,” said senior Cheyenne But is it not natural for the youth in any city Liddicote. or town, big or small, to have dissatisfaction towards their Paso Robles can ignite emotions of dissatisfaction or surroundings? As adolescents we yearn to strive to something content, but in the end, it is undeniable that Paso Robles greater than we have known in our childhood, to branch out has in some way impacted and shaped the childhood of its and create our own lives. The scenery and small town may residents and is forever a part of us and is worthy of our love. seem boring and unexciting to the average or ambitious

“

“

Irony drives high school. A few ironies include long term relationships: they last about a week. They include skipping school: did you get suspended?

Lately I have been thinking about the irony of the recent teacher lay-off notices and those clean, shiny, new classrooms.

Am I the only one who is bothered by the discrepancy? Twenty-five teachers in the district are getting laid off this year. By the time those decisions are made, there is not going to be enough teachers to fill all those new and refurbished classrooms.

I recently talked to Kay Vetter, the American Sign Language teacher and 24 year district veteran, who has recently been put onto the top of the rehiring list. Yes, the rehiring list. Her March pink slip delivered the bad news that the district does not intend to offer her employment next year.

She is not alone. Last year’s Teacher of the Year Jennifer Bedrosian, English wizard Steve Arnette, figure-head of Ag Mark Clement, and beloved ceramics teacher Kiley Wilson are on the list, too.

The irony is not that teachers have been laid off but the fact that expensive buildings were built with money that was assumed to be gone; the irony that though these beautiful classrooms will be pretty, but are not a knowledgeable entity that will teach students. That position is already filled by the teachers who have been pink slipped.

“Students will appreciate the beautiful new rooms, but they benefit from teachers. Teachers teach students to be more wise and worldly and, if teachers are continuing to be laid off, the teaching aspect is going to be lacking,” Vetter said.

Now, I am not totally ignorant to the fact that the state-granted money is only supposed to go towards building and that was specifically what the grant was for, but that is just common knowledge. The district is doing what is right with the grant money because building and construction is what the money is dedicated towards, but I can’t help but feel as though the money could go towards preserving teaching jobs. The state should look to see were the money is greatly needed. It was said that the recent renovations to the PRHS campus have been just over $38 million, according to a Tribune article from 2010 .

That is $38 million that was believed to be nonexistent due to the fact that the USA owes foreign powers around $14.3 trillion, according to usgovinfo.com.

Having common sense is the only thing that is going to get California out of the depressed state, and if it continues in this downward spiral, our previous governor might as well just say the state of California is, well, terminated. Spending extra money for luxuries seems utterly ridiculous.

I don’t mean to sound unappreciative, because the new rooms are wonderful and a great addition to the school, but so are the teachers.

They are the foundation of the learning environment. They are the people that are molding the minds for the future, so what is going to happen to the future when all the mind molders have been laid off?

Teachers teach, classrooms don’t.

Paso Robles High School

Crimson 03.28.12 |

15\

Letters Pro-Paso

PREVIOUS

k,

From Cheryl Mac

ine of Paso Cr imson News Magaz I just wa nted to than k Vi ncent ar ticle about my son, e th r fo ol ho Sc igh H Robles ed to state 2012 issue. I also wa nt Mack, in the Febr ua ry ugs or t under the effec ts of dr no s wa he at th rd co re for the report on the iti ng for the coroner’s alcohol . We are sti ll wa a head to a seizu re caused by e du r he eit s wa It t. acciden ll ga me, an 20 06 at an away baseba inju ry that occu rred in eel. fal ling asleep at the wh aneu rism, or possibly so I just wa nted ki ng and anti- dr ugs, My son was anti-dr in me th is. It is importa nt to ow kn to m hi ew kn o those wh ote a poem importa nt to hi m . I wr and I believe would be s not ich is followi ng. He wa wh n, so y m of ss lo e th about m ment or st friend. One more co on ly my son, but my be s: high u high school student yo all r fo n tio es gg su rather your lives (for and importa nt time in school is such a great ily. d are like a big litt le fam an ds en fri e ak m u Yo most). uch and aduating to keep in to Make an effor t after gr uch to those who mea nt so m th wi gs in th do to ue cont in friendships RED: Vincent ent try ing to cont inue ALWAYS REMEMBEJan. 1, 2012. The s you. I remember Vi nc en hi ost of Mack’s life was tak is greatly missed by times, but it seemed m d and “hang out” like old en 2008 PRHS graduate to used with permission of sp to e make the tim ’t dn di es nc ta and friends. Pho ain qu stration by Kelly Munns t fam8ily pu friends and ac n’t do d an le yearbook. Photo illu d Rob en El fri a 200 be ys wa Al . ne go with hi m . Now he is rever.

They won’t be there fo importa nt people off .

Cher yl Mack

ichael Mack Mot her of Vi ncent M

M Y SON ne; ful; talk ing about divi Talk ing about wonder ing that son of mine. does injustice describ an a special young man. n; more th He was more than a so things I didn’t know.

He taught me ?

W hy did he have to go g me alive. tin ea s It’ g. in My grief is over whelm it’s been pierced with a knife? beating when How can a heart keep again, but on earth his life was so brief. m I know that I’ll see hi es to see. many plans, many sit so d ha e H rhaps a child.

Fall in love, marry, pe ief.

It was stolen like a th ur care. him. He is now in yo of re ca ke ta se ea pl Dear Lord d me No one ever promise ir.

That life was always fa belong to us. s; children do not I know the Bible state em us for a time.

God gives th of my life, But ever y day the rest mine. ke I’ll ask why did He ta t M ichael Mack In memor y of Vincen my son, My best friend and Cher yl Mack

16 | Crimson 03.28.12

Paso Robles High School

From Psyc hology teacher Ge of Land, Dear Crimson staff, A fter a thorou gh reading of th Feb. 15 issue o e recent f Crimson, I w o u ld like to request that you pleas e cancel my su bscription. I co stand the disap uldn't pointment of an other issue. Yo see, I don't thin u k you can do b etter. The w riti the photos, th n g , e layout, the ra nge of articles editorials, the an d variet y of stori es; I just don't you'll ever top th in k it. So cancel m y subscription to remember yo .

I want u at your best.

A mong the hig worth mentio hlights ning are: -the great cove r, simple and p owerful -the w restler p y ramid photo (which SCR E Spirit Poster!)

A MS -Ms. Cabello's article on the b udget woes -M r. Farrell 's p iece on the trim ester - both righ money t on the -Ms. Wilson’s article and acco mpany ing pho Poetry Out Lo tos on ud - poetry in reporting!

-The Cowgirl Culture piece - a fitting nod countr y roots to Paso's -the opinion p ieces by Ms. C one and Ms. W amazing photo ing field, w ith s by Cone and Rodrig ues -the profi le of Remigio by K en Gurney -the cover story

by Ms. Hutch inson - inspirin brilliant to trac g and k dow n alumn i -the poignant tribute to Leste r Lara by Emil -the brilliant so y Cone ccer graphic ar ticle by Josh O and flashy! rcutt - creative I could go on.

I suggest you ju st stop now. Yo better. u can't get any Sincerely, M r. Land

www.crimsonnews.org

Melodies of Mock Rock

A&E NEXT

Taylor Machado

The competition that swept the campus

by Courtney Thompson, A&E Editor

Omar Guillen

The bass boomed over the speakers and sub-woofers as “The Beautiful People” echoed throughout the packed Gil Asa Gym. Lead singer sophomore Jasper Utter’s spiked hair and bright red eyes jumped around the wooden floor and into the bleachers to sing directly to the audience, a chorus of girls’ giggles following each screaming lyric.

The auditions to be accepted into the lengthened lunchtime show were held on February 22, and the participants accepted included the four-man ensemble Metal Horse, junior Dre Sean Sutton’s piano rendition of the Entertainer, a Destiny Child mash-up dance featuring seniors Cristal Leon and Yurenia Matias and sophomore Cassandra Gomez. Also performing were junior identical twins McKenzie and Courtney Brock, sophomore Omar Guillen, the Central Coast Lovenotes featuring seniors Katie Wingfield, Emily Cone, Lindsay Reed, and Trinity Smith, and The Beyonce Experience featuring senior London Bass.

“I was so excited to be accepted into PRHS Mock Rock. I feel that people will be responsive to our band’s type of music because it is different and unique,” Utter said.

“Our music is a mix between rock, techno, and dubstep. Seriously, there is no word to describe it.”

The Brock twins danced a mirror image routine, and even though the music skipped in the middle of a complex turn, they still landed first place in the Mock category.

“When we found out we got first, Omar jumped up and hugged us.

He was excited for us,” Mckenzie Brock said.

After the excitement ended for the Brock sisters, it started right back up when Guillen was announced winner of the talent category for his dance mash up of songs including Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean”, G-Spot Boys’ “Stanky Leg” and Aqua’s “Barbie Girl.

The school is allowed to send three acts to county Mock Rock. The two first place acts are going, but the trio also consists of The Beyonce Experience, who received second place in the Mock Category.

But bragging rights aren’t the only thing that comes along with winning the county competition. The three acts will compete at the Cal Poly PAC for a prize of $300 given to the first place winner.

SHE IS SASHA FIERCE: Senior London Bass and junior Kayla Myhand mock Beyonce’s “Crazy in Love.” Their group, The Beyonce Experience, will continue on to the county competition for the second year in a row.

I CAN’T DO IT ALONE: Juniors McKenzie and Courtney Brock perform to “I Can’t Do It Alone” from “Chicago.” The twins will compete at the Cal Poly PAC. Photos by Megan Rodrigues and Courtney Thompson

Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show Dancers will bring television to life this April

by Kelly Munns, Editorial Editor, and Sarah Wilson, Feature Co-Editor

Power: on. But it’s not your TV lighting up—it’s the stage at the Templeton Performing Arts Center (TPAC), where 35 students are in control of the remote.

The Jazz ‘n Co. dance show hits the stage at the TPAC Apr. 20 and 21. Under poly chromatic spotlights and a TV theme, dancers will perform 18 numbers, one of which is an alumni number where dancers from previous years join in on the stage.

Dance teacher Jennifer Bedrosian will also take part in the alumni number.

With initial plans beginning last summer, performers hit the ground dancing as the school year kicked off.

This year’s show revolves around the theme of television. Each dance will represent a different channel, show, or commercial, and emotions will range from dramatic to comical. A Lifetime channel will feature women who have had a hard life, with performers dressed in overcoats and dresses. Change channels: a science-fiction channel will display aliens in neon green, dancing to funky and lively music.

“I have a lot of really strong performers, so I think they’re going www.crimsonnews.org

to pull it together and do a really good job. They know how to show off what they can do,” said Bedrosian, four-year dance teacher at PRHS. Senior Cayla Cavalletto, advanced dance student and president of Jazz n’ Co., will dance in 10 different musical numbers in the show and choreographed three of them.

Choreography started in October 2011, and the days since have been spent twirling, leaping, and tip-toeing. Dance classes have approximately 340 minutes per week dedicated to practice for the show, and Cavalletto helps oversee it all.

“I go from seeing words on paper as dancers' ideas to actual dances with crazy formations and phrases I would have never thought of. It’s true by the time the show comes around we're all pretty sick of the songs and if you hear them on the radio you either bust out dancing or cringe from having heard the song since December played over and over, but I'm also sad that it’s my last dance show,” Cavalletto said, who has been dancing for almost 16 years and has been in Jazz ‘n Co. for four years. “I look back at being that little eighth grader preparing for high school Paso Robles High School

1 April 2 .

0 April 2 . & 2 p.m m .

7p / ASB

$5 w ASB and so scared to audition /o $10 w for Jazz 'n Co, and now I get to be the one running the auditions and being in the show that makes people want to be part of the family we call JnCo.” In past years, there hasn’t been any problem filling seats for the show. Six-hundred-sixty tickets go on sale every year and almost all of them get sold at $5 for students with an ASB sticker and $10 without. The 330 seats available for both showings was sold out last year, resulting in a $4,500 profit.

Money profited from ticket sales go toward the cost of the show, which varies from year to year. Bedrosian predicts a $4,000 fee, the approximate cost of previous years.

“I love being on stage with thirty people and all of us doing the same thing and making it look wicked. So April 20 and 21, where will I be? On stage having the time of my life with so much adrenaline that the only thing that matters is dancing and doing it with everyone else in the dance department.”

