MV Writing for Pub Enterprise Projects by El Estoque

A Look Back At Love... < “MOMMY” Monta Vista High School guidance counselor, Sarah Freeman, weighs in on the relationships she has seen around the busy campus over the years and how they have affected her students.

Freshman Fling!

Some couples might not only attend the famous dance together, they might even end up together forever...and find their happily ever afters. “I love you, you love me, we’re a happy family, with a great big hug and a kiss from me to you…won’t you say you love me too?” –Barney.

In all honestly, I’d love to respond to Barney; tell him I love him too and satisfy him for a lifetime, but once again, in all honestly, I wouldn’t have the slightest clue of what I’m saying if I spat out the three words Barney begged me to say back to him. Eventually, Barney would realize that I didn’t know what I was talking about, and he would be hurt, wouldn’t he? That I told him I loved him even when I didn’t know what it meant? How could I say something when I don’t fully understand the meaning of it in the first place and expect to be believed? How can I simply throw out words and pretend like I’m knowledgeable enough to understand the entire meaning? I can’t. No one can. No one should. And yet we do, anyways, regardless.

A Bird’s Eye View

Monta Vista High School is like a nest full of baby birds who don’t know how to fly yet. Thankfully, we have the complete package, with a mother bird to watch us and help us spread our wings.

As a guidance counselor of Monta Vista High School, Sarah Freeman knows her students. “Oh yeah,” Ms. Freeman said. “Students come in to talk to me all the time. I have out-of-nowhere’s, periodic visits, and then I have my regulars.” Turns out real-life high school is more like movie-high school than we knew. Sixty-percent of Monta Vistians said that they would go to their guidance counselor to ask for help if they really needed it, and some of them really do. High school is a new world. There are new subjects, new classrooms, new territories, and new people to please. New and more people to get involved with as well. High school is a world where, in the Student Guidelines, under “Student Relationships,” it says, “Student relationships should not be embarrassing to other students or faculty. Students should limit public displays of affection to hand-holding or sitting next to one other,” as opposed to in middle school where it says, “No. Relationships.” Well. Basically. But since now high schoolers are given the freedom to roam into new territory that they’ve never set foot into before, there are bound to be issues, and people need people to talk to. “Oh, I get the issues. I rarely hear the good about the relationships,” Ms. Freeman said. “I hear about abuse mind control, emotional abuse, sexual stuff, pregnancy…and then just teenage stuff.” However even with all of these roadblocks, students continue to venture into territory that the world and our society always seems to think should be left to adults, because they are “older” and “wiser.” “I don’t think high schoolers are too young to be in relationships,” Ms. Freeman said. “No. They’re too young, they shouldn’t. No…hmm. Yes and no. Mostly no. Who knows? Maybe they do know what love is…I’ve had couples who’ve come to me and said that their significant other made them want to be a better person; it’s a connection I’ve seen probably twice that you don’t get to see with such young people…But most of the time it’s just lust for these students. Love is such a broad thing. It can be romantic, or I could even say I love my students, friends, colleagues.” The parents issue will never go away, as well as the age dispute. Some couples on campus are forced to hide their relationships anywhere outside of school simply because of the fear of their parents finding out. Although Ms. Freeman does not count this as any less of a relationship, it’s still a large roadblock that should be moved. “It could still be love for them, but you have to get them to ask themselves, ‘Why are you doing this?’ ‘What are you risking?’ ‘What’s the impact of lying to your parents?’ ‘Is it worth it?’” Some kids found it worth it to hide it from their parents, but Ms. Freeman admitted that she was not one of them. She admitted that she did not fall in love until she was “20-something.” “I was a late bloomer,” Ms. Freeman said. “…My first real ‘date’ like in the movies and everything…my first date was with the man I’m married to now! Ohmigod! I’m such a late bloomer!” But even with her late-blooming, she seems to have an idea of what she’s talking about. “Love is care. Love is respect. Love is wanting to be a better person for somebody, putting somebody before yourself. It’s an individual thing, it’s different for every relationship. You’ll find out what it is eventually.” But for right now, Ms. Freeman will watch us like a bird, and maybe all of us be ready to spread our wings into the unexplainable world of love some day.

Words Of Love I Hear You Say Love-lier words have never

^ ALL SMILES FROM HERE Freshman couple, Varun Jain and Mary Kim, have been together for one year and two months. “The relationship I am in is great,” Jain says with a smile. “We spend a lot of time together and we both feel the same way for one another.”

^ ALL SMALL THINGS HAVE BIG MEANINGS Carrie Jean and Jared Gold, another freshman couple, have been together for almost six months. “Once he gave me a really huge teddy bear as big as I am, and for 100 days, he gave me a piece of paper with 100 Post-It notes telling me all the reasons he loved me.”

“I love you” is the most overused, controversial, overrated phrase in the English language. We can literally take a spin around a high school for five minutes, and we’d hear the words a dozen times. “Oh, boyfriend, you’re so adorable, I love you!” “Ohmygosh thank you for all the advice, I love you!” “AHH! A cookie! Yum! I love you soooo much!” People throw around these words like they mean nothing; the affectionate phrase is now the equivalent of saying “Hi” or “Hello.” When surveyed, 97% at Monta Vista High School responded to the question, “What does the phrase ‘I love you’ and love mean to you?” with a flustered “Uh…can I get back to you? I’m not really sure…” Then they turn around and the three sacred words come constantly out of their mouths. But what about when people actually mean it? What about when they want to say it to their family, or to that special someone that they really do care for? Are the significant others going to disregard it because of all the overuse, controversy, and overrated-ness of the phrase? What’s going to happen when we really do want to use the words for what they mean, and not just as a casual throw-around phrase? Surprisingly enough, that’s not too hard to find. Of four couples from Monta Vista High School, all four of them are involved in serious relationships, and the words “I love you” have come up once or twice…or maybe all the time. “‘I love you’ is kind of like a promise to me,” freshman Carrie Jean* said. Jean has been in a relationship with freshman Jared Gold* for almost six months. “It’s not something you can just say to anyone whenever. If you love someone, there is no way that you could leave them the next day. Love doesn’t fade like that, so ‘I love you,’ is kind of like a promise from the heart, saying that ‘you’re a part of me now, and you’re something that I just can’t lose’.” Jean’s boyfriend, Gold, “gave himself to her” when he said the three sacred words to her as well. “[‘I love you’], it means, I’m all yours,” Gold said. Giving your self to someone else is a pretty big thing. They can control how you feel, and it’s a scary thing. But trusting them enough to say it, is true love…[with Carrie] I reached a point in time where only ‘I love you’ could possibly express my affection for [her].” Freshman Varun Jain has along the same lines of things to say about his year-long relationship with freshman Mary Kim and all the things he’s learned in this one steady relationship he has had. “The relationship I am in is great…I decided to say [‘I love you’] to [her] because I felt like it wasn’t just one of those simply small crush relationships where people get together just

because of a couple of reasons,” Jain said. “I got way more attached to her and started having a lot more feelings for her…we formed like a special bond with each other.” These feelings of everlasting promises, unconditional love, unexplainable affection, emotional attachment, and completeness with the other person are feelings that not everyone always knows, or will ever even be able to know. Junior Aileen Le took her time falling in love with boyfriend Julian Laguisma. “This is sorta funny. He [Laguisma] said ‘I love you’ a lot earlier than I did...like a month and I never said it back, I just said, ‘Me too!’ because I wasn’t at that point yet, like I won’t say something that important unless I really, really mean it and I’m stubborn. And that month was sorta awkward.” It doesn’t take long to realize though, being in love. Le said that the month gave her time to think and process all these intense feelings into her and understand all of them before she finally stopped saying, “Me too!” and moved onto something else to say. “Finally one day I said ‘I love you’ back, because I was at that point in my relationship where I realized, “Hey, this guy really is super great and really cares about me and I care a lot more about him than I would like to admit.’ Maybe it’s unhealthy; it’s just so Merriam-Webster

warm attachment,

Dictionary:

enthusiasm, or devotion 3 a: the

Main Entry: 1love

object of attachment, devotion,

Pronunciation: \

or admiration b(1): a beloved

lev\ Function: noun

person : darling —often used as a

Definition:

term of endearment 4 a: unselfish

1 a (1): strong affection for

loyal and benevolent concern for the

another out of kinship or personal

good of another

ties (2): affection & tenderness by lovers (3): affection based

— at love : holding one’s opponent scoreless in tennis

on admiration or common interests b: assurance of love

— in love : inspired by affection

big and kinda hit me in the face,” Le says. “And it just meant a lot because he knew it was real – even though he still teases me about it.” Hearing all these things makes it almost like a want to be able to fall in love and tell somebody that you love them. However, something that all these couples have learned, despite their staggering ages, is that love comes with experience and time, and it doesn’t mean as much if there’s no thought put into it; the definition of a relationship isn’t just two people together. “It doesn’t really have to do with the title,” Jean said. “It’s more like feeling that connection with someone, that you just want to know that they’re yours. You don’t need a label for that, as long as you know it in your heart. It means trusting them with all you have, even though logic tells you that at any moment you could lose it all.” Senior Anita Crumlin, despite her great age difference with freshman Jean, understands love in the same way. “[Bobby, my boyfriend, and I have] grown as lovers mentally, not physically – which I think is the strongest type of love. When someone who is thousands of miles away can still make you blush and get that giggly feeling by just talking to you on the phone and telling you how much he loves you – that’s true love. For couples who say [‘I love you’] just to say it, I have no respect for

you.”

them because they diminish the meaning of I love

To be so young and to feel so in love may seem ridiculous to adults. They would say, “Back in the day, we didn’t even know what love was. We were never interested in relationships and all that! It was all about work and making a living! That’s what’s important in your life.” To see two teenagers like Jean and Gold living their lives as a couple, and hearing everything they say about love, might frighten adults. They might even look down on teenagers like Jean and Gold, thinking that they don’t understand it enough to try to preach it. So what about the parents ordeal? Does it interfere with being able to feel love, and to say ‘I love you,’ and overall, the legitimacy of the relationship? After all, love is supposed to be unconditional and undiscriminating. When the students have to hide their love for one another at certain times where the circumstances aren’t as favorable and easy, some would think that the authenticity of the relationship goes down. “It may be kind of like a double life if your parents don’t know as you are forced to shield your feelings for the other person while you both are around parents or people who talk to your parents,” junior Julian Laguisma said. “[However,] I think parents knowing or not about your relationship does not and should not affect the legitimacy of a relationship.” Easy for him to say; his parents know about his relationship, just like Jain. “Of course my parents know [about my relationship]. They love her too!” Jain said. Jean and Gold, however, have kept their relationship strong for the past six months, but on the “down-low.” “I really wish I could tell my parents openly about my relationship,” Jean said, “but I’m not sure if they’d understand. I think my relationship is still special and meaningful with or without parental consent, but I really do wish that my parents knew because I want to tell them about my love life, and have that special bond with them.” Gold reciprocates this feeling, saying that the real important thing is only how the two people in the relationship feel about each other, and not anyone else. “For me, it doesn’t really matter,” Gold said. My parents are hardly involved into my life other than that they feed me and drive me everywhere. Having a legit relationship can be different for everyone, but I don’t mind long as I’m with her.” At the end of the day, this is what it all comes down to for four of the many couples that call Monta Vista their home, where they can be with each other all they want, with no boundaries and no parents to spy on them from around the corner. Sometimes it may seem like they’re hiding or “living a double life,” but at the end of the day, this is what it comes down to: each other. And if a double life is what it takes to be together, this is their decision. The students shouldn’t be discriminated against and questioned for their actions because of their young age. “There are a lot of kinds of love, the way you love your friends, your family, and then the type of love for your boyfriend or girlfriend,” Jean said. As we can all tell, these kids already know a thing or two about love that some adults will never know.

