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Read about statues around downtown Davis Entertainment | Page 11
October 21, 2011
Davis Senior High School
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Features
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Op-Ed
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In-Depth
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Entertainment 11 Sports
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Volume 86, Issue 3
Migrant center closes, forces students to move
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By Anna Sturla & Daniel Tutt HUB Staff Writers
Senior Jennifer Gold points out an asterism in the northern sky as part of a physics extra credit opportunity. Students meet Thursday nights at the physics building on the UC Davis campus to learn about the night sky.
Students search the stars By Rubia Siddiqi HUB Staff Writer
A mass of DHS students crowded around a telescope at 9:50 p.m. on Oct. 13 on the roof of the physics building at UC Davis, waiting their turn to get a close look at Jupiter. These students are taking part in a weekly physics session where they have been identifying various stars for an hour. Before the first class on Sept. 29, UCD senior Harry Shontz sent out an email inviting physics students at DHS to attend the Introductory Survey of Astronomy session he would be teaching with another UCD student. Physics teachers encouraged students to attend by offering extra credit.
Senior Anushriya Subedy said she initially decided to go to the astronomy sessions for the sole reason of obtaining extra credit, but has now discovered aspects of the sessions that are of interest to her. “My favorite part was actually going on the roof and looking at the stars,” Subedy said. “They were really pretty.” Subedy attended the second week of the astronomy class, which was a repeat lesson of the first session. To test how much the students learned from the lesson, Shontz required that the students complete a lab assignment with each other. The astronomy session starts at 8 p.m. when either Shontz or his partner begins
lecturing. The two UCD leaders alternate teaching astronomy and explaining how to conduct the lab for the night. The students then travel to the roof of the building where they learn star names, complete the lab and experiment with telescopes. The night ends at approximately 10:15 p.m. with a quiz on what the class learned. “The purpose of the class is really to engage interest in astronomy for the high schoolers,” Shontz said. He said that high school students gain a greater appreciation for understanding how the universe works by attending the astronomy sessions. Shontz hosts five different sessions of the class, with each one covering a different
astronomy major. “We start with the basics, basically grounding yourself in astronomical coordinates so you could move around the night sky,” he said. “Then we moved on to binary stars and other aspects of stars so it was stellar motion, evolution, movement and spectra. Then next time we’ll be working with planets and the solar system and then we do a session on the moon and then we finish with deep sky objects and galaxies and nebulae and star clusters.” Shontz is surprised that high school students can take in such a vast amount of information and understand it in such a short time period.
It’s a small, beige, one-floor house in the Davis Migrant Center A Light on Latinos complex. A large black trash bag filled with possessions lies on the lawn, and a broom blocks the walkway leading up to the door, with some of its worn-down bristles angling off in all directions. A HUB Series Part One: Migrants The door is ajar. InContinues in Nov. and Dec. Issues side, the floor is dirty from all the walking in and out. The room is otherwise completely empty, except for a table, with a bag of trash and a plate of chili peppers on it, and two plastic chairs. The owner stands to the left by the kitchen counter, her hands scrubbing the dirty dishes in the sink. Once done, she starts wiping down the countertop. The Davis Migrant Center will shut its doors for the winter season on Oct. 31, forcing the migrant families that live in the complex, including some DHS students, to leave. Migrant families move from place to place, following employment available at farms, canneries and other seasonal jobs. Many migrant families working in Yolo County for part of the year return to their off-season homes in Latin America. The original closing date was Oct. 3, according to Jorge Almeida, Migrant Programs Supervisor for Yolo County. The families living at the camp are supposed to live there for only 180 days, but were granted two extensions, allowing them to live longer on the property while still qualifying as migrants for county housing the next season. The eventual closure of the camp is just one more obstacle in a long line of stumbling blocks for migrant students attending school in Davis. Students must make the difficult choice between missing part of the school year or staying in Davis, with its high cost of living and possible separation from their families. Educational effects No matter what, the migrant worker lifestyle makes a consistent education hard to achieve. “Most of the students leave for Mexico, or other parts of Central America,” said Adriana Magallón, the counselor for migrant students at DHS. “They basically are there for six months, and then come here for another six months.” MIGRANT CENTER continued on 2
ASTRONOMY continued on 2
By Lauren Blackwell, Nick Juanitas & Kelly Goss HUB Staff Writers
In football, bigger is better. The DHS football team plays in one of the most competitive leagues the SacJoaquin Section, so players feel pressure to perform at a higher level. One senior defensive varsity football player says he has been using supplements such as creatine, a muscle-building supplement that is legal and widely available in Davis nutrition stores, off and on since his first semester of sophomore year. The senior gained 40 pounds during his second semester of sophomore year and advocates the use of supplements to “gain a competitive advantage” in his sport. A varsity junior defensive player began taking creatine at the end of his freshman year and continued through the summer before his sophomore year. He stopped taking the supplement due to side effects he encountered, such as bloating and “breaking out.” Both players are anony-
mous because of a team policy against talking to reporters about events concerning the team, but both players talked freely about their use of creatine and did not voice any concerns about the use of legal supplements. Although these supplements are legal, medical experts discourage their use by high school student athletes. Dr. Cindy Chang, president of the American Medical Society of Sports Medicine and former head physician for athletics at UC Berkeley, said that student athletes “shouldn’t be buying into a philosophy that a pill or a powder can solve all their problems.” Chang also noted that “there is no accepted universal regulation for dietary supplements, and the public is often naïve to the lack of regulation or associated risks.” There is minimal Food and Drug Administration oversight or regulation over legal supplements, according to Chang. A consumer report by the FDA in 2008 showed that more than 80 bodybuilding supplements were recalled by manufacturers for containing Dirt on Davis Tues. Thurs. 5 p.m.
KDRT on 95.7
synthetic steroids or steroidlike substances. The FDA’s principal deputy commissioner Joshua M. Sharfstein stated to the U.S. Senate’s special committee on aging in May 2010 that very serious risks and injuries can happen to young people who do not understand that prescription drugs and steroids are hidden in some supplements. Despite the concerns, high school athletes continue to use supplements. According to the junior defensive player, the football strength and conditioning coach gave players a handout at the beginning of the year that included descriptions and ratings of legal supplements. The handout also included guidelines for creatine supplementation which noted how much to take per day, when it should be taken during the day and how often it should be taken. The HUB could not reach the strength and conditioning coach for comment on the packet. According to a junior offensive player, the coach handed out the list not because he encourages supplement use, but because he knows that many high
school athletes take them and he wants them to be safe. The junior defensive player noted that the strength and conditioning coach asks players if they are taking legal supplements. “He definitely checks in with us and he definitely asks because he checks to see what kind of supplements we’re taking,” the junior defensive player said. According to Chang, “there is a power differential between coaches and their student athletes, and the latter will often follow the coaches’ recommendations because ‘they said so’ and they don’t want to disappoint the coach.” Head coach Steve Smyte said that he was aware that the strength and conditioning coach handed out this packet to the players. “What this was meant to do was to educate our student athletes on some of the stuff that’s out there,” Smyte said. “Nowadays, there are a lot of kids that are going to go to a GNC, they’re gonna go somewhere and buy stuff.” The HUB website has all the up-to-date stories
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Athletes may not be catching the right message on supplements
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In-Depth | Pages 8-9
October 21, 2011
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News
MIGRANT CENTER: Students struggle with changing homes “They don’t have a permanent place to do their homework,” Almeida said. Many migrant students come to Davis schools with a spotty educational record, lacking sufficient high school credits or classes required to graduate high school. “Some of the students get enrolled in school over there, and some of those grades that they earn in Mexico they bring here, when they [move back] in April. And the counselors are able to give them credit,” Magallón said. “In other cases… there is no school equivalent like this in Mexico so they end up going back to Mexico, and they don’t go to school for six months.” For the counselors themselves, the widely varying educational histories and futures of migrant students make it difficult to help them. “It depends on whether they go from here to another school, or from here, [and] not to another school,” counselor Linda Preciado said. The inconsistencies with the records of many migrant students provide an additional complication for those Davis Joint Unified School District teachers and counselors trying to help them. “[We deal with migrant students] the same as we deal with any student that comes from a different country,” Preciado said. “We do just the best we can.” The DJUSD and the counseling department have provided a path for students to quickly earn high school credits with the Portable Assisted Study Sequence, or PASS, program, which was created primarily for migrant students. The program allows DHS students to earn credits by completing classwork and passing comprehension tests. “[The program] is also very difficult for them, because it’s extra work for them, on top of the classes they have to take here at the high school,” Magallón said. Most migrant students in the DJUSD are placed in English Language Development (ELD) classes, which are better suited for their educational needs. Sara Heintz, who teaches ELD English classes, has encountered some difficulties in teaching migrant students. “Some of these kids have to work, which puts a limit on how much homework they’re able, or willing, to do,” Heintz said. Choosing to stay While most migrant students do return to their homes outside of the United States, there are those migrant students, called resident migrants, who attempt to continue their education in Davis beyond a few short months at the beginning and end of the school year. “I have both kinds of students—
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continued from front page
A resident of the Davis Migrant Center cleans her house in preparation to move out. The migrant center closes on October 31.
those that are very attached to their culture and their families back in Mexico. And for them, they can’t wait to go back to Mexico,” Magallón said. “I have other students that are used to being here, so it’s hard for them when the season ends, and they have to go back. Because they don’t want to get behind in their classes, because they want to go to university.” Those who remain after the season ends must contend with a new set of adversities, and often on their own. First, parents must either change plans and live in Yolo County during the off-season, instead of returning to their homes and families outside of the U.S., or give permis-
sion for their children to remain in California without them. “I sometimes find myself talking to parents, and trying to convince them of the importance of [their children] staying here so they don’t get behind classes,” Magallón said. If his or her parents allow it, the migrant student will often be living with a close relative or sibling, until the season starts up again in the spring. Others who ask to stay, however, are not so lucky. “Some of [the migrant students], their parents are very strict, and don’t want them living here, even with a family member, so they just have to go with them,” Magallón said.
Cost of living For those who stay, either the family or guardian must take on the financial burden of living in Yolo County. The cost of living in Davis can border on prohibitively expensive for migrant students and their guardians during the school year. Many students who wish to continue attending school in Davis must move to a nearby town. “I also provide [families] with different apartments that they can go and lease, in the [off-season],” Magallón said. “Sometimes their parents can’t afford to live here, because the rent’s very expensive.” After the season ends, migrant families are cut off from support
Jerry Brown signs DREAM Act into law Acme company faces financial struggles By Chloe Kim Editor-in-Chief
Gov. Jerry Brown signed the second half of the California DREAM Act, Assembly Bill 131, on Oct. 8 at this year’s legislative session. The bill allows illegal immigrants attending public universities and community colleges to receive assistance from the Cal-Grant financial aid program as long as they are high school graduates, have lived in California for more than three years and confirm that they are in the process of legalizing their immigration status. The DREAM Act was divided into two bills in 2011, Assembly Bill 130 and AB131. Brown signed Assembly Bill 130 in June, which allows undocumented students access to private financial aid in the form of scholarships and grants. Students such as Latinos Unidos club president Gaby Gutierrez are pleased with Brown’s legislative decision. “I strongly believe Governor Jerry Brown’s decision to pass this bill was a good idea. This bill will
help many illegal immigrants get the economic help they need to succeed,” Gutierrez, a junior, said. “Many come here with the American Dream which is to succeed and become someone in life and the DREAM Act would do this.” Da Vinci senior Sam Warren believes the DREAM Act will give equal opportunities to everyone who deserves it. “Aside from the debate over illegal immigration, I don’t think it’s fair at all to punish people for crimes their parents committed, which is what we were essentially doing by not allowing undocumented students to apply for financial aid,” Warren said. However, many people are also concerned that the bill may lead to undesired negative effects. “It’s morally wrong,” Assemblyman Tim Donnelly (R-San Bernardino) told the Los Angeles Times. “We have just created a new entitlement that is going to cause tens of thousands of people to come here illegally from all over the world.” The DREAM Act will be effective starting in 2013.
By Genny Bennett HUB Staff Writer
Recent budget cuts threaten the existence of the Acme Theatre Company. Acme is now in conversation with the Davis City Council on how to resolve the issue. Acme is an independent, almost entirely youth-run theater program for teens in the Davis Community. Acme, a nonprofit organization, uses the Veterans Memorial Center as a place to rehearse and hold shows. However, due to recent price hikes announced at the end of June, the group could not pay the rent. Previously, the theater group was receiving a youth community discount but for this year, the Davis City Council was considering charging normal rates, which is double the discounted amount. The change raised concern in members, former members and parents of acme members who came out to city council meetings to speak during the public com-
ments. “It was really amazing to see all these people come forward and express how much acme meant to them or to their kids and family,” acme artistic director Emily Henderson said. Junior Antonio De Leora Brust thinks acme plays a major positive roll in his life. “I felt it was really important to preserve [acme] and I stated so at the city council meetings,” he said. Acme is still working with the city about how to resolve this issue. “It feels like they have really heard our concerns, and I am very grateful that they are working with us to resolve the situation,” Henderson said. “We really made a difference and showed the city council that we cared about this issue, we were willing to fight for it and that as teenagers we were capable of participating in decisions and dealing with government.” De Loera Brust said.
from Yolo County. They must provide their transportation for the long commute from their outlying home, normally situated in Woodland or Dixon, into Davis. “They are not really affected by the move; they just have to switch housing to a different city, and [the families] just transport them here,” Magallón said. “That will be their biggest challenge: coming here, when parents don’t [offer] that transportation.” Though there are many complications in being a migrant student, teachers like Heintz are impressed by their reactions. “They don’t complain, and they don’t use it as an excuse,” she said, “which is commendable.”
