PASO ROBLES HIGH SCHOOL
Presorted Standard
Non-Profit Org U.S. Postage
PAID
Permit #56
Paso Robles, CA
VOLUME 69
2.10. 2010 ISSUE 4
>> CRIMSONCHRONICLE.COM
801 NIBLICK RD. PASO ROBLES, CALIFORNIA
BUDGET CUT BLUES: Assistant Superintendent of Personnel Greig Welch (Left), Assistant Superintendent of Business Gary Hoskins and Superintendent Dr. Kathy McNamara ((Right) g ) discussed the new budget g with somber looks Tues. Jan. 26. Photo by Lindsay Reed.
Budget cuts set to devastate PRHS
by Karlee Anderson, Editor-in-Chief with contributions from Aryn Fields, A&E Editor, C.J. Prusi, People Co-Editor, Caitlyn Curran, Fun and Games Editor and Monica Patel, Managing Editor Teachers were on edge, custodians less chipper and coaches nearly disgruntled on Jan. 6, when Paso Robles Joint Unified School District (PRJUSD) announced a proposed plan to cut programs in the 20092010 Fiscal Solvency Program. Schools in the PRJUSD are primarily funded by attendance and with declining enrollment, funding will be even lower in the 20102011 school year. With a shortfall of $2.4 million from the 2009-2010 budget, interfund borrowing of $4.8 million, and an estimated shortfall of $2.6 million this year, in the next 18 months, PRJUSD will need to eliminate a minimum of $7.4 million from its budget. Cuts may not wait until next school year in the fall. Final decisions on cuts will be made May of this year. The primary reason for the Fiscal Solvency Plan is so PRJUSD will not start out the next school year (2010-2011) in a negative budget status. “The school district relies primarily on revenue to operate from the State. That revenue has gone down the last two years, and it is anticipated that it will go down next year. There is some local revenue and that will go down next year as well. Th is year’s budget was helped with the Federal Stimulus funds which will not be available next year,” Assistant Superintendent of Business Gary Hoskins said. Last year May 12- Aug. 11, meetings regarding the budget and the current board approved budget reductions resulted in cuts and categorical sweeps (moving funds from one account to another), saving a total of $2.30 million.
D e
a f:
Although this is only a preliminary list of cuts, PRJUSD faces regulations from the state and requirements to meet before the state will intervene with PRJUSD. “If these cuts aren’t made then the district won’t be able to meet its fi nancial responsibilities at some point next year. We’ll run out of money. And that causes a lot of problems because you would have some people that might not get paid. We might have to stop some things that might be going on during the school year that we’ll have to stop in the middle of the school year. And also the school district could get a negative declaration which means that they can’t make their bills, the state intervenes and starts taking over,” Hoskins said. With the proposed budget cuts comes a sense of uncertainty from the PRHS staff . “The dramatic effect of the proposed budget cuts on PRHS is very disconcerting to me; it should be to everyone. At this point I don’t know which of the proposed reductions will be approved by the School Board. While the governor has stated he doesn’t want to further reduce funding to education, the fact is that Paso Robles School District has incurred significant budget reductions from the State. By law, the district must be able to show it can afford all the costs it incurs and as of now, it cannot,” Principal Randy Nelson said. With cuts and programs being terminated, PRHS art teacher Josh Gwiazda feels the pressure. “My question is when will the School Board and the District Administration begin to share the burden of our difficult economic situation? If they continue to cut into the classroom eliminating student
Proposed Budget Cuts
services, teachers, librarians Over two dozen PRJUSD employees and custodial staff, there will will be laid off (teachers, janitors, be nothing left to adminiscounselors, etc.) trate,” Gwiazda said. Coaches and extra-curricular Both Hoskins and Assisactivity teachers will no longer receive stipends tant Superintendent of Personnel Greig Welch admit to Teacher pay will be the ambiguity of the fi nancial eliminated by 1 percent future. “The fi nal decisions of what Sports transportation will be limited especially for larger gets cut haven’t been made teams (football and track) yet. The list is a proposal; it was put together taking sugElimination of summer gestions from a lot of differschool ent people that were willing to make suggestions. And so that list still needs further discussion and the fi nal cuts will be made by the board. The fi nal cuts probably will not actually be voted one until the end of May or the fi rst of June,” Hoskins said. “We hope [the list of cuts] won’t be all passed, we made up a document of worst case scenario. We are thinking to take a litt le bit out of each proposed part, but these are all possible cuts. We don’t know what will be the fi nal cuts though,” Welch said. Welch also said that although there is some vagueness, there are certain things that can be expected to happen.
1 2 3 4 5
See ‘BUDGET’ News Page 3
Evelyn Lopez isn’t “missing anything”
by Caitlyn Curran, Fun and Games Editor and Ana Tores, Reporter Junior Evelyn Lopez enjoys Mexican music, hip-hop, and loves dancing. Seeing her walk the halls, one wouldn’t know why her alarm clock vibrates with flashing lights to wake her up for school. Lopez is deaf and, more importantly, comfortable with herself. “I don’t feel like I’m missing anything,” Lopez said quietly while signing simultaneously. She can go to the movies with her friends, her favorite is “Freedom Writers.” She can feel the noise in the theatre, its loud. She can understand the movie as it progresses on the huge screen. Her friends start to laugh, she looks around and laughs too. Rather than hearing clarity in a noise, she can feel it and even recognize it with people she knows. She learned to lip read and speak in kin-
dergarten, but these modes of communication are foreign to her. Her cultural language is American Sign Language. American Sign Language (ASL) changed Lopez’s personal and academic life. Her fi rst exposure to ASL was at Camp Hapitok when she was in fi rst grade. It opened her eyes to a way to communicate, something that comes naturally to most of us. “[Before ASL] I never talked; I would just cover my head and stay quiet,”Lopez said. In retrospect, without ASL, Lopez would have never been able to communicate with her older sister who went deaf two months ago. Lopez and her sister are part of the 90 percent of deaf children who are born to hearing parents.
“Now that I’m in high school it’s like I’ve come out of my shell,” Lopez said. She can att ribute this in part to sign language and her interpreter, Estella Webb. Webb’s son was born deaf and she decided to learn sign language, leading her to a job as an interpreter. Lopez stated that having Webb as an interpreter changed her life for the better. Lopez keeps her eyes on Webb as she translates the teacher’s lesson into ASL. Th is has helped Evelyn’s education tremendously, but Lopez has bigger dreams. She lit up as she signed her excitement about transferring to Fremont School for the Deaf, a residential school in See ‘LOPEZ’ People Page 12
Blind Date bocce ball bonanza
Artist of the month: Alison Hutchinson
Guess whose ‘STACHE this is!
Wrestling with appetites
>> People page 8
>> A& E page 15
>> Fun and Games page 18
>> Sports page19
2 News February 10, 2010
www.crimsonchronicle.com
Templeton boy dies in tragic accident Freshman Stetson Pahler will be missed by many by Aryn Fields, A&E Editor
PRHS Parents' Philanthropy
“I've not seen a personal donation of this size that benefits personal education, ever” said PRHS Counselor Mike Moore. On Jan 27. 200,000 sheets of paper were delivered to PRHS, only half of the donation that Pam and Mike Estrada, parents of two students at PRHS, have given. Including this delivery, 400,000 sheets have been donated by the Estradas, as well as eight 200-foot ribbon rolls for floral. “They cued in on Xerox paper because that is consumable and it helps their children’s education” added Moore. With PRJUSD cutting $7.4 million out of the budget, every donation counts, and consumables like paper can easily be overlooked. 5,000 sheets PAPER DONATION: Teachers received a pleas- of paper from Staples costs $35.99 according to their website. Even though ant surprise in their boxes on Jan. 27 Photo by Emily Cone that is only 0.72 cents per sheet, a five page handout given to 120 students would cost $4.32, which quickly adds up over time. According to Francis Valle, the Administrative Assistant for PRHS, all of PRHS uses about 3.5 million pieces of paper per school year, any donation helps!
by Nick Van Wiggeren, Webmaster
Kiosk to bring something new to PRHS life With the desire to help and the ambition to improve PRHS campus, leadership students plan to bring something fresh to the school and that ladies and gentlemen is a kiosk. A kiosk is a dazzling structure which has one or more sides displaying information. Unlike regular bulletin boards, a kiosk has a much more creative structure and can be built in many different shapes, sizes, colors and is often very large. Former leadership teacher Denise Conte proposed the idea to her 2008-2009 leadership class, but some financial issues and lack of time stalled the project. This year leadership students plan to make this idea come to life. Standing eight feet tall the four sided crimson and white wood structure will showcase news, flyers, and even a map of PRHS behind clear glass. The kiosk will stand in a planter at the entrance of the quad for all to see. The kiosk will be available to assist any student that needs help locating a class or event. “Part of leadership is that we have to show freshmen and new students the campus and classes, when they see the location of the classes they are always worried about not remembering where it is” Jennifer Smith, a leadership student who is head of the kiosk project said. The building of the kiosk will be preceded by the construction and ceramics classes. The wood to be used in the making of the kiosk will be recycled and generously donated by Pacific Lumber located in SLO County. “I think it would be really helpful” said Ben Taylor a new student to PRHS The kiosk should be up and finished by the end of the school year according to project coordinator Smith.
-Ana Torres,
FFA exposes agriculture to PR youth Giddy up! Its time for the annual FFA, Future Farmers of America organization, petting zoo. Every year the FFA opens its doors to over hundreds of excited, curious youngsters and exposes them to what may be whole new scenery. Friday Feb. 19, the FFA will be holding its annual petting zoo for the elementary and pre-school students of Paso Robles. The event will be held at the PRHS barn, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Over that period of time the barn will be filled with children getting a first hand experience in the world of agriculture. The children will be able to get up close and personal with animals that are not your typical house pets, such as steers, horses, goats, chickens, and pigs. As part of the good time and exposure to the Ag experience the children will have the opportunity to plant flowers, and sit on a real horse saddle. “We do this to get our name out in the community and educate kids on agriculture,” three year FFA member Alexa Gomez said. “It also exposes them to agriculture, because there are a lot of kids who have never been near a cow or horse before,” Gomez said. As part of the good time activities, prizes, balloons, and snacks will also be offered. At last years petting zoo there was more than three hundred attendants. As Feb. 9th grows closer FFA members work harder to make sure that the Ag experience is one not to be forgotten.
-Ana Torres, Reporter
One day after the worl world celebrated the New Year, the Central Coast mourned the loss of Templeton’ ton’s Stetson Pahler, 15, who was killed whi while ATV riding in the Mohave Desert, out outside of Inyokern. Pah Pahler’s friends and fam family called him “St “Stevie” and his life wa was cut short while wi with his father Steve ven Pahler his two ol older brothers Jason an and Brandon Pahler er. Also the Newm man and Janguard fa family, close friends oof the Pahler’s. Pahler went to the Mohave 8 Jan. Pahler’s funeral service on ved this program at Stevie Desert on Jan. Over 200 mourners recei 2, 2010 for a day of ATV riding, a trip his family took often. At 11:30 a.m. Pahler lost control of the ATV and was ejected, suffering massive head trauma that killed him instantly. Pahler’s brother Jason was the one who found him while Kyle Newman called 911, which alerted the helicopter that transported Pahler to Ridgeway Regional Hospital, where he was dead on arrival. The medical team did everything they could to revive Pahler, according to several sources. Pahler’s siblings Corrine and Johnny were at Atascadero Bible Church when their youth pastor Adam Weatherby told them the news of their litt le brother’s death. Pahler’s death is one out of hundreds caused by ATV riding that was recorded by the state of California. From 1982-2007 there are
476 recorded deaths. From 2005-2007 alone there are over 100 reported deaths, 86 of which were under the age of 16. Pahler followed California law by wearing a helmet at all times. However California law states a person can only ride an ATV when their 18 years or older. The funeral for Pahler was held on Friday Jan. 8, 2010 at Atascadero Bible Church. Weatherby led the service [with roughly 200 in attendance] and brought up many of Pahler’s youth leaders, who described Pahler as a kid “who brought joy and love,” and who “loved the Lord with all his heart and His love shown through him.” As the funeral continued an open mike was passed around to share memories of Pahler. Many people had stories about Pahler including Kevin Swanson, the father of Stevie’s best friend Garrett Swanson. Almost all of them had explained Pahler as “gung-ho,” and that he was always “working outdoors because he just loved to help his family.” Weatherby had been Pahler’s youth pastor for eight years, and his passing is particularly hard for him. At the funeral service Weatherby said, “Stevie brought so much joy and love to us all. I had him for eight years, and no words could describe who he was. He was one of a kind. Why him? Why now? Life is so fragile and he was an amazing kid. Why Stevie?” said Weatherby. Even though Pahler was a freshman at THS, he still touched the lives of kids from both Paso Robles and Atascadero. Junior Haley Winch was good friends with the Pahler family and was with Stevie three days before the accident. “Stevie never lived by a schedule. He’s a strong Christian. He only went where God called him. He had a great sense of humor. He was one of the kinds of people everyone wanted to be around. He had a good heart and came from a good family. You’d call him if you had a problem to talk through,” recalled Winch. Although Pahler died of an activity that has taken so many lives, Weatherby got an anonymous e-mail from one of Pahler’s class mates about his death. The classmate feels Pahler’s death was meant for another more meaningful reason. “My thoughts are God used Stevie to impact other people. Stevie’s death is so tragic, but he gets to taste heaven early, and he really deserves it.”
PRHS bathroom goers are pissed Many bathroom doors shut due to vandalism by Ian Dingler, Opinion Co-Editor Not even PRHS’s no-cell phone policy can stop the inevitable call of nature, and it can sometimes be hard to fi nd an appropriate place to answer. Twenty six out of 30 PRHS students polled said that they have had a problem fi nding an open bathroom. Some even had to go to multiple bathrooms before fi nding one that was open. PRHS houses a total of six bathrooms on Custodian Ron Shannon is doing his best to keep campus including the one at the front of the bathrooms open. Photo by gym that has been closed for the rest of the Ethan Baietti year due to the flagrant amount of graffiti drawn by both gang members and students. Th is leaves the portables, 100 building, locker rooms, the 200’s and the 900’s open to the public. Usually the lock down is due to nothing more than a Sharpie drawing, but even that creates problems, Head Custodian Ron Shannon said. “Once we fi nd graffiti we have to close the bathrooms down because if left up a member from a different gang can come by and cover it up and then that sparks controversy,” Shannon said.
A discarded piece of fruit or a used can of chewing tobacco can also clog toilets and lock down doors. Unlike graffiti, clogging can cause toilets to over flow making bathrooms unsanitary for students. Th is isn’t to say that the PRHS janitorial staff doesn’t take the problem seriously “We do our best not to lock down more than one bathroom at a time,” Shannon said. He wants students to know that he only closes multiple bathrooms when necessary. Once the vandalism has been found the janitorial staff reports it to the maintenance department. Depending on how busy they are and the severity of the vandalism, it could take up to two days before the bathroom is usable again. However, there is a light at the end of the pipe. Th is year though Shannon has seen some improvement thanks to one vital edition to the PRHS administration. “It seems with Mr. Brown here this year things are gett ing better, and the bathrooms are staying cleaner,” Shannon said. But it’s going to take more than a new assistant principal to keep the bathrooms from closing. Shannon added that students need to play their part, too. And hopefully soon because nature will be calling.
City limit rule limits class projects Students to stay within Paso boundaries during school hours by Alicia Canales, Copy Editor This past fall senior and Peer student Marissa Tarnago left PRHS during fourth period and drove in her car to Vineyard Convalescence Center in Templeton. Once she arrived, Tarango walked around and talked to the senior citizens, fulfi lling her Peer class project arranged with the center. Yet Tarango and six other Peer stuSenior Marissa Tarango dents had to end their trips when Prinis adjusting to the new cipal Randy Nelson and Superintendent boundaries set at PRHS. Photo by Ethan Baietti Kathleen McNamara heard from a parent about students traveling out of city limits. After checking with legal services in Bakersfield, who confi rmed that was , McNamara made a strict policy which Nelson sent to extracurricular teachers Oct. 16. “Students that are currently enrolled in Advanced Peer, Journalism, Student Government, Drama, Band, Choir, or are part of a varsity athletic team will continue to be allowed to travel within the city limits of Paso Robles only provided they have very specific and valid reasons for doing so that have been approved by site staff, have parent permission, and travel alone in the student’s own vehicle,” Nelson wrote. The email also stated that “any school personnel” cannot give students permission to travel to school activities outside of Paso. Th is city limit rule is based on the honor system as police are not checking every car leaving PRHS. Peer teacher Jeanne Neely doesn’t
let her students go out, even though she would like to continue certain projects like the elderly home. “It really limits our opportunities to go places and possibly work with agencies in San Luis Obispo. We’re so far north…and we don’t have money for a bus, which to go down to San Luis Obispo would be $400, so this stops us from being able to do many projects we’d like to do. It’s really disheartening,” Neely said. However, ROP students are still allowed to travel beyond Paso to their field sites. Nelson stated that ROP students are fi nished with school while other students have to come back to PRHS, making them a “student on campus.” Plus, ROP is a state organization which means they have their own insurance policy. ROP students and their parents must sign a Release of Liability contract which exempts PRHS for any injuries that might occur outside of campus. Even though it was for their safety, a few Peer students were upset by the policy. “[I was gett ing to know] one woman who was more alert, and she was really friendly and talkative, but then we got cut off . It made me really angry. We had already chosen our field sites, and I didn’t have anywhere to go. We’d been going there for so long. I didn’t really see the big deal in it. Right now we don’t have field sites, but when we did, we would work on other projects, like Red Wagon, but there wasn’t much to do,” Tarango said. Since traveling outside city limits is prohibited, students and teachers must now look for opportunities inside 93446.
News
3
February 10, 2010
www.crimsonchronicle.com
‘Budget’ Cont’d from page 1
3
School violence
Driving License Restrictions
SkillsUSA works hard to promote success by Serina Lewis, News Co-Editor
4 5 6 7 8
Credit Use and Young Adults
Same Sex Marriage: (Prop. 8)
It is illegal for a person to obtain a credit card if they are under the age of 21. The only exception if there is an adult co-signer or sufficient proof that they have the funds to pay off the debt they will gain. (the law will begin to take effect as of Feb. 22, 2010) California will only grant licenses to marriages between a man and a woman. Same sex marriages that were granted before Nov. 5, 2008 remain legally recognized and have full state-level marriage rights except the term “marriage” itself.
Domestic Violence
In order to protect victims of domestic violence, the perpetrator of the violence will not be released from jail on their own recognizance until they appear in court before a judge or commissioner.