Merriam-Webster Dictionary: Main Entry: 1love Pronunciation: \ˈləv\ Function: noun Definition:

indefinable

been said...

< SMILE BIG AND SMILE WIDE, SMILE LIKE YOU MEAN IT Juniors Aileen Le and Julian Laguisma have gone through it all. Pictured here at Winter Formal, you can tell the two had a blast from the smiles on their faces.

“To me love means that you can be open with a person and you should feel very comfortable with them. To me it also means that you are ready to do anything for them and that you will always be there for whoever if that person ever needs you.” -- freshman Varun Jain. “There are a lot of kinds of love, the way you love your friends, your family, and then the type of love for your boyfriend or girlfriend.” -- freshman Carrie Jean. “I guess there can be a love at first sight, but to know what it means take time. They’re probably overwhelmed by each other, and have nothing else to say.” -- freshman Jared Gold. “[Love] means wanting to be with a person under any circumstances because they mean the world to you.” -- junior Aileen Le. “Saying ‘I love you’ soon doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s not really true, but you should make sure that you have no doubts at all that you mean the words when you say it.” -- junior Julian Laguisma. “Being in love is the greatest feeling on the Earth. When you know that u can show up to hang out with your man in sweats with no makeup on and haven’t shaved for weeks and he still thinks you’re the most beautiful person in the world -- that’s true love.” -- senior Anita Crumlin.

PROMISE RING > Senior Anita Crumlin and boyfriend NFL-training Bobby Guillory know how to keep their longdistance relationship strong. Crumlin even has a promise ring for her 17th birthday from her boyfriend to show their love.

Honey, breakfast is ready!

Do you eat breakfast? “Only when I wake up early enough for it, if not then

I just go to school and get food if I have money. If not, I wait until I get home to eat.” - Rex Mei, junior

Learning on an Empty Stomach by Carolyn Nguyen

Rachael Yao, a very Monta Vista student, eats breakfast everyday. “Breakfast keeps me feuled for the rest of the day, until lunch,” she says. A 4.0 GPA student, very dedicated color guard and yearbook student, she makes sure that she eats breakfast every morning. But not the quick grab-and-go cereal bars, she actually sits down to

How Breakfast Affects Our Lives by Carolyn Nguyen

period of time that is called fasting. Breakfast means to “break the fast”.

You wake up; feeling like the night should have been longer. You brush your teeth, take a shower, and pick out the day’s out- By eating breakfast in the mornings, you are giving yourself enough fit. For girls, make-up takes a tedious ten minutes. energy to keep you working throughout the day. With all of that going on, who really has time for breakfast anymore? Although the other things may seem more important, eating breakfast in the morning will jump-start your day and make you feel more energized. It could even help you lose weight. Fourteen out of fifty kids surveyed said that they do eat breakfast before going to school in the mornings. Five take their breakfast with them and eat it during their first period class. The other thirty-one kids said that they do not eat breakfast and their next meal is either during lunch or after school. That is more than fifty percent of people who do not eat breakfast on a daily basis. That is a sad percentage. Studies have revealed that both students and adults who consume breakfast tend to show better performance at school or at work as contrast to those who skip this most important meal of the day.

Monta Vista High School is a school known for possessing a group of very hardworking and studious pupils. If the other fifty percent of students actually consumed breakfast on a daily basis, their concentration level and academics will increase dramatically. Eating a healthy breakfast can help set your mood for the rest of the day, as well as improve overall levels of alertness, energy, thinking ability, and mental performance. Skipping breakfast will most likely cause you to feel tired throughout the day. In addition, statistics have shown that people who eat breakfast are more likely to maintain a healthy weight, so eating breakfast can help in weight loss as well because it stimulates your metabolism.

eat her scrambled eggs or cereal. Magazines say it, teachers say it, nutricianists say it, and your parents say it. Breakfast is good for you and you should try to eat it every morning. But does it actually work? Yao experimented what it would be like, a day without breakfast, and told me the details.

“It was awlful, I couldn’t think of anything else but eggs.”

that distracts me.” - Tiffany Lau, junior

I like breakfast.

“I eat all the time,

If I don’t eat breakfast, I eat in class. I eat, like, every hour.” - Jackie Schadle, junior

skipping breakfast.

10% of kids eat breakfast during their first period

An unreasonable excuse is the dilemma. Most do not have time to eat Breakfast is derived from the words “break” and “fast”. After sleeping breakfast. In reality, it could only take ten minutes, so if your alarm clock for many hours, your body does not get the food intake that it needs. was set a little earlier, then that could make a big difference towards the When the body does not get the right amount of nutrition for a long rest of your day. 62% do not eat breakfast whatsoever

* Oatmeal * Blueberries * Almonds * Kashi Golean Crunch * Scrambled tofu

all I think about is food all day, and

don’t

She usually ate breakfast in the mornings because it helped her focus on her studies. But during that one day deprived of food, she lacked focus on her academics and found her mind constantly wandering and occasionally even spacing out. By the time lunch came, she was so hungry that she darted out of 5th period and straight into the lunch line, and ordered a burger with extra tots, a bag of chips, a cookie, a banana, and a carton of milk. She gobbled down her food and immediately felt guilty at how much she had just ate. For the rest of the day, she ended up feeling bloated and wishing she hadn’t skipped breakfast. Rachel learned from this experience that eating breakfast really does help stimulate the body’s metabolism. Also, she realized that she wouldn’t be able to maintain her outstanding 4.0 gpa if she kept

If breakfast is so great, why do more people not consume breakfast each morning then?

Healthy Breakfast Ideas:

“I get up to eat breakfast everyday so I could stay awake during school and stuff. If I

* Fresh berries, yogurt, or granola * Grapefruit * Whole-wheat toast with almond better * Fresh fruit salad

* Protein shake * Eggs with peppers * Cottage cheese and fruit * Muffins and jam

28% of kids do eat breakfast in the mornings

Let there be

Polite

Excuse me please, but proper manners are dying out By Christophe Haubursin

Public Eavesdropping We listen in on what people say to waiters School Cafeteria

Jamba Juice

Student: I want alacard. Cafeteria Worker: You want what? Student: I said alacard. Cafeteria Worker: I give you sandwich and tater tot. Student: What? I said alacard! Cafeteria Worker: Sandwich! Student: A la carte! Cafeteria Worker: Oh.

t he

even walking away after noticing visible errors in a transaction, all admittedly committed by students here at Monta Vista. “There are those idiots who, like, don’t treat them nice, and they’re, like, ‘come on lady! Where’s the boat, FOB? Stuff like that,” says freshman Chen Holtzman, who finds such behavior raucous and shameful. Clearly, such signs of disrespect don’t pass by unnoticed to witnesses. In contrast to Holtzman’s views, school food nutritionist Barbara Price holds a fairly positive view of the politeness of Monta Vista students. “I find kids on campus quite polite and courteous,” she says, pausing for a moment. “At least most of the time.” According to Price, students have been rude to her a few times, but in such incidences she simply instructed them to be more polite. Despite this, she does not believe that most people truly understand the extensive level of effort that it takes to have the food ready for the students. “They probably don’t realize the amount of work, the taking up and taking down and cooking and the prep work stuff,” she says. The mistreatment of the staff in that manner isn’t smart. It shows, both to the workers themselves and people around them, that the customer isn’t displeased with just the food. It comes across as if they’re displeased with their own lives. Their behavior hints at a deeper insecurity with personal stress levels, and some people just can’t cope with it all. It’s damaging to how they appear in public places, and makes them seem troubled, as if they’re trying to prove their superiority to others by taking out their frustrations on them. Such behaviors are common here, but perhaps not as much as in other places of the world. “In Stockholm, you’re just supposed to ignore everyone or else you’d be considered intruding on their space,” says Anne Risberg, a commercial real estate property manager born and raised in Stockholm, Sweden. Risberg’s big-city code of conduct brought her great shock when she moved to America, for the concept of personal space varies greatly between the two countries. “I think here, people are a lot friendlier and less formal, like you kinda chat with your waiter,” she says, “one thing that really floored me when I came to America was that people ask you how you’re doing. To me that was an invasion of privacy, like ‘you don’t know me!’ But I didn’t know they were trying to be friendly.” Risberg’s case illustrates how different cultural norms determine what is perceived and expected in terms of politeness. As a property manager, she deals with a lot of people in her job. “Being polite plays a big part. I can’t get upset whenever a tenant gets upset about something.” Nevertheless, such poor etiquette is best left avoided. It can generate a ripple effect of cruelty that ultimately backfires on the people who committed the wrongdoing in the first place. If we all attempted to be polite in our actions every day, we might all have a positive impact on society. Being nicer to the cafeteria workers could come to our advantage too – it could mean shorter lines, advancements in the nutrition program, and an overall more enjoyable atmosphere. Small deeds that pass unnoticed to us most of the time can make a huge difference to some people, and only when we all realize that will all these complications be solved. Together, we can stop the chain of falling dominoes. Only then will everyone get the courtesy that they’re looking for.