ASTRONOMY: Class is challenging, fun continued from front page “I’d say this [class] is actually harder [than college classes] because for the first session, we covered two college labs in one high school session, which the college labs are three hours each, so we crammed six hours of material in two hours,” Shontz said. “For [high schoolers] to take it and understand it as well as [they] did is amazing.” Subedy agrees with Shontz that this session is very challenging because of its rapid pace, but she also likes attending the sessions because they are entertaining. “The class was fun. The people who were teaching seemed really cool,” she said. “It wasn’t as awkward as I thought it would be, it being a college class and all.” Like Subedy, junior Aimee Davis believes the environment in the astronomy class was nothing like she expected. “It’s not what I imagined a real college class to be like,” she said. “I imagined a big seminar, like a big, huge room. It just didn’t seem like that; [it was] too high school, like small.”
The HUB
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News
Some struggle with CAHSEE By Anna Sturla HUB Staff Writer
CAHSEE
Testing Variations, Accommodations, and Modifications
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• Extra time on a test within a testing day • Student may dictate multiplechoice question responses orally
Modification (Eligible students are permitted if specified)
Protester Jonathon Gordon holds a sign supporting the Occupy Wall Street movement at protest event in Central Park on October 13. Occupy Davis is one of thousands of movements modeled after Occupy Wall Street.
• Braille transcriptions provided by the test contractor
Protesters occupy Central Park
• Test administered at home or in hospital by a test examiner
Accommodation (Eligible students are permitted if specified)
By Genny Bennett HUB Staff Writer
• Calculator on the mathematics tests • Arithmetic table or formulas on the mathematics tests • Dictionary Source: The California Department of Education
with a high school diploma. There are regulations in place as to who is allowed to apply for a waiver after passing the CAHSEE with a modification like a calculator, but the changing laws and regulations are frustrating. “The law keeps changing…with regards to who has to pass and who doesn’t,” Rich said. But the fact that calculators will eventually be completely prohibited still drew disbelief. “If you’re an architect, are you told you can’t use a calculator?” Rich added. “If you’re an engineer, are you told you can’t use a calculator?” The CAHSEE test also draws additional criticism over perceived hindering of students with disabilities attempting to earn a high school diploma. “If [students with disabilities] are passing their classes, and they can’t pass the CAHSEE, they can’t get a diploma,” Leslie Brumer, a paraeducator, said. “Is that really fair? As long as you don’t have a diploma, you can’t get a job.” But the CAHSEE remains required for students with disabilities. Despite high passing rates at DHS,
according to Smyte, there are some students in the special education program who never pass the CAHSEE. “In the past, we’ve had maybe two or three that haven’t passed [at all],” Smyte said. “If the student hasn’t passed the CAHSEE, they work in their [Study Transition Skills] class to improve their score, if they’re going to take [the CAHSEE] again,” counselor Jennifer Mullins said. Students who haven’t passed the CAHSEE in the first attempt are allowed a maximum of two retakes their junior year, and up to five times their senior year. If a disabled student does not pass the CAHSEE test during high school, he or she is periodically allowed to return and attempt it again until he or she passes, up to age 22. The CAHSEE, though stressful for many students with disabilities, is simply another challenge in a long string of roadblocks they must face. “It’s very hard for students with disabilities,” Rich said. “It’s hard to be different from your peers. Because what does every teenager want, but to be like their peers?”
Dozens of people sporting “Occupy Wall Street” buttons sat crosslegged on the wooden platform built around the large oak tree in Central Park. They listened intently to members of the crowd share their ideas. This was the first general assembly meeting, held on Oct. 7, to plan the Occupy Davis protests. The occupation of Davis began on Oct. 15 which marked an international day of action for occupations all around the world supporting a common cause. Members of the movement marched through downtown Davis protesting corporate banks. Their march ended in Central Park where large numbers of people camped out. Occupy Davis is a branch of the Occupy Wall Street protests that started in New York City on Sept. 17. According to www.occupywallstreet.org, these protests are an “organized resistance movement to restore democracy in America.” The Occupy Wall Street protest-
ers are groups of people who are upset with how the government is currently running, and camp out on public land to show their dissatisfaction. “The main objective is to get our voice heard. We are the 99 percent and we don’t feel like our voice is being heard in this country [...] the situation our country is in right now is not okay and we think that the one percent has too much control and that’s not right in a democracy,” said UC Davis freshman Jane Walker, a member of the Occupy Davis coordination committee. According to an email newsletter, “the first night was a success and [...] we stayed the night with no significant issues or difficulties.” Protestors spent the night in tents with access to power and bathroom facilities. They ended the evening with a potluck barbeque and took shifts throughout the night to watch the campsite. A library of books has been set up at the occupation along with art supplies and cardboard for making signs.
ANDERS YOUNG/HUB PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
All
(All students may take advantage of )
• Student may mark in test booklet (other than responses), including highlighting
CHARLOTTE CHEN/HUB GRAPHIC
The California High School Exit Examination, or CAHSEE, is mandatory for all California high school students seeking a high school diploma. But for some students with disabilities, and the educators who assist them, the test is another difficult roadblock to overcome. Faculty of the Special Education Department at DHS base a part of their curriculum around preparing for the CAHSEE exam, from a daily CAHSEE question, to “miniunits on test-taking strategies,” according to Steve Smyte, department chair. “Half the battle is reducing the anxiety,” Smyte said. “A lot of students in general have testing anxiety, especially for such a high-risk test.” On the day of the CAHSEE, DHS educators set up as comfortable a setting as possible for testtaking students with disabilities. “We create a relaxed environment for our students,” Smyte said. This includes testing in a smaller room, separate from the large, crowded gym, with snacks and familiar teachers serving as test proctors. There are no time limits on the CAHSEE, but the educators strive to make sure students feel no pressure to hurry. “We’ve had some students write [the CAHSEE] for seven hours,” Smyte said. The state of California has also in place a system of accommodations for less severely disabled students, and modifications for students with learning disabilities, but their state of relative flux pose a new set of difficulties. Currently, a calculator is available on the mathematics section of the test for those students who have been allowed the modification. The California government has decided to eliminate this modification from the list. However, this government decision has not yet been implemented. “After the class of 2013, and if they use a calculator, it’s an invalid score,” said Vicki Rich, a DHS special education resource specialist. However, adding to the complexity of the system, the students whose CAHSEE scores were disqualified for using calculators will still be able to apply for waivers, which were put in place for those students with disabilities who do not pass the CAHSEE. “We had to show [the California Department of Education] that the student had attempted to write up the test,” Smyte said. “We’d show [the test] to them, that ‘Hey, this kid is operating on the best level they can.’” The waiver, if approved by the local Board of Education, allows students to graduate high school
Eight students submitted designs, competing to have their design transformed into a mural on a wall of the Career Center.
Career Center calls for mural designs By Shauna Simon HUB Staff Writer
Students from Lynette Diem’s art classes are competing for a chance to display their artwork on the wall of the Career Center in order to better advertise its location. Of the eight students who submitted art, one will be given the opportunity to see their 8-by-10 inch drawing transformed into a life-sized mural on a wall of N-17. After the last of the designs are turned in, a group of staff will choose a winner. The committee includes college and career specialist Julie Clayton, Principal Jacquelyn Moore and the counselors. The winning artist will then be announced through the intercom. Because the Career Center was just established this year, many students still do not know of the Career Center or where it is located. “I wish I knew where that was,” junior Patrick Zhu said. Many students like Zhu pass by the building without even looking back. Clayton worries that because there is “no sign or way for stu-
dents to know what the building is,” students will not think to go to the Career Center in search of advice or guidance. Clayton wants a mural for the Career Center not only to better advertise and identify the building, but also to allow the students to be a part of that improvement. “It’s more connective with the students… [They] will be able to put their mark on it,” Clayton said. Students are not only involved in the designing of this mural, but the painting of it as well. The art department plans to finish the mural before winter break. Students participating in the competition are motivated by the idea of having their artwork displayed at DHS. Art students like junior Esther Wu and sophomore Scott Peifer are thankful to have the chance of having their work seen and appreciated by fellow classmates and teachers. Peifer submitted a design that he believes exemplifies his style of art. By displaying his design, Peifer will have the opportunity to show DHS “what [his] work is.”
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The HUB
Features
SPEAK of the DEVIL Features
Seniors struggle with stressful schedules By Madison Delmendo HUB Staff Writer
Nervous fidgeting fills Sarah O’Keefe’s third period AP English Literature and Composition class. Pencils tap anxiously on desks and students glance around to see if classmates are as on edge as they are. O’Keefe had just announced that she is returning essays, adding a disclaimer that it might not be what the students were expecting and to “not panic.” One thing that does not set seniors at ease is the phrase “don’t panic” used in concern with a grade. As seniors get into their last year as Blue Devils, some are finding the rigor of senior year unexpected and overwhelming. Senior Ben Alpers, who said his hardest class is Comp Lit with O’Keefe, is taking rigorous classes in the hopes that it will help prepare him for the college work load. Alpers believes he was more prepared for junior year because he knew that it was going to be the year to work hard. Alpers took six weighted classes last year. “Senior year has a slightly different reputation, so going in I think everyone expected to have a little easier time,” Alpers said. “In fact the classes are harder; it’s really the closest to college we’ve gotten so far.” Alpers decided to take a few precautions to make sure he could handle his workload. “I do have three AP classes; I chose not to take AP Physics and instead I’m taking Biotechnology. I had a seventh period, but I chose to drop that, so my focus is my three AP classes really,” Alpers said. Senior Rita Allen-Sutter, who
agrees with Alpers, believes that senior year’s easy reputation is misconceiving. Allen-Sutter is enrolled in three Advanced Placement classes this year. “When I was in junior year everyone was like ‘Oh senior year is so easy!’ They didn’t really talk about how so many seniors take a lot of AP classes,” Allen-Sutter said. “Senior year has turned out to be a lot more work than junior year.” Allen-Sutter has three to four hours of homework a night this year. She is taking AP Human Geography, AP Government and Politics and AP Statistics. “Having a hard senior year is sort of a surprise. I think the combination of taking AP Gov and AP Human Geography is hard because you have to do outlines for both classes and outlines take forever,” AllenSutter said. Senior Anais Sidhu describes senior year as “hectic.” Sidhu is taking AP Calculus, Physics Honors, and AP French 5. She says that she clocks in about six hours of homework a night. Sidhu agrees with both AllenSutter and Alpers that a difficult senior year was unexpected because junior year has the reputation of being the hardest year. Sidhu believes that part of the difficulty of senior year is the heightened stress due to college applications. “I know that colleges want you to challenge yourself senior year, so grades are important and I try to keep them up,” Sidhu said. “I feel like school is a very stressful environment because you are expected to take tough classes through your senior year and keep your grades consistent.” Sidhu believes that the school should emphasize a realistic senior year so that seniors can focus on college applications.
High school heart attacks
HENRY ANKER/HUB GRAPHIC
Local Ghanan soccer coach gives back to hometown Tometi Gbedema spends his day tirelessly trying to accommodate all three of his “families:” his wife and kids, his soccer players, and his village back home in Otwetiri, Ghana. While he currently resides in Davis, California, Gbedema is continuously giving back to the village he grew up in, through something he likes to call the Otwetiri Project. Gbedema founded the project in early 2006, when Otwetiri’s only primary school was damaged due to natural disasters. The main goal of the project is to raise funds for the construction of a new primary school. Gbedema also wants to provide the Otwetiri villagers with sports equipment, computers and other items that aren’t common in Ghana’s rural villages. “You cannot even talk about sport equipment for the schools because we very often have only one set of jerseys for years,” Gbedema said. But improving the quality of the village’s education system is Gbedema’s main focus. “The education system in Ghana is far behind that of the United States especially in terms of facilities, provision of school materials, access to the use of technologies and access to learning materials for students,” he said. When he first arrived in Davis, it wasn’t long before Gbedema found out how to slip into the city’s vast soccer network. He soon became part of the DHS and Davis Youth Soccer League’s coaching staff as an assistant coach. As a soccer coach, Gbedema supports the Otwetiri Project
TOMETI GBEDEMA/COURTESY PHOTO
By Grace Calhoun HUB Staff Writer
Tometi Gbedma passes out donated soccer gear to give to the elementary students of Otwetiri. This gear will replace the worn-out jerseys and soccer balls previously used by the village children.
mainly through the assistance of his players and colleagues by hosting small fundraisers within the soccer community. However, he also plans events like “A Taste of Ghana” to extend the project participation to the rest of the community. “A Taste of Ghana” is Gbedema’s most popular fundraiser, with participants immersed in Ghanan food, dancing and culture. Last year, more than 150 people attended the fundraiser, raising more than $10,000.