Crimson 03.28.12 |

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A&E Mock Rock

PREVIOUS

Artistic junior discovers a love for painting

Seeing the world through a painter’s eyes

by Nikianne Ochoa, Sci-Tech Co-Editor

Under the afternoon sun, amidst the suffocating summer heat, junior Taylor Machado picked up a paint brush, a canvas, and a few of her favorite paints for the first time since childhood. And that’s when she decided to let her imagination run wild. But it wasn’t until that day in the middle of summer 2011 that Machado discovered her new-found talent, and her new love, for painting.

“When I was little, I used to draw a lot. But I really didn’t pick up a paint brush until the end of my sophomore year,” Machado reminisced.

Machado’s majestic stroke of hand allows her audience to catch a glimpse into the window of her world. “Painting allows me to express my emotions from my day, and it helps others visualize what I’m thinking and see things from my point of view,” stated Machado.

Machado’s first painting was originally a project in her art class, but when she finished her assignment, her artistic imagination and clever ideas quickly

compiled her assignment into a masterpiece. It was a floral painting, made for a close family friend’s baby shower.

Machado paints to her heart’s desire, basing her own creations off of inspiration from vintage pieces while also recreating masterpieces from her favorite artist, Pablo Picasso.

Though some see Picasso as quite an odd fellow, an artist who was probably a little less than balanced, Machado is inspired by the man because of his courage to branch out and be unafraid to capture individuals in unique and unfamiliar ways.

Machado’s favorite quote, the quote she bases every painting she recreates and imagines on her own, comes from Picasso.

“Art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life.”

What is Machado’s favorite part about her newfound love?

“Starting with a blank canvas, and creating something beautiful.”

This movie ‘thneeds’ more attention

Crimson takes a whack at Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax”

Seen in the lush, green forest is an ambitious entrepreneur named the Once-ler, set on making a name for himself and his proposed invention, the Thneed. Then, when he chops down a tree to get its silky leaves, a bolt of lightning strikes the tree stump and out of it comes an orange mustachioed creature who speaks for the trees: the Lorax.

Why yes, this review is on the newest feature film adaptation of Dr. Seuss’ books entitled “The Lorax.” However, some viewers have been taken aback or even offended by the film’s environmental message, claiming that it is leftwing movie studio brainwashing of children. This criticism, however, does not affect the enjoyment factor of the movie itself. And compared to the previous Dr. Seuss movies that have been made in the past decade (How the Grinch Stole Christmas, The Cat in the Hat, and Horton Hears a Who!), this movie breaks the trend and is actually good.

We start off the movie with Ted Wiggins (voiced by Zac Efron), a twelve-year-old boy who lives in Thneed-Ville, where air is sold by the bottle and the fake trees are for decoration only. In order to win the affections of his crush, Audrey (voiced by Taylor Swift), Ted needs to obtain a real tree. He finds out from his eccentric grandmother (voiced

by Betty White, whom I was most entertained by in this movie) that he needs to see the Once-ler to learn more about how to get a tree.

From here, the plot diverges into two points: the present, where the Once-ler tells his tale to Ted, and flashbacks to the

18 | Crimson 03..28.12

past, where the Once-ler’s rise to power is shown at the cost of deforestation and, in turn, business failure. The Once-ler’s tale inspires Ted to care about the trees and, like in the book, he gives the boy the last remaining tree seed. The fact that the message of caring and responsibility — which, besides the message of preserving the environment, is the primary theme of the book — is left intact is what I appreciated most of this film.

Meanwhile, standing in Ted’s way is O’Hare, the mayor of Thneed-Ville and the owner of the air company. Since trees automatically make oxygen via photosynthesis, O’Hare sees trees as a threat to his business, and he does everything in his power to prevent that seed from being planted. And from then on, the movie becomes wacky with car chases and musical numbers.

Illumination Entertainment, the French studio that made the movie Despicable Me, did the animation for this movie.

In my opinion, the original illustrations of Dr. Seuss have been done justice with the beauty of the graphics.

I think the makers of this movie should have gone with more tenured voice actors for this movie instead of the more mainstream name actors they went with like Efron and Swift. It would’ve given this film a bit more flavor and made it a bit more animated, instead of getting the aforementioned actors on this film just to add name value to the movie’s weight just for the sake of it.

Overall, this movie just makes you feel good inside and it makes you want to care and be responsible for something, because, as Dr. Seuss said, “unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It’s not.”

—Dakota Cleland, Reporter Paso Robles High School

Photo by Nikianne Ochoa

Premier: The Hunger Games

HUNGRY FOR HUNGER GAMES: Some of PRHS’s former and current students await the midnight premier of the highly-acclaimed novel-turned-movie on March 22. Photo by Olivia Musial www.crimsonnews.org

Special NEXT

?

Identity.

As young adults, the thought of where we fit into society is constantly on our minds. “I have to live up to how society thinks I should behave, I have to have the perfect body, I have to be connected to my phone so I can know what’s happening.” The perceptions of what we are supposed to be are omnipresent on our adolescent minds and sometimes these perceptions are flawed. In this special edition of Crimson, we investigate the problems students face and the teenagers who have overcome the odds and are breaking out of the mold. Crimson asks, “What makes your identity?”

Photos and photo illustrations by Megan Rodrigues

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Table of contents

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2i Pg.

3i www.crimsonnews.org

Identity problem:

Identity problem:

Pg.

Need a niche? Get one!

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Identity solution:

Students who have found their niche

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“I have to be...” Results of PRHS identity survey.

Identity solution:

Noel Phillips finds strength though conquering cancer

Paso Robles High School

Pg.

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Identity solution:

GEO and AVID break stereotypes Identity solution:

Zoe Ruz wins the fight against anorexia Crimson 03.28.12 |

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Finding your

Identity Problem

?

Having a niche defines the high school experience

by Shanna Dowling, Managing Editor

In a sea of over 2,000 faces, it is easy to get lost in the shuffle, and finding a place to feel involved and accepted can be crucial to the high school experience. Some immerse themselves in science labs or English essays; others find fulfillment on the stage, on the field, or in one of over 32 different clubs on campus.

Still, with endless options to get involved and discover a special place to excel, 365 students in a 636 student survey, over half, reported feeling uninvolved or only somewhat involved in campus programs, activities, and events—though participant numbers tell a more encouraging story. This year, 564 students partook in Winter and Spring sports combined, 64 students have been involved with band and color guard, roughly 700 students attended the previous school plays Seussical and Check Please, 150 students enrolled in drama and technical theater classes, and the list goes on.

Construction teacher Randy Canaday has seen a rise in student involvement first hand, as a leader of the Skills USA program at PRHS. “We have grown in numbers of students every year for the past seven years,” Canaday said, with this year’s SkillsUSA season beginning with 115 students, nearly 100 percent of whom went on to participate in the Region 2 contest last Feb. 4 and 77 students registered to compete in the State contest April 12-15 in San Diego.

Similarly, Counselor Joe Cardinale strongly believes in the ability of clubs and extracurricular activities to build positive

relationships in a student’s life, and to avoid feeling isolated in such a large student body.

“My experience over the years is that there’s no question of whether finding a niche is important. I follow Maslow’s hierarchy of needs: everyone needs food, shelter, and to be loved. School can play a big part of that. If you just come to school and go home, you’re missing out on all that the school has to offer,” counselor Cardinale said, who’s had his eye on student schedules and activity levels for over 20 years. “We try to draw kids into feeling a part of the high school. We’re one of the biggest ones in this area so that’s the key.”

Still, only 15 percent of 626 students believe finding a niche is very important to the high school experience, while 49 percent feel it’s unimportant or only somewhat important. For sophomore anime club member Jenni Vaughn, it has made a world of difference.

“I think it‘s important [to be involved], because everyone needs to find people who they can relate to and be friends with. What better way to make friends than join[ing] a club?” Vaughn said, who has made over half of her friends by joining the club this year.

But some remain unconvinced.

“The only time I care for school is during school, afterwards it’s my time, school’s just for grades and the future,” one student said.

Finding ways to be involved can not only raise the morale of the student body, but provide a sense of purpose for waking up for school five times a week.

223

200

i: Problem

150

i: Solution

88

90

98

Very Involved/ Very Important

Involved/ Important

Somewhat Involved/ Somewhat Important

activity, value, or subject you would like your club to embody.

>> Begin compiling a list of potential student participants.

to serve as your club advisor, or, in other words, lend you their classroom for club meetings.

215215

183

150

>> Decide upon an

>> Find a teacher willing

Describe your involvement with PRHS programs, teams, clubs, or activities?

Is finding a niche at PRHS important?

250

Need a niche?

Start a club!

Uninvolved/ Not Important

>> Approach Mrs.

Goodnow or Mrs. Bedrosian for instructions to make your club official.

>> Agree to the club constitution.

*Source: A survey of 691 PRHS students on March 15, 2012.

Graphic illustration by Shanna Dowling , Olivia Musial, and Sarah Wilson

2i | Crimson 03.28.12

Paso Robles High School

www.crimsonnews.org

Identity Solution

Jamika Martin and Caitlin Knoll

PRHS’ stars on the internet

!

by Nicolette Jolicoeur, Managing Editor

YouTube. Four hundred and ninety million viewers worldwide.

An estimated 92 billion views per month. Every minute 35 hours of video uploaded. One hundred million views on mobile per day.

The site the human race spends 2.9 billion hours on per month.

PRHS has two of its own celebrities on this heavily- visited internet site: sophomores Jamika Martin and Caitlin Knoll, who alike create videos from various spots in their house and in turn have become famous in their hometown.

Martin’s sassy attitude and opinions has helped add to the videos views for the past year.

“At first it was weird, but then I just kept doing it,” Martin said, in

reference to getting started in the viral world.

The first video made by Martin was ‘things we hate’ with her cousin Alex Adams; Martin thought it was interesting but had no webcam.

“Then I got my Macbook and I made the first video [and] after that people were telling me to make videos. Just like ‘oh, you’re funny make these videos!’”

Martin has made 27 unique videos with her fearless attitude. Her ideas spring from things that she, or avid fans of jmackkk1 (her YouTube user name), feels needed to be said.

A few of the most charming videos are ‘Homecoming!’ where she asks people to vote for her for sophomore homecoming princess, which she won, ‘You might not have swag if...’ where she discusses posers, and “Rubiks cube #2’ where she solves a Rubiks cube in the length of the 1:08 minute long video.

The most viewed of Martin’s videos is titled ‘White Girls Vs. Black Girls’, with 7, 956 views.

What she credits to the views: controversy. This video is self explanatory: in it Martin discusses the differences between black girls and white girls, comparing their actions at dances, a commonly discussed body feature of women, and other possibly offensive view points on ethnic diversity.

But Martin’s self-assured attitude has given her the courage to make these controversial videos.

“I mean, I don’t really care what other people think. I kind of do, but not to the extent where

PasoHighStudent

> White Girls Vs. Black Girls 59% 7, 956 views 04:29 jmackkk1 www.crimsonnews.org

+ Subscribe

I’m going to change or do something different,” Martin said, who accredits these videos to more than just getting her word out online.

Martin’s friend of nine years sophomore Emma Marsh and sophomore cousin M’lynn Martin both agreed that it’s Jamika’s ability to tell it like it is that makes her so special.

“I definitely think people think twice about what they do in fear of Jamika making a video about it,” said M’lynn.

But don’t fear PRHS, Martin isn’t on the hunt or look out for her next victims. Her avid viewers are her favorite part of the job.

“My favorite part about this whole video thing is my fans. Hearing people tell me how funny they think I am or even when people say I should make more. Just the approach from other people, even those I don’t know, makes me feel good whether it’s someone who is putting negative feedback or positive. It’s cool to know everyone cares what I have to say.”

Knoll, on the other hand, doesn’t use her voice to talk on YouTube; she sings.

Eleven year old Knoll got started on YouTube when she wanted to re-do the ‘how to be gangster’ video. “My friend and I had this crazy idea that we’d become YouTube famous. It didn’t occur to me until like two years ago that I could actually use it as a way to let people hear my music,” Knoll said, whose favorite video of her own is “I Love You More Than You Will Ever Know,” made with her friend Meredith Butz, a sophomore.

Still classifying herself as an aspiring YouTube artist, Knoll’s advice to herself and others is to, “be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don’t matter, and [those who] matter don’t mind.”

Like Martin, Knoll’s YouTube channel has helped boost her confidence. Getting in front of a camera is easier than getting in front of an assembly of people, according to Knoll. Also, along with Martin, Knoll receives Facebook nods from “stalkers”.