arou n d

t’s halfway through December. The sky is overcast, and it’s biting cold. Three layers of wool cold. The perfect day for a lunchtime meal of Cup Noodles. A student, clothed in a red sweatshirt and baggy jeans, walks up to the cafeteria window and waits in line. He taps his foot against the ground as time passes. When at last he reaches the front of the line, he leans down to the window and grumbles, “Chicken Cup Noodles.” He slides an assortment of one dollar bills and quarters across the counter. The cafeteria woman on the other side picks them up and stuffs them into the register. She turns around and picks up a Styrofoam container from behind her, and pours hot water inside. She pushes the cup across the counter to the student. He looks at it for a moment, then back at her. His eyes fill with rage. “What the hell is wrong with you? Are you deaf?” He yells, “I said chicken!” The exchange is made, and then he turns and leaves without another word. The cafeteria woman whispers something to the next student in line. “Remember to say please and thank you”. It often seems that we’ve heard this same line so many times while growing up that it becomes quite monotonous and repetitive, until at one point the entire concept escapes our mind and we soon forget it altogether. Politeness is important, most know that much, but in the case of waiters and cashiers, that basic rule can often become blurry. It has come to be the common belief among many that these people are meant to serve us, and comply to every one of our requests, a perspective that has evolved into thinking that they are supposed to go out of their way to serve their customers as quickly as possible. But the workers can’t always keep up. And the customers can’t always keep their patience. Politeness is one of those things that seems to wear off in some of us over time. People don’t always acknowledge just how critical it is for just about everything in life – getting a job, making friends, and gaining respect. This new generation of electronic gadget-clad kids consumed within their own worlds appears to have rendered them unconcerned with their behavior around others, stuck in a all-too-casual existence that they find acceptable all the time. But it isn’t. People are losing the ability to distinguish how to act in front of the individuals whom they should highly respect and their regular friends. Not only this, but many begin to act even more casual, even rude, to people in the service industry. Those people forget that it’s the waiters who are doing them a favor by delivering them the items they desire, not necessarily the other way around. In another sense, the behavior of the customers can reflect off of their emotional state, and how they were brought up, as well as which cultural norms they adhere to. The people working in this service industry are more exposed than anyone else to these behaviors, and can learn a great deal about someone just from how they act around them. Yet no matter what we’d like to think, this doesn’t only apply to the outside world. Kids mocking the accents of cafeteria workers, reaching under the glass to turn off the infrared heating lamps in a pestering manner,

es s n e l it

Cafeteria workers and the fading definition of basic courtesy

Students rude when ordering food

Customer: Where the hell is my order? Where are my smoothies? Waiter: They’re coming, sir. Customer: Yeah, well we need them now! We’re busy, unlike some jerks like you! Waiter: Sir, I’m going to have to ask you not to talk to me like that. Customer: Oh, you think you’re special, a tough guy, huh? Why don’t you come out here and settle this like a man?

Because what’s kind in one place is crude in another Signs of politeness aren’t always the same in between different countries. A simple wave of the hand is recognized as a greeting in the United States, while in Chile it’s the equivalent of calling someone stupid. A simple “thumbs up” has a rather vulgar meaning in Iran, and in Zimbabwe maintaining eye contact during conversation is astonishingly rude. Sure, it’s confusing, weird for many, but in the end it’s all a matter of perspective. What’s considered rude has changed over the years. Customs have evolved in such a way that burping, a sign of appreciation of a meal, has reversed to represent a symbol of extreme impoliteness. The guidelines have changed, often due to the concept of sanitation, and they could still be subject to change as time progresses Discrepancies in the politeness policies can arouse trouble for tourists visiting other countries. Some may find themselves confused when the shaking of their head is interpreted as “yes” in Saudi Arabia, leading to someone being stuck with the wrong khobz and the wrong falafel, exactly how they didn’t want it. It can take a bit of research to survive some vacations. In fact, First Lady Michelle Obama recently received much attention from the press when she briefly embraced the Queen of England during a meeting at Buckingham Palace. Though this was an act of affection for Obama, it broke the English tradition of no one being able to touch the Queen. The European media’s response was that of a protocol breach, while America viewed the situation as a reassuring sign of amiability. Etiquette can vary from country to country, but no matter what, one thing stays constant. Being polite is important. That has never changed and will never change, no matter how we choose to express it. But you’ll still come across as hostile if you put your hands on your hips in Mexico.

Please & Thankyou

le c r i C r ne e i W e Th

In some places, rudeness isn’t just a problem. It’s a habit. Tonight is just another weekend night at The Wiener’s Circle, a popular hot dog joint on Clark Street in Chicago, Illinois. Open until 5 a.m. on Saturdays and Sundays, the WC can become become quite a crazy place after the local bars start closing. The customers can get rowdy. As can the cashiers. “You didn’t pay for those yet!” a female cashier shouts. “I just gave you— ” retorts the customer. “No you didn’t it’s in your hand, [expletive]!” “Dude how is this—” “Shut the [expletive] up! Pay me my money or get the [expletive] out!” Shouting at the customers wasn’t a strange thing here at the WC. People would come to the joint, many of them drunk, for the sole purpose of screaming and swearing at the cashiers, in order for them to release stress they might have acquired during their day, but some insults could get out of hand. Others often visited the restaurant merely to witness the unique experience, including certain “special orders”, such as the chocolate milkshake. The thing is, chocolate milkshakes aren’t even on the menu. They’re code. If someone paid twenty dollars and asked for a chocolate milkshake, one of the female cashiers will publicly flash the customer. Such vulgar activities and crude behavior, especially in a restaurant environment, gave The Wiener’s Circle a reputation for its rambunctious occurrences, but most customers failed to realize the true disrespect that was at work. The constant abuse must surely have left some emotional impact on the workers, and might have given the customers a false sense of how to behave with waiters. While it lasted, the WC was a haven for impoliteness, and might have given tourists a bad impression on the racial tension in the area. It was the cashiers, however, who were the most affected. Since the WC is situated in the middle of a relatively wealthy white neighborhood, a majority of the customers are rich Caucasians, while almost all of the cashiers are AfricanAmerican women. The sense of superiority the restaurant’s environment gives the customers can lead them to make extremely demeaning comments directly to the restaurant workers. With the division of white customers and black workers, some insults based on race can have a serious negative effect on the cashiers. Many of them can suffer form severe emotional impact, making life working at the WC quite miserable. While the actual food was often praised, certain health code violations, including the lack of properly heated water and onions, put customers’ safety at risk. The Chicago Health Department had the WC closed in December 2008 due to its unsanitary conditions.

THE DORM MUST HAVES

• •

• my laptop • phone...no duh • Food!...yummy midnight snacks • gum • sun block...for the lucky ones • my teddy • money, money and more money • tiolet seat covers...ewww puffy jackets...for those going to the East Coast • pix of the fam bam deoderant...gotta be ready for Mr./Mrs. Right • MY...SPACE... • an open mind

B o e u g n e d l l o

I’m a Hustler

inero, Mula, chedder; no matter what language you say it in or what slang you use, money is the impetus behind most of the important decisions we make. For Monta Vista Graduate, Marissa Mindeler, money was always an issue. “Growing up in a single parent home wasn't easy for me, I constantly saw my mother struggle to support me and my dreams” says Marissa. Despite her tight money issue, Marissa made the choice to attend the University of Southern California--note the tuition is around $50,000 per year. “This was a nightmare come true;the school of my dreams seemed out of reach, but I was convinced that I could make it work!” Most Monta Vista students decline to expensive schools because it just too much of a ﬁnancial strain, but for Marissa, the outcome was different. She received thousands of dollars from grants and loans, she works everyday at the University to help pay off her debt, is a full time student, and is apart of the track

Homie

team. Her mother also decided to take on extra shifts to help pay for Marissa's education. Marissa lives by the motto “Extreme sacriﬁces enables extreme rewards.” Now that Marissa is in college, she is enjoying every moment despite her constant hustle. She stands by her decision and believes that she represents those who dare to dream and go for it. So for all of you seniors who are cautious about attending your dream school due to the money issue just remember Marissa's story-- “if your willing to sacriﬁce, you will be happier in the end.”

“Extreme sacriﬁces enables extreme rewards.” -Marissa Mindeler

There’s a common idea that states that in people’s freshman year of college, the ofen gain around 15lbs. due to the mal plans they are served. What do you think about the “Freshman 15?” Kristen Chuck: “I think the “freshman 15” is due to drinking and smoking a lot in collge, which can lead to more eating. People should at least go to the gym, if they are going to party that much.”

By Anita Crumlin

Taylor Nagel: “ I HOPE I DON’T GAIN 15 POUNDS! I am going to work out a lot because I do that anyway, and I eat healthy food :)” Emmy Ma: “ I love Indiana’s (Indiana University) meal plan because it’s not all you can eat. Plus, being the small Asian girl that I am, it’s not worth getting the all you can eat meal plan. My school goes by the dollar amount that parents wire into our ID cards.

College!

ollege: a word that can be both illuminating with excitement and shriveling with intimidating . As many high school seniors close their final chapters here at Monta Vista High School, they also prepare to embark on a journey to an unknown place of freedom and individuality. Despite the exciting times of looking at different colleges. Many seniors hate the actual process of applying. Senior Emmy Ma says that the process was “extremely stressful, especially during the 1st half of senior year; my dad kept finding new colleges for me to apply to as back up.” Senior Taylor Nagel, who will be attending San Marcos University, also agrees with Emmy Ma about the admissions process. Although the actual applications were not too tedious, “the S.A.T and A.C.T were the most stressful part.” The common denominator between seniors today is that college is a new experience that many believe to be “Very inspirational” in the words of Senior Joyce Chan, who wants to attend the art school, MICA in the upcoming fall. Although college can be an exciting time, many seniors opt out of the traditional 4 year college, and choose De Anza or Foothill instead. What are the reasons for this? Senior Brian Miller says that “in these economic times, it really is a smart choice to transfer after two years. De Anza is close. I can take core classes, walk to school, and get a job.” For some reason, people in our society have a negative outlook on smaller non-ivy league schools. But, in Brian’s and many others cases, the community school works as a perfect fit for their future. Emmy Ma states that her parents are proud that she will be attending Indiana University and not a “big-name” because “my parents, unlike many other parents don’t care about Ivy leagues, and showing off their child's school to fellow family friends and coworkers.” Current juniors may find it helpful to hear the encouraging advice of those graduating seniors. In the words of Senior Joseph Payne, the key is to “not stress so much about grades. Colleges look at more than just grades. Get some extra things in there that appeal to where you want to go.” Both Taylor Nagel and Emmy Ma advise to “not wait till the last minute!! Start planning early, take your test junior year so you can do apps. senior year and look at it like a great opportunity!” Finally Joyce Chan leaves future seniors with the inspirational and truthful message to “take the time to figure out what you are really passionate about, take summer schools and camps in areas that really interest you, and GO FOR IT. Listen to your parents’ advice, but go with what you want for yourself.” Good luck for all future seniors and to those who lead off to college this fall. Go Class of ’09!