However, attending “A Taste of Ghana” isn’t the only way to get involved in the project. Students have used birthday parties as another way to raise money. “In eighth grade, we just had a huge group of people meet [for my birthday]. They all brought money or clothes or toys or books for [Tometi] to bring back to Ghana,” junior Maddy Purves said. Other DHS students, like sophomore Lydia Gegan, get involved with the project by
volunteering at its smaller local events. “They had a yard sale and I worked there. Just little things like that,” she said. Hearing Gbedema’s stories from back home made both Purves and Gegan appreciate their everyday luxuries a bit more. “He talked about all the kids in Africa who didn’t have cleats and played with a ragged ball in the streets and I thought how I have all this soccer stuff, so I wanted to help him out,” Purves said.
Gegan added, “It’s great to be a part of building a future for that community.” While it has made significant progress since its launch in 2006, the Otwetiri Project still has much to do before it can be declared complete. To support the project, attend “A Taste of Ghana” on Saturday Oct. 22 from 7-10 p.m. at the Davis Senior Center. Tickets will be sold at the door, $40 for adults, $20 for students.
October 21, 2011
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Features
College apps vex children of immigrants Seniors have entered the college application phase of their last year in high school, when they scramble to finish personal statements, gather transcripts and assemble all of the extracurricular and volunteer activities they have participated in for the past four years. Most seniors had an idea of what the process was like from parents who went through it themselves years ago. However, there are some seniors at DHS who began their applications without this type of assistance because their parents did not attend college in the U.S. Senior Philip Yin started on his Common Application, the online application for many U.S. private colleges, in mid-August. Yin believes he dove into the application process without sufficient guidance from his parents, who are unfamiliar with the college application process in the
U.S. “My mom went to nursing school in China and my dad went to Beijing University in China,” he said. Yin said that his parents try to help to the extent that they can, but they are not much help. Yin feels that he is at a disadvantage compared to students at DHS whose parents attended college in the U.S. because American parents can guide their children through the process and give them advice to increase their chances of admittance. “I feel kind of nervous. I don’t really know what I should emphasize when I’m writing my essay,” Yin said. “I’m afraid I’ll leave something out that I should have talked about.” He adds that although it would have been an easier task if he had had a mentor while applying, he does not find it difficult to follow the instructions on the applications. “It’s not too bad. Like teachers and other kids talk about the more generalized stuff at school,” Yin said. “But the
specifics, you kinda have to figure out on your own.” Like Yin, senior Midushi Pandey is the first in her family to apply to undergraduate school in the U.S. Compared to Yin, Pandey receives more help from her parents who work with her to understand the college applications more clearly. “My parents went to college in India and they went to graduate school in the U.S., but the application process is a little bit different,” she said. In India, when students approach the end of the 12th grade, they are required to take an exam offered by the specific school they want to get into. “It’s mainly based on academic merit, not on any essays or extracurriculars or anything like that,” Pandey said. Pandey concurs with Yin that the general idea of the application process is clear, but the more detailed aspects require
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By Rubia Siddiqi HUB Staff Writer
COLLEGE APPS continued on 6
Multilingual students offer tutoring Junior Manraj Gill created the new Language Tutors Club in an effort to help improve student understanding of foreign languages. Gill, the president of the club, brought the idea of the club to language teacher Lili Floyd toward the end of last year and she happily agreed to sponsor the club. The objective of the club is to have students with diverse knowledge of languages help their peers succeed in their language classes. The club is designed to help students like junior Emma Miramontes, who has taken several years of Spanish, yet still questions her understanding of the language. “After taking three years of Spanish at my junior high and repeating Spanish 3 at DHS, I never felt like I got a firm grasp on the language,” Miramontes said. “I found that language courses take more focus and effort than any other class I was in with the combination of speaking, spelling, grammar and vocab.” Miramontes believes that with
ANNAMARIE PILON/HUB GRAPHIC
By Mara Seaton HUB Staff Writer
a little extra help from the club, “it will be easier to focus out of the classroom environment without the distractions,” and the extra help will keep her ahead. According to Gill and Floyd, the response from the student body has been supportive so far. “The students seem eager to help and often learners are more open with their peers and less anxious,” Floyd said. At the moment, the club is
recruiting tutors who have completed or are in the process of completing four or more years of a language. Junior Chris Chinn had hoped to become a Spanish tutor for the club, but was turned down because he had only taken three years of Spanish. “Initially, I tried to invite everyone whom I thought was qualified for tutoring others. But as our club grew, from the initial 17 to 55, Madame Floyd and I
became concerned regarding the legitimacy of the club,” Gill said. Gill was concerned that help from an unqualified tutor could hurt a students understanding rather than benefit it. Gill has now created a club application form that requires students to get a signature from their language teacher. “This is to get the teacher’s approval that that student is quali-
fied,” Gill said. “Grades do not always signal a person’s qualification to tutor.” Junior Emmanuel Gygi, the club’s vice president, wanted to get involved with the club soon after hearing about it. “I was born in a French-speaking country, and I also know Italian, so I thought that it would be an interesting job and experience to share my knowledge of language with other people,” Gygi said. “When I heard that Manraj was going to be president, I thought that we’d be a really great team, and everything is working out very well so far. I think we can go really far with this club.” The club will begin tutoring Oct. 17. Anyone interested in tutoring or being tutored can visit N-15 at lunch or after school. The tutors will have weekly meetings in N-15 on Wednesdays during lunch, but they offer their tutoring services daily. The club offers to help students with the following languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Chinese and languages not offered at the school such as Korean, Hindi, and Thai.
New club brings out the blue At the varsity field hockey game on Oct. 3, a group of 10 students are wearing pink to support the goal of the game: to raise money for breast cancer research. They are standing outside on the football field in pouring rain. Nevertheless, with as much enthusiasm as they can muster, they yell, “D-H-S.... “*stomp stomp stomp* we got spirit, yes we do, we got spirit, how ‘bout YOU?!” These students, members of the Blue Devils Club, chant this cheer to show school pride at school events. Senior Michael Yen, who is the president of the club, said that he created the Blue Devils Club because he believes DHS doesn’t have the best spirit and games are more fun when people get into them. Blue Devils Club doesn’t only show its spirit at sports games, but also during spirit week and on a regular basis for Blue Fridays. Junior Natalie Ho joined the club because she believes she has a lot of spirit and likes to show it with a group of people. “Honestly, I love spirit days, but then sometimes I kinda feel awkward
LANI CHANG/HUBPHOTO
By Emily Gao HUB Staff Writer
Junior Natalie Ho shouts to the crowd on the Blue Devils Club float at the homecoming parade on Sept. 23. The Blue Devils Club is a club devoted to increasing school spirit and supporting DHS sports teams.
when no one else in my classroom is dressed up.” Ho thinks that spirit is important because “it’s a good factor to a school’s environment and… it brings people together.” Because there are so many events, the Blue Devils Club can’t go to all of them. The mem-
bers generally go to all the main sporting events, but they also try to focus on sports that may need more support. “Volleyball wasn’t receiving lots of support earlier [in the year], so we tried to gather more people to go,” Ho said. To get ready for a big game such as homecoming or the Je-
suit soccer game, members of the Blue Devils Club come early to get their faces painted white and blue and to spray their hair blue. Yen generally recommends that members either wear blue or their “Got Spirit?” shirt, which is the Blue Devils Club shirt. Some
members go over the top and also dress up in blue high socks and capes, while others bring vuvuzelas and foam fingers. In addition to showing up and showing pride, the Blue Devils Club uses some cheers. Some of them are spin-offs of well known cheers, such as “You know it, you know the story, you tell the whole wide world, this is Devil territory!” However, to mix it up a bit and to gain a wider variety of cheers, members of the Blue Devils Club talked to the cheerleading captains who gave them a list of all their cheers. Yen says that the club’s favorite cheer is a very simple one: “1-2-3, go (insert name here)!” He likes this cheer since it “singles [one person] out and embarrasses them and it’s a lot of fun… it seems to motivate them to do better.” Both Yen and Ho have noticed an increase of school spirit. However, Yen isn’t ready to credit this increase to his club, but knows that members in his club are getting more involved. Ho says that the club hasn’t had a major impact on school spirit yet, but that they are getting there. She said, “Lots of people have definitely joined, and when more people join, more spirit!”
The HUB
Features
Get The Look When good guys do Bikram... By Glenn Hull & Gary Djajapranata HUB Staff Writers
It’s 105 degrees in this room. We’re going to be doing 26 extremely awkward poses while surrounded by next-to-naked strangers. This is what the next 90 minutes of our lives will look like. Follow our silent thoughts as we sweat and stretch through our first Bikram class—will we make it through Bikram Yoga?
Necklaces, handmade or from Whole Earth: free Thrift store shirt: $10
The beginning GD: Breathing exercises. It’s not too hot yet, but I never thought that breathing would make me sweat. GH: The instructor, Laura Quach, said that I didn’t have to do all the exercises; I just have to stay in the room for the full 90 minutes!
Pants from Crossroads Trading Co.: $13
LANI CHANG/HUB PHOTO
Shoes from Crossroads Trading Co.: $19
EARTHY INDIE Sophomore Gunnar Greve can often be spotted strutting the halls wearing brightly colored pants and clay necklaces. Occasionally, he carries his ukulele with him during passing periods. His clothing inspiration comes from “whatever’s cheapest” but also from various items found in nature. “I like rocks. I like turquoise and opals and stuff like that,” Greve said. By Annamarie Pilon HUB Staff Writer
15 minutes in GD: It seems like it’s getting hotter in here. And the people in this room are crazy flexible. I bet that old lady could lick her elbow! GH: Why is Gary staring at that woman? 30 minutes in GD: Glenn’s feet are sweating. I didn’t know that was possible. GH: Oh great; now he’s staring at me... Why is it so hot in here? I only brought one water bottle. I’m gonna run out! 45 minutes in GD: Balancing stick pose? You want me to put my legs WHERE? Sweat is falling into my eyes, and it looks like I’m crying…good, now nobody can tell they’re real tears. GH: Awww! Laura’s so nice, she brought me more water—she
the pulled bow
the tree
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the bridge
wants me to stay alive! 60 minutes in GD: Glenn got more water, no fair! I’m running out and I need to drink more—sweat is pouring off my chest and making a giant puddle. My mom’s not gonna want this yoga mat back. GH: Ahhh! I’m getting nauseous now. I’m so lightheaded. Whenever I try to stand up I feel like I’m going to puke. I’m going to take a break and sit down. 75 minutes in GD: How much longer will this last? All I want to do right now is walk into that giant freezer room at Costco and lock myself inside… Laura’s coming over to fix my pose; she says it will help for next time. Will there be a next time? GH: I didn’t know my belly button could sweat. I could keep a little fish in there. 90 minutes—finally!
GD: Everyone’s yelling Namaste. What does that even mean? Who cares? NAMASTE! GH: FINALLY! It’s over! Namaste! Coming out of the studio GD: It feels so good afterwards! Like I can do anything; like I can run for miles and miles. This feeling makes the whole thing worth it. GH: Laura said that to get all the benefits of yoga, we have to practice it regularly- about three times a week. GD: Are we gonna go back sometime, Glenn? GH: Fo’ sho. In the end, we determined that Bikram Yoga sustained its well-deserved reputation of difficulty, requiring both physical and mental endurance. But despite how strenuous the class was, the experience was worth it—so worth it. Bikram Yoga in Davis is located on 405 L Street and offers daily classes at a $12 rate for students.
COLLEGE APPS: First-timers confused continued from 4
some research. “Generally, I know the process because my parents went to grad school here and we’ve read about things,
but we’ve still got quite a few holes to sew in terms of what we know,” she said. Pandey has been working with
her parents to start sewing those holes; she reads all the articles and guidebooks they constantly bring her to help advise her in the long process. “I’ve lost count of the articles we’ve read or the number of catalogues we have, so [my parents] really are trying,” she said. Senior Naomi Kibrya, contrastingly, receives more college application help from her friends who have already surpassed this stage in high school than from her parents. “I’ve been talking to a lot of people who already got into Berkeley and getting advice from them. And I’ve been talking to teachers, counselors and my parents,” Kibrya said. She thinks it is beneficial to talk to her friends because they give her advice on how to apply, and they reassure her that soon, she will not have to worry about college applications. “I think it’s definitely better to have friends or family help you, not just for forms you have to submit, but for emotional support because it’s a big process and it’s important to have people who believe in you,” she said. Kibrya’s parents attended college in Canada, so they are more familiar with applications than parents of students who went to college in a different continent, but they serve more as moral support rather than consultants while she works on her applications. “They help me by encouraging me and telling me that they believe that I can achieve the things I want to achieve,” she said. “When I feel unconfident about what I can do, they keep my hopes up.”
To learn about sophomore Coby Yamauchi’s video gaming feats and the creation of the Blue Devils Club, tune in to Dirt on Davis Tuesdays and Thursdays at 5 pm on KDRT 95.7 FM, or visit www.bluedevilhub. com!