“On the outside, all that’s really changed is shout outs that I’ll get from random people telling me they’ve seen me on Facebook, then proceeded to stalk my YouTube, which is really nice and flattering by the way,” Knoll said.

These sophomores have found their place in the world through a webcam, computer and a personality on YouTube’s geography. Clearly, their future holds more views and videos to come.

STUDENT EXPRESSION: Both PRHS girls broadcast themselves on the internet world through YouTube. Jamika Martin (top left) with controversial and humorous videos like “White Girls vs. Black Girls,” and Caitlin Knoll (right) with her music.

14 videos

> Criminal Love (cover)

100% 462 views

03:01 tellthemtoshowthem

> Another random video!

100% 232 views 03:27 jmackkk1

Paso Robles High School

Photos by Emily Cone Graphic illustration by Ryan Morrison

> Runaway (cover)

100% 297 views

04:17 tellthemtoshowthem

Video thumbnails used with permission of Jamika Martin and Caitlin Knoll

Crimson 03.28.12 |

3i\

Identity Problem

“I HAVE TO BE...”

?

The results of the identity survey.

CHARITABLE?

11% 82%

To investigate how teens identify themselves Crimson explored three main identity issues: technology, appearance, and ethnicity. The survey results of 691 PRHS students reveal what is important to students in terms of charity, appearance, and school involvement.

FASHIONABLE?

50% 28%

of students said they do something charitable for someone else every day. 73% say they do at least a few times a month, while 16% rarely do. say that 0-49% of their money goes toward other persons, while 18% give 50-100% to others.

of students said that wearing fashionable brands and styles is at least somewhat important to them. 15% ranked it as “Important,” and 7% said “Very important.” say that wearing fashionable brands and styles is “Unimportant” to them.

WHAT IS MOST IMPORTANT TO MAINTAIN YOUR REPUTATION?

1

2

FRIENDS A majority of students surveyed ranked friends as most important.

GRADES Grades were a close second, almost reaching the same numbers as friends.

3

APPEARANCE Only six students marked appearance as last, the majority had it as third or higher.

4

ONLINE PROFILE None of the surveyed students marked online profile as most important.

Gripped by technology A 24/7 connection that teens can’t disable

by Clarisse Dart, Sci-Tech Co-Editor In a flurry of clicks and sent messages, it’s estimated that one billion text messages are sent every twenty-four hours.

By this year, the number of people who have signed up for accounts on the blue-themed world of Facebook has grown to 794 million, and is expected to hit one billion in the near future, according to quora.com. But how important are the devices and wifi connections to the teens that contribute to the head spinning numbers of wired output? Out of the 17 million teens that own cell phones, more than half say that their mobile device has improved their life, according to a national survey by CTIA. At PRHS, this growth in electronic dependency is seen firsthand. In a February survey of the student population, every teen surveyed had a Facebook account and a cell phone. Out of these, 71 percent even said that they even check their Facebook from their phone, a constant flood of status updates just waiting to be checked from anywhere they may be, even school.

“I check my phone every 3 to 5 minutes while I’m at school. When I’m at home maybe every hour,” said senior Stephanie Bernabe, who feels her phone and the internet are necessities.

More than half of students surveyed said they looked at their phone on average every 10-15 minutes of every day. Senior Jason Cardenas understands the feeling of attachment to the devices that keep him connected to the social world, especially his phone.

Receiving his first phone in sixth grade, he didn’t start texting until he was in the eighth grade. Now, it’s second nature. “[When I don’t have my phone] I feel disconnected, like I don’t know what’s going on,” Cardenas explained, who also uses his smart phone to check Facebook. “I’m so used to texting all the time, when I don’t have my phone I freak out!”

Other PRHS students agree, saying they feel cut off from the world and even vulnerable.

“When my phone is out of my possession I feel as if I have lost my pants and am surrounded by a group of important individuals,” junior JD Maciel said of his feeling of disconnection without his cell phone.

The constant connection with friends via Facebook and texting could create multiple areas for distraction from school work and other responsibilities, however. Though these tools create a quick and easy way to ask questions, make plans, or just check in, the question teens need to ask themselves is does the distraction out-weigh the convenience.

“Most people need to have their phone right next to them when they’re doing their homework, they can’t put it down,” observed Cardenas of his peers.

Whether this constant dependency on things such as cell phones and Facebook is a trend that will soon pass, is yet to be discovered.

The generation of tech-savy teens, 47 percent of which can text blind folded according to the CTIA survey, will decide whether this growing “need” to be wired will fade. For now, Cardenas can’t imagine a time where internet and cell phone signal is not available.

“I can’t imagine life without internet, our generation grew up with it.”

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Photo by Megan Rodrigues

Fitting the mold, fighting the media

WHICH MOST DETERMINES YOUR IDENTITY?

6%

CONSTANTLY CONNECTED: Senior Jason Cardenas uses his smart phone to stay connected via texting and social networking, an example of the growing need for adolescents to constantly be wired.

Characterized by culture

Students feel pressured to be physically attractive

Students are judged by racial stereotypes

Senior Brady Zubia started working out habitually in 2011 when his grandpa gave him a gym membership to Planet Fitness as a gift. It was then that Zubia began exercising once a day for two hours, following each work out with a protein shake. And Zubia admits, along with 90 percent of 100 surveyed students, society’s perception of what is beautiful has something to do with his rigorous workout regiment.

“I’m not saying I’m the biggest guy around,” Zubia said, who can bench 275 pounds, “[The media] definitely affects us.

All the guys you see in ads are huge and ripped. There is definitely pressure to look good.”

The facts show that the influence of the media only grows with time, with pre-teens and teens being the biggest target.

“One study reports that at age thirteen, 53% of American girls are ‘unhappy with their bodies.’ This grows to 78% by the time girls reach seventeen,” said an article entitled, “Teen Health and the Media” on www.depts.washington.edu.

But not every single student at PRHS feels the need to fit a physical status quo. However, a mere thirteen percent of students surveyed do not feel that the media affects their self-image.

“I am big and beautiful,” said senior Sidney Fraser, who still believes that the media pressures teens to look a certain way, and have a certain body type, “It seems like the media is trying to make model citizens out of Abercrombie and Fitch models and I don’t really care for that. I think it’s crappy that others are trying to make people look a certain way,” he said.

Similarly, senior Sara Miller feels free from the pressure to conform to society’s perception of beauty.

“I don’t need to do my hair, wear a pound of make-up, or wear fancy clothes. I do work out, but to stay healthy. I know who I am, I don’t need a magazine to tell me how I should be,” Miller said.

Many students say they should stay fit for their body’s unveiling during swimsuit season. Even Zubia agrees that summertime is a motivation for his fitness.

“I like to take my shirt off and look good during summer,” Zubia said, who also makes a conscious effort to have a healthy diet. “I eat a lot of chicken for protein, along with lots of salad.”

The push to have the perfect physique can easily penetrate deep into the teen psyche, with one anonymous student saying, “Yes, I feel the need to maintain a certain weight and keep up a certain appearance, mainly because I don’t like to stick out in the crowd. I kind of want to fit in.”

by Emily Cone, Managing Editor

i

by Kim Boswell, Front Page Editor, with contributions by Lindsay Reed, Reporter Senior Judy Thach’s skin is slightly paler than American standards, sophomore Ruben Perez’s parents were born in Mexico, senior Taylor Velarde has the curly hair of an African American but the skin of a Mexican-American.

These students did not choose their heritage, but they feel the pressure of society to fit the perceived molds of their cultural backgrounds and search for their identities both within and outside of their ethnicity.

“I remember in third grade when people would ask me if I was Chinese,” said Thach, who is actually from Cambodia, 2,595 miles south of China.

Velarde, whose mother is half Mexican and half Caucasian and father is African-American, has found that when people draw conclusions about her ethnicity, it is best to rise above it. “You don’t let it get to you,” she said, “and you praise who you are and your culture.”

On the PRHS campus, there are 1,210 Caucasians, 49 blacks, 742 Hispanics, 27 Asians, 14 American Indians, 7 Pacific Islanders, 16 Filipinos, and 48 students classified as “other.”

But it is not only skin color or hair styles that stereotype races, students find that people make assumptions based on clothing choice, like the stereotype that all Mexicans are “gangsters.”

“Someone sags their pants and people right away think that they are gangsters,” said Perez, talking with his friend, freshman Jimmy Esparza.

“I think I understand why people stick with their cultures,” said AP Literature teacher Aaron Cantrell to his fifth period ELL class, “but when I try to understand other cultures, I think I become a better person.”

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Paso Robles High School

FINDING THE FIT: Senior Brady Zubia is one of many students who acknowledges the pressure that the media puts on teens to be physically attractive. Photo by Megan Rodrigues

www.crimsonnews.org

Crimson 03.28.12 |

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Identity Solution

!

‘Cancer doesn’t define me’ Junior’s leukemia creates new outlook on life

by Angela Lorenzo, World Co-Editor

Thousands of events can change a teenager’s story: joining a sports team, volunteering at a shelter, even your grade in Pre-calc can have a butterfly affect how your journey unfolds. Two years ago, junior Noel Phillips’s life changed in the time it took to pick up the phone.

Now, after her life altering experience with leukemia, Phillips doesn’t worry about the petty issues many teenage girls obsess over. Phillips is busy fighting against cancer to reach a clearer future.

Each minute in 2010, approximately three people were diagnosed with cancer in the US, according to the American Cancer Society. On July 13, 2010, Phillips was one of three and was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia, a cancer of the white blood cells. Three days later, on her fifteenth birthday, Phillips began chemotherapy.

“Physically and mentally, treatments are exhausting and take a toll on my body. It takes a few days up to a week to recover,” said Phillips, who for the first ten months of her diagnosis went through aggressive chemotherapy at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.

Currently Phillips goes to Santa Barbara once a month for chemo, and also takes it in a daily pill form.

“It was hard watching everything and everyone’s lives going on around me when my own life felt as if it was at a complete halt.,” Phillips said, “At times I felt like everything about me was going through atrophy.” Phillips fought through her exhaustion and brief depression. “I would often say to myself that God has a plan for me, and I need to just keep on trusting in him and follow the light at the end of the tunnel,” she explains.

Before being diagnosed with leukemia, Phillips was a typical American teenager juggling school, sports, and friends.

“Prior to this I was an average girl excelling in school and sports, I had a wonderful family, good group of friends, adorable boyfriend, big new house and the life that so many people would kill for,” wrote Phillips on July 15, 2010, in her blog titled “Hitting this Curve ball out of the Park” that she started after being diagnosed.

This battle has changed Phillips views on the world.

“I have to be strong, positive, thankful, appreciative, trust in God, and enjoy life!”

Phillips said.

“Before I never really stopped to think about the little things in life we take for granted,” Phillips said almost two years after her eye-opening experience. Cancer caused her to suppress many aspects of her previously normal life such as going to the movies, playing sports, being outside, and just hanging out with people in general. “Overall it pretty much restricted me from being a kid,” she said.

“She’s always been positive, but [her diagnosis and battle] has made her really appreciative and count her blessings,” Andrea Phillips, Noel’s mother, said. “Positive thinking has been very helpful through her journey; it has helped her to see the little things that everyday we take for granted,” she adds.

With a body still recovering, Phillips is excited to restart the hobbies she had to put on hold. She is still able to express her passion for softball, a sport she has been playing since eight years old, by helping coach her younger sister’s softball team. Phillips is also involved in FFA and will be showing an animal at the California Mid State fair this summer.

Although leukemia has shaped the way Phillips has lived her past few years, she expresses optimism for the future and the present. “Cancer doesn’t define me,” she explains. “Don’t take life for granted. Enjoy and be grateful for everything and every moment God has blessed you with.”

CANCER CONQUEROR: Noel Phillips started her junior year cancer free. She takes a monthly trip to the Santa Barbara Cottage Health System to ensure her health.

Photo by Kim Boswell

6i | Crimson 03.28.12

42% i: 9% Paso Robles High School

of students surveyed relfect on and/or feel grateful for the positive things in their lives every day. report that they rarely reflect on or feel grateful for the positive things in their lives every day. While 31% do a few times a week and 18% do a few times a month. *691 students surveyed on March 15, 2012

www.crimsonnews.org

Accelerating through AVID National program offers academic home and launchpad to volunteering

by Sarah Wilson, Feature Co-Editor, and Nicolette Jolicoeur, Managing Editor

PRHS’ freshmen through senior AVID classes better themselves and the community, stomping out the common stereotypes of teens, Mexican-Americans, and any other unfair assumptions.