Joseph Payne: “I haven’t heard of this, but as long as eveyone ﬁndstime to exercise, it should be ﬁne.”

ld people have trouble understanding the rigorous process of applying and preparing to college that many seniors, especially at Monta Vista have to endure. “ I didn’t even study for my S.A.T.s” says Monta Vista staff psychologist, Richard Prinz. Some of the best of students here, who have wonderful grades allow themselves to be consumed by the stress of applications and testing, which ultimately leads to their own downfall. Parents sometimes aid in the stress because of their constant need to brag about their accomplishments through their children. Mr. Prinz likes to call these type of parents “helicopter parents.” These are the type of people that are involved in everything their child does and hovers around constantly in order to make sure their child is meeting their standards. Pressure much? Mr. Prinz believes that the key to tackling the college process is all in the attitude. “If you think it will consume you, then it will--it’s a pretty simple concept.” And for parents, you just have to deal with them. Luckily you will be off in college soon, so there’s no need to fret.

Old

School

Mr. Prinz does understand that in today’s society college and the “real world” are much more competitive. Back when Mr. Prinz attended UC Berkley way back in the 60s, it was much easier to get in. It was the only school he applied to and it cost a whopping $2000 a year! Mr. Prinz states that being accepted into a college should be way easier, but due to budget cuts, many schools have been shutting down or have been becoming even harder to get into. It’s funny how California is opening up more prisons but closing down more schools. Suspicious. Unfortunately, it’s a fact of life we must all accept and must be ready for. In order to be ready, students must have a strong psychological outlook on the process and their future. “Think like an athlete--you have to handle your business” says Mr. Prinz. For those who have already triumphed over the daunting process and anticipation of college, Mr. Prinz’s best advice to you is “ don’t be afraid to ask for help in college.” So let down you wall of pride and if needed, embrace the resources you have. Note for those future stress cases: If we can get through it, so can you.

“I didn’t even study for my S.A.T.s” -Richard Prinz

The good, the bad, and the ugly

a k e r B

those

The dark sides of nervous habits finally revealed

few years from now (or sooner) you find yourself in a black and white suit, sitting in an office for an interview. The meeting seems to be going well – your resume is polished and perfect, your hair is flawless and shining, and your clothes have been ironed and pressed so many times that wrinkles are now foreign to them. Yet between the jokes and questions, you notice the interviewer grimacing or frowning slightly, which only makes you more nervous. A few minutes into the meeting, the interviewer suddenly says “Could you please stop?” Confused, you look around and hear that faint “dum dum, dumdumdum dum” and notice that you’ve been tapping your pencil on the hard desk for the last few minutes without even realizing it. You turn red and stop, yet a few questions later, you notice that you’re doing it again. The interviewer noticed it too. Nervous Habits. We all have them. Biting nails. Jittery feet. Endless paces from wall to wall. The list is endless. Nearly everyone has a nervous habit of their own, something small or big to get our minds off something stressful, something scary. Freshmen Rotem Landesman counts her fingers. Junior Carissa Knipe pulls her hair and bites her nails. All these things are small and harmless, things that people do every day and can’t seem to stop. But that’s not where the problem is. Ask any teen you see walking around campus and chances are, they are currently experiencing or have experienced a significant amount of stress, and with it, nervous habits. Nervous habits, in a way, is a mask for our nerves – dealing with the stress without actually confronting it. Though these habits temporarily help us, the long term effects of not dealing with stress is hazardous to both our mental state and health. Junior Ariel Lin, used to air piano whenever she got nervous, playing pieces from her latest recital songs, but even this small thing grew to be a problem. By tapping and moving her fingers so often, her joints became inflamed and swollen, and Lin had to wear a brace for a week to heal. Another junior, Sara Shawki, is no stranger to the effects of stress and nerves. Her nervous habits include biting her lips, playing with her hair, and shaking her leg. When she was younger, the lip-biting habit got so bad that she’d end up with cuts in her mouth without realizing it. “None of it really helps, and it just gets annoying” said Shawki. But that’s not where the problem starts. Like many other students, by pushing down her stress and masking it with nervous habits and other formulas, the stress eventually evolved into serious problems. “I started to get sick really easily out of exhaustion and stress, including daily headaches and stomach pains” said Shawki, and the doctor confirmed that these problems were indeed due to the number. More pain led to more habits - biting lips went to clenching teeth in pain, and twirling hair intensified to tugging and pulling them out. Like many students, Shawki had to learn to stop her habits that had evolved from harmless to harmful, and find other ways to relieve stress, ways that actually worked instead of simply covering them up. Nervous habits on themselves are truly harmless, but the fact simply is that they are annoying. The blinking eyes, tapping feet, twirling hair draws attention away from you and distract people. Though this may not seem serious, studies and experience has shown that such habits can ruin first impressions and affect other’s perception about who you are. They can get on people’s nerves and cause more stress instead of relieving them.

So why do we do it? Doctors describe nervous habits as symptoms of tension. Psychologists believe that people don’t create their own nervous habits, but subconsciously picks them up from surrounding people and use it as a stress filter. Willard C. Olson, in his article “Measurement of Nervous Habits,” exclaims that they are indications of poor health, lack of nutrition, or even manifestations of psychological problems! But most of us just call them darn annoying, yet nearly everyone has a habit of their own. Plus, some habits actually are harmful. People who pull their hair often show signs of premature balding. Grinding of teeth wears away the enamel and increases chances of cavities and heightens sensitivity. And no one likes chewed nails when shaking hands. So calm down. Stop clicking your pen frantically. Plant your foot on the ground. Chew on gum instead of nails. Stop. Think. Realize your habits, and consider how it’s affecting you. If not negatively, then it’s all good. If it does affect you, becoming aware is the first step to getting rid of your nervous habits

Ready to

Break

Nervous Habits by Rachael Yao

your

Nervous Habits? Follow...

The

Five

Step

twirling your hair, rambling on and on, nervously laughing, plucking your eyebrows, clenching and unclenching your fist, breathing rapidlly, hyperventilating, pulling your hair, sweating profusely, grinding your teeth, biting your nails, tapping your feet over and over, pacing back and forth across a room, biting your lips, cracking your knuckles, fidgeting in chairs, cracking your backs, cracking your neck, whistling and looking around the room, pulling your eyelashes, making strange faces, twirling your hair, rambling on and on, nervously laughing, plucking your eyebrows, clenching and unclenching your fist, breathing rapidlly, hyperventilating, pulling your hair, sweating profusely, grinding your teeth, biting your nails, tapping your feet over and over, pacing back and forth across a room, biting your lips, cracking your knuckles, fidgeting in chairs, cracking your backs, cracking your neck, whistling and looking around the room, pulling your eyelashes, making strange faces, twirling your hair, rambling on and on, nervously laughing, plucking your eyebrows, clenching and unclenching your fist, breathing rapidlly, hyperventilating, pulling your hair, sweating profusely, grinding your teeth, biting your nails, tapping your feet over and over, pacing back and forth across a room, biting your lips, cracking your knuckles, fidgeting in chairs, cracking your backs, cracking your neck, whistling and looking around the room, pulling your eyelashes, making strange faces twirling your hair, rambling on and on, nervously laughing, plucking your eyebrows, clenching and unclenching your fist, breathing rapidlly, hyperventilating, pulling your hair, sweating profusely, grinding your teeth, biting your nails, tapping your feet over and over, pacing back and forth across a room, biting your lips, cracking your knuckles, fidgeting in chairs, cracking your backs, cracking your neck, whistling and looking around the room, pulling your eyelashes, making strange faces, twirling your hair, rambling on and on, nervously laughing, plucking your eyebrows, clenching and unclenching your fist, breathing rapidlly, hyperventilating, pulling your hair, sweating profusely, grinding your teeth, biting your nails, tapping your feet over and over, pacing back and forth across a room, biting your lips, cracking your knuckles, fidgeting in chairs, cracking your backs, cracking your neck, whistling and looking around the room, pulling your eyelashes, making strange faces, twirling your hair, rambling on and on, nervously laughing, plucking your eyebrows, clenching and unclenching your fist, breathing rapidlly, hyperventilating, pulling your hair, sweating profusely, grinding your teeth, biting your nails, tapping your feet over and over, pacing back and forth across a room, biting your lips, cracking your knuckles, fidgeting in chairs, cracking your backs, cracking your neck, whistling

Plan

Step 1. Admitting

The first step is always admitting your problem. The next time your friend says“stop tapping your foot!”“ Ew, don’t chew on your pencil” or“Why are you blinking so much?”don’t blow it off! Know the habits that you have when you are nervous, they may be bigger than you realize. The list of nervous habits is endless but the results are always the same.

Step 2. Become Aware

Besides listening to what others tell you, become individually aware of your actions. What makes you nervous? Taking a test? Giving speeches in front of a class? Or just staring at that cute guy or girl? When you realize you are nervous, stop and look. Are you unconsciously repeating a habit? If the answer is yes and you are now aware of that habit, then congratulations, you have completed step 2.

Step 3. Take Action

Now that you know your habit, do something about it. For example, if you are a nail biter, put your hands in your pockets instead. If you grind your teeth, chew gum or just simply try to stop. Meditation helps heighten awareness and control, but if you sit cross legged on your chair and close your eyes as you breathe in and out, you will gain a lot of strange looks and stares. But one thing is always important – breathing. Breathing calms you down (especially in stressed out situations) and clears your mind.