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The HUB
DEVIL’S ADVOCATE Opinions & Editorials
Is affirmative action justified? On Oct. 9, Gov. Jerry Brown vetoed California Senate Bill 185, a bill which would have allowed the University of California and California State University systems to consider race, gender, ethnicity and national origin in the admissions process. The process of considering such factors in admissions is referred to as affirmative action; California Proposition 209 currently forbids such preferential treatment. So, is affirmative action justified? Gary Djajapranata says no, while Daniel Tutt argues yes. tive action believe that affirmative action alone can rectify the great social imbalances caused by the racial divide. Their irrational Good job, Jerry Brown. This will prob- conviction is blindly misinformed: affirmaably be the only time I’ll praise you, or any tive action, in the long run, does not do any other Democrat for that matter. Take the favors for minority students. This previous summer I took a course in compliment — you did a good thing in philosophy at UC Berkeley, and even at ulkeeping affirmative action out of our state. Affirmative action is purely destructive. tra-liberal Cal, there was doubt about the efOn paper, it’s a nice policy; it gives ill-ad- fectiveness of affirmative action. During our vantaged minorities a chance to study and lectures there was discussion that affirmative achieve alongside everyone else and permits action subconsciously gives minorities the universities to diversify their student bodies. negative message that they need affirmative action to succeed. Affirmative action also Who wouldn’t like that? The problem is that affirmative action undermines the accomplishments of minorlowers the standard of excellence that we ity students, crediting their successes to the should always be aiming to advance. It al- leniency of affirmative action. If we truly wanted to move toward a nonlows minority students who are not sufficiently prepared to enter schools that de- racist society, we should not tackle the probmand a high caliber of achievement. The lem with reverse racism — which is exactly result? Elite universities open their doors what affirmative action is. Statistics suggest the inadequacy of affirto students who were admitted based on color alone, and do not have the talent to mative action and justify its illegality. As reported in the magazine “National Review,” survive. There’s only one thing that universities after affirmative action was formally banned should be considering: ability. Talent alone in the UCs by Prop. 209, black graduation speaks for itself. Universities need to stock rates at Cal increased 6.5 percent. At UC San their campuses with the brightest, most ath- Diego, the percent of blacks who graduated letic and most artistic students. Students who doubled, from 26 to 52 percent. The degree, after all, is most important. don’t wield enough desirable qualities, regardless of color, should be barred admission There’s no use in admitting somebody to college if he or she won’t graduate. Admisuntil they prove themsion is wasted on inadequately equipped selves worthy. minority students who are incapable We live in a of meeting graduation requirenation where ments. Admission should instead every field be granted to the most talented is becoming students — regardless of color — more specialbecause they deserve the chance to ized and more succeed. elite. Inferiority I intend to study business, and has no place in one day, if the responsibilthe work force, ity of hiring employees and so why should selecting a staff were left inferiority be up to me, I would never welcome in uniconsider race in the interversities? view process. There’s only Propoone question I would ask: “Can nents of you do your job?” I don’t care whether affiryou’re white, black, yellow, red or brown. maCan you do your job? Universities should be asking the same thing. Thank you for agreeing with me, Jerry Brown. By Gary Djajapranata HUB Staff Writer
keep high GPAs. In the end, the system is broken, and underrepresented minorities get the short end of the stick. Affirmative action will not solve the whole problem, but it is a step in the right direction, toward the ideals of equality and equal opportunity which will make the United States great. It is true that the UCs, under affirmative action, might admit an underrepresented student over a white or Asian student with just slightly higher test scores, but is this a flaw? Do you really think that white or Asian students, who are more likely to have better teachers and have more access to UCapproved and advanced courses, should be evaluated on the same level with underrepresented minority students who have overcome so many more difficulties? Some might say that Proposition 209 was passed by voters, and therefore is unalterable. But Senate Bill 185 does not alter Proposition 209; all it does is clarify the proposition, allowing UCs to consider race in admissions. Considering race is not preferential treatment, but an acknowledgement of the struggles which many underrepresented minority students face. We tried Proposition 209, we realized it was and continues to be a problem, and now we’re trying to undo just some of the damage. And we were succeeding too, until Jerry Brown vetoed Senate Bill 185.
Of the black students who apply to the UC system, 29 percent are not accepted. Of the Latino students who apply to the UC system, 18 percent are not accepted. Of the white or Asian students who apply, just 10 percent are not accepted. These are according to a 2007 report by a University of California study group on diversity. Notice anything a little off? Since the 1996 passage of Proposition 209 the UCs have made a conscious effort to avoid consideration of differences in race. Senate Bill 185 gives underrepresented minority students— in this case black, Latino and Native American students— a fair chance against competitors who have likely had better teachers and access to more advanced classes. The fact is, racism still exists, although it has changed. Open racism among the general population is no longer common, but racism has been institutionalized. This means minorities are underrepresented because their families historically are poorer and their parents are less likely to have gone to college. Poorer families generally live in districts with worse schools and are less able to afford college education. Therefore, if minorities are worse off, this trend will continue unless combated. That is where affirmative action comes in. Right now underrepresented minorities make up 46.2 percent of California high school graduates, but only 20.1 percent of UC freshmen, according to the same UC report. Also, underrepresented minorities are likely to be enrolled in high schools that have a low number of “a-g” UC-required classes, Advanced Placement classes and honors classes. This makes it hard for these students to be eligible for the UC system or to
PETER LIN/PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
By Daniel Tutt HUB Staff Writer
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Write a letter!
Halloween means stepping out of your box By Linda Ge HUB Staff Writer
CHARLOTTE CHEN/HUB GRAPHIC
“In girl world, Halloween is the one night a year when a girl can dress up like a total slut and no other girls can say anything about it,” Lindsay Lohan’s character Cady Heron narrates in the 2004 teenage cult classic “Mean Girls.” Rosalind Wiseman, author of the bestselling book “Queen Bees and Wannabes,” insists that “girls will [dress in sexy costumes] whenever they feel they can get away with it. It’s the freedom to be a ‘bad’ girl.” Well no, Rosalind Wiseman. Halloween is not about being a bad girl: what can you say about girls who dress up as Sarah Palin? Are they trying to be sexy? The outfits are neither sexy nor ‘bad girl’ (sorry, Palin). While Heron and Wiseman made valiant attempts at generalization, they didn’t see the broad scope of what Halloween means, especially to high schoolers. There’s an unspoken role each person has to play in daily life: there is the loudmouth, the nerd, the violinist, the tomboy and the redneck. Once you settle in a niche, it’s hard to get out of it. And while nobody can change her reputation or personality on Halloween, it’s nice to at least try and imagine life in some super confident or super eccentric person’s shoes. Junior Asha Byrd,
The HUB appreciates its readers and enjoys hearing feedback. If you want to write us a letter, submit it to L-20 or dhshub@gaggle.net. Your opinion matters!
for one, plans to go as a “Tron” character. There are holidays for political freedom, holidays for remembrance and holidays for appreciating loved ones. Halloween is different; it celebrates the weird, the meek and the ones who sit in corners. It’s when you can go up to someone and hold an actual, nice conversation about each other’s costumes without their asking, “I don’t want to be rude, but do I know you?” It’s
when you don’t have to be popular in order to get the most attention; for once, getting positive attention is an equal-opportunity experience. You don’t have to look a certain way or have a certain personality in order to get admiring glances and second looks. We are already paralyzed the other 364 days of the year by social stigmas. It wouldn’t hurt to break free for a bit.
The HUB Policy The HUB is written, edited and typed by members of the DHS HUB class. It is a non-profit publication paid for by advertisements and donations. The HUB was established as an open forum of student ideas and expression. Our content reflects the interests and ideas of students but not necessarily those of the Davis Senior High School administration and faculty. Staff opinions are the majority opinion of the HUB staff. This publication is not subject to prior review. The administration of Davis Senior High School should not be held responsible for The HUB’s content. The HUB 315 W. 14th St. Davis, CA 95616 Editors-in-Chief: Kelly Goss, Chloe Kim Copy Editor: Gary Djajapranata News Editor: Daniel Tutt Features Editor: Anna Sturla Op-Ed Editor: Madie Delmendo Entertainment Editor: Rubia Siddiqi Sports Editor: Kelsey Ewing In-Depth Editor: Monica LopezLara Infographic Editor: Emily Gao Website Editor Lauren Blackwell Webmaster: Marc Santana
Radio Producer: Grace Calhoun Art Director: Charlotte Chen Graphic Artists: Annamarie Pilon, Henry Anker Photo Editor: Anders Young Photographers: Peter Lin, Lani Chang, Jenny Davisson Business Manager: Jiajing Zhang HUB Staff Writers: Glenn Hull, Mara Seaton, Nick Juanitas, Genny Bennett, Linda Ge, Katie Van Deynze, Meem Mohsin, Shauna Simon, Kashmir Kravitz Adviser: Kelly Wilkerson
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In “That 70s Show,” Red Forman makes it well known that he favors his older daughter Laurie over his younger son, Eric. Meanwhile, Red’s wife Kitty favors Eric over Laurie. While the favoritism on the sitcom is wildly hyperbolized, there is some real-life truth to the matter. UC Davis professor of human and community development Catherine Cogner published a study about playing favorites that was recently featured in the October issue of TIME magazine. In the study, Cogner organized 384 different groups of siblings and met with them three times over three years. Cogner interviewed them about their relationships and videotaped them as they worked out kinks in the relationship. She found that 65 percent of mothers and 70 percent of fathers favor one child, generally the oldest child in both cases. In the TIME article, author Jeffrey Kluger states that there is a biological favoritism for the firstborn because the firstborn lived a year or more without competing with another child for food and attention. Early humans who could hunt and find a mate were the most valuable and worthy to a tribe, so it is biologically implanted in our minds to favor those who are most likely to succeed. Junior Neal Rock and his sister, sophomore Charlotte Rock, agree that their older brother and firstborn of the family, DHS graduate Ian Rock, is the favorite child.
Neal is an artist and photographer, Charlotte runs track and sings and Ian was scouted for the Duke University track team. “We are definitely all equal, but since Ian is the oldest and has accomplished the most so far, he gets a lot of attention,” Charlotte said. “Sometimes my parents are like, ‘Why aren’t you more like Ian?’ ‘Why aren’t your friends like Ian’s?’ But they still support my art,” Neal said.
“Sometimes my parents are like, ‘Why aren’t you more like Ian?’ ...But they still support my art.” -Neal Rock, junior Junior Kallie Gregg has two older siblings, Kaitlin and Brendan, who both want to compete in the Olympic trials for the 10-kilometer race in 2012; and she has a younger brother, Bryce, who currently swims. Kallie believes Brendan, the second oldest, is the favorite child because she says he is more easygoing than her and her sister. Kallie’s father coaches the DHS cross country team, and both Kaitlin and Brendan ran cross country at DHS; however, Kallie does not. “Sometimes I think maybe [my
parents and older siblings] would like it more if I could run too and relate to them all that way. But they’re supportive of my ultimate goals, like moving to Spain someday and being a sports journalist. [My parents] have accepted my things the same way they encouraged [my older siblings’],” Kallie said. There isn’t much competition for parental attention between Kallie and Bryce, the only two siblings still at home, because Kallie is old enough to understand that Bryce needs more attention. According to Kluger, “One of the best things about favoritism conflicts is that they usually fade as children grow older.” Junior Ceci Cajandig has two older twin sisters, DHS graduates Briki and Mari, as well as a younger sister and a younger brother who is a freshman. She thinks that past conflicts have diminished with age. “It used to seem like Briki, the oldest, was the favorite because she never got into any trouble with my parents, but now that all of us get in the same amount of trouble, it’s obvious there is no favorite,” Ceci said. Ceci now believes her little brother is favored over the older siblings. “My mom tends to spend more money on [my little brother] because he’s her only boy and the baby,” Ceci said. In a recent interview, Kluger tells parents that ultimately children must be treated as the individuals they are. “You can’t treat your children equally, because they’re very dif-
ferent people and they have d i f ferent needs.” Kluger said.
LANI CHANG/PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
By KASHMIR KRAVITZ HUB Staff Writer
October 21, 2011
In-Depth
Twin sisters Angelique and Dominique Torres
Five things you may not know about sibling relationships Author Jeffrey Kluger was recently interviewed by Salon.com to explain his findings in his book“The Sibling Effect.” In the interview, Kluger revealed some interesting facts about the bonds between siblings.
1. Sibling relationships are the most valuable and intimate
2.
3. 4.
5.
relationships, because if you have a sibling, you know them for all or most of your life. While parental and spousal relationships are intimate, parents aren’t around for your entire life and spousal relationships develop later in life. If you have a combative or intimidating older sibling, you will learn how to be tough and confident. If you are an older sibling who comforts a younger sibling, you establish empathetic and nurturing skills that would otherwise be absent. Youngest children use low-power strategies, like charming people and being funny, and learn to have a better intuitive sense because they are the smallest kid. Sibling dynamics don’t hold true only to humans; competitive sibling relationships are also apparent in other species. Take a litter of wolf pups. The youngest and smallest of the litter, the runt, is picked on and sometimes left to die by the alphas, while the strongest is favored. Men with sisters and women with brothers are better at talking to the opposite sex. Girls who have brothers tend to be more rugged and men with sisters are more sensitive and have better listening skills.