Freshman Cristian Gonzales gives back by doing community service for his church, the Paso Robles Police Department, and the PRHS Agriculture department. He is a two-year AVID student and six-year soccer player. Gonzales is proud of himself for keeping up straight A’s in school and “for hanging out with the right people and not doing drugs.” Gonzales, who plans on going to college and majoring in either criminology or criminal justice, said that AVID has helped him make these life decisions.

AVID guides students on an academic and personal level.

“It’s a good feeling that on Tuesday’s and Thursdays you are able to get help for a big test that you have next period and that aspect of AVID I really appreciate,” sophomore Juan Majano said, who has been playing organized basketball since he was five, basketball for PRHS for two years, and played baseball freshman year.

Junior Llisel Ayon has been a part of the AVID program for three years and is heavily involved in extracurricular services, such as tutoring kids and leading activities at the Canyon Creek Learning Center. She participates in city clean-ups and events with the Key Club, and helps out at Flamson’s mentoring program, Latina Step Forward, a group of middle school girls with Hispanic backgrounds.

“We help them with homework, plan games [and] activities, and try to give them a safe place to hang out after school. I also just started helping out at the Boys and Girls Thrift Store. It has a lot of the same responsibilities of a job: cleaning, pricing, talking to customers,” said Ayon, who has never earned a grade lower than a B while in high school.

Like Ayon, three-year AVID student Majano does community service as well as basketball.

Majano keeps his eye on the ball, but not just in sports—academically, too. After high school, he plans on attending Stanford then transferring to MIT to get a degree in Biomedical Engineering. But for now, he volunteers at St. Rose Church, keeps his grades up, and excels in AVID. “[Mr. Wagner] is always willing to help any student who is in any need of help academically.

He is also very reliable and nice. He has helped me figure out anything I had trouble with and I think he always will,” said Majano of his AVID teacher, Theodore Wagner.

“I think my greatest achievement in life right now is where I’m at right now, because I feel blessed that I have the family and friends that I have right now and to be in the position that I am in with my sports and academics. Overall I am really happy. I am most proud of being the person who I am and hope to be in the future,” Majano said. “[Without AVID], students would probably have a harder time succeeding in college prep classes...some would drop out or not take them at all,” Wagner said, who said that AVID helps students figure out short- and long-term goals. “[AVID] has helped Juan to come out of his shell. It has helped him to be more outgoing,” Wagner said of Majano who gives presentations and helps others in AVID. Senior Iris Anastacio credits AVID to her success. “I feel that without AVID I would have no idea what to do with college applications...

My parents never went to college so I wouldn’t know what to do,” Anastacio EXPERTS IN EXCELLENCE: (left to right) sophomore Juan Majano, senior Iris Anastacio, said, who’s been accepted to UC freshman Cristian Gonzales, and junior Llisel Ayon Merced, Cal Poly Pomona, Fresno participate in AVID, which helps students get on the State and San Jose State. right path to college. Photo by Sarah Wilson www.crimsonnews.org

i: 30% 65%

of students report that they give more than they receive. report that they generally give when it is convenient, leaving 5% who say that they generally do not give to others.

*691 students surveyed on March 15, 2012

Identity Solution

!

A GREEN SOLUTION: Seniors Alex Ball (left) and Allysha Cross (right) plan to implement paper recycling bins in every classroom on campus. They also intend to have a crew dedicated to the dumping of the bins. Photo by Kim Boswell

GEO Solutions go from screens to green

Students create projects to benefit school and community environment

by Kathryn Wingfield, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Seniors Allysha Newman and Alex Ball bounced enthusiastically on the tips of their toes outside WalMart on a breezy March 7 afternoon. A white, glitter-glued tri-fold board proclaimed the dismal state of recycling at PRHS- 60 classrooms not supplied with paper recycling bins- and the need for donations to bridge the gap. By the end of the week, their humble coin jar was filled with $260 and the conviction that the world was about to get a little bit better.

The girls are two of 31 participants in this year’s GEO Solutions projects, an attempt headed by GEO teacher Mark Dimaggio to improve the environmental state of the school, community, and planet and to inspire the students involved to make changes of their own.

“It’s easy to get buried in problems, because there is no shortage of problems in what the class covers,” said Dimaggio, who informs his students about the state of the world as it struggles to survive with seven billion inhabitants. “We devote days to solutions, because it’s scary. I try to empower kids to change, and this project was great because we had really bright people with tons of enthusiasm.”

Though the project has existed for the past few years, this year it has taken on a new shape, focusing on the connection between social and environmental issues, which Dimaggio

Paso Robles High School

describes as “inseparable.” The groups were presented with a list of potential issues to cover and encouraged to think of something on their own, which resulted in projects ranging from sea turtle conservation to Newman and Ball’s paper recycling effort.

“I started out thinking, ‘I’m just a high school student, what can I do?’ But now I know that because of what I’m personally doing, there’s going to be a lot more recycling at our school,” said Newman, whose group has already ordered 65 seven-gallon bins from zorrotools.com. “We’re going out and changing things. It makes you feel good about yourself, like you’re doing something to help.”

The group did encounter setbacks, such as the shockingly high original price of $50 for a recycle logo sticker. But with some Internet surfing and bargaining, the students were able to purchase green seven-gallon bins—logo included—for $4 each, changing their goal from $500 to ensuring a bin for every room.

And the controversy over receptacle color that had one Facebook user commenting, “Seriously?? The color is BLUE...” only inspired the group’s idea and fueled their passion for the project.

“We were just trying to get the word out so we would be more successful, and people got really angry because the bins were green,” Newman said. “The idea is what they’re for, not what color they are.”

continued on page 34 Crimson 03.28.12 | 7i\

Identity Solution

!

‘I am strength. I am beauty.’

Senior Zoe Ruz recovers from anorexia with a message in mind

by Kathryn Wingfield, Co-Editor-in-Chief

STANDING STRONG AND HEALTHY: Zoe Ruz now occupies her time dancing with God Squad and Jazz n’ Co. Photo by Megan Rodrigues

8i | Crimson 03.28.12

Across America, 10 million women are fighting a psychological civil war, giving in to the tug of war between the mirror and the mind, and choosing a deadly course of action in hopes of ending the struggle. They deprive themselves of basic needs, push themselves to their physical limits, and deny their most basic instincts all due to a desperate need: the need to be thin.

They are the warriors of anorexia nervosa and similar eating disorders, toiling through a secret pain hidden inside their own minds. Twenty percent of these victims will die within 20 years of contracting the disease, which may have begun as “simple dieting” according to the National Eating Disorder Association.

But others will seek help and begin recovery, taking steps down the path towards body acceptance, and peace of mind.

Senior Zoe Ruz began her struggle in eighth grade, when she turned to her body as the only thing she could control in a household dominated by rules and a social life riddled with judgment.

“I became known in my group of friends as ‘the cute ditzy one,’ and I started to believe it. I started to doubt the things I could do because I believed I was stupid,” she said. “I was really getting cut down, and that’s when I started to think about controlling my weight.”

From that point on, she began to pick away at any flaw she could find in the mirror, jumping at the chance to perfect the parts of her she could change, from a “dot of cellulite” to “too much skin.” Eventually she stopped eating, starving herself for up to two weeks at a time.

When her parents took notice of her weight loss, then down to the double digits, they took her to a doctor to whom she confessed her anorexic habits. She left the office determined to be healthy, but when times got hard at home, the habits came back.

Ruz hid her struggle from everyone around her, secretly purging herself when her parents forced her to eat, living in a constant battle between the world around her and the world inside her head. It wasn’t until a trip to a camp called Challenge that she spoke out about her fight to her God Squad coach Jocelyn Willis, who shared her own testimony to Ruz and her fellow team members. Her words caused a complete 180 in Ruz’s thinking.

“I felt so vain hearing what other people had gone through,” she said. “I kept thinking about how it wasn’t worth it. I went through that for that?”

It was at that point that she turned to her faith for strength.

“I started praying about it a lot, and getting a lot closer to God. I didn’t want to go through [anorexia] anymore. It wasn’t right for me. Recovery was definitely gradual, but I made it,” she said.

With the help of the God Squad’s close family encouragement and open, strengthening environment, Ruz began to believe less in her flaws and more in her own empowerment.

She hung on her mirror what GodSquad calls “I Am’s,” statements from the Bible regarding encouraging identities found in God. “In the mirror, I used to see everything that was wrong,” she said. “Now I look and I see, ‘I am a beautiful child of God. I am strength.’ It helps me change my mind set and see myself for who I am inside, which is that all that matters.”

Ruz publicly told her story for the first time at a GodSquad performance on Vine Street, Dec. 10, 2011, spreading her story in the hopes of empowering those facing the same fight. Now she continues to speak about what she has learned.

“I want people to know that everything is going to be fine, and it doesn’t matter what you weigh. It really doesn’t,” she said. “If you believe you are a truly beautiful person on the inside, then you’re automatically beautiful on the outside. And it honestly does not matter how other people think you look. Years from now, people from high school aren’t going to remember or care if you looked fat on a certain day.”

Ruz encourages anyone going through an eating disorder to focus on the important things, including the people who “really love you and really care about you.”

“Even if you don’t know where to go, start somewhere. Tell someone. You may find help from a complete stranger, or from somewhere completely unexpected,” she said. “But you have to start with yourself and your own mind. Don’t just think about how you want to get better or want to feel pretty. Think, ‘I am beautiful, and I am going to get better.’” of students surveyed feel that their physical appearance is what most determines their identity.

i: 13%

Paso Robles High School

*691 students surveyed on March 15, 2012

www.crimsonnews.org

More than just a little hands-on

Health NEXT

Cupcake Corner

Winter campaign motivates student to donate organs

by Emily Cone, Managing Editor

For over five years, Jon-Paul Ewing’s Anatomy class has been dissecting cats and visiting cadaver labs in an attempt to make students’ study of the human body come alive. But this year, for the first time ever, Ewing and his class launched a campaign to get over 100 students on campus involved in something not only physical, but positive.

“I thought, ‘Wouldn’t it be cool if the kids could have some sort of positive impact at the end of their anatomy year where they could get students more aware of organ donation?’” Ewing said.

The subject of organ donation hits close to home for Ewing, and a close friend of his.

In the summer of 2011 Katie May, a friend of Ewing’s, died of a blot clot. May, 27 years old, was on the top of the list for a new set of lungs, as she had suffered from pulmonary hypertension since the age of 20. Pulmonary hypertension is a disease that causes “high blood pressure in the arteries of the lungs that can lead to heart failure,” according to the Pulmonary Hypertension Association.

When Ewing presented his idea to his students, he was met with an enthusiastic response, especially from senior Zander Souza, who spent every lunch time for two weeks helping students sign up to be a donor.

“I thought it was a really interesting concept that

not many people knew about,” said Souza, who is himself an organ donor. “I thought that it was not only interesting, but that I could help a lot of people, and save lives. I feel like it’s such an easy thing to do.”

But along with organ donation come several concerns, causing students and their families to think twice before filling out the one page that names them a donor. Ewing, along with the medical field, claims that these concerns are myths and should not hinder a potential donor.

“There are some very common myths about organ donation,” said Ewing. “People think that they won’t try to save you if they see that you’re an organ donor.

That’s not true. They actually have multiple doctors confirm that you are dead before using your organs.”

Ewing also pointed out that you can still bury your body and meet religious requirements as a donor.

“There are very few religions that oppose organ donation,” he said.

To inspire kids to sign up, Ewing dressed up as Superman for a week and talked to kids at lunch. For 134 Paso High Students, it was enough for them to fill out the one-page to become a donor.

“If we really get [organ donation] out there, it could do wonders,” Souza said.

Common myths about Organ Donation Myth: Doctors won’t work as hard to save you if they know you are an organ donor.

Truth: The point of a hospital is to save lives. Only after brain death is a physician able to consider organ donation. Also, many organizations require the family’s consent.

—www.unos.org Myth: Minors are too young to make such a decision.

Truth: If the donor is under 18, parents can approve the decision. Children need transplants for small organs that can be provided by teen donors.

—www.mayoclinic.com Myth: An open-casket funeral will not be an option for organ donors.

Truth: Organs are removed in a surgery similar to an appendix removal. Any marks from surgery will be hidden by clothing.

—www.unos.org Senior Zander Souza led the donation effort for two weeks. Photo by Emily Cone

Allergies by the numbers You’d never guess that such small things such as pollen, pet dander, and dust can make so large of an impact. It only takes a particle as small as 3 microns to cause damage. Check out these facts about how much havoc allergies cause.