Step 4. Reward Yourself

Do you feel power surging inside of you? You should! You are almost complete with the 5 step plan. Even though you may slip and let those habits get the better of you sometimes, don’t give up and don’t forget to reward yourself. A pat on the back, some delicious dessert, anything to keep you motivated and going

Step 5. Success

Congratulations! You have successfully completed the 5 step plan to breaking a nervous habit. Jump up and down, scream, do your happy dance – nobody will stop you (except for those who are still stuck on Step 1 and are jealous). You’ve noticed a problem and attacked it, and now you don’t have to fear about giving yourself away in nervous situations

Revealed by Emma Courtright

Dropping the I’m not your mom bomb

Students share the moments they were told they were adopted

alt Disney, Magic Johnson, and who could forget Angelina Jolie. All three of these people adopted. And sometimes when you hear that a famous person adopted another child from somewhere you’ve never even heard of it seem that adoption is just some celebrity craze. But it’s more than that, and it is taking a child as their own and loving them just as a parent would love his or her biological child. And even know a adopted child would always know their adopted parents love them unconditionally, learning they’re adopted can sometimes make a child step back and question their entire life. “The weird thing was people had always told me stuff like I had my dad’s chin and my mom’s eyes, and then I was told they weren’t even blood related. It’s a weird feeling, like something you didn’t even think about totally unravels.” said Sarah Pealer, now in 8th grader, who learned of her adoption when she was eight. For others they have known they were adopted from the moment they knew what adopted meant. Like 9th grader Laura McCarty, “I’ve known I was adopted since, like, forever, so it never was really weird, but sometimes I do feel different from my parents. Laura also has witnessed adoption in action. When Laura was eight her parents adopted another child. Both Pealer, and McCarty’s had open adoptions, meaning they were told they were adopted, and in some cases get to meet their biological parents. “I had been prepared to meet my mom, they had told me what was going to happen and where we were going, but it was still awkward.” said Pealer, “It’s like you feel you should love this person you just met when you don’t even know them, it’s not that she wasn’t nice or anything, but, well, it was just awkward.” “I’ve met my mom a few times, and it gets better each time I see her,” says McCarty, “The first time you don’t know what to ask or say, but after the third meeting I’d gotten past the important questions so we could just talk.” Indeed there are some questions to be asked. Like what ethnicity they are, or who their biological dad is. In fact McCarty found that she was one-fourth Hispanic, when she met her mother for the first time. “I was like, no wonder I tan so easily.” And talking with her biological mom actually led to finding the name of her real father, and a year after meeting her real mother she met her father too. “I’m actually planning to meet my bio-mom again this coming summer.” says Pealer, “I don’t think I will be as nervous this time around, hopefully we can just be two normal people talking, you know, who just like happen to share DNA.”

SARAH

HER BIOLOGICAL MOM

Physical features: brown hair

brown hair

5’4” at age 13 brown eyes

5’5” at age 13

brown eyes

Similarities:

loves art wants to be a veterinarian is on the honor roll

Coming to terms with finding out your adopted would be difficult, to say the least, but what about after that. After your fully aware of your adoption, maybe you’ve even met your biological mother. There might be that “what if” factor in the back of your mind. “What if I hadn’t of been adopted.” That would be a hard question to deal with. Your mad at yourself for thinking that you might be happier with your biological parents. You may feel like your betraying the parents that took you in, loved you, gave you a home by even thinking these things. But sometimes your mind just wanders... “Yeah I’ve thought about life if I wasn’t adopted. It comes up like every time I’m in a fight with my adopted parents.” says Laura McCarty, “I think that life might have been better if I had gotten to live with my biological mother. And then I think well she gave me away for a reason, she was to young, and then I watch ‘Gilmore Girls’ and I think it turned out great for them, and then I think well that’s just a TV show.” Breath “As you can see there is like a war in my head every time I think of my alternate life, it’s kinda complicated. It can be lonley, feeling like someone abandoned you, and then getting mad with yourself for letting you think that because you know that she was trying to do what’s best. “The hardest part was seeing her now, she has her own family, and so does my dad, and I’m like, why couldn’t you do that when I was born, I know it’s not logical cause they were young and in school but it just hurts you know?”

Considers herself creative has two dogs Got a 3.8 GPA

Differences:

Listens to rock music Loves to read Prefers colder weather

Adopting the cycle

Likes hip hop and R&B Doesn’t read for fun Enjoys the heat

But there are two sides of every story, because every time she has a great time with her adopted parents and her your sister, also adopted, she thinks she wouldn’t trade this moment for anything. “Sometimes when I am with my family, I can feel it, that mom made the right choice, it’s a cycle, but I’ve known I’m adopted for my whole life it’s just kinda normal.”

Should We Take Action or Not?

by Edward Wang

An Ice Cube in the Sun

A devout believer of global warming fails to help the Earth

Taking Charge for Change

A young Freshman changes his lifestyle to help the Green cause

s a devout believer of global warming, Freshman Craig Boman not only “practices what he preaches”, but he has also built his entire life around helping the environment. Perhaps his most rewarding way of fighting global warming was buying a Mac. To him, they’re not only works of art themselves, but also agents of change. “We bought it not only because “We need to save the they are great computers,” he says, world from what we “But also because can do and are doing.” they are the most environmentallyfriendly computers out there.” Indeed, Macs are compliant with many environmental standards out there, such as the international standard knkown as Energy Star and a national standard known as the Electronic Products Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT). Apart from the Mac, Boman has also looked into the future and convinced his family to purchase either a hybrid or an electric for their next car. “I told my parents that for their next car, it needs to be a hybrid or electric,” he says, “And now, they agree.” Despite all this decision-making, Boman still thinks that his helping the environment is worth it, especially if it helps us delay and even avoid the otherwise “inevitable” consequences. “It is up to everyone, including myself to fix this world into a better place,” he says, “We need to save the world from what we can do and are doing. Global warming is terrible and needs to be stopped.”

82%

36%

of Americans believe in global warming

of Americans who often buy green products

“It is up to everyone, including myself to fix this world into a better place.”

“I mean, it’s not really up to me to decide whether or not this world lives or dies. It’s up to everyone else.”

Global Warming: A Reality or an Illusion? Public actions raise questions about whether we “practice what we preach” or not

he global warming theory has been around for more than twenty years. Since then, an entire environmentalist movement has risen and gained much strength and support over the years. According to a FOX News poll done in 2007, 82 percent of Americans believe in global warming. A recent survey done here at Monta Vista showed even greater results. Of the twenty students surveyed, eighteen had changed their lifestyles to minimize their impact on the environment, ten had shortened the lengths of their showers, and most impressively, all twenty of the students believed that global warming is caused by humans. Clearly, support for the global warming theory is quite dominant and prevalent throughout the Monta Vista student body, and no one can be as aware of this as Alex Parry, treasurer of Monta Vista Teens for Environmental Action.

“Overall, most What TEA is students at Monta Vista exhibit at least doing to help a modicum of concern - Petitions to address lofor the environment cal environmental issues and for their effects on it, “ Parry says, - Fundraiser for the Unit“Besides, considering ed States Environmental that a club like TEA Protection Agency can exist comfortably - Projects with the Mcon our campus proves Clellan Ranch that at least a minority of students at Monta Vista genuinely believe in the cause and are willing to work for it.” Along with shortening their showers, the surveyed students have also begun to change their lifestyles in other ways that might support the green cause, such as using long-lasting water bottles, recyclable materials, and non-plastic grocery bags. “Being environmentally conscious takes a

minimum of effort once people understand where they can improve,” Parry advises, “While it is possible and, in many cases, better to take more drastic steps towards ecological equilibrium like walking to school every morning or biking everywhere, a lot of very minor actions help the environment in a small way.” No student body is without its faults, however. Global warming is so widely accepted that many people believe that their own actions will have little or no impact on the environment. Suddenly, what Parry calls a “free-rider problem”, emerges. “The problem is that many people, even if they feel that activities like recycling, composting, waste minimization, and reducing consumption are important to the environmental health of their communities and the planet as a whole, simply neglect to take responsibility for their own actions,” Parry explains,”A free-rider problem emerges

because individuals count on the rest of society to make sacrifices while believing that their own contributions have minimal effect.” Indeed, this is the case with Yashas Rao, a freshman at Monta Vista. While he does believe in global warming, he has no intention whatsoever to support the green cause. “Well first of all, [global warming] doesn’t affect me,” he claims,” Second of all, one guy like me can’t make a significant difference anyways. There are plenty of volunteers out there who will clean up for me.” This dependence on the rest of society for action has not only invaded the mind of Rao, but also the rest of society. In other words, no one is taking action because there is the false belief that there is always someone out there who will do their job for them and actually practice what they preach.

reshman Yashas Rao is somewhere between global warming denier and global warming believer. Unlike global warming deniers, he truly believes in human-created global warming. But at the same time, unlike global warming believers and environmentalists, he does not believe in his own influence over the course of nature. “Of course I believe in global warming” he says, “Who doesn’t? It’s just that I don’t really do anything to help the environment. What difference would I make?” One example of this supposed “helplessness” is when he starts off his morning with a twenty minute shower. “I know, I could greatly limit the amount of time I spend in the shower,” he admits, “But what difference does that make? I’m sure that there are plenty of people who spend fewer than “I’m still just one five minutes in the shower.” person out of a His habit of population of millions drinking soda every day could also count though.” towards his supposed helplessness. Everyday, a bottle from the hands of Rao makes its way into either recycling bin or the trash can, which ever one is more convenient for him. From a green perspective, whether or not the bottle reaches the recycling bin is only part of the problem. The rest of the problem lies within the origins of the bottle itself. According to Physorg.com, it takes about 2000 times more energy to create a bottle of water than to make tap water. “I’m still just one person out of a population of millions though,” he says, “What others do will probably affect the environment more than me.” This trademark philosophy of relying on others to do what needs to be done was probably not permanent, however. “I used to do everything I could to help the environment,” he explains,”I tried to limit my purchases of plastic water bottles, I tried to use reusable bags more, and I even tried to cut back on water and electricity. But then I just stopped.” He says that he stopped because he felt as if no progress was being made, despite his efforts to do something good for the planet. “I just said to myself, ‘Dude, it’s all pointless. What I do doesn’t matter because the rest of the world is probably also doing their best to help Earth. One deserter out of the many globalwarming believers won’t go noticed anyways.” And that’s when he stopped believing in his own power. “Global warming is horrible and all,” Rao admits, “But I personally think that it doesn’t really affect me. I mean, it’s not really up to me to decide whether or not this world lives or dies. It’s up to everyone else.”

Ways to be a Greener Person - Use a ceiling fan > Creates an inexpensive wind chill - Dry your clothes with the sun > It’s free and natural! - Stop or Recycle Junk Mail > Saves up to 1.5 trees every year! - Buy in Bulk > Less energy and material needed for the packaging - Use your dishwasher > Washing by hand actually uses more water - Use rainwater to water plants > No need for tap water! - Don’t use screensavers > Put your computer/monitor into low-power mode! - Plant only native plants > They don’t need as much water and care!

LivingLife

The Real Life

Dean and teacher shows her true and surprising side of life

outside The Life Test Of The the lives of teachers according to one student.