The HUB
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ALL GRAPHICS BY ANNAMARIE PILON
In-Depth
Golden Child
At some point in life, everyone feels as though they are living in the shadow of others. Maybe it’s the gorgeous best friend, the super-smart classmate or the athletic neighbor. However, sometimes the pressure of being “less-than” is felt much closer to home: living under the same roof with the “perfect” sibling can be frustrating and challenging. Senior Danielle Schickele says she often feels overshadowed by her older sister Anna, who is studying at Stanford University. “The main thing that affected me was that I always felt stupid compared to her…it’s not like I felt pressure [to do well in school. It was] more like ‘I’m not smart,’” Danielle said. “That’s how I feel when I compare myself to my sister academically.” Over the years, Danielle has noticed differences in academic treatment from her parents. “I’ve had so many tutors in like every subject, and my sister never had to have a tutor or anything like that. And it’s not even like I’m doing that bad [in school],” she said. Danielle believes that she and her sister are very different: she is outgoing and social while her sister is more shy and reserved. Danielle believes that her mother is aware of and respects the differences between her daughters.
“I guess my mom wants me to do as well as my sister did, but I think she also recognizes that we’re different people,” Danielle said. Like Danielle, junior Emmanuel Gygi has an older, academically successful sibling. Because of their close age difference, Emmanuel says he regularly gets compared to his older brother, David. David is two years older than Emmanuel and attends UC Berkeley. Emmanuel describes his brother as someone who is “really smart and helped everyone.” Because of his brother’s great qualities, when Emmanuel began high school, teachers recognized his last name and told him, “your brother was fantastic,” or “we were just talking about your brother.” Although Emmanuel has a good relationship with his brother and is happy for David’s success, he said the compliments are “nice to hear but… I’m kind of sick of it now.” However, Emmanuel tries to use the success of his brother to his own benefit. “When I hear ‘your brother was an inspiration’ or ‘your brother was really nice,’ I try to remain as positive as possible… I kind of think how I could be that,” Emmanuel said. This year, Emmanuel has followed in the leadership steps of David, who was the president of California Scholarship Foundation, by co-founding the Language Tutors Club. Like Danielle, Emmanuel has qualities that differentiate him from
his brother. Emmanuel uses one of his own talents, the ability to entertain people, to gain his parents’ favor. “Sometimes my parents will get mad at me, and sometimes I can just make them laugh it off. And when my brother gets in trouble, it doesn’t really work the same way,” he said. No matter the age gap between siblings, the pressure to match their success still lingers. Junior Anna Pan is eight years younger than her brother, Dana, who is currently in medical school at the University of Saint Louis. “He’s just a lot smarter than me and then I feel like I have to be better [or match] that,” Anna said. However, Anna also believes that it is beneficial to have a smart brother. The competition causes her to work harder in school and “whenever I need help or something, I just call him and he always knows how to help me [with school],” Anna said. Dana was also a piano prodigy who recorded a CD titled “Piano Solos” when he was 16. He even went to multiple piano competitions, including the prestigious Palatino Piano Competition in San Francisco. Out of 81 competitors, Dana placed second and won a Palatino piano. He eventually shared his piano knowledge with Anna, but she stopped playing when she was 13. Anna doesn’t let her brother’s success get to her and said, “We both have our different talents; mine
isn’t piano.” faze her because she is proud of Sophomore Sabrina Williams, her brother and believes that he is younger sister of DHS graduate “an amazing guy to be associated and former DHS athlete Courtney with.” Williams, relates her experiences “I’ve never felt like I was livof living with her talented older ing under his shadow,” Sabrother. As a star football player brina said. “I’ve always felt like and track runner, Courtney was his accomplishments help me known for his speed and star pres- set goals for myself, and help ence on the field. me push myself to do better.” Sabrina has always been a huge supporter of her brother. When Courtney began playing football, she remembers going to all of his freshman games and “seeing him pour out his heart when he played, no matter who was watching, or who they were playing.” Sabrina has taken away many lessons from her brother’s achievements over the years. “My brother’s successes, but more importantly the journey that led to his success, have taught me so much about sports, passion and willpower… He’s taught me that passion is key to success. He taught me that no matter how well you do something, you should always be humble,” Sabrina said. Because of her brother’s success, Sabrina has been called “Courtney’s little Stepbrothers Jacob Rutheiser and sister.” This name doesn’t Jacob Muller LANI CHANG/PHOTO ILLUSTRATION
By Annamarie Pilon & emily gao HUB Staff Writers
Page 10
October 21, 2011
Op-Ed
School must create safe environment for students
Starting in preschool, students learn about separate bathrooms: girls go into the bathroom with the white stick figure wearing a skirt, and boys go into the bathroom with the white stick figure sporting pants. The identification seems so clear, but today, where do students who do not conform to the preconceived ideas of male and female go to the bathroom and feel comfortable and safe? Moti Fox-Libet, an openly gay junior, was faced with that question Sept. 27. Fox-Libet, along with junior Shanae Maragh, entered a DHS women’s bathroom between sixth and seventh period to apply mascara. According to Fox-Libet, a female staff member saw Fox-Libet in the bathroom and told him to leave. He explained to the teacher that he is gay, but according to Fox-Libet, the teacher said “it did not matter” and that he still had to leave. Fox-Libet does not feel comfortable using the men’s restroom for applying makeup or going to the bathroom; he describes using the men’s room as “an awkard situation” he’d rather avoid because of his sexual orientation. “Sometimes the stalls aren’t available as opposed to the urinals, and I’m not going to wait for the stall if I have to go to the bathroom, and I can’t use the girls’, so I have to hold it and run to another bathroom,” he said. No matter his or her sexual orientation, no student should ever have to “hold it” to conform to the rules of his or her school. The teacher who told Fox-Libet to leave the women’s bathroom does not know that it does matter that Fox-Libet feels uncomfortable in the men’s bathroom, and because of this, the school needs to accommodate him so he has a comfortable place to use the bathroom. Fox-Libet was later pulled out of his fourth period on Sept. 30 to speak with an administrator regarding the bathroom incident. According to Fox-Libet, the administrator told him that although he is
HENRY ANKER/HUB GRAPHIC
By Kelly Goss Editor-in-Chief
gay, he is still male, so he cannot go into the female bathroom. The administrator, like the teacher, made the error of not understanding that Fox-Libet’s gender indentity does have an impact on this matter, and that the administration needs to provide a solution
to Fox-Libet’s discomfort in the men’s restroom. “Sometimes when I say to people I’m gay, they understand, but when it comes to things like [the bathroom situation], I’m not gay, I’m a male,” Fox-Libet said. No student should have to ever
prove to school administrators why they deserve to feel safe at school. A school is a place that should create a secure environment for all its students, and until all students feel safe using the bathrooms DHS has offered to them, DHS has not fufilled its role of making sure every
student feels protected. Maragh feels that DHS is generally accepting of people’s differences but if the school were to neglect actions that would provide for the safety of one student, “we could end up losing these students and they would grow up without a positive view of school. We should make them feel comfortable, and if push comes to shove, we should make a bathroom for them,” she said. Gay-Straight Alliance Network Communication Coordinator Jill Marcellus feels that creating “gender-neutral bathrooms is an important step toward providing a safe learning environment,” she said. “No student should feel unsafe in school simply because of the way in which he or she expresses his or her gender, and the school has a responsibility to ensure both that student’s rights to express him or herself and his or her safety,” Marcellus said. Local universities such as UC Berkeley, UC Davis and Stanford have co-ed bathrooms available to students, according to their websites, so why does DHS not have a student bathroom that is co-ed? A private co-ed bathroom at DHS would provide a safe restroom for gender-nonconforming students and also prevent any students from feeling uncomfortable by having a student of the opposite gender in his or her bathroom. “I want [DHS] and kids, students and teachers to realize that there are gray areas in a lot of areas in our society now that people are uncomfortable to talk about or afraid to understand,” Fox-Libet said. In a time where the safety of gender nonconforming students has not been established across schools nationwide, DHS should address this issue and provide for the security of all fellow students, regardless of their gender identity. Although Fox-Libet’s case is the first to be presented so far at DHS, more students may feel the same as Fox-Libet, and it is the school’s responsibility to make sure they are accomodated and feel safe on campus.
PETER LIN/HUB PHOTO
SHAUNA SIMON/HUB PHOTO
With Borders gone, what should open at the Davis Commons?
“Urban Outfitters.”- Yasmeen Nahal, senior
“I think a Puma Outlet would be would be pretty cool.”- Kyle Nadler, senior
“I want laser tag!”- Jacob Vanderbilt, senior
“Barnes & Noble!”- Emma Miramontes, junior
“A pasta place.”- Rami Rashmawi, sophomore By Mara Seaton HUB Staff Writer
Grad hats: the decoration debate By Monica Lopez-Lara
A flock of puffy, royal blue floorlength polyester robes and matching unflattering square caps hide the only thing that gives graduating seniors any individuality during the graduation ceremony: their clothes. Other than what they are wearing underneath their robes, the soonto-be graduates have no way of expressing themselves as they walk across the stage, shake hands with different administration officials and walk back down the opposite stairs as high school graduates. “Is that Suzy right there? Honey, get the camera out! I’m almost positive that is her…do you think that’s her? Oh it must be, she’s waving at us! HI, HONEY!” “Everyone’s waving at someone…that’s definitely not her. That girl has red hair, and Suzy’s is strawberry blonde. Keep looking.” Not a single, recent graduation ceremony has passed where some version of this conversation hasn’t been overheard. Suzy’s parents, along with everyone else’s, are going to have a tough time finding their student in the crowd below the stands. A simple solution to this problem lies in fabric glue, markers and puff paint. The class of 2012 is proposing
something super wild and reckless: why not let seniors decorate their graduation caps? Some parents and students have already begun to express their opinions about the prohibition of the decoration of the caps. Sherrie Clark, a parent of a DHS senior, has proudly watched four of
ANNAMARIE PILON/HUB GRAPHIC
HUB Staff Writer
her older children walk in DHS’s graduation ceremony, all with decorated caps that reflected their unique personalities. Although the date of the policy change is uncertain, Clark’s last child to graduate decorated her cap in 2006. Upon hearing that her youngest daughter’s graduating class would
not be allowed to decorate their caps, Clark voiced her opinion on the DHS Class of 2012 parent listserv and wrote a letter to Principal Jacquelyn Moore, asking to reconsider the ban on decorating the caps this year. “[My other children] proudly hung their caps on their bedroom
walls (they are still there). One daughter hosted a decorating party the evening before graduation. She says that was the only fun part of graduating,” Clark stated in the letter. “I understand that obscene words, references to alcohol/ drugs/sex, should not be allowed.” Within 10 minutes of the notice being sent to the listserv, five other parents had responded. Senior Claire Coleman also took to the web to share her opinion and concern about the caps. On Sept. 20, Coleman posted a question on the DHS Class of 2012 group on Facebook. She wanted to know who was on the graduation committee and why they had made the decision in the past to ban decorating caps. Coleman says she didn’t know a committee even existed until this year. “I really hope that [the graduation committee] makes their decisions in the interest of the entire student body. It’s possible that past years made that decision, but I don’t know why, and I think it should be revisited every year,” Coleman said. To the members of this year’s committee, please reconsider this silly rule. Come graduation, each senior should be able to take part in the fun of individualizing their caps.
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The HUB
DEVIL’S FUNHOUSE Entertainment
Decorating Davis Art adds color to city streets By Kelsey Ewing HUB Staff Writer
ANDERS YOUNG/HUB PHOTO/CHARLOTTE CHEN/HUB GRAPHIC
Where there was once an unremarkable, dry lawn on the corner of First Street and E Street, there now looms a colorful sculpture of a diver. For several weeks, artist Finley Fryer’s “Stan the Submerging Man” has been outside of John Natsoulas Center for the Arts, where it shocks passersby with its sudden towering presence. Fryer’s sculpture is made from various found plastic objects, including colored vinyl records. First premiered in 1999 at the Burning Man Festival in the Black Rock Desert, “Stan” has visited various cities and galleries, but will stay in Davis for one year. “It’s at the entryway, the gateway to the town and all the college kids are taking photos out there,” said John Natsoulas, owner of the center. But this sculpture is just a precursor to a growing movement to introduce more artwork in public places throughout Davis. A committee of 12 has recently initiated an effort to create an art and entertainment district in Davis. The committee proposes to build a Greek Theater with at least 300 seats, a music hall and various other public art pieces including more sculptures. The creation of an art and entertainment district will, according to Mayor Pro Tempore Rochelle Swanson, boost tax revenue and increase interest in the downtown area. “The more art that is in a community, then it brings more people to Davis,” Swanson said. An art and entertainment district
is feasible in Davis more than in another location because “Davis has a good art tradition and a lot of local artists,” Swanson said. In addition, the committee plans to focus on local artists and young artists in high school or college. For example, 2005 DHS graduate Wes Horn recently unveiled his sculpture “Polly” as a part of the project. “Polly” is a sculpture of a cockatiel that also functions as a chair located on D Street. “I do a lot of outdoor and functional art, having something durable that people can relate to and use,” Horn said. While Natsoulas said that he did not expect an entirely supportive reaction to “Stan the Submerging Man,” he is pleased by its positive reception so far. “It is kind of weird because all of a sudden it was just there,” said Hailey Powers, a cashier at neighboring business Sugar Daddies. When first spotted, the sculpture surprised onlooker Carmen Aguirre with its mysterious presence. “Whoa, that is so cool,” the UC Davis student said when she first spotted the sculpture while crossing First Street. While there are more than 30 other city-sanctioned art pieces throughout Davis, according to the Davis Wiki website, this sculpture stands out among others because of its sheer size and mosaic-like surface of colored plastic fragments. “I think it’s a great addition to the corner. It really adds nice color,” UCD student Katherine Neuhaus said while walking past the sculpture. The sculpture may be a unique and eye-catching work of art, but it is just a preview to more art to come.