Illegal Fat
Restaurants and food franchises are now required to use oils, margarines and shortenings that have less then .5 a grams of trans fat. (Took effect January 1, 2010)
sources: cnn.com niddk.nih.gov
“I’ve learned so much leadership skills just from being in the group and holding the meetings,” SkillsUSA president Falcone said. Falcone has been has been pushed in the event of arc welding because more times than not, she is the only girl competing or riding on the van, squished between six boys. “I’m quite excited and looking forward to gett ing the full experience of SkillsUSA,” junior Karlee Jewel, treasurer and fi rst year member competing in officer competitions and basic health care skills competitions. Athletic trainer adviser Todd Olivera is helping Jewel to be prepared for her state competition in San Diego. “He is giving us books to studying, helping us with any questions, and guiding us through the steps so we can have a fun and successful time,” Jewel said. The purpose of this program was to instruct students in public careers and technical programs to prepare them for America’s high performance working class, and that’s just what PRHS teachers are hoping to do with each student who walks through their door. “Most of us [ROP teachers] who come from trades, have a passion for it and want to give that back to the students,” ROP construction teacher and SkillsUSA instructor, Canaday said. Also, the many trades PRHS is most prominent in includes: culinary arts, plumbing, residential wiring, health knowledge bowl and internet working, according to Canaday. The many programs offered let students learn about themselves and others through communication and self-confidence. SkillsUSA offers a chance at a successful future. “If you make it to Nationals, there are people there ready to hire you. It’s just such a great opportunity,” Falcone said. Canaday sees the widespread involvement the program offers. “Skills affects kids from every genre in the school. Kids involved in high-end AP classes. Kids struggling to fi nish school. Hispanic kids on one end of the campus to blondes on the other. Band, too. We have kids from every venue of the school.”
Get Paid to Be Educated
As part of Obama’s Stimulus Bill, there is a $13.8 billion tuition tax credit boost that the American Opportunity Tax Credit that will reimburse 100 percent of the first $2,000 of college expenses for low and middle-income students per year.
source: aralifestyle.com
“You walk into a big building, the judge gives you the rules, hands you your metal, and says ‘Ready, Set, Go!’” senior Francesca Falcone said of her experience with an arc welding competition through SkillsUSA last year. Falcone is just one of the many 79 bearcats Junior Karlee Jewel prepares for her competi- that are participants in the program, SkillsUSA. tions coming up. Photo by Ethan Baietti SkillsUSA is the nonprofit organization designed to offer high school and college students an opportunity to explore any career they might be interested in after their education is complete and ensure a next generation of American workforce. Students, teachers and industry representatives come together in this organization and prepare students for careers in trade, technical and skilled service occupations. The competitions for SkillsUSA programs include local, state and national competitions where students go to demonstrate occupational and leadership skills. In October, six students came together, with help from Randy Canaday, to form the fi rst leadership officer team. The teachers and candidates met and voted for a complete officer team. Some of the officer team will be competing in officer competitions at the regional, and possibly at the state and national level. So far, the officers have been able to learn so much, just from being a part of the group.
After being given a DUI, it is required that one must install an IID (ignition interlock device) as a part of your driving restriction privileges as well as a prolonged driver’s license suspension term.
source: yuubanet.com
2
Schools are required to report serious campus crimes to local police. Reason for Law: 357,000 students are expelled or suspended from school due to gun or other related incidents annually. Unfortunately, many of these events are never shared with local police making the prevention of these incidents nearly impossible.
source: dmv.ca.gov
1 Water conservation
Hand washing a vehicle at home is prohibited unless a hand-held bucket (or a similar container) or a hose that has a self-closing water shut-off nozzle or device. If caught, the city has the right to shut off or that home’s limit personal water supply. Serving water in restaurants: Restaurants and other food establishments are allowed to serve water only if it is requested by the customer.
source: prcity.com
From water conservation to same-sex marriage and everything in between, here are a few laws and regulations to start your year off with a trouble-free slate.
source: creditcardprocessor.com
Putting those skills to good use
Graphic by Mae Bradley
source: buddybuddy.com
are district wide. Four custodians will be cut on a district level, but the teachers may be reduced from elementary, middle school and high school. The total number that may be impacted is still Principal Randy Nelson to be determined,” inorms students about the Welch said. “We are at recent budget cuts. Photo by Ethan Baietti a point, fiscally, where even permanent teachers may have to be considered for reassignments or reductions.” Coaches and program advisors are also in danger of losing pay for their positions. “The stipends for coaches, band, choir and even journalism and yearbook may be cut. Stipends are the extra money the district pays the teacher when they spend time doing school functions outside of school hours,” Welch said. Assistant boy’s varsity soccer coach and AVID teacher Theodore Wagner said it would be hard to spend so much time coaching without any compensation. “During soccer season, I spend an immense amount of time away from my family and it can be difficult for my wife and child. It would be hard to justify that sacrifice without some compensation,” Wagner said. The effects on PRHS sports could be detrimental to campus well being, Wagner added. “Sports are a very important outlet for many of our students on campus. Some of our athletes have a difficult time succeeding in school, and athletics can give them motivation to give their best effort academically. Students who are involved in athletics are accountable not only to their teachers, but also to their coaches, which can help cut down on misbehavior. It would be a tragedy if our athletics programs were hampered by severe budget reductions,” Wagner said.
Hoskins also added that he understood the consequences of these actions and students could lose interest in school without the choice extra-curricular activities. “It’s very, very hard to go through these things and it’s really going to affect students a great deal. And they’re tough decisions, real tough decisions because they’re not very pleasant ones,” Hoskins said. However the facts remain that the state is offering less money this year and PRJUSD has to adjust. “We get about $5,800 for every student who goes to school everyday. It’s called Average Daily Attendance, and when kids don’t go to school we get less money. We have about 6,700 kids in the district and if the state cuts down the ADA by $300 then we lose a great sum of money,” Welch said. “The school district has to make sure it can meet its fi nancial obligations and has enough money to pay its bills. We really can’t control the revenue that much because we have a set amount of money coming in. That’s the main reason why the cuts are necessary,” Hoskins said. Despite the many proposed cuts the school board stated there is some room for suggestion from the community about what should stay and what should go. “A lot of people have things that are important to them that they don’t want to see cut so they let us know,” Hoskins said. “It’s all part of the process to hear people’s opinions on various things, not necessarily who’s the squeakiest wheel gets their way, but we want to hear all sides and all opinions.” “We are used to being the bad guys responsible; it comes with the territory of this job. I used to be principal of PRHS. I love that school, and it’s not fun to dismantle the high school,” Welch said. The future fi nances of PRJUSD is both vague and insecure at this point in the school year, however with $7.4 million on the line, PRHS may never be the same. *Several teachers were reached to be quoted, but decided to not comment due to the possible cuts.
sources: yubanet.com aardvarc.org
“The custodian cuts
-Information gathered by Lindsey Reed, Reporter
4 Editorial February 10, 2010
www.crimsonchronicle.com
e h Tg J u g Ling A ct ll o t kes a t ule d e h c s r te s e Trim
es t e l th a c r ea B n o
b tion stra Illu
y
on dge Pri ew h t t Ma
h Co-Editor
Healt a Wright, by Natash
Seven hours of class practice hours. The new schedule also requires freshstarting at 8 a.m. hard man and sophomores to be enrolled in an ordinary training and hours of P.E. class, even if they are simultaneously playing a practice until seven or competitive sport. But most of all, it overlaps with eight in the evening, sports so that assigned academic classes like fourth gulping down a quick and fi ft h period must be ditched to attend games, dinner before stuffi ng especially out-of-town matches that can take up to your brain with schoolthree hours to drive to in school buses, which have work, cramming until 1 a.m., and all with just four a legal maximum speed limit of 55 mph. Every fi ft h hours of sleep, sounds like it would be a stickler to period teacher sees athletes leave almost every day, handle. But in all its glory, it’s an everyday occurence especially during football season, the most highly for the overachievers that populate the gym, weight enrolled sport on campus. The students feel the same room, and track, especially during the brand-new way. In a poll of 100 bearcat athletes, 72 of them feel trimester system instated in Aug. 2009. the trimester affects them in their respective sports Does any of this sound familiar to in a negative way. you? If so, you could be experiencing the “The typical day for me was juggling act as well. The early hours, lack to go to school, go home to get of athletic P.E., and overload of homework something to eat, and go back 22% due to less class time at Paso Robles High for tennis practice. I would get 38% School aren’t jiving well with the 13 sports out around six and I would go offered and 900 students competing in home, do homework and go uniforms of Bearcat Crimson. If you’re to bed. I didn’t have any down 40% not superhuman, this year’s school/sports time, and when we would jumble may lead to more weight to your travel (for varsity tennis) it got shoulders than you can handle, due to the really hard because I wouldn’t confusion and lack of comdo my homemunication between classroom 40% of athletes stay up until 10 to 11 p.m., 38% work on the and field . until 12 to1 a.m., and 22% stay up until 2 to 3 a.m. buses because The trimester schedule it would make takes away the school experime sick and it ence of some PRHS scholar-athletes. Far from havwas too loud,” junior and j.v. tennis player Amanda ing the same enthusiasm they carried at the beginSanders said. ning of the year, many athletes are now sluggish from The typical day for Sanders is the type too many excessive work and lack of sleep. Teachers have only PRHS students face on a daily basis. Sports like ten12 weeks to teach the same amount of subject matenis or softball are only offered after school, making rial that previously took 18 weeks, so as a result, they it harder for athletes to get home earlier to focus on assign more homework. Th is has subtracted time to school work or even get a good night’s rest. study out of the equation for many students who aim “We had practices later in the day, which left me to play on a varsity team, which requires dedicated less time to study, so I would have to stay up later to
study,” Sanders continued. The never ending cycle them, not having fi ft h period P.E. would mean they of gett ing home later and staying up later to fi nish would have to stay later in the day for practice and homework is a vicious one, and one that is far from work on homework later at night. But all of this could uncommon. In a survey of 65 student athletes, 55 have been prevented just by a simple waiver. have to stay up later doing homework because their “Freshman and sophomores not gett ing into the practices are later. [athletic] P.E. class because of some political issues Another of the factors that contributed to the between the district administration and the coachfrenzy of these students’ days was the loss of the sixth ing staff was… upsett ing, in my opinion. I think period athletic P.E. that was offered in the semester myself and most of the coaches at the high school schedule. Even though we have a fi ft h period athletic felt it was a refusal by the administrators in the P.E. class to replace it, the students who opt for that district office to pursue the waiver for inclusion of route only have four periods of academic classes athletic P.E. in meeting the state physical education available, which is challenging to arrange when standards,” Cook said. you might have an academic class that’s offered Unlike PRHS, schools like San Luis Obispo 5th period only. Junior and girl’s varsity golf player High School offer a waiver so freshman and sophoKimberly Bergin felt that the new trimester schedule mores who are in sports don’t have to take a regular overlapped golf with academics. P.E class to count as their physical education require“We had a match every Monday or Tuesday and ment and can just be in an athletic P.E. class the last tournaments on Thursday so I would always leave period of the day. before lunch and on tournament days I would leave Cook wrapped up with a hypothetical situation during third period. It was easier to that nobody wants to be a part of. make up work last year because of ad“If you’re a ninth grader and have visement and the semester was longer, P.E. fourth period in the fall, … but with the trimester it’s harder to you go for an hour and five minutes 28% catch up,” Bergin said. of P.E. when it’s 105 degrees out in “One of the benefits of having September. Then you go to your athletic P.E. at the end of the day was fi ft h period class, then you come 72% you were able to start your practices back out and have 2 and half hours an hour earlier. Which meant that you of football practice in 105 degree got home an hour earlier. Instead of temperatures. So you spent three gett ing home at 6:30-7:00 at night, you and half hours plus in a physical got home at 5:30-6:00 at night activity in high heat. That’s so you could get on with your 72% of athletes feel that the trimester not safe and it doesn’t day,” pre-algebra teacher and make sense.” And it’s not affects their sports negatively. track coach Mickey Cook said. smart. But then again, from Freshman and sophomores a system that allows kids are especially affected by the trimester schedule beto go through that kind of punishment, anything is cause they still have to be enrolled in a P.E. class even possible. if they have a sport to practice for after school. For
www.crimsonchronicle.com 801 Niblick Rd. Paso Robles, CA 93446 Paso Robles High School (805) 237-3315 EXT. 5601 Room 601 Megan Boswell
Emily Cone
Nicole Evenson
Steven Plescia
Sci-Tech Co-Editor
People Co-Editor/ Photography Editor
Health Co-Editor
Sports Co-Editor
Madison Butz
Maddison Coons
Aryn Fields
C.J. Prusi
Editorial Editor
News Co-Editor
A&E Editor
People Co-Editor
Alicia Canales
Caitlyn Curran Fun & Games Editor
Tyrian KhanWhite
Lindsay Reed
Copy Co-Editor/ Culture Editor
Andrew Chang
Ian Dingler
Serina Lewis
Ana Torres
Sci-Tech Co-Editor
Opinion Co-Editor
News Co-Editor
Reporter
Paul Cleland
Austin Ehrhardt
Reilly Newman
World Co-Editor/Copy Co-Editor
World Co-Editor
Graphic Manager
Nick Van Wiggeren
Reporter/Photographer
Center Co-Editor
Web Master/ Business Team
Karlee Anderson
Ethan Baietti
Monica Patel
Editor-in-Chief Front Page Editor
Managing Editor Opinion Co-Editor
Managing Editor Center Co-Editor
Tyler West
The Crimson Chronicle is an independently funded, monthly publication of the journalism class at Paso Robles High School. We publish monthly newspapers free to students and teachers. Subscriptions are available for US mail delivery for $15. Editorials Torey Wise reflect the majority opinion of the staff and do not necessarily reflect Sports Co-Editor the views of Paso Robles High School, its faculty, administration, or students. The Crimson Chronicle is an open forum for the exchange of ideas. We welcome feedback in form of letters or emails. Letters Kathryn must be signed but names can be withheld upon request. All stories, Wingfield graphics, typesetting, and layouts are completed by Paso Robles High In-Depth Editor School students. The staff actively pursues advertisement accounts Natasha Wright but reserves the right to refuse those deemed overly controversial or Health Co-Editor aimed at illegal behavior. The Crimson Chronicle is designed using Adobe In-Design and Photoshop Advisor: Jeff and prints with North County Guest Appearances Mount Newspapers, Matthew Pridgeon Atascadero, CA. Email: prhsjournalism@pasoschools. org Business Team
In-Depth
5
February 10, 2010
www.crimsonchronicle.com
College alternatives made real The college-free fate of one third of students by Mae Bradley, Reporter
MAKE A NOTE OF IT: Senior Kristee Lara aspires to attend the Paul Micthell Beauty School. Lara works hard to maintain her 4.1 GPA so this dream can become reality. Photo by Lindsay Reed.
Senior Kristee Lara has a bright future ahead of her with merely five months separating her from her June 11 graduation on the War Memorial grass. She has decided against a four-year university whose standards she could defi nitely pass with her formidable 4.1 GPA and her repertoire of advanced classes such as AP English and GEO. After the fateful day of June 11, Lara is planning on attending the Paul Mitchell Beauty School. Between 64 and 69 percent of California high school students enroll in college, according to the California Student Aid Commission. However, just because that unspoken 45 percent of students aren’t off to attend college doesn’t mean they don’t have their life on track. These students have the option of academies, apprenticeships, the military and vocational schools. Lara is one of these students, with a clear goal in mind and the willingness to bite the bullet to get there. “It didn’t have anything to do with me feeling like I wouldn’t make it in regular college, it had to do with me fi nding what I love to do, and I didn’t need to go somewhere else to fi nd that out,” Lara said. “It’s the best, and I want to follow through with the best.” Out of this third of high school students, 18 percent are said to pursue a specialized vocational degree or an associate’s degree, according to the National Center for Education Statistics, a survey group funded by United States Department of Education and the Institute for Educational Sciences. Another such student entering the field with a specialized vocation in mind is senior James McCoy, who recently got accepted into the Universal Technical Institute, a specialty vocational school that focuses on automotive, motorcycle and marine vehicles.
“Last year was the year I said, ‘Dude, I’m doing auto for the rest of my life.’ When I’m working on cars I don’t really have to worry about anything else, just fi xing the car.” McCoy said. Senior Kevin Taylor also spoke about his steadfast enrollment into the military. “I want to do airborne intelligence, and after I get out of the Air Force, I want to get a government job with the CIA or FBI,” he said. But not all students are set in a field or on a path. Senior Izzy Allen is one of the 2.9 percent that are traveling out of the country to expand her horizons, learn a bit about herself and fi nd something she wants to be passionate about. By sett ing her sights on the beaches of Costa Rica, she hopes to clarify her life, and her cavalier and optimistic att itude has her confident that the future will unfold itself. “I’m young now, and I don’t want to devote myself to four years of school when I don’t even know what my major is. I hope that in going to Costa Rica I’ll just be happy there and fi nd out what I want to do with my life. I want to explore somewhere that I’ve never been, get out there and be in nature, figure myself out, and surf a lot,” Allen said. A survey shows that 23.5 percent of PRHS students not attending college are focused, on track and know what they’re going to do. Not going to college doesn’t mean not becoming a success. Lara perfectly represents this determined sect of students that have goals and are pursuing them with dogged dedication. “I really want to do this. I’ve been wanting to do this since seventh grade now, and that’s a prett y decent amount of years. It’s not something that’s going to change, I know that for sure,” she said.
The pressure is on for PRHS students Going to school has its advantages High school is hard enough when you have peer pressure to worry about. Add a nice helping of parental pressure and you’ve got yourself one dangerously stressed teen. Naturally parents want their children to succeed, but what sets the line between encouragement and too much pressure to excel? Heavy and sometimes unreachable expectations could have drastic effects on a teen’s mental and physical health. Many students juggling academics and other extracurricular activities lose many hours of sleep, as well as suffer from migraines, anxiety and depression, according to Stanford University studies. For a teenager to achieve his or her highest potential, encouragement and a litt le pressure is almost always helpful, whether it’s from the teen themselves or the parents. Still, there remains a question of how much pressure is too much for the teen to handle. Whether it’s in sports or academics, every score counts. No one knows that better than junior Melissa Williams. As someone whose parents attended UC Berkley, school has always been a top priority for Williams. “When you grow up with people all around you that have gone to college, you don’t really have a choice and there is no excuse,” Williams said. With dreams of becoming a doctor and attending UC Davis, Williams keeps her mind focused on school. Parental involvement is a healthy aspect of an adolescence life, and of course has positive affects. “If a parent is able to instill values and morals and let the child decide for itself who it want to be there is nothing holding that person back because that means they have support on their side, but not restrictions,” junior Morgan Farrior said. “They may have certain limitations where their parent would guide them, but in the end it will be their choice to do what they want.” Various studies have shown that students who have a strong
Visit our website: CrimsonChronicle.com
support system at home tend to achieve higher scores in school. That is to say that their parents encourage and do not push their sons or daughters to the ultimate breaking points, which can cause serious damage. About 11 out of 14 PRHS students have stated that they feel stressed when parents push too much. However all agree that parental involvement is very important. One of the causes of teen suicide is stress, according to Ohio State University Medical Center. Parental pressure can reach farther than just the classroom but to the fields, courts and water as well. Sophomore Jay Young has seen his fair share of angered parents at water polo matches. “At water polo games it can get prett y bad, with the parents yelling at the refs and everything,” Young said. Pushing young athletes does not always produce positive effects but can backfi re completely, and lessen the potential for a good game. “I don't think kids play better when their parents put pressure on them because it makes them more nervous, and then they don't perform to their best ability,” junior Tess Rountree said, who plays varsity volleyball. “When parents pressure their children, the kids feel like if they don't meet expectations, then they are disappointing their parents.” While playing any sport positive influences from the parents are without a doubt something that can improve the game. “I feel that the most effective action by parents to help their kids is to positively support them and the team. Pressure to score so many points or get so many rebounds is not healthy for the player or the team,” varsity boys basketball coach Scott Larson said. The line between encouragement and pressure is a fi ne one and must always stay in sight.