15

4

Percent of people in the U.S. actually have a food allergy.

Percent of people in the U.S. think they have a food allergy.

30,000

ER visits in the U.S. caused by food allergies each year.

4 MILLION Workdays lost each year as a result of hay fever.

172,206,214

American citizens test positive to one or more allergens.

$7.9 billion Is the estimate of the annual cost of allergies to the health care system and businesses in the U.S.

Source: WebMD

—Ryan Morrison, Graphic Designer Graphic illustration by Ryan Morrison

www.crimsonnews.org

Paso Robles High School

Crimson 03.28.12 |

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Food

The Spring Edition

Organ donors PREVIOUS

With spring on the way, replace your hormonal drive with a cupcake drive!

by Megan Luth, Food Editor

This month it is time to give recognition to all the vegan kids out there and let them have a taste of a luscious cupcake. This month get your taste buds and kitchen ready for two kickin’ recipes: S’mores cupcakes from Cupcakes from the Cake Mix Doctor by Anne Byrn and a vegan Reese’s cupcake from vegweb.com.

The s’more cupcakes were the first to be mixed and baked. The directions are essential and if followed correctly will produce perfect cakes. The marshmallow frosting to go with the s’more recipe is very sticky and pretty thin so it is recommended to wait for the cupcakes to cool until they don’t feel too warm on top and then apply the frosting.

S’more Cupcakes Ingredients • 7 whole graham crackers, coarsely chopped (do not use boxed graham cracker crumbs) • 1 C. sour cream • 1 18 1/4 oz. plain German chocolate cake mix • 1 3.4 oz. pkg. vanilla instant pudding mix • 1/2 C. water • 1/2 C. vegetable oil • 4 large eggs • 1 C. milk chocolate chips • 24 paper liners for cupcake pan Marshmallow Frosting: •1 13 oz. jar marshmallow creme •3 Tbs. sour cream •1 tsp. pure vanilla extract •2 Hershey’s milk chocolate bars, broken into 24 small pieces

28 | Crimson 03.28.12

Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F . Use cooking spray for cupcake pan or individual liners. Combine all ingredients for the cupcake batter into a bowl and whisk until smooth.

2. Fill each muffin cup about 2/3 full with batter. Place in the oven for 13-15 minutes.

3. In a separate bowl, combine peanut butter, powdered sugar, and milk for icing.

4. Stir with a fork until at desired thickness. For thicker frosting, use more powdered sugar. For thinner frosting, use more milk.

5. Take cupcakes out of the oven and let cool for 2-3 minutes before icing.

Directions

1. Place rack in center of oven and preheat to 350 degrees.

Line 24 cupcake cups with liners. Place 1 scant Tbs. of graham cracker crumbs in the bottom of each liner. Reserve the remaining graham cracker crumbs for garnish. Set aside 3 Tbs. of the sour cream for the frosting.

2. Place the cake mix, pudding mix, remaining sour cream, water, oil and eggs in a large mixing bowl. Blend with an electric mixer on low speed. Stop the machine and scrape down the sides of the bowl with a rubber spatula. The batter should look thick and well-combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

3. Spoon or scoop 1/4 C. batter into each lined cupcake cup, filling it 2/3 of the way.

Paso Robles High School

Personally this was my first time ever baking a vegan recipe and I found it to be much easier than I imagined. For the vegan Reese’s cupcakes the recipe is very straightforward and the frosting came out a little runny so it helped to add extra powdered sugar to thicken and sweeten it up.

“I didn’t expect the vegan cupcake to taste so sweet and normal. The peanut butter in the frosting brought the Reese’s taste into perspective,” senior Kyle Lane said.

These cupcakes bring the sweet taste of spring ahead. And whenever making any cupcake, you can count on a great experience, much tastiness and many smiles! Happy baking!

Reese’s Cupcakes

Makes: about 18 cupcakes, Preparation time: 10 mins, Cooking time: 13 -15 mins Cupcakes: • 1 Tbs. vinegar • 1 1/2 C. chocolate flavored nondairy milk (I use soy) • 2 C. flour Icing: • 2 tsp. baking powder • 1/2 C. creamy peanut butter • 1/2 tsp. baking soda • 1/2 C. powdered sugar • 1/2 tsp. salt • 1/3 C. nondairy milk • 1 C. brown sugar • 1/4 C. maple syrup • 1/3 C. oil • 2 tsp. vanilla extract • 3 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa powder

4. Place the pans in the oven. Bake the cupcakes until they spring back when lightly pressed with your finger, 19-22 minutes.

5. Remove the pans from the oven and place them on wire racks to cool for 5 minutes. Place them on a wire rack to cool 15 minutes before frosting.

6. Place a heaping of frosting on each cupcake and with a metal short spatula or spoon, swirl to spread it out, taking care to cover the tops completely. Garnish with the reserved chopped graham crackers and a piece of milk chocolate and serve.

7. To make frosting, remove the lid from the jar of marshmallow creme and place in the microwave on high power for 45 seconds. With small rubber spatula, scrape the creme out of the jar and into a mixing bowl. Add the sour cream and vanilla extract.

With an electric mixer, beat the mixture on medium speed until the frosting is fluffy and well- blended Yield: at least 24 cupcakes (My batch made about 32) From: “Cupcakes: From the Cake Mix Doctor” by Anne Byrn

www.crimsonnews.org

Paso’s feature fries Bronco Burger, Good Ol’ Burgers, Downtown Brew, Panolivo and Good Times all have been rumored to have the best fries in Paso Robles. Crimson reporters investigate and decide which fry fits.

1 st

Bronco Burgers

9.5

Good Times

8.5

2

7.5

4

Taste: 7 Texture: 9 Enough Crunch: 10 Enough Flop: 8 Cooked enough: 10 Seasonings: 5 1108 Pine Street Paso Robles, CA 93446

1925 Golden Hill Road Paso Robles, CA 93446

Litter

nd

Taste: 7 Texture: 6 Enough Crunch: 10 Enough Flop: 9 Cooked enough: 10 Seasonings: 9 1104 Pine Street Paso Robles, CA 93446

Downtown Brew

Taste: 8 Texture:10 Enough Crunch: 10 Enough Flop: 8 Cooked Enough: 10 Seasonings: 10

Food NEXT

3

rd

Panolivo

8.0 th

Taste: 8 Texture: 10 Enough Crunch: 10 Enough Flop: 6 Cooked enough: 10 Seasonings: 4 1344 Park Street Paso Robles, CA 93446

Dog House

6.0

5

th

Taste: 7 Texture: 9 Enough Crunch: 10 Enough Flop: 3 Cooked enough: 10 Seasonings: 4 1495 Creston Road Paso Robles, CA 93446

—Laura Callahan, Health Co-Editor, Nicolette Jolicoeur, Managing Editor, and Megan Luth, Food Editor Photos by Nicolette Jolicoeur

Fro-yo or ice cream?

With eight local joints to choose from, students weigh in on their frozen dessert preference

by Brielle Silletti, Business Manager

Fro- yo If frozen yogurt appeals to your taste buds or health conscious mind set, there are many shops to choose from locally that offer never ending topping choice.

Most popular flavors Paso Espresso & Yogurt- Vanilla Yogurt Creations-Peanut Yogurt Swirl-Vanilla

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Ice cream A craving for frozen richness that only a scoop of ice cream can bring may be just enough to lead you to wander into one of these local ice cream shops…

Coldstone Creamery (Peanut Butter Cup Perfection, 20 signature creations, 12 ice cream flavors, 3 frozen yogurts, 2 sorbet flavors) Rocky Mountain Factory (Motor Oil, which is vanilla ice cream with Kahlua and fudge in it, 24 ice cream flavors) Foster’s Freeze (Vanilla, 3 basic ice cream flavors, 16 Twister mixes) Paso Robles High School

107 people surveyed Graphic illustration by Ryan Morrison

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Environment Best of Paso

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Saplings of sanctuary

BCASE beautifies campus by planting trees

by Laura Callahan, Health Co-Editor

Hands dirtied with soil shovel out a small pocket into the planter, a dogwood tree is placed gingerly into the ground and covered with the freshly turned soil.

BCASE members wipe the dirt from their knees, take a step back, and squint against the bright Paso sun to admire the sapling on March 24.

BCASE members have planted one Dogwood tree, one Raywood Ash tree and one Chitalpa tree in the planters next to the awning in the quad in hopes to breathe new life into the campus this spring. However, seeking approval for which trees used in the project proved to be an obstacle for BCASE members.

Some trees such as redwoods, pines, and oaks will grow too large for the confined concrete planter and will cause cracking along the walls, a $10,000 repair job, according to Director of Facilities and Operations, Ashley Lightfoot.

“I’m a firm believer that students should have an active role in positively shaping their environment.

BRANCHING OUT: Senior and BCASE president Cheyenne Liddicote perches in a tree, the very thing she helped plant campuswide one week later. Photo by Emily Cone

When students take ownership, wonderful ideas emerge and there is less vandalism. However, campus beautification is not an ‘anything goes’ endeavor.

It must be done thoughtfully and carefully, to minimize the impact of unintended consequences. This way, the beautification project of today will not turn into the ugly nightmare of tomorrow,” said Lightfoot.

“There hasn’t been much plant life at all since everything was paved over with concrete. We want to create a campus that is pleasing to be in and to look at.

Personally, a greener campus helps me maintain a more positive attitude,” said BCASE president and senior Cheyenne Liddicote.

Seventy two percent of students* agree that having more plant life on campus would make attending PRHS a more enjoyable experience.

“I believe that the trees will give the campus more of a natural feel, and it will allow students to have a more open mind towards nature. [BCASE members] wish to see more steps taken by students, and the community, to developing a more ecologically-friendly lifestyle, and to be aware of the devastating effects humans are inflicting on the world’s ecosystems. Hopefully these trees will bring that awareness, as well as more aesthetically pleasing aspects to our school,” said BCASE vicepresident and senior Jason Cromer.

*626 students surveyed

Littering looks lousy

Trash around PRHS campus is destroying school’s new look

By Megan Luth, Food Editor

Trash is everywhere. It is estimated that on average a human throws away four and a half pounds per day. The only problem is whether or not people actually throw their trash away. On campus, one turns a corner and sees trash cans every 30 feet. The issue at hand is that students aren’t walking those small steps to actually throw their trash away.

“It seems like this school year our school is the dirtiest I’ve ever seen it! Especially by the lunch lines. How hard is it to walk to any of the 20 trash cans just in that area,” said senior Alyssa Johnson.

By 1:49, when the lunch bell rings and students disperse to their classes, when the quad is empty is when all the mounds of trash are most visible. With so many trash cans around one would think it would be a simple thing to just toss it and walk away, but it obviously isn’t that easy.

About 85% of littering is the result of individual attitudes, according to kab.org. Litter begets litter, and if one person

Opinion

30 | Crimson 03.28.12

does it another person is sure to follow. Research also shows that individuals under 30 are more likely to litter than those who are older, according to kab.org.

“It is disgusting! It is not the janitor’s job to clean up our trash especially since there is a trash can every thirty feet of the school,” said junior Jensen Andrews.

The amount of time it takes to walk to a trash can is approximately seven seconds. Some students go as far as thrashing the only green around campus and throw their trash in the planter boxes and bushes.

The easiest resolution for this is to get students to just throw their wrappers, gum or any piece of garbage in a trash can or recycling bin. With so many cans around, there is nothing more one can really do but get the idea in his/her head that, as a Bearcat, it is time to get some pride for the campus and clean it up. Start the change by just picking it up when you see it or simply telling yourself and friends to find a trash can.

Paso Robles High School

BUGGED BY LITTER: Senior and BCASE treasurer Alyssa Johnson has found the litter on campus to be a detriment to her learning and school activities. Photos by Emily Cone

The easiest solution for this is to get students to just throw their wrappers, gum or any piece of garbage in a trash can or recycling bin.

and Kim Boswell

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Candidates environment

ON

Environment Japan’s Recovery

THE

NEXT

Opinion

As the presidential election looms closer, voters investigate Republican, Democrat and Libertarian standpoints on environmental legislation.

Oil­: A worldwide problem

Romney is unsure if humans have a direct impact on global warming.