By Monica Lopez-Lara HUB Staff Writer
Even before the final film was unveiled this summer, dedicated Harry Potter fans have been “following the owl” to the unveiling of Pottermore since early June. Pottermore is described by J.K. Rowling as “an online reading experience unlike any other.” Millions of fans worldwide watched Rowling’s introduction video to Pottermore from YouTube at 5 a.m. Pacific Time on June 23. In the video, Rowling gave a preview of what is to come for anxious fans. So far, only beta testers have been able to access the website’s virtual world. The testers were able to access the site by completing “The Magical Quill Challenge,” which began on July 31, the birthdays of both Harry Potter and Rowling. The challenge lasted seven days, with each day corresponding to one of the seven books. A clue was released each day to aid the fans in finding the answer to the question. Since Aug. 10, one million early users have received their official Pottermore acceptance letters. The demand for an early account was so great that many cyber criminals attempted to sell their accounts to desperate fans on electronic shopping sites such as eBay. com, disregarding the warning on Pottermore’s blog that Pottermore would always be a free website. Senior Naomi Kibrya is among the million who were chosen as Pottermore’s beta testers. She was in the last group to receive acceptance letters. So far, she has been able to access everything that has
currently been released on the website. Beta users have also been sorted into respective houses, just as the Hogwarts students are sorted in the books and films. “There is already a heated rivalry between a couple houses and people are trying to get their house to win the most points; it’s pretty amusing,” Kibrya said. One of Kibrya’s favorite things about Pottermore is learning more about the series, as Rowling has given extra information about characters and the overall story that wasn’t available to readers before. Senior Haley Belenis is also part of the exclusive group of beta testers. She registered on the fourth day of the challenge, and upon gaining access to the site, was sorted into Ravenclaw house and given a wand. “When you’re in early, you have access to all of book one, as well as dueling and potion making areas of the site. It’s limited to book one for now though, which is disappointing because it doesn’t take long to finish,” Belenis said. As site creators receive feedback from beta testers, “The site should improve a lot after the beta testing, and hopefully will be easier to use,” Belenis said. In late October, loyal followers of the Boy Who Lived will be reunited with the story from page one, all over again. “Little things like that make the entire series come alive yet again. So even though it’s ‘over,’ the books can stay just as alive for me as they were four years ago,” Kibrya said.
Auto teacher wins singing competition By Kelly Goss Editor-in-Chief
The majority of students know Robert Thayer as the automotive tech teacher of their campus, but Thayer proved, Oct. 15, at the third annual Community Idol competition, that he also has a talent for music and singing. With his performance of The Rolling Stones’ “Wild Horses,” Thayer was granted $150 and the title of Community Idol. Madrigals and DHS alumni Nate Reinking and Megan Pitcairn and River City High School choral director David Vanderbout, the judges of the night, awarded him the title. DHS graduate and Jazz Choir alumnus Cass Olson also gave a noteworthy performance of Florence and the Machine’s “The Dog Days are Over” which earned her $50 and the People’s Choice Award of the night. Olson’s version of “The Dog Days are Over” was “a powerhouse performance” according to Reinking. “It’s always a big risk to do a song like that where it’s pedals to the floor half of the song and there was no band accompanying her, but she was able to pull it off and carry herself well,” he said. All of the judges agreed that Olson’s and Thayer’s song choices and connection with the audience are what distinguished them from the other ten contestants, all of whom had to be 18 years or older to participate in the DHS Advanced Treble Choir’s third annual competition fundraiser. Thayer was excited to earn the grand title of Community Idol and felt that his hours of practice paid off to grant him his win. Thayer’s passion for music began in the late 90s when he decided to begin songwriting and to create a band. “Songwriting shouldn’t just be for certain people, it should really be for everyone,” he said. “I realized that if other people can do it, why can’t I do it?” Thayer, who lived in the San Francisco Bay Area at the time, continued to practice writing songs
A nice evening of Panic! By Grace Calhoun HUB Staff Writer
When I hear the name Panic! At the Disco for a band, it’s my first instinct to assume the music is going to be really lame. When I see a crowd of pre-pubescent girls waiting in line to enter their concert, I can’t help but think that any band drawing such an annoying crowd probably sings ultra auto-tuned, artificial garbage that constitutes way too much of our music today. The band had a concert at Ace of Spades in Sacramento on Oct. 10. I guess you could say I was kind of surprised and somewhat engrossed with the band’s performance, which proved my initial judgments about Panic! At the Disco completely wrong. But I still don’t like the name. The concert wasn’t all Panic! There were two opener bands, the first of which was called Foxy Shazam. They were crazy, almost to the point of utter disturbance. Foxy almost reminded me of a circus act; all the band members were clad in ridiculous outfits accompanied with bizarre hair to complete the look. To be honest they frightened me, especially their keyboard player. As the girls next to me said: “This band is what would happen if you
got together the weirdest people in the world and a microphone.” But contrary to my preconceived thoughts, I was wrong (again) about the quality of Foxy Shazam’s music. The lead singer, Eric Nally, passionately belted out every song with a hint of Queen’s Freddie Mercury in his voice. They definitely were not on the same level as Queen, but I still enjoyed their music, even if it wasn’t what I would normally listen to. The band’s performance included many a head banging, body spasms, spitting into one another’s mouths and consumption of multiple stogies. Needless to say, Foxy was at the very least, extremely entertaining. Foxy’s performance was followed by opening band number two, Fall Out Boy. Because I had actually heard some of FOB’s songs before like “Thanks for the Memories,” I set the bar low, only to be taken aback in befuddlement as my expectations were surpassed, again. Clad in a suit and tie ensemble, FOB came off classy. It opened and closed with covers of David Bowie’s “Let’s Dance” and Phil Collins’s “In the Air Tonight,” which gave the band bonus points in my book. FOB’s lead singer and drummer Patrick Stump was the obvious crowd favorite. His presence
gave the band a cool, captivating vibe, which vividly contrasted with Foxy’s wild and rambunctious impression. Then came Panic! At the Disco. I swear it was as if 1,000 little chipmunks were squealing for their lives when they came onstage. You could tell this was the band people had waited eight hours in the rain for. The second front man Brenden Urie started singing, the audience was completely entranced by his sound. Urie was great with the crowd. He was endearing and spirited. The crowd loved him, almost a little too much. They even started cheering when he ripped his pants. I’m serious. As for me, I was, for the third time, baffled that this band sounded so good. Seeing Panic! At the Disco live brought a more genuine sound to their music. They sounded completely different compared from when I had listened to their CD earlier that day. I wasn’t alone in my appreciation of the band’s performance. Practically all of the tween-agers at the venue were crying their love for Panic! and I’m fairly certain that the grown man to my left had memorized and was mouthing all the words to the hit single “The Ballad of Mona Lisa.”
WAYNE TILCOCK/ENTERPRISE PHOTO
Potter craze goes viral
October 21, 2011
Entertainment
DHS graduate Cass Olson (left) took home the prize of the People’s Choice Award at the 2011 Community Idol with her singing performance of “The Dog Days Are Over.”
and sent out newspaper ads for band members. In 1998, Thayer formed the “Real Sippin’ Whiskeys” composed of “musicians Mike Brilliot on drums, Marko Aleksic on electric bass, Jeanna Steele on fiddle and vocals, Dave Strahan on electric guitar, and Thayer on vocals and acoustic guitar,” according to the band’s Myspace bio. Thayer, along with Strahan, wrote lyrics for the band, and says his biggest influences for his songwriting and for the “Real Sippin’ Whiskeys” were country music and ‘60s and ‘70s rock such as Bob Dylan and Neil Young. Thayer notes that “even if they’re not writing the lyrics, everyone contributes and it’s a really collaborative process” in the band. When Strahan moved away a year ago, the band found it “hard to continue on,” Thayer said. After more than 12 years of playing together and the creation of two CDs, “The Real Sippin’ Whiskeys” decided to retire. Thayer feels that the decision was made mainly because all the
band members “loved [Strahan] so much, and it would be hard to continue without him because of not only his personality but also the sound that he brought to the band with how he plays guitar,” he said. Before they say goodbye for good, the band will be playing four last performances this November, one of which will be locally at Palms Playhouse in Winters on Nov. 5. Thayer plans to continue his songwriting and will keep performing with local band “The Bottom Dwellers.” Pitcairn feels that the judges chose Thayer to win the competition because “technically, he was very well trained and he held a confidence that carried out into the audience,” she said. Reinking also noted that although Thayer’s song selection was five minutes long, he was “able to captivate the audience the entire time, and that’s impressive,” Reinking said.
Halloween in high school By Meem Mohsin HUB Staff Writer
Many people like keeping Halloween traditional and going out at night to trick-or-treat, while others like to attend strobe light-filled parties. Last but not least, some devote their Halloween for a good cause like UNICEF. Sophomore Natalia Khodayari is excited for Halloween because it is an excuse to get pounds and pounds of candy, hang out with friends and have a good time. She finds it thrilling to see the creative costumes, decorative houses, carved-out pumpkins as well as the extended cobwebs around everybody’s houses. She has not let go of the trick-or-treating tradition she started as a kid. “My friends and I head out with our pillow cases for trick-or-treating. We’ve gotten as much as nine pounds of candy each!’’ Khodayari said. After trick-or-treating, she and her friends head back home and throw all their earnings onto the floor. “From dry ice and strobe lights, to glow-in-the-dark paint and loud bass-filled music, it’s definitely al-
WELCOME TO HALLOWEEN CHARLOTTE CHEN/HUB GRAPHIC
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ways the best way to end this holiday,’’ Khodayari said. Besides trickor-treating, she finds Halloween parties especially exhilarating. Junior Katrina Cole is all about spending her night trick-or-treating rather than attending parties or going anywhere else. She started trick-or-treating at the age of three and claims she would like to continue doing it for as long as she can, no matter what age. Cole dresses up in unique costumes which is always a bonus for her on her favorite holiday of the year. “I’ll do anything for free candy,’’ Cole said. Senior Zanyar Mansoubi has a different view on Halloween compared to Khodayari and Cole. He is rather glad he does not trick-ortreat anymore. “It was just a hassle walking for days in the cold getting a huge load of candy that I don’t even end up eating,’’ Mansoubi said. This year, Mansoubi plans on going out of town to Los Angeles for his cousin’s fraternity party at UCLA. While he would rather go to L.A. than stay home or go out, he is unsure because he has to come back and go to school the very next morning. Senior Laila Rizvi dedicates her Halloween to a good cause. Rizvi is one of the officers for UNICEF at DHS. According to Rizvi, her club is working hard to attract friends to go trick-or-treating for UNICEF or to help out in some other way. “My fellow officers and I are well aware of the fact that many high school students do not go trick-ortreating anymore. So, we thought that in order to attract more attention, we would throw a Halloween party the weekend before Halloween,’’ Rizvi said. Rizvi and her members are planning to have a costume competition, watch scary movies, dance, listen to music, and do some other fun activities.