The truth can sometimes be harsh, but nevertheless it’s told. Here’s the truth according to a student who wishes to remain anonymous – there are some teachers with lives and there are some that don’t. (But of course, one person’s truth can be another’s lie. So consider this a disclaimer, this article is purely based on the opinions of an individual.) Now, no one will tell you what the definition of “possessing a life” is. You may conjure up your arbitrary answers, but we can all probably come to a middle ground. For a teacher, having a life means having an event after work. According to this anonymous student, it is possible to determine the “life level” (so to speak) of a certain teacher. Now there are always different angles on different rules, so feel free to argue with any of these within the safety of your own mind. First off, you can tell if a teacher has a life by their sheer personality. Is he or she liked by the majority of his or her students because he or she is flexible, fun, and appealing to students? Or is your teacher stingy and strict and you feeling like he or she’s just totally out to get you? Of course this is sometimes too subjective, but the results should be clear. If your teacher is entertaining and understanding, he or she is probCheck all that apply: ably good with other peers, like friends and family. That teacher would probably cooperate and - Do they have other collaborate well if others, and teachers in their room? would most definitely have some - Are they cool? Or are people to hang out with after they unbelievably school. If your teacher is harsh stingy? and inconsiderate, then he or - Do they grade quickly? she would probably be a little less sociable and might have a slightly lower reading on the life level chart. Next, observe your teacher’s teaching habits. A main thing students use is to see if how quickly a teacher returns graded papers. If the assignments are returned the next day or two, the teacher probably has less time to associate with others because he or she is working quickly to correct papers. “[If] they grade papers fast, [it] probably means they’re devoted. Sadly, that’s tagged with not having a life a lot of the times,” says the anonymous student. Many may disagree with this, however, arguing that a devoted teacher is often a fun and exhilarating one. Kevin Tsukii, a freshman, says, “I have a lot of teachers who grade papers really fast, but their still really cool. Just because they’re devoted, doesn’t mean they don’t have stuff to do after school.” Lastly, you can notice your teacher’s interactions during school. If they have other teacher f r i e n d s that visit their class often, he or she probably has a very easy time associating with others and developing new friends at work. These lists and methods may seem a bit harsh, and they might not even be true, but test it out on your teachers and you’ll be surprised on what you find out.

CLASS

teachers show their true side

hen you first look at a teacher – old, young, skinny, stout – what’s the first assumption that enters your mind? Maybe it’s the extensive gray hair that first appeal, or maybe the last-year’s sweater that she’s wearing which makes her look desperate to fit in to modern looks. Or maybe it’s not the physical appearances that initially strike you (though it probably is), maybe you think deeper. Maybe you try to reflect on what the teacher does during his or her spare time. Your answer? Nothing. Meet Denae Moore, a dean and teacher here at MVHS. Yeah, her day consists of going to and from school, at certain times and certain hours. Yeah, she looks busy as she paroles around campus, searching for any troubles within the students. She must have no life. Ring the buzzer, that’s wrong. Whoever said that the lives of teachers are abstractly different from the lives of students? Ms. Moore’s day Ms. Moore, a dean here at MVHS consists of going to school at seven and Leadership teacher. in the morning, and returning home after six. Before work (or school), Ms. Moore goes to her local Starbucks store to pick up a hot tea. Maybe she’ll make an occasional stop to the local gas station to fill up her gas tank. When she arrives at school, she gets ready for the day at work. And it’s not like Ms. Moore is socially disabled and isolates herself to her workspace. She associates with teachers and other staff members, as well as strolls along campus and greets the abundance of students that she recognizes. “I love my job,” says Ms. Moore, “it may seem boring to any other person, but it’s really such a fun job where you can talk to so many interesting people.” After work is where things really start to liven up for Ms. Moore, and it’s where you’ll begin to realize the similarities of teacher versus student. Field hockey is one Ms. Moore’s activities, being it was her main sport during high school. (Yeah, she plays sports!) Aside from field hockey, she also runs more than a lot of students, with six mile roundtrips to and from her boyfriend’s house. Speaking of her boyfriend, Ms. Moore also watches movies, plays tennis, and enjoys dinner with her significant other. Additionally, she loves spending time with her friends by eating dinner with them after work or just hanging out at their house (just like us!). When she’s not busy being a social butterfly around the community, Ms. Moore likes to watch shows that the typical student watches, like Grey’s anatomy or The Office. Ms Moore’s also been to places that some of us only dream of going to – the Bahamas, Costa Rica, Jamaica, Florida, New Orleans, and Hawaii. She’s swam with sharks and watched the first African American president’s ordination at Washington D.C. But students, even her own, don’t see the life hidden behind the bustling stature of Ms. Moore. “I don’t get how she has the time,” says Freshman Kelly Darmawan, student of Ms. Moore, “being that she seems like she’s so involved in school stuff.” Junior Samuel Lui, also a student of Ms. Moore, says, “She seems like she just comes to school and goes home, no in between. I’d be too exhausted after a long day of work to hang out with friends.” Both of the students interviewed now realize the subtle life of Ms. Moore after being told the events and activities that she has everyday. So maybe the next time you see a teacher, maybe you’ll see a student. Just older and bigger and totally different. Use your imagi nation.

afterschool

activities

by Jacob Lui

I Say You Donít Do Anything Afterschool, You Say... “Students think teachers live in holes after school and they come out in the morning to each. We actally lead lives on both professional and personal levels.” - Mr. Hicks, Dean

“Teaching is a long job and lasts even afterschool, but teachers do have lives. I’d have to say that some of the most interesting people I’ve met are teachers, because of their experience and willingness to learn.” - Ms. Balmeo, English Department

“I’d have mixed feelings of incredulity. But sometimes, all I do afterschool is school stuff, so they’re right.” -Mr. Clarke, English Department

‘That’s So...’

Idiom or Immaturity? Students share their different opinions regarding the word “gay” and it’s common use in everyday conversations.

Monta Vista students incorporate controvercial adjectives into their everyday conversations.

by Aafreen Mahmood

Ethnicity or Adjective?

What defines the most popular adjectives

MV students share their thoughts on the controvercial adjective “asian” and how it affects other ethnicities

sian. The ethnic majority of our school. To some, it is the Asians that are the cause of the so-called “white flight” here at Monta Vista High School. Often times, Monta Vista is perceived as such a prestigious school mainly because of the contributions of the ethnic majority: Asians. Yes, these, black-haired, slender, slit-eyed, and yellow-skinned folk have led Monta Vista to its peak. It has now reached the point where society believes that almost any school that has a mass amount of Asians must obtain high standards. Whether this is true or not is unknown; however, it is important to not forget the other diverse groups surrounding them. There still remains a lingering possibility that not all Asians are as intelligent as one believes, and there may be other races that contribute to our overall achievements as a school. If so, then what really defines the word “Asian”?

From

the

“Asian’s”

perspective:

Freshman Chanelle Kim considers herself to be a typical Asian; that is from the outside at least. Kim does indeed lean towards accepting the stereotypes regarding Asians. In addition, she admits that she often tends to use her ethnicity as an adjective in many situations. “If I see someone is being really fobby or is like a really smart person, then I would be like: ‘That’s so, or they’re so Asian,” said Kim,”I say that a lot actually.” Kim agrees that Monta Vista is a bit overpopulated with Asians, but sees no wrong in ii. The common misconception that all Asians possess a high level of intelligence can put some of them in the limelight. At some point, the high expectations for Asians, for some, cannot be always met. “No way! I don’t think I live up to them. Asians are usually good at math, and I’m not the best in math,” said Kim.

From

the

white’s

perspective:

Freshman Megan Parry serves as a counterexample to the default assumption of white people. Parry has a record of a consistent 4.0 GPA throughout middle school and now high school. In simpler terms, an Asian (in terms of academics and parental pressure). “Pretty much all my pressure is from my parents. They would kill me if I got a B in anything,” said Parry. Could this be just a coincidence? To Megan Parry, intelligence is derived from effort, not race. However, she does admit that her ingeniousness for her race stands out amidst the Asians. “I definitely stick out,” said Parry,” [If I was an Asian] I would blend in more and people would expect it from me.”

From the Indian’s perspective: Although for most students, the first ethnicity that comes to mind when the word “Asian” is uttered may be a Chinese, Japanese, or Korean, there lies a gray area: the Indians. These subcontinental folk are also categorized under the name “Asian” because of their similar achievements in academics aspects of culture, and technically, location on the same continent. Freshman Meg Murthy is an academically and extracurricular-oriented student. She classifies herself as solely Indian. Her parental pressure does not quite level up with the average Asian pressure, yet she tends to receive an equal amount of pressure over grades from herself in an effort to live up to her own expectations.

“I know a lot of Asian parents are strict, straightforward, and just want A’s, but my parents aren’t that biased and they don’t give me that much pressure, mainly because they have faith in me that I’ll do my best.” Murthy’s biases do play a role in her perception of a school. Similar to Kim, a school with a high population of Asians would seem like an exceptional school. However, when intelligence is determined by race, Murthy draws the line. “There isn’t or at least shouldn’t be any standing of someone’s intelligence based on their race,” said Murthy,” Everyone has different levels of smartness; not just Asians.”

“That’s so Asian”.What really is an Asian? Is there something more to them then just perfect grades and brilliance? By saying “That’s so Asian” unknowingly many are incorporating a form of racism into society. Selecting a particular race and characterizing them by the roaming stereotypes is certainly what Monta Vista High School’s students do not (or should not) do. If we Matadors wish to accept all forms of diversity unconditionally and learn not to characterize a race by their strengths or weaknesses. then we will continue to remain unique from other schools and societies that commit such forms of prejudice. Ethnicity is something to take pride in, not to use as an adjective.

Gay

Freaky

n a e M

Retarded

y b b o F

Scary

d r a w wk

Asian

d r i We

hat’s so gay:a phrase uttered by a number of MVHS students who, to some, have failed to understand the basic means of humanities. Often times, this phrase is used as a derogatory remark, used to express dissatisfaction, a negative outcome, or an immoral act. For some, it is seen as an alternative to words such as “dumb” or “stupid”; there is no trivial matter to saying this phrase. But is it really that simple? Earlier, when such practices were condescended upon by society, “gay” was used to describe negative actions. However, the society now has begun to accept all forms of characteristics of humans and support these very differences between one another.

Dum

said at MVHS?