Despite this, he has instituted mandatory carbon dioxide limits for Massachusetts power plants. He supports researching alternative energy forms, saying it’s “a strategic imperative we achieve energy independence for America.” Although his 2006 regulation has been criticized by the Right, Romney has recently grown more conservative and states that he plans on reversing Obama-era environmental decisions, including EPA’s ruling that declared carbon dioxide a threat to public health.

Mitt Romney

The Earth is not running out of oil, it is just getting increasingly difficult to produce it

Obama strongly believes in human influence on global warming, calling for investing $150 billion dollars over ten years into research for alternative energy. He is against forms of unclean energy production like coal and so, Obama’s policies frighten states dependent on the coal industry as they could potentially lose 7000 jobs.

By Aidan Farrel, World Co-Editor

Barack Obama

Newt Gingrich

Paul’s policies center around one central issue: private property rights. He believes that when you don’t have the right to pollute your neighbor’s property, you keep yourself in check. Stated that “the more socialized a system is, the worse the property is, and the worse the environment is.” On a larger scale, he believes that the protection of the environment is not a function the Constitution left to the federal government and has called for an end to the EPA.

Ron Paul

Believes that it’s “absurd” that humans have the power to contribute to global warming production, it makes sense that Mr. Santorum is in favor of projects such as the Keystone XL oil pipeline – if you don’t concern yourself with the level of greenhouse gasses potentially tripling, then 100,000 jobs created and extra energy sounds like a wonderful idea. Fearful that overregulation might halt job production even further during the economic recession we find ourselves in, Santorum proposes cutting back on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and instead “refocusing] its mission on safe and clean water and air and commonsense conservation.”

Rick Santorum

—Sinead Schouten, Sports Co-Editor www.crimsonnews.org

Most people of this generation have grown up with we need to stress about where we’re going to get more of it the knowledge that the level of the Earth’s oil capacity is soon,” Diaz said. continuously declining as production and demand increase.

Based on the trio’s project, the problem is not that the True, oil is becoming a tremendous necessity all around world is running out of oil, but the increase in demand the world, but the fact in the matter is that the Earth isn’t worldwide and the reality that Earth will run out of oil at running out of oil: the problem now at hand is the cost of some point, though only in heavily mined areas where oil is producing oil that is becoming increasingly difficult to becoming more sparse and more difficult to produce. mine, and developing new technology to produce it.

Oil fields are in abundance across the globe, but to begin a Though many believe the Earth’s oil will continue to be new mine is a very difficult process requiring new technology present, others strongly believe that the end to oil and tremendous amounts of money. is in plain view.

“The oil that we have right now is going to “The world needs oil volumes the equivalent of continue to get harder and harder to find and we one Saudi Arabia every two years to offset future will have to develop more technology and it will world oil decline rates,” Mr. Gabrielli, the CEO use more energy, but we’re never going to reach the of Petrobras, stated in a peak oil again,” said Burgh, presentation on the world’s We don't need to stress about oil for the who hopes to become a oil situation. next ten years; we need to stress about geologist in the oil field.

In his 2009 presentation, where we're going to get more of it soon.

Gabrielli was wrong in Gabrielli predicted that the his initial prediction, but world’s oil supply would one thing for sure is that —Vincent Diaz, Senior peak in 2010. It is now 2012 the Earth’s oil supply is and there is still oil. As the oil demand in the world certainly not unlimited. goes up, professionals look to further horizons to “Keeping global production flat is going to solve slippery the situation. require lots of new fields,” Business Week stated in Seniors Vincent Diaz, Steven Burgh and a 2009 interview, in addition to more than doubling Teyvon Brooks did a project on peak oil in the the size of Saudi Arabian production. world for their Global Environmental Options The way it looks now, the Earth is in fact running (GEO) class. They searched for the level of oil out of oil in certain areas of need, but the world is used per day worldwide to determine the true situation of far from a total loss. With production decreasing in oil fields the Earth’s oil levels. They found that despite common belief all around the world, drillers need to expand their horizons that the world is running out of oil, there is a great amount to new locations, or develop the money and technology to of oil left for use. reach the out-of-reach places that have yet to be mined.

“We don’t need to stress about oil for the next ten years: Graphic illustrations by Kim Boswell

“

“

Although a believer of man-made global warming prior to 2008 – going as far as making a public service announcement with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi about the dangers – Gingrich currently is doubtful of our influence. He thinks that there is not enough consensus in the scientific community that global warming is real.

He states that he made the Pelosi commercial in order to “promote conservative and free market approaches to solving the problem.” Gingrich also calls for the EPA to be abolished altogether, saying it has become “a job-killing regulatory engine of higher energy prices.”

Paso Robles High School

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World Peak oil

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California’s craziest laws So you know you can’t steal a candy bar from Walmart or vandalize the side of your neighbor’s house, but what are some other crimes California citizens cannot commit?

Take a look at some of these wacky laws.

Paso Robles —Pinball machines “foster delinquency in minors; the presence of such machines in the city is contrary to the health, safety, morals and general welfare of the people of this city.” 9.36.010- Declaration of Purpose.

Arcadia —Peacocks have the right of way to cross any street, including driveways.

Japan recovers after 9.0 earthquake

Baldwin Park

by Daniel Hipp, Reporter

—Nobody is allowed to ride a bicycle in a swimming pool.

Eureka —Men who wear moustaches are forbidden from kissing women.

Los Angeles —Toads may not be licked.

Norco —All persons wishing to keep a rhinoceros as a pet must obtain a $100 license first.

Palm Springs —It is illegal to walk a camel down Palm Canyon Drive between the hours of four and 6 p.m.

Redlands ­— Motor vehicles may not drive on city streets unless a man with a lantern is walking ahead of it.

Walnut

—A male may not dress as a female unless a special permit is obtained from the sheriff.

San Francisco

—Elephants are not allowed to walk down Market Street, unless they’re on a leash.

—Persons classified as “ugly” may not walk down any street.

Atascadero —For food and drinking establishments, “6-1.15 walls and ceilings are required.

—If, for sanitary reasons, the Health Officer deems it necessary, the walls and ceilings shall be painted with a light-colored paint at least once a year.

San Luis Obispo — It is against the law to have a drive-thru.

—No smoking in restaurants (first city in U.S.).

—Using a gas-powered blower at a business on a Sunday is illegal.

—The tree committee shall act as an advisory body to the director and the city council on all matters related to trees in San Luis Obispo.

On Friday, March 11, 2011, Japanese exchange student senior Kana Tei was ready to embrace the long awaited weekend.

Eating, sleeping, and shopping were the only things on her mind while she drudged her way through school that day. Nothing could get in the way of this weekend warrior, except for a 9.0 magnitude earthquake ravaging her island country.

“At first, it was just a little earthquake so we laughed, but gradually it got stronger to the point of upsetting everyone,” Tei said. “Everything had fallen and the gym wall crumbled.

Everyone rushed home to be with their family and took busses since the trains were down.”

What is known today as the Tōhoku earthquake hit right off the coast of Japan at 2:46 p.m., leaving a tsunami to topple buildings, sweep away lives, and cause nuclear meltdowns at three reactors. The Japanese National Police Agency confirmed 15,850 deaths, 6,011 injuries and 3,287 missing, along with over 125,000 buildings damaged or destroyed.

The tsunami caused a reported 340,000 citizens to be displaced within the Tōhoku region, while shortages of food, water, shelter, and medicine ran high. Japan received aid domestically and internationally, reaching a reported $1 billion, through the

Japanese Red Cross. The cost of rebuilding is estimated to be at $122 billion.

“It’s almost back to normal except for where the tsunami hit.

There are still people without houses or jobs,” Tei said. “I’m always scared when little earthquakes come now. I feel relief being here.”

Japan is currently being ravaged by an aging and shrinking population, national debt, and a stagnant economy. Recovery from this earthquake is going to take time. Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda believes that the disaster-hit areas will be fully rebuilt when, “babies born on the day of the disasters turn 10 years old.” Currently, 325,000 people are still in temporary housing while many towns are still in the process of finalizing their reconstruction plans, most of which are costly.

On March 11, 2012 people across Japan paused at 2:46 p.m. for a moment to remember those who were lost that day.

Tohoku quake facts 4.8 33

Kana Tei, 12

Photo by Courtney Thompson Graphic illustrations by Sydney Matteson

billion dollars have been raised by the Red Cross this past year. –The Telegraph

Tsunami waves reached up to feet tall. –Japan Quake Facts

500 87.3

approximately 4.5 magnitude or greater aftershocks occurred. ­–Japan Quake Facts

billion dollars has been set as the budget for rebuilding the destruction in Japan. –The Asahi Shimbun Company

­—Kathryn Wingfield and Megan Rodrigues, Co-Editors-in-Chief

32 | Crimson 03.28.12

Paso Robles High School

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Caustic energy

World NEXT

Memes

U.N. is perplexed by Iranian Nuclear Program

by Daniel Hipp, Reporter

Technology has always been propelling civilization forward into the ever-changing world. Many science-fiction novels cover the topic of how technology can bring utter chaos and destruction if left in the wrong hands. Although most of these novels are distorted and seem unrealistic, they could be right about the world being ripped to shreds.

Iran is currently developing a nuclear program that is supposed to be used for the purpose of creating cheap and lasting forms of energy. The point is to utilize nuclear energy and not use oil, which serves as a cash crop for Iran. The energy will also serve as fuel for medical reactors, allowing for the advancement of medicine. This is an improvement from a humanitarian’s perspective, if it can be confirmed that this is Iran’s true objective.

“Iran claims that their reactors are being used to make cheap and more efficient energy, but they’re playing games in proving that is what it’s actually for,” history teacher Mark Bradford said. “They’ve refused to let inspectors look at some areas of the plant, so it’ll likely come down to whoever is better at playing this game.”

In November 2011, the International Atomic Energy Agency collected substantial evidence suggesting that Iran’s nuclear program is meant for war, not peace. Iran has tripled the production of 20 percent enriched uranium, a vital component in the creation of nuclear war heads. Iran has also refused to let the IAEA inspect a military site known as Parchin, raising suspicions exponentially.

If Iran is creating a weapon of mass destruction, then this is a threat for their long standing enemy Israel and any other country Iran could gain power over.

As a response to Iran’s unwillingness to let the IAEA go in and prove that their nuclear program is meant for peace, the U.S. and European Union cut Iran from the international financial system.

The U.S. took this another step further and placed economic sanctions on any company related to Iran’s nuclear program, meaning a ban on trade. This includes the oil industry,

VITAL ARTERY: A satellite view of the Strait of Hormuz. A fifth of the world’s oil is transported through the passageway. Photo by Jacques Descloitres used with Creative Commons permission.

a vital part of the Iranian economy.

Iran vowed to block off the Strait of Hormuz as a countermeasure to the U.S. sanctioning of oil imports. The only way to reopen the strait would be through military action, and although it’s a measure that the United States will try to avoid, there is a high possibility of it occurring. The Strait borders Iran to the north and its closure would lead to 20 percent of oil shipped around the world to be halted. The already crippling gas prices in America will rise even more.

“They’re tampering with freedom of the seas, a sacred ideal that countries shouldn’t just play with,” Bradford said. “This will likely be seen as an act of war, so NATO or the Arab League may get involved, which would likely end in blood.”

Three students share 1. What kind of presents do you get and what are the parties like? the way their cultures 2. Do you celebrate sweet 16? celebrate birthdays: 3. Are you legally an adult when you turn 18? ­­—Summer Volle, Blind Date Editor 4. Any fun or interesting stories of your past birthdays?

Ena Izumi 1.

Mostly we get money from our parents and we get food (like free lunch, drink, snacks, etc.) from our friends. Also, if you are girl you can get perfume or accessories from your best friends or boyfriend.

If you are boy, you can get CD’s or Disneyland tickets from your best friend or girlfriend.

2.

We don’t have a sweet 16.

3.

We are legally adults when we turn 20.

4.

From: Japan

I have never had a birthday party before. When I turned 16, my family stopped celebrating my birthday, so I only could get presents from my friends. In my high school many people don’t celebrate their birthdays.

Valentine Vanleeuw

From: Belgium

1.

We get all kinds of presents! When you’re younger you just have a sleepover and watch some movies. When you turn 16, some kids have a dance party.

2.

No, we don’t have a sweet 16. It’s not a big deal in my country.

3.

Yes. You are able to drive. If you commit a crime, you’ll go to the court and you can go to prison. You can drink alcohol and are officially independent from your parents even if most of the people still live at home and need to follow the “home’s rules.”

4.

I had a great party when I turned 15. I had many friends over and people danced to really loud music! For my last couple of birthdays, I just went down to the city and celebrated my birthday in a bar or a club with my friends.