The HUB
Page 13
Entertainment
By kATIE VAN DEYNZE HUB Staff Writer
“Footloose,” a film that defined the spirit of the ‘80s, was so highly praised that filmakers decided to produce a remake. The new “Footloose” follows city boy Ren MacCormack, a teenager who relocates to Bomont, Tenn. to live with his aunt and uncle after his mother’s death. On his first day in Bomont he is shocked to be given a ticket for playing his music too loud. He soon finds out that three years prior, the tight-knit community was rocked by a devastating car accident that killed five high school seniors after a dance. Bomont’s city council and the Reverend Shaw Moore responded by implementing a ban on loud music and public dancing. Ren challenges the ban with help from his new friends Willard, Rusty and the reverend’s rebellious daughter, Ariel. Director Craig Brewer’s revival of “Footloose” begins as in the original film, with shots of dancing feet and artist Kenny Loggins’s classic song “Footloose” playing in the background. However, as soon as the opening credits end, the fresh tone of this new rendition is apparent. Brewer skillfully reproduces original scenes with a modern flare and more emotional depth combined with the film’s original charm. Brewer made the decision to show us the tragedy that compelled the families and government of Bomont to ban public dancing. This choice helped add color to the original film’s characters and, over-
all, made the film more believable. Brewer also made Reverend Shaw Moore a more relatable and likeable character than John Lithgow’s interpretation in the 1984 film. Many parents can relate to the reasons behind the extreme measures he takes to keep his congregation safe, and how he goes too far. Dennis Quaid plays the troubled parent perfectly, and I was pleasantly reminded of his fatherly role in another successful remake, “The Parent Trap.” This choice also benefitted the development of the reverend’s daughter, Ariel. The original character, played by Lori Singer, was hard to relate to for most of the original “Footloose.” The remake improves Ariel’s character by showing how her brother’s death in the accident changed her life. In the remake, Julianne Hough plays Ariel who rebels and takes chances in order to forget about the death of her brother, Brian. Hough shows us both Ariel’s young and reckless side and her growth as a person after she meets Ren. Though Zac Efron was initially cast for the role of Ren MacCormack, he unexpectedly dropped out and filmmakers chose dancer Kenny Wormald to fill the role. Ren was originally played by Kevin Bacon, and “Footloose” served as his breakout performance. Wormald, previously known for being a backup dancer for Justin Timberlake, lacked acting experience. However, he still portrays Bacon’s original character with a few twists of his own and surprises the audience with his believable performance. An interesting change that writers
of the film made is to have Ren’s mother die, when in the original his mother moves to Bomont with him. This change gives way to an entirely new emotional angle on Ren’s character, and we get to see him dance it out in the new version of Bacon’s famous “warehouse dance.” In the original “Footloose,” Ren’s mother supports him in his efforts to legalize dancing, but in the remake, her role as Ren’s helping hand is replaced by his aunt and uncle. The filmmakers find the perfect balance between the old and new. There is some hip-hop dancing early on in the movie that is definitely new, but they leave plenty of room for some of the classic “Footloose” moves. The film features the original’s “Footloose,” along with “Let’s Hear it for the Boys,” and other remastered songs from the original soundtrack. Though the remake has a more realistic tone than the original, there is still lots of the original’s charming humor, and some new jokes of its own. The friendship between Ren and Willard is hilariously portrayed by Wormald and Miles Teller. The scene when Ren teaches Willard how to dance is my favorite part of both films, and had me smiling and tapping my feet for the rest of the movie.
Paesanos takes Italian to a new level Italian restaurants seem to polarize between places that specialize in serving giant quantities of cheap noodles and upscale dining venues that offer tiny, wallet-emptying entrees. Most families look for something in between the two extremes. Thankfully, there’s now a new option in Davis that occupies the comfortable middle perfect for most families: Paesanos. The food is good, the portions are adequate, the prices for the entrees fall between a reasonable range of $7 to $12, the service is friendly and attentive and, beverage-wise, they serve everything from Pepsi to Sauvignon Blanc wine. The menu offerings include a wide range of Italian and Italian-in-
spired entrees such as spaghetti carbonara and “Alfredo’s Fettuccine,” as well as fusion food such as spicy Creole-style linguine, Mongolian short rib pizza and even pad Thai. The calamari fritti appetizer was delicious. The friendly waiter brought out a heaping platter of perfectly fried calamari served with cocktail sauce and aioli. The calamari was good enough to eat on its own, but the spicy, garlicky sauces were a definite bonus. The “bocce balls” – another appetizer – were less impressive. Though the kitchen took pains to ensure that they were cooked perfectly, the fried balls of dough were underwhelming in terms of seasoning. With the complimentary basket of bread already on the table, the bocce balls were unnecessary. The Caprese salad arrived beautifully presented, with vibrant cut heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella
cheese and artful drizzles of sauce. The calamari linguine, a special the restaurant had the day I visited, was topped with the same type of calamari in the appetizer. Though the dish by itself was appetizing, ordering both the calamari appetizer and the calamari linguine was overkill. The cappellini d’angelo, angel hair pasta with tomatoes, basil, garlic, olive oil and parmesan cheese, was well presented, with a thick slice of garlic bread. The simple dish went well with a kick of red pepper, which is available in shakers at every table along with extra parmesan cheese. Paesanos’s tasty food, great service, reasonable prices and warm, inviting atmosphere make this restaurant a welcome addition to the downtown Davis food scene. Paesanos is located at 139 G Street.
ANDERS YOUNG/HUB PHOTOS
By Chloe Kim Editor-in-Chief
CHARLOTTE CHEN/HUB GRAPHIC
Dancing never dies with “Footloose” remake
October 21, 2011
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Sports Feature
5 FACTS
SPORTS GRAPHIC
Biking etiquette for beginners
By Genny BennetT HUB Staff Writer
1
Coach Ty Brown’s favorite National Football League team is the Oakland Raiders. The varsity wrestling coach grew up with his Raider-loving family in the Bay Area. Brown is a paraeducator at DHS, where he “helps students accomplish tasks and […] fit in.” He has been the varsity wrestling coach for seven years and a varsity football coach for six years. He says, once he “figured out I wasn’t going to be in the NFL, it was a way to stay in football and I always loved teaching kids.” Brown currently enjoys playing football locally and professionally for the American Indoor Football Association on the Sacramento Eagles. When Brown was searching for a job in Davis, his friend told him that DHS administration was looking for a wrestling coach. To Brown’s surprise, when he went to his interview, the person interviewing him was his old wrestling coach.
Watch out for pedestrians, and make eye contact with drivers, especially at four-way intersections.
2 3
Use hand motions when you want to turn. Do not text while biking.
By Linda Ge HUB Staff Writer
4 5
Park your bike appropriately when using a bike rack. Do not take up the entire bike rack.
Share the road. Allow room for others to pass. Ride single file.
HENRY ANKER/HUB GRAPHIC
Wear clothes that will not get caught in the bike’s gears and that do not ride up.
STATS
HENRY ANKER/HUB GRAPHIC
By Glenn Hull HUB Staff Writer
Athletes of the Meet for the Clovis Invitational: Ryan Greenough and Danielle Gantar
Information comes from coaches and athletes.
Varsity football:
Cross Country
Athletes of the Meet for the Yolo County Championships: Grace Calhoun and Blake Croft
Record: 2-4 Average points per game: 26.0 Average yards per game: 211.7
JV football: Record: 2-4
Running backs Wally Perez and Marvin Grant combined 160 rushing yards against Laguna Creek Emilio Barba and Quin Williams each rushed a touchdown against Laguna Creek
Men’s varsity soccer:
Record: 14-1-4 Clinched top spot in league Most Valuable Player: Ryan
Gross
Men’s JV soccer:
Record: 19-1 94 goals for and 15 goals against
Women’s JV volleyball: Record: 11-4 Undefeated in league: 5-0
JV TEAM
By Meem Mohsin HUB Staff Writer
S
ophomore Alyssa Miller is a captain for the JV cheer team. The cheerleaders prepare for their routines by huddling in the center of the large “D” on the field, placing all their hands in and yelling out positive things to teammates: “You got it; stay sharp and you guys will do great… on the count of three, yell Devils!”
Then, they break from the huddle and spread out on the field to start their performance. “Almost everyone gets nervous performing, especially with having JV beginners; it’s really scary so we give them positive comments and to give them a boost to feel confident,” Miller said. Sophomore Josie Campanelli is also an enthusiastic member of the JV cheer team. “Halftime is the most important thing the game for us because it reminds us to have a great time and let us do what we love together,”
Campanelli said. Campanelli says her team is like a family, always helping each other out. “If we mess up, we just keep going,” Campanelli said. Sophomore Ciara Brown is a captain for the JV cheer team. She is honored to be a captain; she wants to teach her teammates how to be a strong and brave squad. Brown claims that in the JV squad, they “never say never.” “We may disagree and agree, but that doesn’t make us give up on each other; we are here as a family all together,” Brown said.
SDFASDFASDFASDF
The JV cheerleading team practices its dance routine and stunts for the football game tonight against Grant.
ATHLETES OF THE ISSUE William Young
Megan Whitworth
Cross Country
Women’s Field Hockey Megan Whitworth is the co-captain of the women’s varsity field hockey team. Her position is left defense. She began playing field hockey in eighth grade.
William Young is a fourth-year runner and cocaptain of the cross country team. He began running cross country in the seventh grade because his older sister really enjoyed it. What is your favorite part of running cross country?
How did you get involved with field hockey?
I like being able to spend a bunch of time with your teammates; they’re a bunch of really cool people and you get to spend two hours every day with them.
One of my sister’s friends was playing field hockey, and she knew I loved to play sports, and I wanted to try a new one, so she talked to my mom and told her how to get started.
Who has been the most influential person in your growth as a cross country runner?
Who is the most influential person in your growth as a field hockey player?
I guess my coach, Bill Gregg. He pushes us really hard and really teaches us that “we can run fast,” and he has helped us all a lot.
Probably the coaches I’ve had. They’ve really influenced me to do my best, and never give up on the field.
What is your favorite thing to do to train for your sport? PETER LIN/HUB PHOTOS
Every Saturday we go on long runs, so we run for about 90 minutes and we go 13 to 14 miles, and I really like that because you feel really accomplished afterwards.
What is your favorite drill to do in practice? I really like doing rapid fire on the goal because as defense, I don’t usually get shots on the goal. They are still really fun to practice because I know I can do it in the game. By Katie Van Deynze HUB Staff Writer
PETER LIN/HUB PHOTO
Cheering on the Devils
October 21, 2011
Page 15
Sports
RECRUITED: Colleges take interest in DHS athletes “I’m applying to two schools I do not think I would get into if it wasn’t for crew,” Burns said. The University of California system has a process called “admission by exception” to consider students who fall below grade and test requirements. According to the UC website, “a small number of students who have the ability and potential to succeed at UC — but don’t meet [UC] academic requirements — are admitted by exception” each year. Admission by exception is one way that prospective student athletes who don’t meet a university’s standard can still be admitted, but according to Wright, this is rare. “We only do it once in a great while. I’ve only done it once in my 15 years here and that student ended up doing just fine,” Wright said. He doesn’t like to consider students who don’t meet UCD’s standards because he doesn’t wish to create an “unnecessary problem” if that student is unable to keep his or her grades above a 2.0 GPA, the NCAA’s requirement to play. Karen Yoder, the head coach of the softball team at UCD, asks her Prospective Student Athletes (PSA) to send her an unofficial transcript, test scores, any current classes that are not on transcript and how high a priority UCD is on their college list. If the PSA looks promising,
LANI CHANG/HUB PHOTO
Continued from back page
The women’s water polo team practices at Arroyo Pool. Several players, including seniors Rachael Johnson and Hailey Wright, are talking with collegiate coaches for possible recruitment for the fall 2012 school year.
Yoder sets up a visit to the campus. Yoder takes only students who would already be eligible to be admitted to UCD. Yoder’s team has set a GPA goal of 2.81, which according to Yoder is the average
non-student athlete GPA at UCD. “I take the description of a student athlete very seriously and I only want to recruit a PSA that will succeed here in the academic environment first, before she achieves success on the playing field,” Yo-
der said. Yoder believes that student athletes bring more than just athletic prowess to a college, and admissions officers value certain qualities that are specific to athletes. “I believe along with other ex-
tracurricular events and activities, athletics open an opportunity for students that are well rounded and can enrich a student body with their dedication, time management and commitment to the university,” Yoder said.
By Glenn Hull HUB Staff Writer
Jimmer Fredette, who scored the highest points per game in the NCAA last season, has arrived in Sacramento. Fredette was drafted by the Sacramento Kings this year, causing anticipation for his arrival to spread throughout campus. Fredette was the recipient of many “National Player of the Year” awards during his last college season playing for Brigham Young University. Last season, Kevin Durant, a professional basketball player, said on Twitter that “Jimmer Fredette is the best scorer in the world!!” Despite all the hype around Jimmer’s success, some DHS students are unsure if he will help. “Jimmer has the possibility to be a scoring threat for the Kings; he may not be what his team needs. With Tyreke Evans, the Kings already have a player who can shoot. What they really need is a point guard who can pass the ball, score and be sound defensively,” said junior Michael Carriere, a sports enthusiast. Although Carriere is a Lakers fan, and is unsure about how dominating Fredette will be in the NBA, Fredette will keep him more interested in the Kings. “With Jimmer’s potential, I will definitely follow the Kings at the start of the season. In the past, I have only gone to Kings games to
see the away team play. Jimmer is one more reason for me to see the Kings play,” Carriere said. Another student, Sam Theg, a senior, is skeptical about the ability of the Kings. “I think Jesus could come and play for the Kings and they would still suck,” Theg said. But many fans of the Kings were thrilled to get Fredette, a star college player. Fredette went to Brigham Young University, a Mormon university, and he is able to capitalize on his popularity through the Mormon community. Junior Maddy Purves is a Mormon, and although she is not a big basketball fan, she is still looking forward to see Jimmer play. “I love Jimmer; he’s amazing and somewhat attractive and Mormon, how much better can you get?” Purves said. Purves also added that “he will make me watch the Kings more; who cared about them before he came?” The Kings’ acquisition of Jimmer won’t affect how many games some students watch. “This won’t make me watch them more because I already watch every game,” sophomore Riley Kent said. All the excitement built around Jimmer will make more people and students support and watch Sacramento’s local basketball team. It is another way for our community to become even closer, according to Carriere.