It’s Monday in science teacher Mark Fairbank’s first period AP chemistry class. Twenty-two pencils scratch as gas laws, concentrations, and molar masses congregate together on 22 interactive notebooks. As Fairbank explains these formulas, 22 heads nod vaguely, not completely paying attention, but thinking about 22 various things: sports, friends, enemies or “what-time-do-we-get-out-of-here-because-I’m-starving.” There is one thought that appears in everyone’s head. “This is all very interesting, Mr. Fairbank, but what’s the point in learning this?” It’s not just Fairbank’s first period AP chemistry class. Many teenagers are wondering why lugging their drowsy, coffee filled bodies to high school is worth the effort. But the truth is, high school does teach you valuable skills, according to these people.
• TIME MANAGEMENT
by Ana Torres, Reporter
by Andrew Chang, Sci-tech Co-editor
Photo courtesy of Sara Callahan
Photo courtesy of Octabio Garcia
PERSERVERANCE
today for updated
stories, photo galleries, surveys and more!
“I have discovered that learning how to meet deadlines was the most important skill I learned in high school. Organizing your life is vital in a college environment. Professors don’t tell you when assignments are due, how far along you should be on your paper or an example of some kid’s project from last year. Read the syllabus, REMEMBER the syllabus is pretty much how it goes. Another important skill is learning how you study, read and take notes. READ, READ, READ! In high school you can easily get by without reading. In college it is NOT a suggestion. Rewriting notes is pointless, just reread them. Believe it or not, I learned that from those ridiculous Interactive Notebooks every teacher made us do.” —Sara Callahan, Freshman at UCSB
• SELF-DISCIPLINE
The positive and negative effects of parental involvement
“The most important skill that I’ve learned is probably self discipline. Having class work made sure to help me with working on time management, since I was also involved in some extra curriculars, such as tennis and I also had a job, so being busy made me figure out a way to manage my time in order to fit what I needed to do. As part of being involved in various groups, leadership is another important skill to learn. Sometimes we think someone else is always going to step up as a leader, but sometimes it’s up to you to be the one to step up. Learning this skill in high school is really important since the earlier its developed the more experience one gets, and the better one learns this skill.” —Octabio Garcia, Sophomore at Harvard University
•
“I played baseball and it helped me prepare for challenges. It’s not easy, and it teaches you to work hard and keep trying even though there are people who are better than you. [Baseball] taught me how to deal with different people and different personalities and get along even if they don’t’ agree with you. Any experience you have will make you either a better or worse person.” —Randy Redburg, owner of experts-exchange.com, runner up of “Best Web Resource for Developers”
6
Opinion
February ary 10 10, 0, 2010
www.crimsonchronww ww. w.cr crimsonchr hron hr onCo-Editor by Monica Patel, Center
by Nicole
Evenso
n, Health Co S o pho -Editor school a more L ev i L e nd a two sl o w ly closed hou r ten before h h is we n e a bed a nd d ri fted off he re is prac tice, read y to d ri ft r y eyes a fter a lo fi n ished a lized h n into a de e h is d id Interac ti th ree Co n ’t ep sleep g Monday, ti red fi n is sta’s L h h is a fr PR HS c ve notebook s a re use evels of Quest io biolog y notebo t h is usua l 11p.m room lassroom ok . He ju . Just d as an conju re n s a nd p s . Y e t th org u m a e of st udy p st ress a nd a n n y ca n become a n ized tool to rag raph su m ma ped out of ing , y ries. ti me oy a n a id “Even th ou’re st uckcom ce as the day be consu m ing a n st udents in a ro u nd 2 a lot of b ough I th in k th pleti ng the titl fore the test ro d inconven ie nt. They 0 usy work e pa ge a ey a re he lls a rou n n a d lp da nd fi n fu For st ud ents who I don’t enjoy do l when st udy in e tu n ing the re nd, instead pers. flec ti g for test ing them a re a lrea s ,” , d I ju a y lso th in k on . n ior Spe orga n ize “I wou ld n they a re d c , e th r S e ra il y ther h va feel a bin us how to der w il l sa id . ta ke note ave my ow n no su ffi te c s book th e to store Reflec or w h a pa five pa ra tions a nd Corn t order ever y th at I cou ld do a n — Levi ell st yle ing has to y th ing to g raph le Le n ng th just each set otes a re b in e st in e ,” a d fr th Photo by of notes o a e f e s sh h w a a m n o v Emily Con a n Broo rst pa rt o ing the te end ing to ta ken . Science e ke T f in acher te a u n it , n ll ot includ terac tive noteb reatch sa id . v iewed b teacher Ma rk ook s w it ing the th y most a Fa irba n h th a d iffere k has im s the ca m ree quest nt ta k plem pu s ions a nd e dema nd ing pa rag rap “I fou nd e on reflec tions g u ru of notebo ented them in h for to ok s, bein to becom ma ny people . g the fi rs h is c u rr ic u lu m w e e e re t ff fo to e n c tive wh r five ye ot usi ng implem the st ud a rs ent them en refl en at PR HS . He is si ngle ex ts prac tice mate processing in fo ec tions effec ti vely to le rmation a nd h a s pla natio ria l they . a n W rn w ]. ere test Reflec ti it h che more. Intera as leade c tive notebook ons shou ld be ed on [t herefore m istr y a nd phy I wa nted the re rs pre s in fl si th for class h ip rea lly need th classes such a p for the ex a m e reflec tion co cs it was w iser ec tion es such a s ,” Fa irba nsists of to have science e m ? In elec ti n s th is see a a k n re sa e “Wit h th w q id ve s , pa p uation a ms a e interac ers a re n ort h the ti me a n . nd list of th tive no im less. ever use e d so the d effort , but doe st udents com m issioners tebook ever yon u s se a c o la . f e ss E w a n intera Geof La it h the fra mew ver y th ing you has a copy of th c tive no such nd sa ne e ork a nd tebook ideas to ed to k now is ri const it ution, th Even so, id . e clubs o ght there e m p ow e leadersh Often ti r n in th c ip a th e m m to be st udents mes th a st rong e notebook . It p pus a nd a “Classes ey feel the note tend to feel the rov ides leader,” y a re not li ke lead book is a L e a d ersh ip te the L ev i L ersh ip used a waste a c he r end of a e is st uck , as ma do not need to of paper, ti me a nd ra rely do the be ch y ever bri n n ng them color, pe apter comes to y st udents a re, wast ing the pa d effort . pe a co to class. rf cou ld be ec ti ng the refle close. He is left tw mpleti ng the la r,” ju n ior Sherid c ti st invest in a g h is ti m on a nd color c ea k ing fab-fold pages of h is in n Cook sa id . od tera up e st udy in g for the ing the th ree C s, ma k ing su re th c tive noteboo k as the osta’s L e 10 0 poin ey a re ov ve t test he w il l face ls of Quest ions erflow ing w it h the follo a ll the w w ing mo h ile he rn ing.
oks useful for studying? o b e t o n Are 10% No
Do
rac s e i n te i r u o t old the been t y know ing Two e v a h l th. nts rea l stude gin w i hi s t h ou t P R H S t eb o o k w i i s a n y t o b e t s e x p l o r e t o t i v e n o r i f t h e re a n d s t u d e n c t i o n to i t . — e u f f er s s ’ rea va l c l e s ta n d s t u d en t i n o r a Ch to o l ” “study
crisp tardy bel l rings on a ts It’s 7:55 a.m . and the den stu y tor his er aft rtly Monday morni ng. Shofront table to drop off their beg in to sau nter to the ore tak ing that whopping bef interactive notebooks maging through their interback rum the in t den ions stu e on g those lost un it quest t there’s always 20 0 poi nt un it test. Bu t mi nute study session (litera lly)—fi nishin lessly. It’s been linger ing ort las a eff for nd teact ive notebook dy mater ial is fou ld green interactive no nately, every bit of stu and sum ma ries. Fortu ts’ mi nds all weekend, but now the last emera in the back of the studen sses. . ts succeed in their cla book is in and tests out aid as an organized tool to help studen as the left side processes Interactive notebooks on the right side of the notebook where ain notes or since color helps ret Students take Cornell on the right. Left side processing is in col ed vid pro n atio the inform where the te for AV ID in 20 03 information. ended a sum mer institu led an “interact ive notebook” att nk rba Fai rk Ma r cal Science teache rkit wasn’t exactly k originated. Alt hough ago, Fai rba nk began wo idea of usi ng a noteboo ook was to process information. Five yea rs e interactive notebook “Th teb k. then, the idea of the no U.S . to develop the interactive noteboo re ways to use it more efthe ing wit h others across n; we have continual ly been figur ing out mo ks in his classes in Jan . oo tio evolves wit h col labora He began to incorporate interactive noteb d. fec tively,” Fai rba nk sai ut interactive note. “One thi ng I like abo 20 05. e notebooks effect ive d. ctiv sai era son int nd Gib fi ah ts Le den Even stu sophomore the lose papers wit h them,” ss. Ta king notes ma kes books is that you can’t ks give a sense of order to the student’s cla g side of the notebook aloo sin teb ces “Interact ive no tua l. The left pro duc t however, it is pu rely fac alize it and create a pro information ava ilable; take hold of the int roduced mater ial, intern cessing to produce notes to lows one’s perception It equalizes bot h lea rni ng wit h the fun of pro Pet ro said on ou r on line e. De of the fac tua l right sid , rev iewable and thorough,” jun ior Kyleigh that are easily accessible ni Jones said. notebook,” sen ior Da sur vey Jan . 14. just one class is in the ts to sustai n, but to most an interacfor ff stu r you of all e studen “I like how a may be a drag to som a par ticu lar subjec t in Interactive notebooks dom—a gem that cha nnels a student into nt is to forage wa we ng wis thi of t las gem a the h act ive lives, tetive notebook is high school students wit that worksheet that was due. Interactive no str uct ured method. As —the to fi nd zed ers ani pap org se ts loo tes of sea and a homework , handouts through a binder wit h dem ic lives—keeping books cater to ou r aca end result is pleasi ng.
ke the noteboo i l ks? you
90%
22%
Yes
No
78%
Where ar notebooke the s used? 50 studen
Yes
ts reported
INB Friendly Cl Science
in...
asses
# of Students 46
Math
25
History
21
Foreign Lan guage Psychology English Avid Welding Leadership
20 4 3 1 1 1
Illustration by Matthew Pridgeon
Facebook is under fire
Party pictures might not be so private to colleges and employers by Kathryn Wingfield, In-Depth Editor Though MySpace started out as “a place for friends” in 2004, it became a place for judgment in 2008. As popular social networking sites grow increasingly with teens, showing an 88 percent increase in Facebook usage among 13 to 17 year olds in one year, college administration boards and companies are looking into this portal to glimpse at the private lives of potential participants. Sending off the application is no longer the end of the process but only the beginning. What could make all the difference between a job lost or gained are the impressions of themselves teens are broadcasting on the worldwide web. John Andersen, Director of College Counseling, made the situation clear in an interview with The Phillipan.
“We have been told by college admissions officers that their support for an applicant might decline based on something they saw in a social networking site.” Th is “something” could be anything, ranging from a wall post to a comment to the most important aspect: pictures. “No college wants to discover on a site a picture of an applicant doing something grossly inappropriate,” Andersen said. As innocent as it may seem to broadcast snapshots of everyday life to their list of 200 or so Facebook friends, teens are fi nding the audience is much larger than presumed. We have all witnessed the sad effects of Hollywood starlets having photos leaked onto the web for the entire world to
see at their leisure. While this problem used to seem worlds away, in the past two years it has become an issue that is not only within students’ reach, but in fact right at their fi ngertips. “I think that anyone who has a Facebook page should be aware that not only colleges can view it, but also potential employers,” counselor Joe Cardinale said, who has been assisting students with college admissions for 30 years. “When you fi ll out that application, it is a possibility that since so many people have Facebooks, they will be able to look that up and say that person doesn’t fit into their program, whether it be their values, their morals or whether they’ll fit into the job.” But the constant ability to broadcast yourself to
the world is not always a bad thing. “Like any powerful tool, social networking sites can do very positive things and very negative things,” Andersen added. In the past two decades, technology has skyrocketed. Instead of only being able to demonstrate skills and personality through applications and interviews, students now have the opportunity to express themselves in whatever way they please, 24 hours a day. A change that has the opportunity to be beneficial for both students as well as employers. Continued on page 7
Opinion
7
February 10, 2010
www.crimsonchronicle.com
Hard ca$h triumphs over healthy living People are eating green in hope of getting some green by Alicia Canales, Copy Editor
All right, America! You’re the third fattest country in 2009 behind American Samoa (93.5 percent) and Kiribati (81.5 percent) with 66.7 percent of the population being overweight, according to globalpost.com. At least you’re not fi rst. But adult obesity rates escalated 23 percent in 31 American states in 2009, according to “F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America 2009,” a report by the Trust for America’s Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. And now with all this fatness, you can make money to shed those pounds. Organizations like Healthywage.com are offering money as an incentive to lose weight. Sorry, but that’s pathetic. Money should not have to be dangled in front of one’s nose in order to exercise. One’s personal health should be enough motivation. One would assume the possibility of death and illness would motivate people to work out. And money is motivating people to exercise? Let’s see…money that will only last a while versus becoming healthy so one doesn’t die early? What an overwhelming decision. If putt ing cash over your health is okay with you, you can sign up and participate in one of the four challenges at Healthywage.com. The BMI (Body Mass Index) challenge asks you to record your weight once a week. Your BMI must be at least 30 to qualify. If it is below 25 by Dec. 30 2010, you get $100. You can bet on how much weight you’ll lose by paying $150 or $300 and then possibly receive $450 or $1000 in the SuperSizer program. America’s Top Motivator has you encourage your friends to lose weight, and you’ll get a dollar for each pound they lose. The Weekly Weigh-in rewards a lucky winner for continuing their diet with a product giveaway and prizes. They announce the winter after “The Biggest Loser” on Tuesday nights. Healthywage provides the money by using their advertising and sponsorship earnings. $1000 is a lot of money, but you have to bet in that program in order to get it. So if you lose, that’s a loss of your hard earned cash. And gett ing a dollar for each pound your friends lose seems like a good deal, but it’s doubtful they’ll lose enough to make you rich. The money motivator design appeals to junior Jacob Scott i. “Who wouldn’t do it? That’s like gett ing paid to watch TV. It’s a win-win situation,” Scott i said. He admitted he would do one of those programs if his metabolism wasn’t “uber.” However, the “TV” will turn off eventually, and the money will stop flowing. The fi nancial incentive program is only a temporary solution to losing weight. Freshman Lilianna Russu noticed the possible dangers in the cash incentive. “That just seems wrong! People really need money right now and some might do anything for it, so if they have to meet a
illustration by Mathre Pridgeon
What would you say to no sports at PRHS next year? “I dont play sports but I would feel bad for the people who do” Laura Brady, Junior
“I’d be kinda mad because im an athlete so I wouldn’t uldn’t know what to do with my time.” Adam Galvez, Junior
““Uggggghhhhhh! I would be very disappointed.” Thomas Stainbrook, Freshmen
People really need money oney ght right now and some might do anything for it, so if they eyy have to meet a deadline it could cause death instead of wealth” deadline it could cause death instead of wealth,” -Liliana Russu Russu said, who stays fit since she’s a cross-country runner and polo player. StickK.com, created by Yale economics professor Dean Karlan, is a similar program to Healthywage.com. The extra K stands for personal commitment contracts, which are what the site uses as a fl imsy idea to keep dieters motivated. Die-hard dieters are allowed to present their credit card information, and the site takes away a certain amount if their goal is not met and donates the money to the place of your choice. You can choose to donate the money to a charity, an anti-charity (a charity with views you oppose i.e. NARA L ProChoice America Foundation), a friend or foe (someone you don’t like). At least people aren’t being paid at stickK.com but money is still improperly involved. Money is important, that’s obvious. People are losing weight. Way to go. But if one works to get money, wouldn’t he stop once he got it? Health teacher Brian Kerr observed a problem with both websites. “I just think that’s not a long term solution to that person’s problem. I mean, let’s say they’re motivated by this money, and they lose 30 pounds but they don’t change their lifestyle. Then they’re going to gain the weight back eventually,” Kerr said, who plays basketball every day at lunch and two or three mornings a week to stay fit. Using incentives to lose weight isn’t a bad thing if they benefit someone other than you. Ag teachers and students are losing weight using a “Pound for Pound” challenge located at the Biggest Loser website. For every pound they lose, a pound of food will be donated to the local food bank. Ag bio investigations teacher Teresa Clark stated she thinks the food bank motivator is a good reason to lose weight. “Losing weight for money is not the right reason. It should be for a healthy lifestyle. …Maybe it will work for a couple weeks, but it’s not for the right reason,” Clark said, who used to be a personal trainer. Agreed. Again, money is only temporary. One’s personal health is forever— until death. If anything encourages one to exercise, it should be that with each drop of sweat and sore muscles you’re improving your health as opposed to fattening your wallet.