Yun-Ling Lilt Lin

From: Taiwan

1.

The presents depend on who gives it to you. I usually get earrings.

2.

Some of us do celebrate sweet 16, like my family. But some of us don’t.

3.

You are kind of legally an adult. After 18 you can drive, drink, and smoke, but you can’t vote. You have to wait until 20 in order to vote.

4.

Since I live in school in my country, I remember once when it was my birthday, all my friends stood at the stairs and sang happy birthday and they used candles to make my name and a heart.

Then they all stood up and yelled out loud, “happy birthday!”

Photos by Brielle Silletti and Lauren Rodrigues, Graphic illustration by Ryan Morrison

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Sci-Tech Nuclear energy

PREVIOUS

KNOW YOUR MEMES Nyan Cat

Originally posted as “Pop Tart Cat”

by Chris Torres on April 2, 2011 and later mixed with the poppy song “Nyanyanyan” by Japanese artist Daniwell-P, the bizarre clip of a cat with a cherry Pop Tart body flying through space and non-sequiturs has gained 68.5 million views on YouTube.

2011

Strutting Leo

Originally a paparazzi picture from the set of the hit movie, “Inception,” this meme depicts actor Leonardo DiCaprio doing a jolly strut photoshopped inside scenes of great destruction or catastrophe.

2010 ‘60s Spider-Man

Using still shots from the late 1960s cartoon, this depicts the webswinging superhero as a smug, goofy, arrogant man who does whatever he wants. This meme is one of the more popular memes on sites like Tumblr and Reddit.

2009 Rage Faces

“Rage Faces,” typically presented in four-panel comics, can be made very easily in Microsoft Paint. They are used to tell stories about real life experiences, and end with a humorous punch line. The most popular examples of this are the Trollface, the Rageguy, “Y U NO”, and Me Gusta.

2008

LOLcats

These images show adorable felines speaking in broken English in funny pictures. These LOLcats have spawned the popular website, icanhascheezburger.com. Themes within this meme are exceptionally broad.

2007

Advice Animals

This meme spun from the original Advice Dog meme, showing a cute puppy’s face on top of a color wheel, giving horrible advice, ie. “Eat paint, it tastes like oatmeal!” “Hire clowns for funerals!” or “Do the laundry, rob a bank!” The most popular spin-offs are Philosoraptor, Socially Awkward Penguin, and Courage Wolf.

34 | Crimson 03.28.12

2006

Memes manifest the Internet’s power, embed in culture

by Dakota Cleland, Reporter

Thirty years ago, you wouldn’t hear of the Nyan Cat, trolling, or “cool story, bro” in everyday speech. But with the advent of the Internet and information spreading like a virus, terms like these and more are becoming part of society.

These terms are what are known in online communities as “memes.” The term meme (pronounced “meem”), which was coined by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book, “The Selfish Gene,” means “an idea that spreads from person to person within a culture.” In today’s society, ideas like these spread online.

Via the Internet, memes can be presented as a picture, a video or a phrase. With the Internet’s global reach, any sort of idea can propagate, be it for satirical or purely humorous purposes.

“Whenever anything happens in our world, satire will be generated. Memes can be just the same as political cartoons, just more easily generated. Satire makes everything better and that’s what memes tend to be,” sophomore Ben Butterfield said.

Take for example the Kony 2012 phenomenon. An organization posts a video that grabs people’s attention and informs them about a man they never knew of before. In the span of one week, the video receives 76 million views. Essentially, the idea is propagated throughout the world. A meme just happened.

Not all memes become popular and loved, though. Memes can stagnate and become unfunny over time.

“It’s almost funny that memes have a sort of lifespan. Everything comes and goes so quickly compared to any other media,” junior Noah Levine said.

In addition, while the “I took an arrow to the knee” meme has become immensely popular, it has also become immensely hated on the web.

“I just want that meme to die already,” said junior Garett Hanlon in disgust in a Facebook post.

But with the rising popularity of such Facebook pages as NBA Memes (over 150,000 likes) and myriad of university meme pages appearing, these memes are becoming more visible and in turn are rising in the public eye.

Some want to keep these hidden away for the Internet community only.

“Internet memes should just be an Internet nerd thing. If they went mainstream, it wouldn’t be so funny, because everyone and everything would be participating in it. I love Internet memes; it’s like one big inside joke,” said senior Danny Hernandez.

However, others are more supportive of meme growth, and even encourage it.

“It’s a new level of comedy that is easy to make and is easy to change to apply to other audiences,” junior Alex Cushing said.

“It just shows how the Internet is making everything faster and people can identify with memes more now, since they are so universal and relatable,” said Levine.

With things on the Internet always growing and sites like YouTube and Facebook becoming permanent fixtures in the world, memes are becoming a part of the Internet world too. Looks like all Graphic illustration by Ryan Morrison of the memes belong to us.

Images: www.knowyourmeme.com

‘GEO Solutions’ continued from 7i The project’s success was certainly not smoldered. Newnam and Ball’s WalMart donation technique brought in enough money for their order and enough encouragement to push them through the doubt.

“It was so much fun,” she said. “We were jumping around and singing because people like it when you have fun, and we were really surprised by the community’s generosity. We didn’t expect people to stop everything they were doing to give us high fives and look at what we were doing. People were telling us that it was nice to see people caring about what was going on in the world.”

Dimaggio, who is preparing for his second summer tour of “Spinning to End Finning,” agrees.

Paso Robles High School

“It’s my dream to help make the world safer, more beautiful, cleaner, and more sustainable and hopeful,” he said. “I hope that putting kids in groups and sending them off will nudge it in that direction, but ultimately the project is to show students that they have power and they don’t have to sit around and wait for someone else to do something.”

“It feels good to be involved and to be told what we did was great,” Newnam added. “If we continue in future years, we could have one of the greenest schools and communities out there.”

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Technically Speaking

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Technically Speaking: Discus Senior thrower David Katz

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BEAUTY IN THE BEAST:

CALCULATED RELEASE:

It requires a combination of grace and brute force to make the discus fly. The perfect angle according to research is approximately 30 degrees upwards. This means you raise the disc when swinging it forward and lower the disc when you swinging back. This allows the discus to gain height when thrown.

Launching the discus isn’t just a careless throw – it’s a calculated release. If your hands are in the right position, then the discus should fly stably and spin as fast as possible for maximum distance. Proper position of the hands for discus throwing can be achieved by bending your fingers around the discus.

This makes it easier to throw it because you are neither gripping it, nor holding it with your palm.

SHOULDA PUT A RING ON IT: The diameter of the ring is 8 feet 2 1/2 inches, and every inch counts during the throw. The feet are important in the technique of the throw, and foot placement is virtually everything. One step too far and you could be disqualified.

TWISTING TORQUE: The hips are critical when you release the discus.

Pushing the hips forward causes the torque your body generates while twisting to transfer from the abdomen to your arms, which propels the discus.

Create momentum for the throw by using your hips to swing the arms along with your body back and forth horizontally.

KATZ QUALIFIES FOR CIF

POWER THROUGH: The legs allow you to plant your feet, twist your hips, and power through the motions. The legs do two separate things: one leg is the power leg, and the other is the post leg. In the wind up, the weight of the body is shifted to the power leg to allow the strength to flow. The body will continue to rotate over the power leg until the post leg makes contact with the ground. Landing flat-footed on the power leg in the center of the circle can cause the throw to fly as far as possible.

Threw 156 feet on Mar. 22, 2012, to qualify for 2012 CIF PAC-7 Competition

—Josh Orcutt, Sports Co-Editor

38 | Crimson 03.28.12

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Sports NEXT

PRHS faces Title IX allegations

What is Title IX?

Brandon Racca,10

by Sinéad Schouten, Sports Co-Editor

If you thought the issue of women’s rights was a thing of your grandma’s time, think again. PRHS has been accused of discriminating on the sports field, and student athletes are being forced to look closely at what makes them run, jump, and swim.

Dealing with undisclosed charges, the district is currently facing Title IX allegations, a 1972 law that states that, “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.” While wordy, the point is actually pretty simple: boy and girl athletes get treated the same. And when this gets violated, government steps in.

The Office of Civil Rights (OCR) has already made their move. According to Principal Randall Nelson, the federal agency sent two investigators to PRHS in early February to speak with athletes, coaches, administrators, and other staff regarding the allegation. For sporty Bearcats, this all might ring a bell – chances are a teammate has already become involved. A varsity and JV boy and girl

from every sport were sought for an interview regarding their personal experiences. Coaches had to hand out waiver slips en masse, a dotted line requesting permission from parents that their son or daughter could be spoken to. With an estimated 44 student athletes brought in for questioning, PRHS has already felt the effects of the legal threat.

“When [the OCR] receive an allegation regarding a potential civil rights violation, they are obligated by law to investigate the allegation,” Nelson said. “Since PRHS has not been formally notified as to the results of the investigation, I am not able to comment on any aspects of the allegation at this time.”

While the school is innocent until proven guilty, many Bearcats have been left scratching their heads, wondering why the quality of their coaching, status of their uniforms, and quantity of equipment suddenly mattered so much.

The coming months will hopefully reveal the state of PRHS athletics, and its impact on student athletes of the future.

Do you know Megan?

“I don’t think there are any sexism issues in our sports since the quality of the athletic experience is mostly due to how much money the players put forward.”

Michalann Mott, 10

“Yes, I feel like the boys do get more money and certain things than the girls do but it’s not really boys and girls, it’s more of one sport getting more money over other sports.”

Sports Swap

•Law was created in 1972 •Language of the law: “no person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving federal financial assistance.”

•BASIC TERMS: No sexism in sports, boys and girls should get equal treatment Photos by Lauren Rodrigues

Junior and 12 year softball player Megan Clark is gearing up to return to her positions as pitcher and first baseman on the varsity team. How well do her family and teammates know her?

Crimson investigates.

Monica Garcia,

Michelle Nelson, Sister

Val Reynolds, Coach

Remember the Titans

Twilight

Pure Country

N/A

Steak

Pizza

N/A

Buster Posey

Jennie Finch

Pitcher

Pitcher

Pitcher

“Country Girl” by Luke Bryan

“California Girls” by Katy Perry

“Country Girl” by Luke Bryan

Jenna Wookey

Monica Garcia

Carly McCall

Purple

Red

Red

Channing Tatum

Channing Tatum

Taylor Lautner

Justin Bieber

TOTAL:

6/8

Best Friend

Favorite movie

Remember the Titans Favorite food Steak Most inspiring athlete Buster Posey Favorite position to play Pitcher Best song to work out to “Country Girl” by Luke Bryan Funniest person on the team Jenna Wookey Favorite color Purple Celebrity crush

3/8

2/8 —Shanna Dowling, News Editor, and Kim Boswell, Front Page Editor

Photo by Josh Orcutt

www.crimsonnews.org

Paso Robles High School

Crimson 03.28.12 |

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Sports Title IX

PREVIOUS

Although they’re fish out of water, these swimmers don’t flop. Welcome to Sports Swap: where Crimson pulls athletes out of their natural habitats and gives them a run for their money – or rather, pride. This issue, swimmers junior Noah Norton and sophomore Shannon Rees lace up their shoes and learn something new as they hit the track for the long jump, 100 meter (the straightaway), and 800 meter (two laps).

LONG JUMP

REES: “I still don’t know why they made the shortest person on the swim team do the long jump! Right as I took off, I was only thinking about how I didn’t want to land on my face. As I got up, I realized that I went a lot further than I thought I was going to. After the second one, I realized that I had no clue that I could fly that far.”

100 METER

Times

REES: 4:20.4 NORTON: 3:09.7

800 METER

REES: “Oh my God, I almost died. Right as I stood on the start line, I could tell it was not going to be fun. After lap one, I just wanted it to be over. I have total respect for track runners after that, because I ran for one lap in the time they can run two.

After I was done all I could say was, ‘I feel like I am going to puke.’”

NORTON: “I didn’t really remember how much I hated running until I took off from the start line for the 100. I tripped at the start and began hurting those last 10 meters. I have a lot more respect for track runners now.

I definitely see that I cannot hold the pace that a quick sprinter has. I used to think morning practices in swim were hell, but now I that an afternoon practice for track is just as hard.”