Asian Fobby Gay Retarded -Slit Eyes -Black Hair -4.0 GPA (if not, higher) -Extra-curricular oriented -Have maximum number of AP classes offered -Unsatisfactory is less than an A

-Peace sign in pictures -Highly influenced by culture -”Asians” -Strong native accent when speaking -Fresh Off the Boat [F.O.B.]

-Unfair test grades -Meaningless or negative -Fashionable males -Unexpected outcomes -Disappointment

-”dumb” or “stupid” -Unreasonable assignments or teachers -Out of the ordinary or unusual ideas or thoughts -selfish attitude

Junior Sana Chintamen chooses not to incorporate this saying in her language and believes it tarnishes the very rights that many sacrifice their lives for just to gain. Although Chintamen does not support gay marriage, she still believes on human grounds, part of one’s identity does not deserve to be entitled as something negative. “Gay people shouldn’t just be labeled as ‘gay’. That’s not their identity,” said Chintamen,”Just like how bad leaders sometimes do good things for their nation, but people still dislike them. And really, its not your place to judge anyone based on identity or labels” Chintamen realizes that the phrase “that’s so gay” can indeed be found insulting to many, including homosexuals. Perhaps not everyone thinks the same way as she does. Chintamen agrees that the majority of students here at MVHS who say this phrase do not realize that they may be causing emotional harm to others.

“It’s pretty much become like an idiom for our language,” “They don’t really think about what they are saying and what it means because it’s pretty much become like an idiom for our language,” said Chintamen. Freshman Suruchi Salgar shares a similar opinion towards the phrase “that’s so gay” as well. “It gets really annoying,” said Salgar,”If people are mad at something or when things don’t go the way they want them to, they’ll usually say it.” Salgar does not perceive being gay as being “bad”, and for this reason she opposes strongly to it. She believes that immaturity and peer pressure are the main causes that drive people to say this phrase. Saying “that’s so gay”to some is what raises their status in terms of popularity. Freshman Laura Yang, however, sees this controversy from a different point of view. She feels the best way to deal with this phrase is to simply ignore it and allow society to evolve in terms of respect for others. “It’s not right, but it’s just one of those things that’s going to be there no matter what. I guess the best solution is to not add on to the big number of people who say it already,” said Yang. According to Yang, many tend to believe the common misconception that if this phrase is not said, then they will not be accepted by others. “That’s so gay” is often not meant to hurt others, but to be simple perceived as “cool”. Yang believes that over time, along with new trends society will find new phrases to say. “At first, thats so: dumb, sucks, or stupid may have sounded bad, but after some time, people found it less and less insulting. Later on, I think people may find this phrase less and less insulting too,” said Yang. Whatever the reason may be, under no circumstances should one’s character, integrity, and basic beliefs be used as an adjective in adverse scenarios. There are millions of words in many languages; leading to so many alternatives to this one adjective. Why not use those instead of one’s frame of mind?

Life after death You don’t appreciate what you have until you’re dead. At least, that’s what a survey conducted amongst Monta Vista students suggests. In the survey, 14 people who’d had near death experiences were asked whether their brushes with death changed their perspective on life. 11 out of the 14 surveyed reported that it had. Those who said that their experience had changed their outlook generally had little control in their near death experience (ex. Car crashes) while everyone who’s outlook on life did not change were responsible for saving themselves (ex. Animal attacks, muggings). In addition, the survey showed that 9 out of 14 who had escaped death felt they had less stress than their peers. “I think it’s because when you feel stressed, you think to yourself, ‘At least I’m not dead.’” Said Freshman Stephen Chung who was in a major car accident in 2007. The Stress levels of MV Students having a near death results of this experience survey are partly consistent with those of a 1999 study present in the annual convention of the American Psychological Association. According to the study, survivors of plane crashes were overall in better psychological health than their accident-less peers. Contrary to the Monta Vista study, however, those who had more control during their accident had less emotional distress than those who had control. In addition, in a study conducted by cardiologist Michael Sabom, 43% of patients who’d survived cardiac arrest reported that the experience had more of an impact on their life than any other event. Patients also reported being happier people overall and fearing death less. Near death experiences can actually make you a happier person. Whether you want a good story to tell or want to appreciate life more, near death experiences are the way to go. Just don’t die.

Die Hard... Almost by Faraz Abidi

Dying to not die

Movie heros aren’t the only ones who have brushes with death. MV students share their stories

hen Rohan Sheikh death have become more and more got in his car on exciting. When Habursine was four, a cold November a dog mauled him. The dog was not night, he expected unprovoked. to watch a mediocre “Being four, I didn’t know exactly sequel to a good movie with his two how to pet so I just walked up to the brothers and a cousin then drive home dog and slapped it in the face.” Said for another Sunday wasted in front of Habursine. the computer. He was as wrong as the The dog jumped up and bit him people who respect Oprah. First off, near the eye, knocking him down in Matrix Revolution was actually pretty the process. It was a classic case of good. And he almost died. bit and run. As he got up, Habursine It was raining heavily that night. The felt something roll down his cheek. It roads were slick with water by the time wasn’t a tear. they had begun to drive and the Accord “I ran and yelled and called my was not handling well. It wasn’t causmom. And got blood on the carpet.” ing any serious problems, though, until This incident did not improve his they drove up to a busy section of the judgment. A few years later, while highway near the edge of a mountain. It vacationing in Texas, one of Haburswas then that the unthinkable happened. ine’s friends complained that she was “The car just started spinning on the getting thirsty. Being the gentlemen edge of the road. I was like, praying for he is, Habursine offered to get her our lives to be saved.” Said Rohan. water from the nearby river. Before Luckily, they managed to get out of it unscathed. Regardless, it still shocked him. “We were just quiet. We turned down the music and drove slow.” While this is not the kind of thing that happens every day, near death experiences are surprisingly common amongst Monta Vista students. Christophe Habursine, for exThe alligator Habursin encountered was ample, has escaped death probably an American Alligator which are about over six times. common in southern states such as Florida, He has been death prone Georgia and Mississippi. Since 1978 there ever since he was a baby, have been 376 alligator attacks in the U.S. when he almost choked on an apple. “My mom gave me the Heimlich.” she could say that was disgusting Said Habursine. since the river was probably filled As he’s grown older, his escapades with with germs, he jumped in to get her

2. Check for breathing. If the victim is not breathing perform mouth-to-mouth resuscitation by pinching their nostrils then forming a seal against their mouth with your own. Blow into their mouth until their chest rises. Allow them to exhale then repeat in five seconds. 3. If there is heavy bleeding, apply pressure on the bleeding area for at least five minutes. 4. If there is a burn, flush the wound with cold running water. Do not use ice.

Survivors of near death experiences share their tips on how to not die When Vishnu Nair was hit by a car, he emerged battered but wiser. He and three other experts share their advice so you can know how to avoid dying without risking your life. Vishnu Nair (Hit by a car): Wear a helmet

some. The dog that Habursine had slapped belonged to a very close friend of his mother, the Belidas family. Their fates would intertwine once more. The Belidas were vacationing with Habursine’s family and brought their dog along. It was one vengeful dog. While Habursine was in the river, the dog barked at an alligator, which scurried into the river. He barely escaped it. Habursine and Sheikh are not alone. Several other M.V. students have survived almost certain death situations. Vishnu Nair, for example, was hit by a large speeding object. It was a car. When he biked home from tennis practice on December 2nd, 2007, he was only thinking about what he’d have for dinner. That would turn out be the biggest mistake of his life. As he turned a corner on a street he thought about his stomach. Not about the car that was hurtling towards him at about 20 mile per hour. “The last thing I remembered was a pair of headlights.” Said Nair, now a freshman. Miraculously, he got out unscathed other than a few mild bruises. “I don’t even know [why I didn’t get seriously injured]. I guess I just got lucky.” Said Nair. Whether it’s because of your own stupidity or because lady luck doesn’t like you very much, near death experiences are something to remember. They can be something to talk about when there hasn’t been new episode of The Office recently or they can completely change your outlook on life. In the words of a wise man (Vishnu Nair) “Your life is more important than your stomach.” Those are some words we can all live by.

How to put the near in near death experience

1. Call 9-11. This should be a rescuer’s first response in any serious accident.

I beat death... and so can you!

67,000 bicyclists go to the hospital every year for head injuries. Don’t be one of them. 60 % of the time, the injury could have been prevented by wearing a helmet Christophe Habursine (Mauled by a dog, approached by alligator, choked on apple): Don’t mess with animals About 1000 people are sent to the emergency room each day because of a dog-related injury. Six-Thousandths of a percent of these are fatal. Rohan Shiekh (Almost drove off cliff): Drive carefully There about 6,300,000 car accidents each year in the U.S. alone. 6.6 % of these are fatal. Eric Yu (Almost hit by car);Watch out for traffic 69,000 pedestrians are involved in car accidents every year. 5000 of these are fatal.

5. If the victim is choking, get behind the victim, make a fist and place it right below the ribs, and clasp it with the other hand. Make a few quick, upward thrusts until the victim is no longer choking. 6. If there is a fracture, elevate the injured area and apply ice. 7. If the victim has a hart attack, loosen tight clothing and put the victim in a comfortable position. Only do CPR if you know what you are doing. Causes of near death expeeriences amongst Monta Vista students

cute: (adj.) delightfully pretty or dainty

The Analysis of Attraction

An Adorable

Large eyes, short arms and legs, Sophomore Daniel Ki said, “I chubbiness, and small size. ‘m not sure really.Anything that makes Do these strike an image in your me smile. Perhaps it’s funny. Perhaps it’s nice. Perhaps it’s small and fuzzy. I mind? can’t pinpoint it.” For some, it brings up images There is certainly a recurring of bug-eyed anime (Japanese cartoon) characters, chubby pandas, tiny erasers, pattern in what people find as cute. After surveying 50 students at Monta and miniature bunnies. Not to mention Vista, the characteristics people elongated high-pitched squeals of, found as the cutest were large eyes “Awwwwwww that’s soooooooooo and smallness of size. They found cuuuute.” animals as the cutest, with people in These days, the use of the word, second place. In animals, the cutest characteristic was large eyes. In “cute” is becoming more and more people, behaviors and personality were widespread. But do we absent-mindedly use the word, without being aware of its considered the cutest. And last of all, roundness was the cutest characteristic definition? Or are our hearts becoming in inanimate objects. So what is so softer and more affectionate? The American Heritage Dictionary defines the “delightfully pretty or dainty” about large eyes, behavior and personality, word, “cute” as: “Delightfully pretty or dainty.” When we apply the word to anime and roundness? characters, pandas, erasers, and bunnies, Freshman Shelly Wang said, it does make sense, But the question is, “Things that are miniature with low set what does our eye find as “delightfully eyes are cute. Hey, it’s perfectly normal pretty or dainty”? Junior Ellen Franza said, “I think of me to think this! You see, there’s a cuteness is innocence, because those who science behind cuteness…and it makes us want to protect (cute things).” are innocent don’t know what’s right or wrong, and it makes you want to tell them So it turns out there is what you think. So basically it attracts you, actually a universal definition of what and this is what cuteness is.”

is cute. The cuteness of something is determined by its resemblance to a human baby. Babies have a round face, a chubby body, short arms and legs, low set eyes, a large forehead, and a large head relative to the rest of their body. baby?