Bearcats weigh in on pop culture
Pop Culture
THUMBS THUMBS UP DOWN
1 Twitter (Website)
3
333
2 Radio
30
5
3 Jay-Z (Artist)
21
12 1
4 Dogs (Animal)
32
3
5 Cats (Animal)
20
18 1
6 Verizon (Cell Phone Company)
299
6
7 Cingular (Cell Phone Company)
7
30 3
8 PK (Band)
7
311
9 Reality Televison
14
211
10 Valentine’s Day (Holiday)
18
17 17
40 Students Surveyed
“I would be really mad because I play two sports so itt would be just very bad” Megan Luth, Freshmen
Facebook continued from page 6 “It shouldn’t only be paper and pencil, or what grades you got. Th at doesn’t always tell the true personality of someone,” Cardinale said. While some students take this liberty and twist it against themselves, there is also a possibility of putting forward the most positive and impressive aspects of themselves, a chance the students of just years ago did not have. Students need to take this chance and put their best foot forward, so all the world can see how talented they are, instead of how trashy. It is clear to see the positive opportunities of social networking increases far outweigh the potential negatives. “Maybe if you put up stupid pictures, it was just a one-time thing,” sophomore Sidney Frasier said. “But it shows that you’ll do stupid stuff, and an employer could look at that and not want you.” Students need to take hold of these new advances and utilize them to their best ability. Instead of a teen posting a photo of themselves getting wasted at a party, why not post themselves participating in favorite pastimes or family reunions- healthy, respectable activities that are sure to gain the respect and positive acknowledgement of colleges, employers, and peers. No harm can come from putting forward your very best attributes. So think twice before hitting the upload button, and remember what you choose to broadcast is no longer meant for only your eyes.
photo by Linsay Reed
8 People Feburary 10, 2010
www.crimsonchronicle.com
Blind date February
door, 17 year-old, brown-haired Codie Elliot answered. After being led to the car and a taking a short drive, the group parked a block from destination on Park Street. “You’re going to have to keep those blindfolds on for just another minute or two,” the driver said. “You can each grab onto one of us, and we will lead you there.” The two daters were led awkwardly to the downtown park, a somewhat difficult voyage for the daters who were unable to see where they were going, let alone the strange looks they were gett ing from
with Skip
Moses
& Codie
Elliot
by C.J. Prusi, People Co-Editor As the 17 year-old, brown-haired, tennis player Skip Moses opened the door and slid into the back seat of a burnt orange 1983 Toyota Camry, he hesitated. In the driver’s seat, a redhead and in the passenger’s, a blonde boy in a winter hat rummaging through his backpack. From out of the black Jansport he pulled two items, held them up to Moses, and simply said, “Pick one.” Moses stared at the choice in front of him, and, after some hesitation, picked the green bandana. “Good,” the passenger said. “Put it on.” Moses shot a questioning glance fi rst to the driver, and onto the passenger. Both nodded, trying to keep their composure without enjoying their power too much. He put the bandana over his eyes, and the car lurched forward. The three PRHS students arrived at the next stop, and the passenger walked to the house in front of him. After knocking on the
passersby. After several stumbles and curbs, the couple was led to the middle of the city park where the unveiling fi nally took place. As they removed their blindfolds, the couple exchanged nervous laughs, a “hello,” and then a couple more anxious giggles. Though their facial expressions were ambiguous, Elliot admitted later, “I was already thinking that it might be him. . .and to be honest, I peeked while we were in the car.” Moses said he was happy that he knew who she was instead of someone random. A blue case was then opened and its contents included four pairs of different colored balls and a small white ball, the pallino. The game was bocce ball. Once the rules were explained, the couple played multiple rounds which lasted about five minutes before the attention span and interest had run out. The look on their faces showed a shared sense of boredom and curiosity as to what was going to happen next. The hint was taken and so began the next activity–juggling! An easy-to-learn trick that never gets old. . . Or maybe not. After 15 minutes of mostly failed attempts, the daters gave up and it was on to the main LITTLE ITALY: Elliot and Moses stood in front of the mural inside Lombardi’s Italian event. Dinner at Lombardi’s Restaurant. The daters also enjoyed some circus-worthy juggling and a rousing game of Italian Restaurant was the
the Bay Area. Lopez will board there and come back for weekends. She is still in the process of transferring and should be residing there by her senior year. “I want to learn more about the deaf culture and meet more deaf [people]. I want to have a better life for myself,” Lopez said. Lopez is excited to be immersed in a culture all her own, where everyone will speak her language. “At Fremont School for the Deaf, approximately 70 percent of the teachers are deaf. Going to a school has many advantages, one being that deaf students have positive deaf role models,” Kay Vetter, ASL teacher said. She has had two deaf students and three or four that were hard of hearing. Deaf children have three options for schooling: a residential school like Freemont, day school for the deaf and mainstream public school with an interpreter. ASL is the third
most used language in the United States and currently about 120-140 PRHS students take the ASL classes provided. “Fremont will be such a great opportunity for Evelyn. Those who have transferred from regular schools to deaf schools often say that, for the fi rst time, they feel that they ‘fit in’; they have fi nally found where they belong. There are others to whom they can relate and within the deaf culture, they better understand why it works the way it does,”Vetter said. For now, Evelyn expresses her eternal gratitude for those who have helped her here at PRHS. “I would like to thank two of my favorite teachers I’ve ever had in my life: Mrs. Vetter and Mrs. Webb.” They taught and helped her with ASL and opened her eyes to communication in the classroom.
Veteran Teachers Seasoned teachers share
is one of your favorite memories Q: “What that you’ve had teaching? “Something that has often made me smile is the number of times my students, when distracted by their work, have called me ‘mom’ without realizing it. I hope it’s accidental; I wouldn’t want any of them to have a mother who looked like me.”
English teacher Logan Bertolette has taught at PRHS for 25 years.
A: Science teacher Mark Fairbank has taught at PRHS for 26 years.
A:
What did they do?
Codie Elliot-12
Bocce ball, juggling, Lombardi’s, Yogurt Swirl
What did they have to say?
“It was fun!”
“The food tasted homemade.”
Will there be another date?
“No second date.”
“He is really cool, but the spark isn’t there.”
7
7
Rate the date
next stop and the daters were left to be alone at last. Elliot ordered the penne pasta with alfredo sauce and Moses went with the classic plate of spaghett i. The conversation ranged from school and college options to sports and “just catching up” and after an hour, the daters were ready to go, full of what Elliot called “homemade tasting” Italian cuisine. The fi nal stop was Yogurt Swirl. Each dater walked around the island and loaded their cups with toppings and treats. They enjoyed the desert over some more conversation, made uncomfortable by onlookers and the click of the camera. Within 10 minutes, Elliot and Moses were done and ready to be taken home after an evening that shouldn’t be forgotten by either of them in the near future.
bocce ball. Photos by C.J. Prusi
‘Lopez’ continued from Page 1
A:
Name & Grade Skip Moses-12
“[My favorite memory was when I threatened to smash someone’s cell phone with a sledge hammer.] Larry and I had been planning this event for the past three weeks. Larry was dating Sharon who is my middle child. He was always in for a good gag. I needed a dummy phone so that Larry’s phone would not be destroyed… [Once it rang] I then proceeded to smash the phone using the hammer. The students were in shock, but the rumors spread very quickly on campus that Mr. Fairbank had smashed a cell phone in his class and that if you had a phone you had better turn it off if you are going to be in room 302.”
“I’ve celebrated the weddings of former students, wept at the funerals of too many students, struggled with them toward graduation, sheltered several in my home when they needed a place to stay, explored China, Jordan, and Washington, D.C. with them. . . I am now serving students whose parents I had as students. That is a special thrill for me.”
Social Studies teacher Gregg Williams has taught at PRHS for 30 years.
—Lindsay Reed, Reporter P-hotos by Lindsay Reed
COOKIN’ WITH VETTER: Lopez and Vetter bacame close through American Sign Language. Lopez said that before she learned ASL she couldn’t communicate well. Photo by Ethan Baietti
People
9
February 10, 2010
www.crimsonchronicle.com
PRHS students explore their futures Hands on experience meets lifetime experience
Senior Breanna Perez was scared. She was scared to let this woman die, scared to mess something up, scared she wasn’t holding the head quite right and scared that at any moment the over dose of sleeping pills the woman had took would kill her. “All you ever want to do at a time like that is help the patient,” Perez said. “It shook me up a litt le though. It was like her life was in my hands.” Adrenaline took over Perez as her EMT (Emergency Medical Technicians) told her precisely how to hold the woman’s head. “A round of CPR, keep the head tilted, and the valve mask bag on the patient’s mouth and nose securely, and if she vomits tilt the head reassess and repeat CPR,” the EMT told Perez as she stood over the unconscious woman. Perez is one of the 79 students who participate in the Explorer programs offered in the ROP Health Care Career Field Experience class taught by ROP instructor Todd Olivera. Along with the San Luis Ambulance Explorer program, Explorer programs are available at Twin Cities Hospital, Paso Robles City Fire Department, San Luis Sports Therapy and at PRHS (student athletic training). Th is is the third year students have been presented the opportunity to work at these sites. “I think it’s an excellent program. I can tell you fi rst hand it’s a fact that students who are in the program are the ones who end up getting jobs. I have two seniors who are off at a four year college and work as EMTs also. That’s a direct reflection of the
All you ever want to do at a time like that is help the patient...It was like her life was in my hands.”
-Breana Perez program…It gives students the opportunity to excel in things they might not have thought of before. Th is isn’t something you see at a lot of schools. It really gives kids hands on experience. I think it’s awesome,” Olivera said. At San Luis Ambulance, students are fi rst aid and CPR certified and assist EMTs and the paramedics. The explorer programs at Twin Cities Hospital and Paso Robles City Fire Department are more of a job shadowing program. Where students ‘shadow’ the specific professionals during their everyday activities. At PRHS, athletic trainers do fi rst aid, advance medical care and rehab. Students at San Luis Sports Therapy also help people with exercises, according to Olivera. As a student of the Community Health Care class during second period at PRHS, Perez and other students, like senior Tristani Walker-Harris, seized the opportunity to work in field experience portion of the class during fi ft h period to work toward their future career. “When I graduate from high school, I want to go to college and be a paramedic, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity to do it,” fi rst year explorer Walker-Harris said.
Fraternal or identical? We’ve got ‘em ON THE JOB: Semior Breana Perez checks a patient’s blood pressure as part of her training for the San Luis Obispo Explorers Program. Photo by: Emily Cone
What it’s like to be two of a kind The Searcy Twins: Jacob and
Passion Quest: PRHS
Amanda
have any special twin powers, we are just like two normal brothers except… at the same time.”
nce and God
or: Da Lauren Huff–JuniI’v e been dancing for 12
you ever pulled the Q: Have famous twin switch? we have not. We A: “No, look nothing alike.”
“I go to St. Rose and people who being surrounded by g new every years.I’ve grow n up in and teach me someth ’t be who I keep my faith going dn t those things I woul day at dance! Withou am today.”
The Shubbie Twins: Angelica and Jessica
Cheyenne Lidi
“My biggest passion cotte–Sophomore: Horses and Art is probably horses. They’re very beautiful and intelligent creatures and spen ding time with my horse Cider is my fav orite way to spend an afternoon. I enjoy art be ex press myself. My cause it’s a way for me to limitl lessly artwork is like a sm al l put into a physica l form. I like being ab piece of my world le to create someth entirely unique and ing be smal l moment and ma able to capture someone’s mind for a ke them real ly thin k about what they are looking at.
ore: Tennis Collin Bryan–Sopha om ced to game where I’m for
I’m real ly “I like it because its ve before I do it and mo xt ne my t ou ab ’t that bad thin k . Also the workout isn at th e lik s me ga to in fitness nut.” either. I’m kind of a
Allie Lu
“I guess my passion kes–Junior: Animals would be animals. not seem like much , but 30 animals tend It may me on my toes. I ha ve one guinea pig, tw to keep o ho two goats, two fish, two ferrets, three ca rses, ts, three dogs, and 15 chicken s.”
on–Junior: Friends Amanda Hutchins use we with my friends beca
“I real ly like being ve a good nothing and still ha can do anything or time.” compiled by C.J. Prusi, People Co-Editor Photos by Emily Cone and Reilly Newman
have claimed to do it, A: “We but it’s not true. We don’t
the best and worst thing about Q: What’s being a twin? e best thing about being a twin is that A: “Th we always have each other no matter what. The worst thing is that he always criticizes me about every single guy I like! It gets really annoying,”
Q: Have you ever experienced twin intuition? the best and worst thing about being Q: What’s we have, I play softball and he always a twin? A: ‘Yes knows what pitch I’m going to throw and he knows whenever vI’m looking at him from a e best thing is that I always have someone distance, it’s quite weird actually,” A: “Th to talk to no matter what the issue is. The worst thing is being mixed up and gett ing on you ever pulled the famous twin Q: Have each other’s nerves quite easily,” switch? A: “No, I believe we haven’t done that trick yet,” Q: Have you ever experienced twin intuition? The Weller Twins: I can just look at her and basically tell Jacob and Scott A: “Well what’s on her mind and how she’s feeling the majority of the time. No words needed.” the best and worst Q: What’s thing about being a twin? Have you ever pulled the famous twin Q: switch? “The best thing is that there’s A: always someone there for “Oh yes! In class and one time at tennis you. The worst thing is that match: no one knew except the girls on A: someone’s always there. our team and our coach of course. I was They know how to push your buttons.”
you ever experienced Q: Have twin intuition?
surprised they couldn’t figure it out because our game play is so different from each other. I went from singles to doubles and she went from doubles to singles.” Photos by Ethan Baietti, Mae Bradley, and Emily Cone
It may not be something you’ve thought about, but in the year 2000, we embarked upon a new millennium. While to us it seems trivial, to our grandchildren and their grandchildren, surviving from the 1900s to the 2000s will be something worth idolizing. In the hopes of this century continuing on successfully, we’ve compiled several articles which we feel successfully define the eras before ours. We hope our future is as colorful as the past—and also hopefully that we learn from our mistakes.
About flappin' timee
Great Depression or 'Great Recession?'
'I'm every woman'
by Ian Dingler, Opinion Co-Editor
by Nicole Evenson, Health Co-Editor
by Emily Cone, People Co-Editor edu. The lack of money Americans had led to breadlines and homeless encampments surfacing across the nation; hunger and malnutrition affected many. “No one can possibly have lived through the Great Depression without being scarred by it. No amount of experience since the depression can convince someone who has lived through it that the world is safe economically,” Biochemist lsaac Asimov said on buzzle.com. Juxtaposing the Great Depression to the current economic state, we can notice the similarities much quicker than noticing differences.
It began as a structured event, descended into pandemonium and became known as the most legendary rock festival in history: Woodstock. In Feb. 1969, Michael Lang, Artie Kornfield, John Roberts and Joel Rosenman integrated Woodstock Ventures Inc.and began working on the festival that would take place in Woodstock, New York. As soon as longhairs began to enter the scene in preparation for the festival, conservative townspeople fi led lawsuits that would bring Woodstock to a halt. Weeks later Woodstock Ventures was turned down to produce the festival. Fortunately dairyman Max Yasgur came to the rescue lett ing Woodstock Ventures use his 600 acre in the small town of Bethel, New York for the festival. “That’s what means the most to me—the connection to one another felt by all of us who worked on the festival, all those who came to it, and the millions who couldn’t be there but were touched by it,” Lang said on woodstock.com. As the date of the festival rapidly approached, roads became so congested that artists performing at Woodstock could only reach the festival by flying in on helicopters from a nearby airstrip. Woodstock Music and Art Fair took place from Aug. 15-18, 1969. Five hundred thousand people (mostly those that were in their teens and twenties) attended Woodstock. They were peacefully gathered there to see 32 musical performances. Even though 20 percent of the people who attended Woodstock paid for tickets prior to the festival weekend, tickets became needless. Hundreds of thousands people flocked the festival since the fences and gates were never completed. “Woodstock has become an idea that has suff used our culture, politically and socially, as much as musically,” woodstock.com posted.
by Tyrian Khan-White, Center Co-Editor
by Monica Patel, Center Co-Editor
The war was over, the Depression done, and America could fi nally exhale. Having lived liked Spartans for years, rationing food and laboring tirelessly in the name of the war effort, Americans were eager for a break from the toil. They called for an era of culture, an era of decadence and an era of fun. And Americans got their answer. Girls swooned as a young Elvis Presley moved his pelvis to the beat of some of the fi rst rock ‘n’ roll. Hitchcock’s Vertigo played at the drive-in before young men and women in their shapely, chrome-covered, American-made cars. A beloved Marilyn Monroe posed in what would become iconic photographs. Although minimum wage didn’t even reach $1 until 1956, Americans weren’t hesitant to spend their money. Diner’s Club Card, the fi rst credit card, was introduced in 1950, further encouraging Americans to spend—more specifically, to spend money they didn’t have. The nation’s appetite for convenient meals spawned thousands of innovations in food, notably Kraft’s sliced cheese (hey, what would our nation be without sliced cheese?). McDonald’s saw its beginnings as a franchise— though obesity wouldn’t officially be considered an epidemic for a few more decades. Food wasn’t the only thing on the minds of Americans. Amusement parks were forever changed when Disneyland opened its doors. On July 17, 1955, over 30,000 flocked to the newly opened park, paying an admission of just one dollar to ride the famous Disneyland Train among other att ractions. Americans were having fun again.
'The most famous event in rock history'
by Austin Ehrhardt, World Co-Editor
The economic downfall led to over a 25 percent unemployment rate by 1932. Millions of people were homeless. Five thousand banks failed. Th irteen to 15 million workers were left jobless, according to nytimes.com. Nine million savings accounts were wiped out, and wages were decreased by an average of 60 percent, according to indianchild. com. Within a period of 10 weeks in 1929, stocks on the New York Stock Exchange lost 50 percent of their value. As stocks continued to decrease, businesses failed, and unemployment rose dramatically according to virginia.
Everybody was doin' a brand new dance
Fashion ladies of the '8 '80 '80s
With hungry people scrounging for food and a $700 billion dollar bailout plan in the works, Americans are wondering if this economy is another Great Depression. “Comparisons between this economic recession and the Great Depression are common, but the granddaddy of all downturns was far worse,” CNNMoney.com staff writer David Goldman said. The 1930s was infamous for the Great Depression, the worst economic slowdown in the country's history. It began in 1929 and lasted until the late ‘30s and left scars on Americans nationwide.
Frivolty and fun in the '50s Fr
ers” (a term co oinedd in 1920 called “flflappe appers” coined renchh fi lm “The Flappe r””), ssought by the French Flapper”), previoously been called to changee what had previously acceptable behavior. They wore piles of makeup, drove automobiles, snorted cocaine and flaunted an unprecedentedly liberal and sexual behavior. At night they would go out and dance to Jazz music which was being spread to homes and speakeasies throughout the U.S. via the radio. Due to the Prohibition Act of 1919, flappers and their dates were forced to frequent illicit night clubs of the underground. It was through small protests like this that the flappers’ general disdain for authority began to propagate giving them an essential role in the fight for women’s suff rage— a goal they would eventually reach with the adaption of the 19th amendment in 1920. Soon flappers found their way into the world of art through pieces like F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel “The Great Gatsby” or the cartoons of Russell Patterson which pper er as aann iconic symbol er syy mbbol cemented the flaapper of female independence indeppend ndennce and nd a nd reckles ss. reckless.
Photos courtesy of AP Images
After World War I the U.S. walked away with two things: economic superiority and an “all play no work” mentality. Sustaining only about 100,000 military deaths, the fledgling nation felt virtually unscathed, and with its pockets full from international trade the U.S. decided it was time to reinvent itself. On Nov. 2 1920, Americans tuned in to hear both music and the James v. Harding election results broadcasted for the fi rst time from a small Saxonburg radio station known as KDKA . In that 18 hour broadcast operator Leo Rosenburg had changed the face of American entertainment forever. By 1922 over 600 radio stations surfaced across the U.S., and in 1923 60 percent of American families had purchased a radio. In the span of a few years Americans had turned what was once only used as something to wirelessly transmit signals to a premier form of entertainment. However, radios only provided the background music for a revolution that was occurring in acro rooss the U.S. homes and dancee clubs across t h co th cconservative onser err va v tive Not satisfiedd withh the re wa wa r er war eera, a, young ngg wom men e values of the pre women
peop pe oopple le are left left eft homeho Now, three and a half million people nks have failed acc cordi orrdi ding nngg ttoo ffd d icc less and 172 banks according fdic.gov. About 15.3 million people are left jobless, dangerously parallel to the number back in 1932, bls.gov said. “[The economy has affected my family], mostly because my dad is a teacher and they are having to cut stipends from his salary,” senior Scott Weller said. Today’s unemployment rate is 10 percent, not as significant as the Great Depression but still affecting today’s society. here at So don’t fear, the Great Depression isn’tt here—at least not yet.