FRED GLADDIS/ENTERPRISE PHOTO
Bieber fever? Nah, I’ve got Jimmer fever
Former women’s varsity coach Allen Carlson motivates last season’s team. Carlson, who resigned this year, led the team to a section title last year.
Star women’s soccer coach retires By Nick Juanitas HUB Staff Writer
Section titles, one league championship, and recognition as State High School Coach of the Year. Some coaches just dream about these accomplishments, but not women’s varsity soccer coach Allen Carlson; he has turned these dreams into reality. Carlson has won a total of four Sac-Joaquin Section Titles, 13 Delta Valley League championships and has been named “California State High School Coach of the Year” twice. Carlson, who teaches sixth grade GATE at Korematsu Elementary, has been coaching the women’s varsity team for 19 years. Before that, he coached the JV men’s team
Scouts seek Blue Devil athletes By Kashmir Kravitz HUB Staff Writer
Scouts, or recruiters for college sports, will send a coach and another representative for a certain college to high school tournaments or recruiting events to observe prospective players. Scouts are not the people whom players will personally talk to; instead they will talk to the college coach. Contacting a college coach Varsity lacrosse player and junior Mikie Schlosser started contacting coaches his sophomore year. Players can contact college coaches at any time, but coaches cannot email players until Sept. 1 of their junior year or call until July 1 after their junior year, according to Schlosser. “What most coaches will do is call your high school or club team coach, and then your coach can relay the information to you and
then you can call the college coach. You are always allowed to call the coach; they just can’t return your calls,” Schlosser said. After the University of Southern California contacted junior lacrosse player Kylie Drexel, she then attended the women’s lacrosse summer camp this year and committed to attend USC.
has been contacted by UCLA for cross country, said that it is important focus on making a good impression when talking to a coach. “I try to make a lot of eye contact,” Meads said. After a game, coaches aren’t allowed to come up to players, but players can usually catch them and introduce themselves.
Don’t be afraid When talking to a college coach, it is important not to act afraid or overconfident. Doing so will lead coaches to perceive incompetence, arrogance or a bad sportsmanship, according to Drexel. Drexel said that the USC coaches daunted her because three of them played for the USA lacrosse team. “Some coaches are extremely intimidating and some are very laidback. Some coaches act really friendly and some just act normal. The more you talk to them the easier it gets,” Schlosser said. Sophomore Sophie Meads, who
Be yourself Colleges will not recruit based purely on playing ability; they also look for personality and talent. “For recruiting, they first and foremost care about athletic ability. But if you’re a really bad sport, they won’t want you,” Meads said. Having a strong and noticeable personality can set players apart from other possible recruits. “Coaches care equally about you as a player and as a person,” Schlosser said. “They are looking for kids with not only good talent, but also with good character.”
for nine years. After last year’s season, when the varsity team was ranked number one in the nation, he decided it was time to retire as head coach. “I didn’t know if I could give it 100 percent and that’s not fair to the kids,” Carlson said. Junior goalkeeper Maddy Purves believes he retired from coaching because of how great the prior season was. “He resigned because he had to retire sometime or other, and since last season was such a great season it was probably the perfect time to stop,” Purves said. Carlson believes that the coaches in line to replace him will do well with the team. The applications for new coaches closed on Oct. 10. Carlson made impressions on his players for many years, and they
will miss him during the next season, according to Purves. “I’ll miss his favorite sayings and quotes because he always used the same ones, but I’m also excited to see who will be the new coach and how it works out,” Purves said. Although he resigned from coaching, Carlson has not ruled out a possibility of returning to coaching. He knows that if he finds that he misses it, he can return to coaching, though it may be at a level other than high school. Even though Carlson is retiring, the team still believes it has a great shot to continue to dominance in the league. “The team will continue to strive for excellence without him here.” senior and player Kate Latsch said. “We need to defend our championship.”
Page 16
The HUB
SPORTING DEVIL
PETER LIN/HUB PHOTOS
Sports
Senior and varsity baseball player Ben Eckels practices his pitch. Eckels throws a 89-92 mph fastball and is being scouted by the Major League Baseball Association.
Arm of a champion
His family loves the game; he plays on four different teams; his first word was ‘ball.’ It’s only natural that senior Ben Eckels will want to keep playing baseball after high school. While college-level baseball is an option, Eckels, who pitches for the varsity baseball team, is on track to be eligible to be drafted by the Major League Baseball Association in June 2012. “He’s got the talent to play
after high school,” varsity baseball coach Dan Ariola said. “He could go a long way.” In fact, MLB scouts already have an eye on Eckels. He has been showcased in front of Oakland Athletics scouts as well as college scouts by playing on the Oakland Athletics Area Code Team, for which players can only try out if they have an invitation. Eckels has played for the Colorado Rockies scout team since his sophomore year. Since then, he has played for the team in front of college and professional scouts looking to recruit amateur players.
Blue Devils recruited for collegiate teams By Madison Delmendo HUB Staff Writer
As many Blue Devils delve into the world of college applications, some breathe easily, already knowing where their futures lie. Student athletes, who have their eyes set on collegiate competition, have been talking to coaches and visiting schools for months, and many have offers and schools locked in for next year. So the question arises: do recruited athletes have a hand up in admissions? Senior Rachel Johnson, a varsity women’s water polo player, started the recruitment process in junior year. Johnson filled out recruit questionnaires with information on academics and athletics. Under NCAA rules, coaches were able to contact Johnson with emails, phone calls and meetings after July 1. One of the coaches who received scores and transcripts from Johnson is Jamie Wright, UC Davis head women’s water polo coach. Before grades and scores reach Wright, the admission packet is submitted to the UCD admissions office for an “initial assessment” to see if that student would, under regular circumstances, be admitted to UCD. According to Wright, the lowest admissible grade-pointaverage for UCD is a 3.0. After a prospective athlete is cleared by admissions, coaches can then decide whether to sponsor a student or not. Wright believes that recruitment “can help dramatically [in admissions].” “It’s not a firm guarantee, but close enough. You will get a note from the admissions office saying that if you fulfill all the necessary requirements, your admission is guaranteed,” Wright said. Johnson has narrowed her
choice down to two schools, Stanford and UCD, and believes that recruitment is helpful in the admission process. “Whether or not they are recruited, it gives students an edge in the application process for those who were able to keep up good grades as well as balance a hectic sports schedule,” Johnson said. “I think that this is fair because the time and effort that student athletes put into both school and sports should pay off in getting into a good college.” Senior Christina Burns agrees with Johnson that sports help you get into college, even if you aren’t being recruited for one because schools like to see extracurricular and involvement in team activities. But Burns still believes that recruitment is crucial for some athlete’s admission into more competitive schools. “If you are recruited for athletics in school, they can often guarantee you admission into the school so you skip a lot of the stress of college applications,” Burns said. Burns, a varsity rower for River City Rowing Club, believes that crew can be especially helpful in college admissions over other sports because it isn’t as common. “For women especially, crew can be an ‘in’ into college because there are less female rowers than male rowers, so coaches are always searching for more,” Burns said. “Girls also get more scholarship money because schools have to balance the money they spend on men’s football with women’s sports as well.” Burns has been emailing coaches and visiting colleges, like Johnson. Burns is currently talking with coaches at University of
In addition to this scout team and the DHS team, Eckels plays for the Austin Sun Devils in Texas, a high school-age professional team. The team consists of handpicked players from across the nation. If not drafted by a professional team, Eckels is considering playing for University of San Francisco, Florida State University or North Carolina University. While Eckels does have significant experience that contributes to his success, he also has what Ariola calls a “natural arm.”
“It’s rare that someone has that type of an arm,” Ariola said. “You can play baseball your whole life, but only a small percentage of players will develop that kind of arm.” Eckels has been playing since he was five and, until he was 12, was coached by his dad. Ariola first witnessed Eckels play when he was 10. Since then, Ariola has watched Eckels’s pitch get stronger. However, skill and experience alone are not all it takes to make a player so highly desirable. “No matter what you’ve got, it depends on how smart
and crafty you are on the mound,” Ariola said. Because Eckels is strong in both skill and mindset, he is able to thrive, according to Ariola. “[Eckels] is the performance leader on our team. Most people [on the team] do not like to hit against him in practice, but I don’t mind hitting off the best,” senior Chris Gnos said. Gnos and Eckels have been playing together since they were 10. Ariola sees Eckels as a leader on his varsity team. “He can provide a lot of leadership and maturity from
the all-star teams [he has played on] and bring it back to our program,” Ariola said. While baseball may become a career for Eckels, he does not let the prospect of playing professionally change his feelings toward the sport. “I love being able to get out on the field and just forget about everything and my mind just sets on one thing,” Eckels said. “The most important thing to him now is to be a good social leader, citizen at school and to focus on academics,” Ariola said. “Baseball will take care of itself.”
SUPPLEMENTS: Protein powder offered at football breakfast Continued from front page The nutritional supplementation portion of the packet given to the players makes it clear the “issue with supplements found at the local ‘muscle’ store is that there has not been research evidence to support the claims the manufacturers make, and more importantly, can contain substances that would come up positive during drug testing.” It also states that it is not worth risking a player’s eligibility to increase his or her strength. However, the packet also includes “thumbs-up” ratings for 12 legal supplements, as well as guidelines for creatine supplementation. According to Smyte, this portion of the packet was not created by the strength and conditioning coach, but came from another source. The California Interscholastic Federation guidelines state that “school administrators, coaches, parents/caregivers, and certified athletic administrators must send a strong message that discourages the use of supplements for performance enhancements.” Smyte said that the coaching staff never advocated the use of creatine and in fact, the guidelines for creatine were included in the packet to discourage the use of creatine among players. “We do not advocate anything beyond your regular protein powder,” he said. Protein powder is on the table when football players
gather for a zero period break- bylaw also states that only fast two or three days a week. non-muscle building nutriRich Jenness, president of tional supplements may be the DHS provided to Football tudents There is not a clear sand Backers, those the team’s permissible consensus about booster whether supplements non-muscle club, said building that foot- like Muscle Milk violate nutritional ball playsupplement the bylaw. ers are are identified given food choices such as according to the following eggs, milk, bagels, pancakes, classes: carbohydrate/electrobananas, peanut butter and lyte drinks; energy bars; carbread every school morning bohydrate boosters and vitafrom January through June mins and minerals.” after early workouts. AccordIf this or any other CIF bying to Jenness, the Backers law is violated, CIF officials provide Costco brand whey “shall have power to suspend, to fine or otherwise penalize and soy protein powder. The junior defensive player any member school.” said he has seen Muscle Milk The problem is that there brand protein powder at the is not a clear consensus about whether protein supplements breakfasts. In The HUB’s first inter- like Muscle Milk violate the view with Athletic Director bylaw. After Foster became aware Dennis Foster, Foster stated that he was unaware of play- of the protein powder, he still ers “being given anything did not feel that it was viothat’s a supplement or any- lating any CIF rules, and if it was “then I would stop it,” thing of that nature.” Smyte, however, was he said. “[The football team] aware that protein powder is two and forever; if [they] was being distributed at the were doing anything perbreakfasts, but added that to formance enhancing, [they] him protein powder “is just a would be winning.” The Sac-Joaquin Section food source.” According to the CIF Commissioner for the CIF, Sports Medicine Handbook, Pete Saco, would not comCIF Bylaw 22.B.12 “prohib- ment on whether the proits school personnel includ- tein powder provided was ing athletic directors, sports permissible. However, Barcoaches, school officials or bara Fiege, CIF Los Angeles employees or booster club/ City Section Commissioner, support groups from distrib- said any protein powder inuting supplements[…] The cluding Muscle Milk that is
“
”
“marketed as a ‘muscle building’ supplement is not allowed under [state] rules for school personnel to distribute.” According to Chang, protein powder is definitely a muscle building supplement. Smyte said that protein powder is necessary in the recovery process for muscle building. “So one of the things we have to understand about weightlifting is that when you weight lift, you tear muscle,” Smyte said. “The way you build muscle back up is through protein.” To add to the confusion, Fiege noted that Muscle Milk Collegiate, a similar product that changed its marketing to take out all words associated with muscle building, can now be distributed because the wording change means it is no longer considered to be “muscle-building.” Jenness said that the booster club was not aware of any CIF rules that prohibit protein powder, but if the club is made aware, it “will absolutely cease and desist and the protein powder will not be provided anymore.” Whether or not the distribution of protein powder and the football program’s supplement handout violate CIF guidelines or bylaws, Smyte believes that “the bigger story here is, how do we define supplements, and what are good supplements and what are bad supplements?”
Does Weight Actually Matter? Comparing average weight & heaviest team member of DVC teams
Heaviest Teammate (pounds)
Laguna Monterey Elk Creek Grove Trail
DHS
Grant
Franklin
310
365
300
290
285
265
191.1 lbs
184.0 lbs
184.0 lbs
182.0 lbs
San Diego, UC San Diego, UCLA and St. Mary’s. RECRUITED
continued on 15
Average Team Weight
200.1 lbs
197.5 lbs
CHARLOTTE CHEN/HUB GRAPHIC
By Kelsey Ewing Sports Editor