Times

REES: 16.4 | NORTON: 15.2 Photos by Josh Orcutt, Lauren Rodrigues, and Emily Cone Graphic illustration by Ryan Morrison

MEET THE ATHLETES NOAH NORTON, 11 Varsity swimming Varsity waterpolo Events: 200 I.M. 100 Breast

40| Crimson 03.28.12

SHANNON REES, 10 Varsity swimming Varsity waterpolo Events: Butterfly 200 I.M. Butterfly 100 fly

Paso Robles High School

www.crimsonnews.org

Sports NEXT

Meet the coaches

Spring sports left unfunded by district

Athletic trainers at top of the game

FRIENDS AT WORK: (Above) Sophomore Chase Manske, and seniors Emily Grandoli, and Marisa Martinez enjoy their time at an away varsity football game this year. Athletic trainers travel with the teams to always insure their safety.

by Josh Orcutt, Sports Co-Editor, and Courtney Thompson, A&E Editor

One hour before the game starts, they arrive with brimming bottles of water, rolls of wrap, and an arsenal of medical supplies that would make any nurse proud— and long after the last whistle is blown, the scene remains the same. Cleaning up empty cups and wrapping injured athletes, they give back to their sports teams in ways many Bearcats don’t even see. And because of this, the month of March is dedicated to those dedicated to them: the athletic trainers.

Senior athletic training president Amelia Cole and senior vice president Rilie Feeley adapted the idea for a campus wide March Athletic Training Month when they saw the website nata.org.

NATA, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, is a professional association for certified athletic trainers. Founded in 1950, the 30,000 members strong organization hopes to “enhance the quality of health care provided by certified athletic trainers and to advance the athletic training profession,” a goal shared by the crew at PRHS. Each athletic trainer is hand picked by Todd Olivera, sports therapist and ROP Athletic Training teacher. Olivera, nicknamed “O” by his students, has been working at PRHS for over ten years and as a professional ATC athletic trainer for 13.

Starting the ROP program back in 2002 with a mere five members, the class was forced to grown from the ground up—and grow it did.

An interview process now sorts through potential candidates for prestigious class seat, applicants undergoing a series of applications in hopes of landing a spot.

According to Cole, the ideal athletic trainer is “someone who is responsible, hardworking, and a quick learner who is interested in

helping Bearcat athletes.”

For Olivera, it is the hard working, compassionate, mature, and willing students that make the mark.

“Our class has a big impact and positive influence on all sports programs. It gives athletes a sense of security to know that if they are injured, they will have available help immediately,” Olivera said, who has also worked as an Athletic Trainer in charity events with professional organizations, like the San Francisco 49ers.

So, in honor of this month, the Bearcats and other Central Coast trainers compete at the upcoming Central Coast Athletic Training Games, on Mar. 24 at Templeton High School. PRHS’s athletic trainers are the defending champions from last year.

After warming up into the competitive mindset, they will also be attending the National High School Sports Medicine Conference at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on Mar. 26 and 27.

They have attended conferences in previous years at cities such as San Diego, Las Vegas, and Oregon.

In Los Angeles, they will attend sessions teaching about the current field of sports medicine and receive hands-on learning.

“We always have had a great time and learned interesting new things at conferences. I know I am speaking for everyone by saying we are so proud! We are now happy to be recognized by our school and community for the hard work we do year around,” Cole said .

Todd Olivera, ROP Athletic Training Advisor

Beleaguered Bearcat Boosters attempts to fill gap

by Brielle Siletti, Buisness Team The PRHS athletic department faces the harsh reality of functioning with a $44,000 budget this year, almost half the funds of last year’s $80,000 so it’s no surprise sports are fundraising and depending on Bearcat Athletic Boosters more than ever this year. The question, however, is which sports–spring, fall or winter—have money, which have paid their coaches, which are fundraising, and which are receiving boosters support?

In the 2007-2008 school year, the athletic department was granted $378,000, enough to pay for transportation, coaches’ salaries, and equipment. California’s school budget continues to decrease significantly as years progress.

Principal Randy Nelson, Athletic Director Derek Stroud and Bearcat Boosters President Dave Lambert formulated a plan to compensate 2011-2012 coaches. The plan, varsity head coaches agreed upon, required teams to fundraise in order to pay all coaches between 18- percent, or $500, and the contracted stipend amount set by the school district. District funds would be used to pay coaches until money diminished into nothing. On Sept., 23, 2011, the board of action approved the plan.

The goal of the stipend plan is to pay walk-on coaches, or coaches not employed in the Paso Robles Joint Union School District (PRJUSD), as much as 50% of their stipend. Each coach in PRJUSD is guaranteed a full stipend as predetermined between the union and the district.

Track and field was allotted zero dollars-- compared to last year’s $4,000-- to run a $30,000 program with a team of 134 athletes. All spring sports received not a penny from the district and teams such as softball and track and field are left to rely on Bearcat Boosters, a 501(c) non-profit organization with a mission to save PRHS’s athletic department. Every year Boosters raises about $80,000- $100,000 to go directly to the athletic department.

Boosters, formed in 1976, composed of community volunteers, has hosted a variety of fundraisers such as the Wine Vine Run, golf tournaments and the recent Dinner Dance held on Mar. 17 at Mondo Cellars. All proceeds go to the sports who are in season, while in other fundraisers the money goes to that specific sport through events such as the snack stand at football games, and Trackathons and Swimathons, where sponsors pay athletes to perform their expertise as many times in order to collect the most money. There is either a coach or a parent representative from each sport.

Lambert announced his resignation as president, however, at the District Board Meeting held on Tuesday, Mar. 13. He intends to continue to fulfill his duties as a board member.

“I am resigning because this hostile environment is beginning to take a toll,” Lambert told board members.

TOOLS OF THE TRADE: Some of the key tools in an athletic trainer’s arsenal are water, and tape. PRHS plans to compete with some of these in the Central Coast Athletic Training Games, and learn more about them at the National High School Sports Medicine Conference.

Photos by Lauren Rodrigues

www.crimsonnews.org

Paso Robles High School

Crimson 03.28.12 |

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Sports

Q&A

While spring athletes dust off their goggles, spikes, and mitts, new coaches are also preparing for a new year. Some are completely new to the Bearcat family— while others a fresh varsity face— but all three plan to lead PRHS through a great season. Say hello to coaches Anthony Overton, Blake Busson and Jennifer Brown.

PREVIOUS

Blake Busson— jumps

jenniferbrown

- Coached football and jumpers last year at Los Alamitos High in Orange Country - Played football, basketball, and track in high school and four years of football in college

SWIM

Anthony Overton— sprints

COACHING STYLE? Hard work. Track and field revolves around it. The best athletes are the ones that put the time and effort in.

WHAT’S THE MOST EXCITING PART ABOUT COACHING? Meet day. I love to get outside and watch all the athletes compete. It is great to share in the victories and be there to help through their defeats.

WHAT DO YOU HOPE YOUR ATHLETES TAKE AWAY FROM THEIR HIGH SCHOOL EXPERIENCE? I hope that I am helping all the students grow to be the best athlete they can be. That doesn’t have to always be winning the race, but sometimes just setting personal records.

Keep reminding yourself how important it is to have fun. Even after a long day at school, my athletes know how to put a smile on my face. It has been great getting to know all of them.

blakebusson

TRACK AND FIELD

anthonyoverton

Athletic Training

Photos by Angela Lorenzo and Josh Orcutt

- Volunteered at the University of Oregon track program for a summer - Red shirted as a freshman at Cal Poly for track but found the balance of sports and school too much, so he focused on academics instead

COACHING STYLE? My coaching style is very laid back. I don’t like to yell or raise my voice.

I like to joke around, but at the same time I want to keep my athletes busy all the time, going from one drill to the next. I stress technical work more than anything so that by meet time they have it down perfect.

WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO START COACHING? I decided to start coaching because I love playing sports when I was in high school and I still love it today. I feel like I learned a lot through my youth, high school, and collegiate athletics and I want to pass down the information and techniques I know to my athletes now.

WHAT DO YOU TRY TO TEACH YOUR ATHLETES, AND WHAT HAVE THEY TAUGHT YOU? I hope to teach them responsibility, leadership, and taking initiative. I tell them that work ethic is huge—not only on the track, but also in life. My student athletes have then taught me by helping me feel more relaxed while I am coaching. They make me laugh and feel appreciated.

Jenni fer Brown

COACHING STYLE? I’m energetic, a little loud, and I like to have fun with swimming while working hard. I have very high expectations of our athletes, so in turn, we put a tremendous amount of work into the season to set an example for the students.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE ASPECT OF COACHING? My favorite aspect of coaching is getting to know athletes and seeing what motivates them. It has always been extremely fun to watch them grow and mature through athletics. In fact, this year, I am coaching together with Bearcat alumni and former swimmer of mine, Mara Spencer. It is an honor to be working with her!

WHAT IS THE MOST MEMORABLE EXPERIENCE YOU’VE HAD AS A SWIM COACH? My very best memories are all when swimmers achieved something they previously thought impossible, such as learning to float for the first time, qualifying for Jr. Olympics, winning at CIF, or swimming across the Catalina Channel. The greatest reward for any coach is seeing the growth that occurs when athletes overcome personal obstacles.

42 | Crimson 03.28.12

Paso Robles High School

- Swam for Cuesta College 1987-88 and set school records, earned All-American honors, two state titles, one national title, two MVP awards, and was Cuesta’s Female Athlete of the Year www.crimsonnews.org

What if others planets were sustainable for humans to live on, would people move from earth to live there?

What if...?

Life is a crazy story everyone is creating, so why not try to think about some crazy or unimaginable thoughts with these questions to make it even crazier?

What if life was all a dream and “You can’t be alive if you What if you could you woke up don’t get love.” watch yourself one day in a — Rosa Maria Rasmussen, 12 live, would you land of nothing?

What if there was no war?

What if food didn’t affect your body— would you eat more or less?

What if J.K. Rowling was the headmaster of Hogwart’s and she wrote the books just trying to recruit children to the school?

Morp photos

What if you could see colors beyond our vision?

“[If dreams were a reality and reality was all a dream] then life would either be totally awesome or terribly horrifying.”

What if dreams were reality and reality was all a dream?

— Daniel Bruhns, 11

“We are both sides of the mirror, if you are on the other side then you are one on the other side of the mirror, too.” — Lucas Trompeter, 10

be happy with it?

What if love didn’t exist?

Fun&Games NEXT

What if someone was following you everywhere you went?

What if you had no conscience?

What if we are the other side of the mirror?

What if every person looked the same?

What would you do to be different? ­— Megan Luth, Food Editor

How to get that cutie...

Graphic illustration by Ryan Morrison Photos by Sierra Mosely

Maze Try to find your way to the middle!

Warm weather, shorts and a tall drink of lemonade: spring break.

But with this season comes “Spring fever.” This fever “has been blamed for feverish bouts of house-cleaning, restless behavior in the classroom, distraction in meetings and love struck dazes,” according to the LA Times. So to catch that attractive classmate’s attention, use these pick up lines.

if they wrote about you in Crimson Newsmagazine, your entire article would be in 1. Girl,fine print.

2.If you were a booger, I would pick you first.

3.My love for you is like diarrhea: I just cant hold it in!

4.It’s a good thing that I have my library card. Because I am totally checking you out! your picture for the school newsmagazine? We are writing an article about how angels 5.CanreallyI getdo exist.

— Jonathan Kisch, Opinion Editor and Summer Volle, Blind Date Editor

www.crimsonnews.org

Paso Robles High School

­— Ryan Morrison, Graphic Designer Crimson 03.28.12 |

43\

BETTER WITH THE LIGHTS OFF: Neon lights and spiky globes set the tone for the futuristic dance. Over 700 students danced to songs including Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling” and Katy Perry’s “Firework.”

MORP 2012

Photo Essay

44 | Crimson 03.28.12

MORP, the blacklight bonanza, returned to PRHS on Friday, March 16, encouraging students to put on their neon dancing shoes and celebrate a backwards approach to traditional prom. Over 700 students attended the event and got their groove on to Top 40 remixes provided by DJ company Freestyle.

WORK IT: Senior Alex Lambirth poses at the Gil Asa Gym entrance in neon attire. Lambirth was one of six dancers who posed at the door to welcome attendees and get them into the MORP spirit.

HEY, MR. DJ: Mark and Freestyle DJ the dance. The DJ company will return on April 21 to provide music for prom.

TUTUS AND TULLE (left): Students show off their fabulous fashions. Neon pinks and greens glowed brightly beneath the blacklights.

Photos by Megan Rodrigues and Lauren Rodrigues

Paso Robles High School

www.crimsonnews.org