To many people, the 1940s represent thousands of men in dingy grey uniforms jumping off of military barges and trekking across sodden European farmlands during World War II. However behind the Army Strong men, were many women. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, which left 2,403 dead on Dec. 7, 1941, the United States was launched into the secondd World War which lasted from 1939 to 11945. 19 45. Wi W ves, sis i ters and daughters w Wives, sisters were left to pick pick upp w where their men left off . Sixx mi m llioon females were wrangled wrang into million the workk pplace during dur u ing the early 1940s, 194 and the wome men’ss em mpl p oyme ment n rates rose fro women’s employment from 25 to 3 percent, perce cent, acco cordingg to discoveryeducadiscover 36 according ttiion on..ccom o . Wo W menn responded r sponnde re d d to th tion.com. Women the media tthhaatt urged u rrggeedd the hem m to take tak akee on the t he occupations occu that them tthhhat aatt ttheir hheei eiirr eenlisted n istedd men had nl ha vaca ate t d that vacated. B Br rig igg hhtt posters poosste t rs bearing beaa ri r ng the t he h images imaa Bright of a st rroonngg , hha st a rd rd-w -wor o kingg woman woom man bearing bbear strong, hard-working her newl wllyy-eeeaa rn r needd brawn bra r wnn dubbed dubbbe bed “Rosie “R Ro the newly-earned Riive veter” r”” bbecame ecam eca ec a me pedestrian ppeedest stri r ann to to th he average Riveter” the 199400 s lady. llaaddyy. In IInstead nst stteeeaad of scr rap ap-bboo ook 1940s scrap-booking and sewi se w i nngg , females fem fe maale a lees we w ere shipping shi h ppin ingg st sewing, were steel and hheellppiinng as aassemble ssem sem se mbbllee w aarr aairplanes. irpl planess. One in helping war eveerr y ffo ev ouurr w iivveess bbecame eeccaam me em eemployed ploy pl oyed by the every four wives
The ‘70s was a period of experimentation. While the rise of illegal drugs to the oil crises can be mentioned as proof of this, the main observation would be the disco craze. Disco is a form of music that, while most popular during the ‘70s, most people today still know of. Originating through funk and soul music, disco represented a lifestyle many wanted to be able to enjoy. It became so huge in the ‘70s most likely because it allowed for the counterculture belief in the use of heavy drugs and sexual promiscuity. Most notably, New York City’s Studio 54 was a dance club that was highly criticized for its lack of restrictions. It notoriously allowed child-star Drew Barrymore within its doors when she was only nine, helping to escalate a drug problem that began at that same age. As one could imagine, despite disco’s destructive nature, it was music meant to make people happy. Take, for example, the clothes.. Disco allowed people to have fun with fashion,, and the platform shoes and bell-bottoms definitely exemplified the concepts the era broughtt forth. The bright, flowery patterns and bold col-ors were meant to idealize psychedelia. However, idealizing psychedelia also meantt for many idealizing psychedelic drugs. By thee late ‘70s, 66 percent of Americans thoughtt marijuana was a problem for kids in both highh school and middle school, according to gallup. com. Because of this, disco, arguably the largest craze of the ‘70s, was over almost as quickly as it began. As the idea of complete social liberation began to fade from the minds of the kids growing older, so did disco, along with its gyrating dance moves.
Hurray for Y2K by Lindsay Reed, Reporter
by Serina Lewis, News Co Co-Editor ibly popular trends. sedd out on the se Most PRHS students missed leg eggi g ng ngss, decade of shoulder pads and neonn leggings, but they’re coming back. In the ‘80s, fashion designers fell in love with the idea of women looking masculine yet feminine at the same time. They pulled this look off by over sizing work suits, but adding big hair, drastic makeup, and layers of jewelry. The masculine look for women was new, but women began to feel confident and independent. Exercising was also very popular in the 80s—and the fashion world tended to the need of workout clothes. Whether you love it or hate it, shoulder pads, ripped jeans, bold makeup, neon colors and big hair are coming to a store near you.
Screaming in the toy aisle S by Maddison Coons, News Co-Editor Whether it’s plastic action figures or Pokémon cards, toys of the ‘90s may no longer be displayed on shelves of Toys-R-Us, but they remain colorfully enclosed in high school students’ memories forever. Power Rangers morphed with the ‘90s generation. “Billy the blue was my favorite, duh,” junior Spencer Silva said, born in 1993. “He has a sweet spear. The red Power Ranger said ‘tyrannosaurus’ too weird—he sounded congested which annoyed me,” referring to the 1993-1996 Morphin Power Rangers. While some liked to fight crime with their fi sts, others liked the idea of having Pikachu do it for them. Launched in Japan in 1996 and introduced to the U.S.
in 1998, Pokémon became the ultimate card game and collectors item. With 491 Pokémon ranging from a harmonious Jigglypuff to a fi re-blazing Charizard, they ranged from sweet to sour. Speaking of sweet, Easy Bake Oven was introduced in 1963 and revolutionized in 1997, when over 16 million were sold, according to Hasbro. Eleven versions of Easy Bake Ovens populated a product line that has expanded its treats. “I used to bake cakes for my family, especially my litt le brother, and he would eat them,” junior Monica Jiminez said, born in 1993. While the Easy Bake Oven used eggs to treat kids’ sweet tooth, another product used eggs to touch the
electronic savvy teen in children: Tamagotchi. The inch and a half hand held egg contained a digital pet ranging from dogs to dragons. Kids fed, played and watched their Tamagotchis grow fat and die due to their actions on three tiny buttons. Obsessed students brought Tamagotchis to school where they were later banned due to distracting students from work. (Cell phones, anyone?) “Feed me. Tickle me please. Thank you! Nee-tye kah doo-mah.” Th is language known as “Furbish” comes from the funky Furby dictionary. The multicolored bird toy was produced in 1998 and felt more like a paper weight then a toy.
Not all toys were as hard to throw around. Beanie Babies overflowed from shelves throughout the country, from holiday to Chinese zodiac collections. “I remember my Grandma’s collection [of Beanie Babies],” junior Madison Cline said, who believes beanie babies were better in the ‘90s. From stuffed hand sized animals to plastic figures a survey of PRHS students concludes that 35 out of 45 of them feel that the same toys on the market today were nothing like they were in the ‘90s.
Photo by Monica Patel
Pi t M d b k in i 1983 singing Picture Madonna back and dancing in her music video “Lucky Star.” A big, bold black bow topped off her teased blonde hair, Ray Ban sunglasses, black lace fi ngerless gloves leading to her silver bangles, fi shnet fabric overlapping a black cropped tee, a black skirt held up by a studded belt with dangling chains and a set of leggings underneath: the look of an ‘80s fashion icon. Madonna was one of the many famous trendsetters in the ‘80s. Others include Cyndi Lauper, remembered for her wild fashion style and Tina Turner for her mullet. On Aug. 1, 1981 MTV (Music Television) premiered their fi rst ever digitally broadcast music video. The spread of music through a picture led to a spread of incred-
end of the war, according to enotes.com. Even though women of the United States weren’t physically behind enemy lines but behind the scenes instead, their contributions helped win the war. Th is was a catalyst for many other events that led to the acceptance of women as equal in various abilities. In 1943, the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League was founded, followed by Eleanor Roosevelt becoming a U.S. delegate two years later, and jazz singer and “First Lady of Song” Ella Fitzgerald began her career in the surrounding years, according to discoveryeducation.com. It was official: women were no longer strictly Suzy Homemakers. As the decade wore on, the demand for female workers wore out. Men came home from the war and went back to their old jobs; women were once again positioned as housewives. However, the 1940s created numerous opportunities and advances for women in the U.S. So now when you see Tina Fey running the show on “30 Rock” you can give women of the 1940s some credit.
Th Thee past 10 years hhave been about pushing through the tough trials of the nation and optimistically looking forward to what’s to come. Th is new millenium began with the batt le up from the ashes of Sept. 11, 2001 which began the infamous War on Terror costing the nation at the very least $3 trillion. Alongside the war overseas, Americans are also in the war against the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Having produced enough trash to encircle the planet thousands of times, recycling has become the most popular nation-wide fad of the decade. A litt le over four and a half pounds of trash produced daily by the average American has allowed the U.S. to accumulate 251 million tons of trash per year. Fortunately, 82 million tons of that total is recycled. Despite the depressing average, every year the total of recycled waste increases by two million tons, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. The birth of the multiple “Going Green” campaigns is due to the growing awareness of the American carbon-footprint which is double the per-capita average of most of the
d. These campaigns campaig i ns make it their goal to world. bringg about improvement to our glob global polnt society. It’s not just the U.S. that th has lutant “G G i bbutt countries formedd “Go Green”” campaigns, around the world such as the U.K., Pakistan, Malaysia, etc. (www.klue.com). Alongside the environmental effort, the U.S. seems to be moving in a whole new direction politically. About 50 years ago minorities had to sit in the back of buses, drink out of separate drinking fountains and eat in separate restaurants. Now in 2008, Barack Obama became the fi rst African-American President of the U.S. Th is is major proof that American society is taking a significant step forward in its moral advances. President Obama’s persistence has led to the senates passing of healthcare reform which hopes to enable affordable and quality healthcare. Along with this political endeavor, Obama also wishes to end America’s War on Terror, provide better Social Security Protection and cut taxes for low-income families, according to Mona Charen of HeraldNet.com. Th is last decade has proved to be an eventful one
12 World www.crimsonchronicle.com
}
February 10, 2010
The sky’s the limit Dubai completes world’s tallest building
S U P M A ON C Students step up to aid in Haiti relief by Austin Ehrhardt, World Co-Editor
PRHS students were quick to respond to the catastrophe in Haiti, promptly forming the Haiti Earthquake Relief Group, an on-campus group devoted to providing aid to the island nation now in ruins. The club, comprised of more than a dozen students, has already collected above $850 in donations, money that will be sent to one of three organizations, including the Red Cross and Direct Relief International. THE AFTERMATH: A young Haitian man observes the wreckage of devastated Port-au-Prince. The group holds weekly meetings on Wednesdays Photo courtesy of AP Images. Used with permission. in room 309 and will host a booth at the Paso Robles Farmers’ Market beginning Sat. Feb. 13. Students involved also plan to sell Haiti relief wristbands – in the style of the sensational Livestrong bands – at school in the near future. PRHS students haven’t been alone in their endeavor. The group has extended itself to Lewis Middle School where nearly $400 has been raised. by Tyler West, Business Team “[Students] are seeing it isn’t all about them,” ethMost of Port-au-Prince has been destroyed and 1.5 need emergency aid and estimates of the dead have yet nic studies teacher Stan Cooper said, one of multiple million people are homeless as the small Caribbean to be found, Red Cross stated, according to Yahoo!. teachers, including Geof Land, helping with the relief nation fell victim to its largest earthquake in 200 hun- Among the deceased is Catholic Archbishop of Port- group. “Th is is a problem that isn’t just going away.” dred years. au-Prince, Joseph Serge Miot, who was 63. The earthquake was a magnitude 7.0 and struck “Parliament has collapsed. The tax office has colHaiti Earthquake Relief Group near the capital of Port-au-Prince, according to CNN. lapsed. Schools have collapsed. Hospitals have colHaiti is the western hemisphere’s poorest nation, and lapsed,” Haiti’s president Rene Preval said in the MiMeets Wednesdays in Rm. 309 cinder-block homes are commonplace and considered ami Herald. “There are a lot of schools that have a lot of dangerous even in normal conditions. dead people in them.” “The stone house started shaking and the tin roof Numerous countries, such as the U.S. and European ratt led,” aid worker Gregory Van Schoyck on CNN Union, have sent relief aid and troops to help with the said. “I put a glass of water on the ground, and it moved recovery effort; sixteen million ready-to-eat meals are for about four minutes.” on the way. Haiti’s government reported an updated About one third of Haiti’s nine million people will death toll of over 150,000.
Hell in Haiti
Earthquake devastates impoverished nation
}
by Tyler West, Business Team What comes to mind when you think of the Middle East? The Great Pyramids? Endless dunes of sand? Hookah? Well that no longer defi nes this region, as places like the city-state of Dubai are changing its image. The center piece for this transformation: Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building. Surpassing Taiwan’s Taipei 101, which stands at a mightyy 1,670 feet, the Americandesigned Burj Khalifa is a whopping 2,717 feet tall, containss 160 floors and costedd an estimated $1.5 billion, according to The Huffi ngtonn Dina Fahmy Post. It’s completion brings Photo by Tyler West the title of the world’s tallest building back to Middle East; the Great Pyramids at Giza, Egypt held the title for nearly 4,000 years until Lincoln Cathedral was completed in England in 1311. “Well, you don’t really hear many good things about the Middle East,” senior Dina Fahmy said, who is from Egypt, not far from Dubai. “It’s really cool that they built the tallest tower, from what I hear Dubai is very beautiful and an amazing place to visit. I really want to go there.” The gargantuan tower commands a 60 mile view and has the world’s fi rst Armani Hotel, the world’s highest swimming pool, performing fountain, and mosque. It took 1,325 days of excavation work and has nearly 1,650,000 square feet of space for 12,000 people to work and live inside the steel and glass mega structure, reported the BBC. Originally named the Burj Dubai, it was renamed Burj Khalifa in honor of the United Arab Emirates president Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed, who loaned Dubai billions of dollars to help its real estate and fi nancial crisis. Even though construction cranes crowd Dubai’s skyline, many of its skyscrapers are sitt ing empty, according to MSNBC. “Dubai doesn’t really need to have to build tall asides from prestige purposes. If you look at it, it’s a really bad idea. It uses as much electricity as an entire city. And every time the toilet is flushed they’ve got to pump water half a mile into the sky,” Jim Crane for CNN said. “The upper 30 or 40 floors are so tiny that they’re useless, so they can’t use them for anything else apart from storage. They’ve built a small, not so useful storage warehouse half a mile in the sky.” “People are becoming homeless and losing their jobs in this economy and they pay all that money for the tower,” continued Fahmy. “It’s nice but it’s just not the right time for it.”
The ten most polluted places The most dangerously polluted cities on Earth
by Paul Cleland, World Co-Editor Don’t bother hanging your laundry in these cities; it’ll turn black before it dries. Water, air and soil pollution leads to about 40 percent of death worldwide, according to the World Health Organization. Pollution is one of the leading factors contributing to malnourishment and disease susceptibility of 3.7 billion people, according to sciencedaily.com. The top 10 most polluted cities across the globe contain fairly “common” contaminants such as coal, lead,and chemical waste as well, which is among the most dangerous substances to come into contact with. In total, these 10 cities alone negatively affect more than 12.3 million people worldwide. Over 6.2 million of those affected are citizens of China, India or Russia. American cities have not appeared on the Blacksmith Institute’s list of the 10 most polluted cities is that “[our country] has stronger environmental regulations than most others,” according to science teacher Mark DiMaggio. In Linfen, China, the most polluted city on earth, one can barely see the sun through the haze of dense smog in the air caused by the thousands of illegal and legal coal mines, according to CNN.com. For those that visit the city, the air can be nearly unbearable. Within minutes of stepping outside, your
by Ian’s Dingler, Opinion Co-Editor
Did you know…?
eyes start to sting and your throat starts to burn from the arsenic, fluorine, lead, mercury and other pollutants within coal fumes, according to the United Nations Foundation. “When the sheep eat the grass near the factory, their babies are born with birth defects,” local sheep farmer Xue Chunlong said, who was interviewed by CNN last year. The most damaging contaminant out of the most polluted cities is the chemical waste which appears in Dzerzhinsk, Russia and Chernobyl, Ukraine. On April 26, 1986 the largest industrial accident in the world released 100 times more radiation than the fallout from the nuclear bombs at Hiroshima and Nagasaki into the air of Chernobyl, Ukraine, the eighth most polluted city on Earth. Within the following 16 years over 4,000 cases of thyroid cancer were diagnosed among children living in the fallout zone. Tens of thousands of years will have passed before Chernobyl becomes uncontaminated. Inhabitants of the 10 cities listed above are significantly less healthy than the average American. “Sadly, [citizens] of those cities are at a higher risk of cancer and defi nitely have a lowered life expectancy,” Earth Science teacher Mark Boicourt said. “There aren’t any private organizations whose goal is to make polluted cities cleaner. Those countries’ governments [have to do that],” Dimaggio said.
- After 30 years of drilling and deforestation in the Ecuadorian Amazon, the country has drafted the world’s fi rst constitution that grants inalienable rights to nature. “Nature, or Pachamama, where life is reproduced and exists, has the right to exist, persist, maintain and regenerate its vital cycles, structure, functions and its processes in evolution.” EarthIsland.org - Israel plans to build a barrier along the Egyptian border in order to prevent suspected “terrorist” and “infi ltrators” from crossing over unnoticed into the country. CNN.com
The dirty ten: 1
Linfen, China
2
Tianying, China
3
Sukinda, India
4
Vapi, India
5
La Oroya, Peru
6
Dzerzhinsk, Russia
7
Norilsk, Russia
8
Chernobyl, Ukraine
9
Sumgayit, Azerbaijan
10
Kabwe, Zambia
- North Korea called for peace treaty talks with the U.S. to officially end the Korean War after a 57 year ceasefi re. However, the U.S. says it will refuse to meet with North Korea until its humanitarian issues are solved and it starts the process of denuclearization. FoxNews.com - On Jan. 22 the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) announced to have found 513 billion barrels worth of crude oil in the Orinoco Belt of Venezuela. It still remains unclear how much of that oil can actually be removed. RawStory.com
Culture www.crimsonchronicle.com
13
February 10, 2010 PARADISE: Kien Nguyen sat on a palm tree on a Vietnamese beach and stared off into the distance while carelessly whistling. Though he is away from home, Nguyen enjoys being in America. Photo illustration courtesy of Kien Nguyen
Greetings from Vietnam! Kien Nguyen’s assimilation to America by Caitlyn Curran, Fun and Games Editor After two fl ight connections to Taiwan and San Francisco and 20 hours of travel, Kien Nguyen’s plane descended into the San Luis Obispo Airport around 12 p.m. One would think he’d be tired, but excitement kept him up. “[America] is the farthest English speaking country from my home; I like to explore the really new,” Nguyen said. The biggest culture shock to Kien Nguyen in his new exploration was “everything.” Compared to his physics school in Vietnam, PRHS is a new world. “Last year I came to the U.S. for summer camp to learn English in New York, and it impacted me a lot,” Nguyen said. Th is experience inspired him to be a foreign exchange student. Nguyen’s dad also wanted him to come to America and go to college here after talking to the father of last year’s Vietnamese exchange student, Quong. Nguyen described it as a difficult choice to make at fi rst but one that he is glad to have made. Quong introduced Nguyen to the host family that welcomed him last year and who now are Kien Nguyen’s host family. Nguyen stated every day is a good experience. “I feel comfortable here,” Nguyen said. Nguyen wants to stay in America because he believes “it has a good educational system, [and the] people are open and friendly.” A good example would be history teacher Gregg Williams, who let him borrow a bike when his tire went flat. “Kien is somewhat of a quiet boy with a nice, big smile,” Williams said. Nguyen and his smile have already made friends at PRHS.
“At fi rst I would just ask him words he could translate. We hung out a lot over break, and I ate American food with him for his fi rst time,” senior Victor Delgado said, as he and Nguyen laughed, remembering the experience. “We met from soccer. He seemed shy, so I wanted to get to know him,” senior Luis Mendoza said. Nguyen has once dreamed of being the chairman of Manchester United, a soccer league in England. Ever since he was seven, he and his friends have loved soccer, or bong da in Vietnamese. “My friends and I live for soccer; we would play it after school and play it in video games,” Nguyen said. “When I was litt le, people watched soccer on TV and screamed. My cousin loves soccer, too. Vietnamese are crazy about soccer.” Even though he forgot his cleats and couldn’t make the team for PRHS, he wasn’t sad because he was able to make friends that share his hobby. Soccer isn’t Nguyen’s goal for career choice, however. He wants to go to Lycoming College in Pennsylvania to study business or economics, but he is still undecided about his future pro- FRIENDS: Buddies Kien Nguyen, Luis Mendoza, Victor Delgado, fession. Ramos and Alejandro Co“I don’t know. I just Alexander rona smile and strike a pose. want to get money,” Photo of Kien Nguyen Nguyen said. But for now he is focused on academics and enjoying his time in America.
Learn to say ‘I love you’ multiple ways —Tyler West
Does your heart ache? Do you love someone but just don’t know how to say it? Love can be hard to express, here’s various ways to say what you truly mean. 1
Chinese
2
Danish 3 French 4 Japanese 5 Korean
我爱你
Woah eye nee
6
Jeg elsker dig
Jegg ells-kur dig
7
Je t’aime
Jeh tem
8
大好きです
Dai suki desu
당신을 사랑합니다
Dang-shin ul saran gab-ni-da
9 10
Source: freetranslation.com, omniglot.com
Polish
Kocham cię
Russian Swahili
Я так люблю тебя
Ya tak lyu-blyu tebia
Ninakupenda
Neena koo-pen-da
ฉันร กั คุณ Thai Vietnamese Tôi yêu bạn
Koh-chamm tsee-ee
Chan rak khoon Thoy eew bant
Valentine’s Day is celebrated in foreign countries Roses are red, violets are blue, different countries celebrate Valentine’s Day, too: cards, chocolates in a red heart box, roses that are red and come in extravagant numbers from one to 108, countries have their own way of expressing love. These exchanges of gifts and the poetic word travel from one lover to another and across the following seven countries. Brazil
This country celebrates Valentine’s Day on June 12, but it’s known as Dia dos Namorados, or “Day of the Enamored.” This is the day before Saint Anthony’s Day, who is known to bless couples with successful marriages. Houses and shops are decorated to appear more beautiful. The day includes a festival with live rock or popular bands, samba dancing and folk music.
France
A custom known as “drawing for” used to occur. Women called out from their home to a man in the home across from them, and couples would pair off with whoever they locked eyes with. The man would leave the woman if he wasn’t satisfied. The abandoned women had bonfires to burn the image of the men, while shouting what would be similar to cuss words today. The French government realizedd its harshness and banned the custom many centuries ago. Now cartes d’amities, or cards with sweet messages, are given out.
Greece
Feb. 14 is the day the sacred marriage of Zeus and Hera is remembered. The day consists of rekindling love and romance while drinking fancy wines and eating gourmet foods in the presence of the bright blue Aegean or Ionian Sea.
Italy
Valentine’s Day was celebrated as a Spring Festival. People gathered in ornamental gardens and listened to music and poetry. Today Feb. 14 is the time to express affection toward the person adored. One might receive a Baci Perugina while on date at a pizzeria, a popular gift containing a chocolate covered hazelnut enclosed in a little slip of paper with a poetic quote written in four languages.
Japan
On Feb.14 females give a gift, which usually consists of different types of chocolates to a male. Bosses or co-workers, receive “giri (obligation)-choco (chocolate)” from women as merely a gift and not a notion of their love. On March 14, White Day, the male return the favor to the lady with a gift of chocolate.
South Africa
Young girls pin the name of their lovers on the sleeves of their blouses on Feb. 14 hoping to grab their lover’s attention. The day is celebrated with a Roman festival of “Lupercalia.” Lupercalia comes as either a Lupercus, a wolf that protected flocks from wolves, or Faunus, god of shepherds and agriculture.
Taiwan
Valentine’s Day is celebrated Feb. 14 and July 7 on the Lunar calendar. The color and number of roses given to a lover is significant. If one is to receive a single red rose this means they are “an only love.” Eleven roses means that person is “a favorite” while 99 roses represents “forever.” The ultimate amount of roses is 108 which one would present someone with “marry me.”
—Maddison Coons
Illustrations by Mae Bradley
Sources: helium.com, dgreetings.com, novareinna.com,meridiangraphics.net
Vietnamese restaurant gets a 9.5 from CC staff Saigon Eggroll adds exotic flavor to Paso by Emily Cone, People Co-Editor When walking into Saigon Eggroll, a local Vietnamese restaurant that has been open for about two years, don’t expect to be transported to a Vietnamese palace. You can, however, expect amazing Vietnamese food. After entering this small restaurant in the Food 4 Less shopping center, one’s eyes are instantly greeted by a colorful slideshow of Saigon’s meals: a golden, crisp Vietnamese Sandwich; deep brown, juicy Bon Thit Nung; and their specialty Pho, a delicious soup immersed in thin pale noodles and other tasty accompaniments. Saigon Eggroll is a Vietnamese restaurant but carries other Oriental foods on its menu such as Thai Ice Tea and Oriental Chicken Salad. Just ask owner Nhi Phu and he will eagerly explain the entire Saigon menu to you—explaining where each item came from, what it tastes like and the probability of you enjoying it. eHarmony may SERVICE WITH A SMILE: Owner have the 26 characteristics of compatibility, but Saigon Eggroll knows Nhi Phu will scratch your back if you scratch his. Saigon Eggroll offers all the characteristics of my taste buds. delicious Vietnamese and other One can visit Saigon Eggroll over and over again and not be disap- Oriental food. Photo by Emily Cone pointed with the diverse menu. Even with the salty, marinated meat dishes, bursts of fresh vegetables and crisp new textures are found in every bite, something uncommon in American cuisine. The people working at Saigon will tell you their number one selling item is their specialty Pho soup— and it’s not hard to tell why. Instead of a soggy bowl of unequally heated liquid, Pho is a steaming bowl of delicious broth and noodles. But that’s not all. Eating Pho soup is like hitting gold; inside are additional tasty morsels that will make your taste buds sing with every slurp. “For all you students out there, if you’re curious about trying out Vietnamese food, I highly recommend you come and support us...As far as the food here, everything is made fresh from scratch; it’s healthy depending on what you pick. We’ve got eggrolls, chow mein, bon thit nung, you name it. We’ve also got our famous Pho soup. So if you guys are interested as far as being curious, come and support us and we’d appreciate that. Pretty much, you scratch my back, I scratch yours,” Phu said. With all of its combined elements: the friendly people, convenient location and fantastic food, Saigon Eggroll gets a solid recommendation from The Crimson Chronicle Staff.
14 Arts and Entertainment
February y 10,, 2010
www.crimsonchronicle.com
Now that the Y2K decade is over, we thought it was appropriate to look over the past movies, TV shows, songs and bands to show the development and some would say vast improvement throughout the decade. The past of arts and entertainment include hobbits on a magical quest, Italian mafia members, and the black eyed peas that you don’t eat. To complete our journey through the decade, PRHS students, with the help of surveymonkey.com, looked at each professional critics countdown, and rearranged it to their favorite movie, show, song etc. from that countdown. In this next decade, what we can hope for in the arts, is that Batman will be just as good with out Heath Ledger and that Green Day will not be number one in 2020. writen by Aryn Fields, A&E Editor and compiled by Ethan Baietti, Opinion Co-Editor
Entertainment Tonight’s
Top Movie Choice
1. 2.
Brokeback Mountain
3.
Gladiator
4.
Dark Knight
5.
Wall-E
Top TV Show Choice
Top Movie Choice
Lord of the Rings
Bearcats
TV Guides
Bearcats
Dark Knight
1.
1.
2.
“We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey
“Yeah!” by Usher
2.
LOST
Lord of the Rings
3.
24
The Sopranos
Brokeback Mountain
4.
The Wire
24
5.
Daily Show with John Stewart
The Wire
Wall-E
Gladiator
LOST
Bearcats
Top Song Choice “I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas
Top Band Choice
Top Band Choice
Black Eyed Peas
1.
Green Day
“Yeah!” by Usher
2.
Radio Head
3.
U2
Green Day
4.
Cold Play
Radio Head
5.
Black Eyed Peas
3.
“Low” by Flo Rida
“How You Remind Me” by Nickelback
4.
“How You Remind Me” by Nickelback
“Low” by Flo Rida
5.
“I Gotta Feeling” by Black Eyed Peas
“We Belong Together” by Mariah Carey
Photos and Graphics used with permission by DuckydoesTV.com
Daily Show with John Stewart
The Sopranos
Bearcats
Top Song Choice
Top TV Show Choice
Cold Play
U2
Arts and Entertainment
15
February 10 , 2010
www.crimsonchronicle.com
Artist of the Month: Alison Hutchinson PRHS senior finds her passion in room 506 by Aryn Fields, A&E Editor
SELF PORTRAIT: Alison Hutchinson holds up a self portrait. Photo by Lindsay Reed, Graphic Effect by Aryn Fields
Stick figures: It’s hard to admit it but most students can only draw stick figures. For senior Allison Hutchinson this was true when she was five, but as she’s grown up Hutchinson has mastered the art of drawing. Hutchinson learned how to craft this skill in PRHS’ room 506. Art: is a broad term meant for any type of visual creation, such as painting, paper mache, sculpting, etc. But Hutchinson has specific areas, she’s gifted in.
“[I] paint [and] draw mostly realistic stuff with any type [of tool]. Pencil, pastel, India ink,” Hutchinson said. Many types of drawing styles include: abstract, conceptual, representational and naturalistic. However Hutchinson stays in the world of realism. “My style is making things look realistic. I love doing realism and graphic art, not on a computer. Like one time I drew a self portrait, and the background was different types of lines and textures and
that’s graphic art,” Hutchinson said. One of Hutchinson’s best friends is PRHS alumni Kelsey Garman, who has known Hutchinson for seven years and sees her talent through painting and drawing. “Would it be considered boasting if I said she excelled at both [painting and drawing]? I honestly couldn’t pick one over the other. Both her drawings and paintings blow me away,” Garman said. Drawing has become such a big part of Hutchinson’s life that she wants to go into architecture or industrial product design, which requires having talent in sketching and what Hutchinson calls the analysis of each image. “I like capturing the way things look. I love the analysis of each drawing. The analysis is breaking down each image into its basic elements, how lines intersect, the size of angles, all the different shapes and how they are all relevant to themselves,” Hutchinson explained. The aspiring architect had to learn how to draw from somewhere didn’t she? When Hutchinson was old enough to hold a pencil she started drawing. Hutchinson stated she doesn’t remember ever not drawing. However she defi nitely didn’t start out as the artistic genius she is today. “When I was younger, I’d try drawing people, but they never looked right. In high school I learned to draw things how they actually are and not how I think they should look, I think a lot of people understand how much time I put in to be as good as I am, I’ve drawn ever since I knew what drawing was,” Hutchinson said. Garman, who has known
Hutchinson through her artistic evolution reports that Hutchinson has always had a gift for art. And that even some of her paintings look completely realistic. “She’s been artistic for as long as I have known her. Every birthday and Christmas, Ali hand makes my cards. I save all of them, they’re so amazing. We always joked about how in my living room my parents have a giant photograph of my sister and none of my brother and me. So for my 18 birthday she did a painting of me. I remember opening it and thinking it was a photograph until I saw her initials in the corner. That’s how talented she is,” Garman said. Hutchinson used her life long talent to enter local contests and has taken home the silver. She won second place in the “Brush Strokes” contest at the Paso Robles Public Library and the Morro Bay Art Association. She also took home fi rst, second and honorable mention at the PRHS Open House. Hutchinson’s winnings show she’s a great artist and that she cares for the craft . Garman agrees that Hutchinson is extraordinarily talented. “Of course [she’s one of the best artists in the school], she’s my best friend and so humble about how talented she is. She’s one of the best artists I’ve ever met,” Garman said. Even if Hutchinson cant get into a field of work that includes art work, Hutchinson still plans on keeping drawing and painting as a constant part of her life.
Don’t give me a soprano, “Lend Me A Tenor” A review of PRHS drama program’s latest comedy by Mae Bradley, Reporter
HOLD ON TIGHT!: Left to right- Pierre Hollay, Veronica Rodin and Alex Delbar star in the fierce comedy “Lend Me A Tenor,”
Freshman Alex Delbar can now boast the character of Henry Saunders. In the latest school play “Lend Me a Tenor”, Delbar’s morally callous character is riveting. Senior and stage manager of the Jan 29 production Veronica Rodin, was enthusiastic about the estimated 100 in attendance and the mutual enthusiasm between the audience and cast she received opening night. “We just have a great cast and they know how to enjoy themselves and let the audience enjoy what they create.” Rodin said.
Photo by Aryn Fields
Freshman Shiv Patel, who saw the play opening night, had already formed his opinions about the play, but had to remold them to fit the quirky and fascinating production. “To tell you the truth I really thought that the play was going to be really boring, but as I watched it I was quickly proved wrong. I say this because from beginning to end it was hilarious,” Patel said. “Lend Me a Tenor” portrays characters who suffer from a revealing worship of celebrity culture, and the true nature of fame. Opera star Tito Merelli and his wife stay at a hotel, in the care of his artistic director Henry Saunders and his assistant Max. When Tito Merelli’s wife leaves him, he becomes de-
3D movies are Watching movies in 3D by Andrew Chang, Sci-Tech co-editor and Paul Cleland,
On June 10, 1915 in the Astor Theater of New York people paid for their tickets, sat in their seats, and as the movie, “Jim the Penman” started, they put on their 3D glasses for the fi rst time ever. Today, 3D movies have become an every day occurrence. 26 of 2009’s movies were in 3 dimensions, and at least another 33 are expected in 2010, according to 3dguy.tv. These shows do not, however, come without health risks, including nausea, dizziness, headache, and eye soreness. In fact, 26 percent of Paso high school students have suffered these or more symptoms (127 students polled), with the most common symptoms being dizziness followed by headaches. But what exactly causes us to suffer from these symptoms? There actually is no proven cause, according to Daniel Engber of “Slate” magazine, but there are a few theories. One theory is that our eye movement when watching a 3D depth effect from the movie is different than the eye movement from real life depth effects. Normally, as an object zooms closer, our eyes turn “cross-eyed,” and the lenses in our eyes bend to focus on the object while the background goes blurry. Th is is called “convergence and accommodation.” Convergence and accommodation does not work in the theater, as it focuses on a point in front of the screen, rather than the screen itself. Th is unnatural eye movement most likely is the cause of discomfort. Watching a 3D movie for a prolonged time can also cause this unnatural eye movement to become temporarily natural. Th is causes mild, temporary vision problems outside of the movie theater. While there is no proof that this effect is lasting, if in the future 3D projections are common, this may permanently affect peoples’ vision. Another theory for the discomfort is the placement of the two
movie projectors that project different images. The farther apart the images, the more “3D” they become, but they also get harder to “fuse” together into one image. Th is difficulty can cause us to have double vision, or other types of eye discomfort. Others may moan and groan, but the pains of watching these movies have not drastically affected Paso’s Park Cinema. “Only 2 movies have been shown in 3D at Park Cinemas. So far, no one has reported becoming sick because of a 3D movie,” general manager Jim Reed said. As there is no proven cause, there is also no proven remedy for the nausea. For the few that do feel their head spin, just stick with the 2D version, and hold off on the lenses.
spondent. Max tries to wake him the next morning— and can’t. Presuming Tito to be dead, Max pretends to be Tito on the prodding of Henry, but it turns out that Tito’s really not dead. “He then wakes up and heads for the stage which really isn’t good because there are now two Merellis’. Because of this event, there are a lot of confusions, and plot twists throughout the play. Overall this was a great play, which was played by great actors.” Patel said. Alex Delbar eff used about the play as well. “There’s a really big mix up, a comedy of errors thing… It’s probably the most amazing thing to happen to this universe. Th rough these economically difficult times and the absolutely terrible world that we live in, the thing that we need right now in this galaxy and this world that we live in is laughter. Laughter is
16 Sci-Tech February 10, 2010
www.crimsonchronicle.com
‘Everything iDon’t, Droid does’ …or does it? How the two ‘app phones’ compare Ho by Mo Monica Patel, Center Co-Editor When Droid launched in Verizon stores nationwide Wh on Nov. No 6, it did more than just sell. It created a new spin to the smartphone debate. Before Droid surfaced to the market, the deliberations had primarily been based upon u iPhone and BlackBerry. “A smartphone s is a cellphone with e-mail—an old BlackBerry, BlackB a Blackjack, maybe a Treo. Th is new category—somewhere egory— between cell phones and laptops, or eve even beyond them—deserves a name of its own,” David Pogue said on nytimes.com. Now, N people have been talking up a storm (no, not the BlackBerry Storm) about iPhone and Droid— not no ‘smartphones,’ but both ‘app phones’ instead. iPhone and Droid both have a storage capacity of o 16GB and have WiFi, GPS, and voice command. m iPhone’s battery life for 3G talk time lasts five hours and its standby lasts 300 hours. Droid’s battery life for 3G talk time lasts 6.4 hours and its standby lasts 270 hours. Droid’s 5.0 megapixel camera comes with video recording but iPhone’s 3.0 megapixel camera includes video recording and editing. iPhone carries 93,200 apps (iTunes App
Store) while Droid currently carries 10,000 apps (Android Market) (BillShrink.com). Although Droid and iPhone have distinctions, they have noteworthy similarities such as their price. Both app phones are priced at $199 or $599 without a contract. Their unlimited usage plans cost $149.99 which includes unlimited voice, messaging and 5GB data whereas average usage plans cost $109.99 which includes 900 minutes, unlimited messaging, and 5GB data. Over the span of 24 months the unlimited plan’s total cost is $3,799 plus tax, and the average plan’s total cost is $2,839 plus tax for both app phones (BillShrink. com). Even though Droid isn’t an iPhone killer, “it’s certainly a killer phone,” Pogue said. “It runs on Verizon’s superior cell phone network, so it won’t drop your calls in New York City and San Francisco [as AT&T often does on the iPhone].” “I like iPhone—it’s by far better than the ‘wannabe’ Droid,” junior Joseph Macharia said. Whether you fancy iPhone instead of Droid or the other way around, one thing is defi nite: both app phones open new doors into the realm of expedient technology.
Photo: Megan Boswell
Cellular History:
1977 1st cell phone
1996 119 1st flip phone
1999 1st MP3 phone
Photo: AP Images used with permission
2009 20 1st DDroid
20077 1st iPhone
1996 1st smart phone 2000 1st touch screen phone h
2002 20 1st camera phone
Even free music has a price... Debates over downloading music illegally by Tyrian Khan-White, Center Co-Editor A similar case is alternative band, Radiohead, who in 2008 distributed their entire album online for free. Lead singer Thom Yorke even joined the ranks of Robbie Williams and the band Blur recently to vote against penalties for illegal downloaders. Though there are several laws meant to prevent piracy (the ones currently in effect include fines of up to $250,000 and five years in prison depending on the severity of the case,) most teenagers don't realize this, according to Microsoft.com, and if they did, they'd be much less likely to download illegally. PRHS students tend to disagree: "Look, it's not that big of a deal. It's not like I'm trying to sell music to every kid at school. I just want to listen to it," one anonymous student said, who admitted to having over 5,000 songs, most of SELL OUT SUCCESS STORY: Vampire Weekend plays a sold out show which were illegally downloaded. in LA thanks to free MySpace dowloading “They can't catch everyone, anyway," another Photo: AP images used with permission anonymous senior followed up. "Whether or not they'll admit Ninety five percent of all–yes, all music downloads (40 bilit, the chances of us getting into trouble are tipping in our favor. lion songs) in 2008 were illegal, according to the International Not even artists care anymore." This may be true, within reaFederation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI). By definition, ilson. legal or pirated downloads are unauthorized, stolen from copy"They found that people who download music for free are righted or patented sources. also the people who spent the most money on it," Koenig said. "Every time you swap music with your friends, a new artist "People who love music are going to get it however they can, doesn't get a chance. Respect the artists you love by not stealand if that means downloading it for free, you can't get mad at ing their music," The Dixie Chicks said, in a statement on their them. So what? They'll probably be the first person in line for website regarding piracy. This sentiment, once agreed upon by your show." most musicians, has slowly and surprisingly shifted towards the Ultimately, this may end up being the case for all downloads. minority opinion. If things continue the way they're going, and legislation weak"Giving songs away is important," lead singer of indie band ens more than it already has, any form of legal download or purVampire Weekend Ezra Koenig, said in an interview with MySchase will disappear very soon, according to the IFPI. pace. Their second album, Contra, debuted at the number one The risks of technology continue to show their effects, but it spot this January. Before the release of their album, the band seems that society is willing to take them. Whether or not illegal had given away a free MP3 of one of their newest songs, Hordownloading should continue is arguable, but it’s not going to chata, and had also streamed their entire album on their MySstop soon. pace page.
Klassic Klean Kanteen Paso prevents plastic pollution one bottle at a time On a comfortable day in PRHS classroom Room 114, Scott Larson’s history students take a break from lectures and reach for a swig of water. The crunch and squeeze of water or Gatorade bottles in the hands of most students is hear throughout the room. Two out of 25 students reach for their sleek, aluminum, eco-friendly container, Klean Kanteen. Here are nine reasons to pick up your own eco-friendly bottle:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
Klean Kanteen Company first introduced their product in 2004. They are the first eco-friendly, stainless steel bottle for anyone’s use. Americans buy 29.8 billion plastic bottles a year.
Only about 20 percent of those plastic bottles are recycled. The remaining 80 percent end up in landfills or in our oceans. Less than 1 percent of all plastics (in the big picture) are left out the blue recycling container and tossed into the pile of waste. A water bottle can be reused so many times but can only be healthily and properly used once. The 18/8 food-grade stainless, a high quality steel, allows for the extremely light bottle ranging from 3.75 ounces to 10.875 ounces, to age without all the wrinkle, according to KleanKanteen.com.
Buying water at school everyday costs $1.25, and that’s $6.25 a week, $221.25 a year. You are able to find the Klean Kanteen that fits your lifestyle. Local health food store Natural Alternative has carried the product for two years in a variety of styles and colors. The Klean Kanteen ranges in price from $16.95 to $27.95, adding more than a buck to your bank, body, and planet.
- Maddison Coons, News Co-Editor
Health
17
February 10, 2010
www.crimsonchronicle.com
Four PRHS students were guinea pigs for some of the most popular food fads: Vegan, Flexitarian, Kosher and Vegetarian. Illustrations by Mae Bradley and Graphic by Reilly Newman
Flex your diet muscles
And so it vegan
by Emily Cone, People Co-Editor
by Torey Wise, Sports Co-Editor Vegan is a practice where animal products are cut out of a diet (meat, dairy, eggs) and in cooking too. Senior Scott y Saunders took the challenge of being our “vegan guy” for a week. “I already don’t eat a lot of meat so I didn’t think it would be that hard; all I did was go to Vons, Trader Joes, and the Health Food Store and got what I needed.” In the middle of the week Saunders felt it was still easy. “There are so many substitutes for every animal product that I can still eat all the food I like just with different ingredients. It’s easy to be a vegan,” Saunders said. With his week over and done, Saunders held to his word about veganism being “easy.” In the beginning he
Senior Scotty Saunders
did not think the same though. “My friends told me it would be easy, and I was like ‘no way’ but it Photo by Mae Bradley was.” The experience was a breeze to Saunders but also helpful. “The school lacks a more vegan nutritious diet so I was forced to cook my own meals which made me better at cooking,” Saunders said. Saunders surprisingly found some of his new foods lie within the boundaries of veganism like ice cream, made with coconut milk not dairy, cookie dough flavor of course. In the end Saunder’s challenge is not over. He is deciding to stay vegan and see how far he can take it!
This is no swine time by Aryn Fields, A&E Editor With an oink, oink here and an oink, oink there, everywhere an oink, oink. Except on this farm Old McDonald didn’t eat his pigs because he was Kosher. Sophomore Brandon Harris tried being Kosher for a week. It was harder than one may think according to him. Eating Kosher means not eating any fruits or vegetables with pesticides, eating Kosher meat and not eating any part of an animal except its abdominal area. Kosher meat needs to be prepared by boiling the blood out and draining excess fluids. Harris began his kosher diet by going to the grocery store and picking up the food needed to go Kosher. “I couldn’t fi nd anything! The most that was there was kosher hot dogs, so I got four packets. And I don’t know what fruits are used without pesticides! I don’t plan on Kosher shopping again,” Brandon Harris said. Harris mostly ate Kosher hot dogs and stuck to nor-
SSophomore BBrandon Harris
mal fruit but was soon presented with an ultimatum that made him crave meat more then anything. “My family went Photo by Ethan Baietti out to dinner to Chili’s. The whole place was meat, meat, meat and I couldn’t eat any of it because my meat has to be a certain way,” Harris said. Harris started to get sick of eating Kosher hot dogs, and around day four and five soon became irritated of being Kosher. “Some nights I eat some other Kosher meat but for the most part it’s hot dogs all the time! I miss having cheese or milk. Not gonna lie. I do not like being Kosher,” Harris said. Harris ended his Kosher diet by breaking all the rules and eating a non Kosher hamburger with cheese and grapes.
Star food of the month: Pomegranate The Queen of Fruits by Madison Butz, Editorial Editor Just because pomegranates have a reputation er is perfect for this fruit to of messy juice and spurting blood-colored seeds grow. doesn’t mean you should avoid eating this superTheir Latin name is "Punifruit, especially since the vitamins and antioxidants cum Granatum," which is why contained in their husk can give your body a much- the juice is called grenadine. needed boost this winter. “One pomegranate that is Other words that derive from 3-3/8 inches in diameter has 105 calories and about this title are grenades, which are 25 grams of sugar. Pomegranates are a great source shaped like pomegranates, and the of potassium, and pomegranate juice contains anti- gemstone garnet, which shares the deep red oxidants that help to prevent plaque build up in your of its seeds. Pomegranates are mentioned often in arteries," according to About.com. the Bible and literature through the middle ages and Pomegranates, which grow on trees, are a large, Renaissance. For instance, this tempting sweet treat dark red fruit with a "crown" on top, which often caused Persephone to fall into the depths of hell in the garners it the title “The Royal Fruit;” you'll often see Greek myth. But most importantly, they are a famous them growing along the side of the road or in people's aphrodisiac, which means they are supposed to cause backyards, especially in California where the weath- people to fall in love. It's perfect for a romantic Valentine's Day treat!
Pomegranate poached pears
Ingredients:
2 medium pears 2 cups pomegranate juice cinnamon to taste 1 teaspoon almond extract
Instructions:
How to eat a pomegranate: Although the bright seeds of a pomegranate are delicious, they can be messy, and their color can stain clothes. Follow these easy directions to de-seed your pomegranate.
1. Cut off top Bring the Pomegranate juice to a simmer in the pan Add brown sugar, stir gently until dissolved Add cinnamon, let simmer 20 min. (this will reduce the 3. Soak 5-10 mins. liquid a bit until it’s almost a syrup!) 5. Seeds sink, membranes float! Halve pears and add to syrup Cook for 15 minutes at a simmer, stirring occasionally (make sure the pears get an even coating of the pomegranate sauce). Arrange on a plate with a drizzle of sauce
2. Make shallow cuts in sides
4. Break seeds out into bowl of water
An increasing amount of Americans have become Flexitarian meaning they’re mostly vegetarian, but occasionally allow themselves to eat meat. Flexitarians “eat more whole and natural foods with less refi ned sugar, additives and preservatives,” according to Dawn Jackson Blatner, American Dietetic Association Media person and the author of “The Flexitatrian Diet.” Th is allows eating healthy to become easier and more delicious to the average Flexitarian. “Flexitarians are pro-plants, not anti-meat so it’s less about how often they eat or don't eat meat and more about how much variety and enjoyment they are gett ing from focusing on nutrition from plants,” Blatner added. Sophomore Brooklynn Orlando agreed to try being Flexitarian for a week. “I hope it will make me want
SSophomore BBrooklynn Orlando
to eat less of the red meats!” she said. “[I’m doing this] so [students] could know or think of how much food they’d Photo by Emily Cone be saving in a year or just to know how many lives’ of animals they would be saving!” “The hardest part of being Flexitarian was not being able to eat with the rest of my family,” Orlando said, who only ate meat once in her week-long trial. “I had more energy to do stuff, and I learned that tofu and cauliflower are a bad mix.” Utilizing such a diet can, cause you to “weigh 15 percent less, have a lower rate of heart disease, diabetes and cancer and live 3.6 years longer,” Blatner said. If counting calories and 10 hour work-outs don’t appeal to you, there’s always Flexitarianism.
Edgy when it comes to going veggie by Monica Patel, Center Co-Editor Vegetarians—who are these people? According to junior Philip Maxey they are “skinny, not very athletic—and crazy! How can you not love meat!?” But in actuality, a vegetarian is a person who does not eat or does not believe in eating meat, fish, fowl or in some cases any food derived from animal according to dictionary.com. Being the passionate meat lover Maxey is, he decided to challenge himself by going vegetarian for one week beginning Mon. Jan. 11. Maxey’s ideal meal is “Hawaiian ribs, baked potatoes, salad and corn on the cob with a cold can of Dr. Pepper.” But Maxey (who usually eats meat once a day) does like some vegetarian dishes such as potato soup, broccoli casserole and mashed potatoes. “But mashed potatoes
Junior Philip Maxey
taste best with litt le bacon bits sprinkled on top,” he said. “On my fi rst night Photo by Monica Patel [of being a vegetarian] I had broccoli casserole with Dr. Pepper—and I’m prett y sure Dr. Pepper isn’t meat,” Maxey joked. “I ate a lot of corn, bread,and starches the rest of the week—oh, and a lot of vegetables.” Temptation almost lured Maxey into eating meat four times. “I felt deprived. And it doesn’t help that my dad is a total red neck and was making fun of me for not eating meat all week,” he said. Although Maxey can survive being a vegetarian for seven days, he would never consider becoming a long term vegetarian. “I love meat too much—especially steak and Hawaiian ribs,” he said.
Healthy Quick Tips General tips for the constant batt les of gaining weight and ways to prevent cancer.
1.
2.
3. 4. 5.
Used with permission from morguefile.com
When you’re chewing gum, you’re swallowing large amounts of air that goes right to the stomach which causes it to swell. Salt contains zero calories but high consumption of it results in provisional weight gain since it causes your body to retain water. Putting your food on a blue plate facilitates weight loss plans because the color blue is an appetite suppressant. Think about it: are there many foods you eat that are the color blue? Studies show that eating more than 18 ounces of red meat a week can increase your risk for cancer, heart disease and diabetes. A study of 32,269 women discovered that about an hour of daily vigorous activity (even housework) trims breast cancer risk by nearly 20 percent. —Monica Patel Source: Fitness Magazine
18 Fun and Mustaches February 10, 2010
www.crimsonchronicle.com
Stop Talking
KFC: Tell me
Guess this stache!
Words that should be banned from 2010
why it’s raining these staches around campus and make your guess! Go to www.crimsonchronicle.com and click Dr. Sss style the ‘fun’ tab to reveal what we’re all wondering: Who’s ‘stache is that?! Holiday season gave way to... moustache season! Bearcat boys are following suit. Watch out for
by Karlee Anderson, Editor
By Megan Boswell, sci-tech co editor
-In-Chief
a. Julio Hernandez
b. Scotty Saunders
c. Ian Dingler
Photo by Austin Ehrhardt
a. Carl Delbar
b. Nick Hopper
c. Reilly Newman
Caution: Although these words can be satirically funny when used in jest, they are not to be taken seriously! Overused and abused in 2009, lets cut them from our vocabulary this year.
Rain, rain, go away Stay away from our sunny state. We could be wearing flipflops and shorts But instead it’s PE on the basketball courts. Outside it is wet But I could make you a bet Half the school is still void sweater Despite the stormy weather.
of a
This is the first time I have tried To make a KFC that actually rhymed. You may not find it funny But both my humor and the quad are murky and muddy. As we prayed for the lights to go out You could hear the girl’s shout As they walked into the rain Like it was acid and they were in pain. The streets were soaked And everyone that had cars were stoked As they drove by the kids that walk to school Then doused them and called them fools.
Photo by C.J. Prusi
a. Keegan Mullin
b. Tyler Nelson
c. Felix Cruz
Photo by C.J. Prusi
Between classes was grim And you could see even the teacher’s chagrin As we stalked through the water Wondering if it would ever get hotter What happened to global warming? And all those liberal warnings? Didn’t they say we should worry We’re all trying not to drown in a hurry! I wouldn’t be surprised if Paso would flood I’m telling you Mother Nature is out for blood! Maybe the world is coming to an end So much for 2010.
1
by Austin Ehrhardt, World Editor
-Youtube Loop When one goes to watch a quick 30 second video on YouTube and regains consciousness hours later having jumped from interesting video to interesting video (similar to a Wikipedian loop or ‘WikiComa’). Ex. “Dude, you totally missed the funeral yesterday!” “Yeah I know; somebody emailed me a funny clip and I got stuck in a YouTube loop...” -Valentines Day The reason so many people are born in November. Ex. “I was born in November because my parents celebrated Valentine’s Day.” -Texthole Someone who texts on their cell phone in really inappropriate places such as movie theatres, concerts, plays, or during other intimate situations... Ex. “The movie was great, except right during the best scene, this text-hole in front of me lit up his phone and started texting away.” terms found www.urbandictionary.com
Ex. “Check out those dudes walking next to each other, bromance or what?!”
2 3
Brah
5
Tweet
Ex. “Dude! I just broke my leg on this sick skateboard trick. I gotta tweet about this!”
The always generic example is: “surfs up brah!”
4
Sexting
Ex. “I was sexting this mega hottie last night, you jealous?” Friend as a verb Ex. “I’m so popular on Facebook. I friended eight people last night!” Obama as a prefix Ex. “This pizza is an Obama-nation, its way too greasy.” DGAF( don’t give a flip) Ex. “I crashed my truck yesterday when we were mobbin’ but, I DGAF”
6
7
Pwn
Ex. “Check out this N00b! I could totally pwn him in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare!” Hella (also substitute in Hecka) Ex. “Are you stoked for the new Lady Gaga CD?” “Naw dog… I’m HELLA stoked!” Lol as a replacement for real laughter Ex. “Knock knock” “Who’s there?” “Oswald.” “Oswald who?” “Oswal’d my bubble gum.” “LOL that’s so funny LOL!”
8
This is not how we were meant to live, We’re Californians! Where is the sun? Being cold and wet is no fun.
Urban Diction
Bromance
9
10
Riddles
by Caitlyn Curran, Fun and Games Editor
1. Though not a plant, Has leaves. Though not a beast, Has spine. Though many wouldn’t need this thing, ‘Tis more valuable than wine. What is it? 2. I can run but not walk. Wherever I go, thought follows close behind. What am I? 3. The man who invented it doesn’t want it. The man who bought it doesn’t need it. The man who needs it doesn’t know it. What is it? 4. No sooner spoken than broken. What am I? 5. What building has the most stories? Find answers at www.crimsonchronicle. com
Sports
19
February 10, 2010
www.crimsonchronicle.com www.crimsonchron nic icle icle le.ccom
Girls Bball: Picking up the Pace
Miller on right is going for the pin against opposing SLOHS wrestler.
Chrissy Davis, dribbles it up the middle, gets caught under pressure, looks to the outside off the arc, and completes a pass to an open Chelsea Merrill. Merrill takes a shot. Swoosh. Three more points for the girl’s varsity basketball team in the last two minutes of their game against Pioneer Valley on Jan. 25. Though the lady bearcats have lost two of six games so far this season, they don’t give up. “That’s what I like about this team; they don’t let it get to them. They stay strong and give all their effort throughout the games,” Mike Gray, head coach of the girls’ varsity team, said. The girls have faced their share of trials and tribulations on and off the court this season. Luckily, they put those issues aside when they step on the court, ready to face their competition head on. “We always put aside any personal problems and just play as a team,” Kati Sheldon, senior forward and captain, said. “There’s never been a game where I questioned the effort of my players.” Sheldon is the scoring leader with 173 shots and leading in rebounds with 135 rebounds. On Feb. 2, Sheldon was named Athlete of the Week by the Paso Robles Press. No matter what the scoreboard says at the end of the the game, no one can deny passion and heart of these nine girls. “[Basketball] has become my life. Something I love,” Sheldon said. —Serina Lewis
photo by Karlee Anderson
PRHS Wrestling pins PAC 7, and their appetites Self control and discipline in a new age by Karlee Anderson, Editor-in-Chief
Girls’ Varsity Soccer: Frosh on Top In late October, approximately 84 girls spent a week conditioning for tryouts that were the following week. Only 44 of them made it on to either the Girls’ J.V. / Varsity soccer team. Head varsity coach Miguel Figueroa stated he picked the varsity players based on their “talent, attitude, dedication and experience.” Twenty two girls made it to the varsity level, including freshmen Danica Boggs, Carly McCall, Camellia Pacheco and Jenna Wookey. “I’m really proud of that accomplishment. I’m just hoping to get better, and I want to improve myself on the team…like whenever I get to play, I just want to try my best and show people that I deserve to be in this spot,” Boggs said, who has been a starter the last few games. “I felt accomplished. I felt I had proven something to myself,” Pacheco said. Boggs, Pacheco and Wookey started playing soccer when they five while McCall started at age six. They played with each other on a Club team for the past four years which helped them make the team. “Even if I didn’t know that they had been playing club, you can see it the difference on the field compared to the other girls. They are very talented. They are very dynamic,” Figueroa stated of the freshmen. Even though they’re younger, none of their fellow upperclassmen teammates have trash canned them. “They just help us with what we’re doing wrong and give us advice even if it’s not about soccer, and they’re all really there for us,” Wookey said, whose her older sister, senior Megan Wookey, is also on the team. McCall agreed stating the other teammates “are really nice and funny.” The girls won against Righetti 1-0 on Jan. 6 due to Pacheco scoring. They tied with Nipomo Jan. 22, lost to AGHS Jan. 27 3-2 and lost to Righetti Jan. 29 4-0. —Alicia Canales
Girls Polo: Blood in the Water The girls water polo season has been off and swimming in the past weeks and here is the only place where you will get update on the lady bearcats most recent punching, kicking and biting exploits. “Everyone does it. It’s just a part of the game. The trick is being able to be as aggressive as possible without fouling or getting kicked out,” said senior varsity player Valerie Lloyd. Although this may sound brutal, it seems to pay off for our lady bearcats with their record of 5-4 in Pac-7. In their game against Righetti on Jan. 12, the girl’s team won 5-4 with three goals scored by Lloyd and one goal each by Hadley Sowerby and Stephanie Smith. On Jan. 22 the team came out to play San Luis Obispo where they lost 9-2 due to nine saves by the SLO goalie. After the game on Jan. 19 was rained out, the team came the next week to play Atascadero on Jan. 25 where the bearcats fought hard, but were defeated 6-3. After the last two losses, the girls came out with a fire on Jan. 26 for their game against Pioneer Valley where they won 12-4. Their third game in one week came on Jan. 28 against Nipomo where they won 8-6 with four goals by Lloyd, three by Andria Posmoga and one by Andi Russel. Lloyd attributes their success to the overall work ethic of their team. “So far this year we don’t have the same raw talent as last year, but extra effort on everyone’s part and an enthusi—Steven Plescia astic team seems to be paying off.”
Junior Ryan Miller sat with his hands wrapped around behind his neck as his chest rapidly moved in and out. His face was covered in sweat, a look of a painful satisfaction appeared on his face. He grabbed a bott le of water as he and Will Richardson from SLOHS shook hands Tues. Jan. 19. Miller had just defeated his opponent in a matter of 1:04 minutes, the fastest pin of the night. Although Miller, a three year varsity wrestler, says it’s an amazing feeling to pin the opponent and win the match, wrestling is not a sport for the faint of heart. Junior and three year wrestler Travis Martinus agrees. “It’s hard,” Martinus said. “You have to exert so much energy in such a short amount of time; it just leaves you dead tired.” Although the actual task of the sport is difficult, the rapid weight loss is also a huge factor att ributing to strenuous wrestling season according to Martinus. Martinus started as a freshman in the 189 weight class and making the 20 pound jump to the 215 weight class in the span of one year. “It was a big jump, but I’m a line man and I just grew and gained muscle,” Martinus said. Weight divisions in wrestling consist of a difference of any where from five to 70 pounds. The light weight divisions start at 103 and the heaviest weight is 285, according to Miller. “It’s your job to make weight,” Miller said. “You have to do what you have to do.” Miller admitted to being unable to wrestle several times his freshman year due to not making his 112 weight class. “One time I was 12 pounds over weight, I had to run for a really long time, and I still didn’t make [weight],” Miller said. English teacher Aaron Cantrell can relate fi rst hand to the ups and downs
PRHS sport funding : Intercepted! PRHS Journalism gets inside coaches heads and hears thier thoughts on coaching stipends cuts.
Coach Stroud: Baseball coach of 12 years
Coach Cook: Track coach of 29 years
Do you have any general comments on coaching stipend cuts?
“Would like to be compensated but when it comes to coaching money doesn’t equal the time and effort you put in. Have to like it.”
“[Stipend] They will be missed. No coach coaches for money though.”
“Well we want to save teachers, keep teachers employed, and keep kids successful... teachers minimal as is.”
Does it hurt your willingness to coach?
2.
“No, I don’t think it hurts, it would hurt ,my willingness to coach. Its not the reason i would get out of coaching.”
“Well, Probably not, but then again i am old and am winding down. We’ll see.”
“No i don’t think coaches who are coaching do it for the money but i think if they are going to cut coaches; should cut all sports and be equal.”
Will there be losing seasons in result from cuts?
“I have no way to know, No proof one way or another. I don’t know.”
“No, the only people who are going to lose are the people who don’t get to participate in sports because of cuts.”
“ The coaches who coach to caoch won’t let stipends interfer “
Will cuts lead to fewer assistants in the program?
“Well i mean each team will have to raise money for coaching but we [baseball] do that anyways but some people might lose coaches because of that.”
“No because head coaches we already promised for money and we fundraise for helpers.”
“Yeah you’re not going to coach for free unless wealthy. Its an inbetween you don’t really know.”
1.
3.
4.
Coach Schimke: Football 22 years
of wrestling. As a wrestler for six years throughout middle school and high school and a five year wrestler for Cal Poly, Cantrell witnessed many of the rumored occurrences in wrestling that athletes use to drop weight. “I saw things that were illegal, we would use plastic GLAD bags cut a hole in the top and punch arm holes in the side. Jog around in a sauna and do things that could get you killed,” Cantrell said. In 1997 within a span of 33 days the deaths of three college students’ athlete wrestlers drew attention to manipulation of a normal weight and the techniques used to lose a weight below the normal weight of an athlete to fit into a certain weight class. As Jeff Reese, University of Michigan junior died after attempting to lose 17 pounds to fit into his 150 weight division he died on the scale before his match. Reese, Billy Jack Saylor a freshman at Campbell University at Buies Creek, and senior Joseph LaRosa at Wisconsin-La Crosse all died due to self infl icted weight lost or what www.sportsillustrated.com calls “wrestling’s ugly secret.” Due to the deaths of these students new regulations have been added to high school and college wrestling. In 2006 the National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) implemented new rules for high school wrestling to “curb unhealthy weight loss.” Essentially monitoring the wrestler’s weight, making sure they lose no more than 1.5 pound per day, and assessing their body fat percentage and making sure it is no lower than seven percent is the basis of the regulations, according to www.momentummedia.com. Like Martinus, Cantrell was also a competitive football player were the transition of sometimes up to twenty pounds becomes an issue for the athlete. “[The] main problem for me was the
transition between football and wrestling. Because in football the point is to get you big and strong and bulky and wrestling you often try to drop weight. [The transition was] counter productive to my football, I could never get as big as I wanted because I knew that I’d have to cut it all off,” Cantrell said. As a competitive division one school athlete, Cantrell admits his extensive training and weight loss in wrestling still affects him today. “It was so horrible that I would have these fi xations of Denny’s Grand Slam that I would imaginarily try to grab and capture while I was losing weight, and I would picture the deliciousness of a vanilla milk shake. To this day I eat faster than I should and more than I should. I suspect that wrestlers as a group have a higher incidence of obesity later in life than non-wrestlers. Non-wrestlers never create this psychological association of hunger with the feeling of impending death,” Cantrell said. "Nevertheless, the benefits of wrestling, in my view, far outweigh the problems presented by the sport.... Every intensely competitive activity carries risks,” Cantrell said. Martinus and Miller both say they have learned from past experiences, and the way to lose weight by running with trash bags, or sitt ing in a sauna, or even purging is making a eating and work out plan and sticking to it. “You’ve probably heard of people throwing up to lose weight, but we don’t do that,” Martinus said. “We lose weight by practicing hard and eating right.” “It’s about seeing sports as important but the health as kids as more important. Celebrate the beauty and benefits of sports, but try to keep their kids from unsafe practices, as indeed our school seems to do,” Cantrell said.
Inside the Sport: Girls Soccer A look into the the game against AG by Karlee Anderson, Editor-in-Chief The last time the Bearcats and the Eagles faced of in girl’s soccer earlier this season the Eagles annihilated the Bearcats 9-0. Although the Bearcats fell to the Eagles once again on Wed. Jan. 27, only one point separated the Bearcats from the Eagles and victory. The Bearcats, now 2-4 in league, started out tied with the Eagles at the half at 1-1, with a goal by junior Maria Chaves. The Bearcats then pulled ahead in the second half with a goal by sophomore Camelia Pacheco, and were in control of the game. It’s wasn’t until the end of the fourth quarter that AGHS slipped in “two scrappy goals,” assistant coach Ryan Bedell said. The fi nal score was 3-2 with the Eagles BATTLE WITH THE EAGLES: Maria Chavez slips past the AG dedefeating the Bearcats for the second time in fender in their loss on Jan. 27 Photo by Cj Prusi I mean all of our loses have only been by one goal,” league. Despite the loss, team captain Megan Bedell said. Wookey can still see the bright side of the game. Wookey says with a loss came a lesson and the “We had a huge improvement from the last time we played AG so I’m proud of our performance Bearcats now know what to fi x in their game play. “Even though we didn’t win, we realized what we against one of the toughest teams in our league,” need to fi x in order to be competitive the rest of the Wookey said and Bedell agrees. “We played a lot better, we’re just too inconsistent. season, so it was a success overall,” Wookey said.
20 Sports February 10, 2010
www.crimsonchronicle.com
Take it to the next level
Compiled by Serina Lewis, News Co-Editor
Varsity Girl’s Soccer
Lambert (left) is in position to start a sprint. Horne (right) warms up his arm at baseball practice. Photo by Monica Patel and Photo editing by Mae Bradley
Attend a training camp? A Berkeley defensive end shares inside experience by Torey Wise, sports co-editor It’s early January, the peak of soccer, basketball, wrestling, and girls polo season. After school everyone has left but the athletes. They are all hard at work inside the gym or out on the field. But up on the track you will fi nd someone running laps around the soccer team; he is not a soccer player nor a misbehaving basketball player running out his punishment. He is junior baseball player Jesse Horne. Horne is a 10-year baseball athlete who started from Tball and is now on varsity. Th is year he gave up his varsity spot on football to devote more time to his baseball career. He trains almost everyday on his own and over summer played on Paso’s club baseball team Paso Heat. Horne’s main goal at this point is “taking it to the next level,” he said. PRHS has birthed over 10 (mostly track) star players into Division I schools in the past 10 years. The fact that any athlete, such as Horne, from this small town makes their way up with the top dogs is a remarkable testimony. Their rare talent or extensive training got them there. But not all athletes are born with raw talent. University training camps and Nike Combines are ways to get them there. Pros and cons with the method—but few in Paso have sought them. They are becoming more and more popular in the last years. Would it be worth the time of a small town athlete like Paso’s Jesse Horne to attend, say, a Stanford summer baseball camp? It’s the college players, though, who know the ropes, have even used them to get where they are now. Berkeley football’s 6’5 240 lb., defensive end Cody Jones gives PRHS an insider view on his past experiences and what steps he took to make it to a D-1 school. In high school Jones was biggest player on the team and the quarterback at Sabino HS in Tucson, AZ. He thinks camps are important for HS players; he has been involved in both Nike combines and university football camps. Nike describes its combine (nikefootballregistration. com) as an event where athletes get tested in 40 yard dash, vertical jump, pro agility shutt le(5-10-5) and kneeling power ball toss. “[The combine] is an invaluable experience for players that aspire to play on the next level,” said vice president of ESPN RISE, Andy Bark on site. To Jones his experience did not meet eye to eye with that description. “I did the combine junior year of high school at San Diego State; prett y terrible experience, I did not like it at all. I had to wake up early in the morning, they threw me a jersey and catt le prodded me through the whole thing,” Jones said. Jones went through a whole series of tests, taking his height and weight, jumping, running, and bench pressing. Jones, not an exceptional tester, felt he only did okay amongst
I just want to keep taking it to the next level as long as I can. -Jesse Horne
Cody Jones has just finished his last year as Berkeley’s defensive end. Photo courtesy by Cody Jones
the other 300 athletes attending and felt that the combine shrunk him, “I thought it would be a good experience, get myself out there, impress people, but I became average,” he said. The combine broadened his mind but also left his self esteem a litt le deflated. “It was good to see the competition, I’ll give it that,” he said. With the combine proving to be a disappointing mark, in Jones eyes, he found a more helpful approach attending University FB Camps. In June or July between Jones’s junior and senior year of high school, he attended a day camp at University of Arizona and University of Colorado Boulder. “It was much better than the combine. There were fewer athletes, more individual time with coaches and unlike combines, actual football drills,” he said. He added a side note about university camps though: combines are free, but spots fi ll quickly; camps generally offer a more personalized attention to a player’s performance but may include an admission fee. Like Jones, junior Devon Lambert on the PRHS varsity football team has attended some sports camps. Lambert is involved with Speed Development training year round, 3 days a week and through his training he has gotten the opportunity to be involved with different football camps. “I
have been to about 5-6 camps in the past two years through Speed Development. I haven’t been to a university camp but I did go to a camp where they gave all my information compiled at the camp to any university that would want it,” Lambert said. Similar to Jones and Lambert, but moving from a rectangle to a diamond, Horne has been involved with a local Cuesta day camp. “[at Cuesta camp] there were guys from all over but mostly from our area, but it was good to train with a coach and learn what I need to do to take it to the next level,” Horne said. Horne has been looking into and is planning to try to attend a Stanford baseball camp this summer after baseball season at PRHS is over. Lambert approaches his dreams more sensibly explaining that D-1, for football, at this point is not in his cards but he would consider a opportunity to play college FB. Horne’s head is not lost in the clouds either. “My only goal is to take baseball as far as I can. If it’s only college, that’s okay; I just want to keep taking it to the next level as long as I can,” Horne said. Jones agrees with Horne’s and Lambert’s statement saying that heads in the stars will only lead to disappointment and that a realistic view is beneficial. “I would not discourage kids who don’t fit the athletic norm for their sport. There are always people who go against the norm and go on to becoming college and professional athletes,” he said. But not everyone is that special. Jones says college is all about natural size, and if athletes “have it, they have it”--but if they don’t, they could keep trying and see where it goes or fi nd another area to excel, sport related or not.” “At Berkeley 85 guys get scholarships, and the other half on the team are walk-on players. They do all the work that the scholarship players do, but only one out of 25 players will actually get to play. The others won’t be in the game for more than a down,” he said. He advises that if a sport truly means that much to someone, they should try to fight their way up. But reality is that coaches know a player’s natural potential whether there is room to improve or the athlete is pushing it. “What’s hard is kids get encouraged to do anything to get to their dreams and they get let down,” Jones said. Which brings us back to Horne running on the track: Will each step he take make him invincible? Will he sprint out of this small town school into a D-1 for baseball? Rounding the bases there and stealing home to the MLB? Or is he running nowhere? The answer lies in attending sports camps to see if he can fi nd his place in the athletic realm and hammering out workouts like this up on the PRHS track--where the run started.
Boys Basketball Bearcats hope to take CIF with secret ingredient: teamwork by Tyrian Khan-White, Center Co-Editor It was five minutes before the PRHS Bearcats would play against the Nipomo Titans, and things were already looking good. There was a collective air of excitement among the team; a sense of teamwork that the boys expressed secretly between one another. They lined up to begin and the was a level of confidence in each other that could not be mistaken for anything less; a smile here, a nod there, the occasional tap on the back. “There’s always going to be the people who care more about bettering themselves than the team,” said senior Cheyne Hayes, who starts and averages almost 11 points per game, “We’re still not perfect, but I think we’re really beginning to realize how playing for the team itself instead works better.” The Bearcats won 69-63 against Nipomo, with baskets being made until the very end of the game--22 points were scored in the final quarter alone. Lonnie Watson scored 34 points, Hayes and Brandon Todd both scored 12. Aleksander Koch, a junior, helped as well with a lovely 3-pointer in the third quarter that increased both the score gap (from 50-40 to 53-49) and the team’s motif. The game against Nipomo was a clear example of what the Bearcats have been able to accomplish with a strengthened offense and an equally strong sense of synergy as a team. This is just as true for the game against the San Luis Obispo Tigers just the week before, where the Bearcats slid into victory with 1 point (48-47.) Even so, the team still has work to do. Just days after the Nipomo HERE WE GO: Cheyne Hayes go up against the Atascadero defenders in their game on Jan. 13.
Photo by Emily Cone.
win came a loss against Pioneer Valley (39-46), evening out the boys’ record to 12-8. “I think we’ve improved upon last year,” Coach Scott Larson said during practice the day following the Pioneer Valley loss, the day they’d be playing Arroyo Grande. “I don’t think we’re there yet, as evidence by the inconsistency.” Both Hayes and Larson admit that taking league will be difficult, but Larson said going to C.I.F. definitely seems plausible. “I think it’s looking pretty good.” Hayes agreed. Proof of this could be the game the next night against A.G., one that overall had both sides on the edge of their seats. The 4th quarter ended with a tie due to a basket sunk by Arroyo Grande and subsequently went into overtime, with the Bearcats finally taking it. The level of esprit de corps the boys showed was absolutely apparent from start to finish. There was no person on the team trying to show boat or stand out, but ironically, several players stood out in the process, simply for putting together such a well-played game. Earlier, before the win, Larson optimistically spoke of the team’s rising sense of collaboration: “We’re getting there. I think we’re improving in that regard and they’re aware of it. That’s our goal every game.”
“The best thing about playing soccer is how well we work together. We’re like one big family. I feel like we can do better than we’ve been doing [so far this season]. My team needs to work on keeping intensity up throughout the whole game.”
Nicole Calabria, Junior
Varsity Wrestling “The best part about wrestling is spending time with the team, feeling victory after winning and putting in all that hard work. I think our team ou m needs to not get so worked up about the other abo team before te competitions.” co o Justin McAfee, Senior
Varsity Boys Basketball “The best thing about playing on the team is competing with others and improving myy skills duringg ppractice. We’re doing ng alright [as a team]. We just need to play p y more as a team and run our offense fense and then we will achieve hieve our goal, [which ch is to] make a runn in CIF and into the finals. nals. Brandon Todd, odd, Senior
Varsity Girl’s Water Polo “The best thing about being on the team is that it’s just a really good team sport and you learn a lot. [My team] is doing reallyy good so far this season. We have good od coaches andd a good, strong team. m. Emily Schoennauer, er, Sophomore
Varsity Girls Basketball “The best thing about playing basketball is getting to be with my friends, going to tournaments, and staying in hotels. els. I think wee ccould ould be doing way better. tter. We have a set back ck with the team getting ing along, so I think nk we er. could do better. Tristani Harris,, Senior
Varsity Boy’s Soccer
“The best thing about playing soccer is that it’s not all about just one player, but the whole team. You rarely just see one player try and do everything by themselves to score but you always see many players working together to make the right decision before th whole team scores,” Cody Murdock, Senior