An Adorable Anatomy

But why must it be a human

it quite wrong. Out of the 25 boys surveyed, only two of them said that babies were not cute. On the other hand, out of the 25 girls surveyed, four of them said that babies were not cute. An overwhelming percentage of people found babies as either cute or sometimes cute. Clearly, finding things as cute is not a gender specific trait.

The affectionate attraction to the aforementioned traits is based on instinct. In theory, being attracted to babies makes us want to protect and nurture them, thus helping the survival of the human race. Moreover, babies with the “cute” traits are healthy, while babies that are unhealthy do not look cute, and therefore are not cared for as much as the cute babies. So in the end, the cute and healthy babies have a better chance of survival than the unhealthy babies lacking the cute characteristics.

Freshman Diana Lin said, “ Babies? Who likes those barfing screaming things?” Apparently, cuteness is also a matter of personal taste. And experience.

“It’s an maternal instinct,” Wang said. “I guess this means that guys don’t think as many things are cute as girls do…and they don’t think babies are cute.”

Next time you hear the eardrum shattering squeals of “Awwwww that’s soooo cuuuute”, remind yourself that it’s only instinct and that the cute things must be protected.

Perhaps the people surveyed have been influenced by siblings. My guess is the ones who have baby siblings might find them annoying, causing them to say that babies are not cute.

A reasonable hypothesis, but the results of the survey prove

Attraction What exactly is “cute”?

An Acute Case of Adoration Freshman Thuong Nguyenvu smiles, as she points to the apple in the art room still life display. “Anything is cute if you look long enough,” she says. “Like this apple for example. Some people might find its size cute – the nice red color can also be cute.” Finding an apple as cute isn’too unusual… She then adds, “Even crap can be cute, I’m serious!” Maybe some people are too easily satisfied.This easy satisfaction leads to an obsession. An obsession with cuteness.

As innocent as this obsession with cute things may be, it can prove to be costly.

“ I’m serious, even crap can be cute! ”

Nguyenvu spends much of her time pursuing her interests in cute things, mostly by watching anime to see the characters she finds so lovable with their large low set eyes, small flattened nose, small mouth, and large foreheads.

This overload of cuteness gives

her a warm feeling in the heart; an overall sense of content and that all is well in the world. But this feeling doesn’t last long, once she realizes that she also needs the time to do schoolwork and get enough sleep. But usually, the desire for cuteness overrides the other needs. The price Nguyenvu has to pay is time—time to study, time to do homework, time to sleep. As a result, she receives failing grades from unfinished homework Her obsession with cuteness not only costs her in time, but also in money. With every visit to any Japanese store, she spends anywhere from $50 to $100 on manga, figurines, posters, and buttons, all with pictures of her favorite anime characters on them. She even buys fabric to make

plushies with. As she walks out of the store, she is left with packages of purchased cuteness and an empty wallet. And since money does not drop from the sky, Nguyenvu has to work at a tax firm part-time, where she files paper and documents. She also has a job as a cashier at a small grocery store. These jobs subtract even more time from schoolwork and sleep. It’s a downward spiraling cycle.

both happiness and despair. For her, it is truly a taste of poisoned honey—leaving her in a nauseous ecstasy and always wanting more.

“[My friends] think I’m weird and crazy,” she admits. “I don’t like to admit my obsession but it’s hard to hide, and in the end, no one really minds. It’s not like my obsession hurts others.” The instinctual attraction to cuteness can truly be dangerous and costly. For Nguyenvu, it is a cause of

Freshman Thuong Nguyenvu who is obsessed with cute things.

rin

The rush to get good grades By Jackie Schadle

the ideas together. Green says professionals agree, “most What does a grade mean? For many it is what thought the material was a little unorthodox, but they agreed depicts weather or not parentals will be screaming, leaving it was vary practical”. you alone, or purchasing something worth $$$. On levels; Isn’t this book sending the wrong message? To the failing means De Anza, passing gets me through high Advance Placement(AP) MV student this school, exceeding expectations gets me into sound similar to what is heard collage, and a 4.5 GPA supposof for most study strategies but edly makes me spectacular and grades are not nearly an actual book about it? CramI may get me into any school, ming and cutting corners are sup anywhere. So what do student as important as most pose to be the bad part of studys do to get to the level they students, parents, ing, showing slack. want? It is rumored that if They push for it. administrators and a student is taking all AP and Some students do anything in teachers think Honors classed it is impostheir power to get the results sible to do all the reading and they want. That may mean all the work. Not enough time cheating. Cram for tests and in a day. So, knowing what to forget about it right after or focus on and how much of each simply BSing the homework subject you need to do is smart. like writing down the same five College a User’s Manual by Scott Edelstein clams words continuously for Spanish. to tell you “all the important things no one else will tell you Making the Grade in College written by Kenneth about college and college life”. While this book seems to A. Green discusses how to cut corners when needed, know be more professional it gives bigger rule breaking (acwhen to “cram and pass exams,” and tips from profescording to what we grow up learning) tips. In Chapter 4, sionals. The purpose of the book is to see into college life Grades, the first sentence says, “grades are not nearly as before going to college, like “instant experience”. Green’s mission statement seemed to be that he and his friends were important as most students, parents, administrators and teachers think”. Advising, do not read this book for college just out of college when he wrote this collection of experitips. It makes many contradictions because right bellow ence that they realized would have helped them. Seeing as that statement it lists six reasons why grades are important. Green was the writer in the group he was the one to piece

“

”

“I Cheat but mostly I don’t really worry”

“I study because I have the time and I don’t really like to cram”

Anonymous Senior

Edward Wang Freshman

“I cram in the last tow days but then I start panicking and go to sleep” Tiffany Lau Junior

“I study but my parents don’t even pressure me, I pressure myself because I feel bad when I get bad grades” Nona Penner Freshman

Finding the Difference The students’ opinion

Ben Ploof is a MV student who believes, “grades should be taken

seriously because they do determine the rest of your life”. This does seem very stereotypical of Matador students but Ploof has a good outlook on this generally stressful belief. But stress is worth the grade because, “the work you do now will save you a lot of work down the road”. Along with being prepared most students believe Monta Vista High School is the most important place to get good grades and study hard; to get into a good collage, of course. But it is common belief (maybe not in the student body) that High School and middle school are learning places to practice learning and acquire good study habits. “Doing well is something that you must work towards,” knowing the steps to success is not a victory. Knowing how to study, making it habit, and “Getting use to the work load that is being placed on you,” are key qualities to accomplish while in hischool This is why cheating is not only looked down upon for the sake of not putting in the work but that a student shows they are maybe unable to do their own work. “You need the grade to get into college, it doesn’t do you any good to get into the college if you are unprepared” and cheating only sets a student up for failure.

You want to go to Colage but don’t know if you’r grades up to par, why stress, “you’re only a kid once and it should be an enjoyable experience,” said an upper class MV student who requested to be anonymous. Stressing on grades can be degrading to your health. Some students realize that and decide not to freak out. But those who decide to stay chill see the 4.0 obsessed students clearly, they say, “Students who get the best grades tend to cram and study for the short term, not learning as much as they could”. Yes this student goes to class, studies and puts in the effort but simply believes that there are, “more important things in life than a GPA”. Witch students are told is, not to matter of fact, true. Join a sport, or a few campus clubs. Advisors and Teachers like to see student doing other things than schoolwork. One of the major reasons why some students choose to not be crazed over grades is because they want a balance. Allot of relaxed students see how anxious and awkward competitive student’s are and fear that if that’s the effects of being an “A” student they will decide not to try at all. Even thought being at the top of the class is appealing, students do not see how they got there. It does not seem realistic, the must have found a short cut. Our anonymous student does believe, “learning the material is better for students,” but sees that higher marking students, “are more concerned about the short time learning to cram for tests”.

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How each effects the other By Jessie Lin “Chocolate makes me happier. “Candy makes me hyper. “Crackers make me more content. Anything else? “And ice cream. I love ice cream. All the time. No matter what my mood, ice cream makes everything better!” Charlotte Yuan, MV Freshmen said. She and many others are not alone in her cravings. According to Food Phychologist Brian Wansink, “Women … prefer… the convenience of the snack foods, like cookies, chocolate, and ice cream.” “I eat whenever,” said Yuan. This behavior has earned her recognisition from her friends to have a “pitless stomach” as she said. “I eat when I'm sad, tired, when I'm not feeling happy or sad, but mostly when I'm bored.” But she finds that whenever she is happy she doesn’t eat much, “When I'm happy, I forget about food because I'm already happy and don't need it.” Which means that when she does eat it 's to make her happier; Chocolate, Candy, Crackers and of course ice Cream. “The four C's” Yuan says jokingly. A different student disagrees, “[I eat] more when I'm happier. I think then you're just more relaxed [when you are happy or having fun] and relaxation is proven to promote appetites maybe that's why I'm gaining weight; I'm happy too much” however, the student agrees that sugary things is the food to eat for happiness, “Chocolate, man, and maybe ice cream or something like that: anything sugary gets me even happier.” Perhaps that is why ice cream is the food that 39% of “sad people reached for” according to the American Demographic Journal (2000). “[I eat] less when I'm pissed or scared or worried. When you're scared or [upset] you focus of what you're worrying about, which makes you lose your appetite,” counters the student, wishing to remain anonymous, “But I don't usually stop eating, ever.”

Being asked if what she felt affected her eating, Fang replied, I don't think [I eat because of emotions], because my moods don't really affect what I eat that strongly,” Many of us do eat emotionally. Most of us have eaten due to moods. We just haven’t realized it. Dr. Roger Gould, the author of Shrink Yourself, writes, “Everyone eats for emotional reasons once in a while.” Emotional eating is roughly defined as “seeking out food to change the way you feel” According to Gould. Be careful though, emotional eating or emotional hunger has different levels. For example, eating due to happiness during or as celebration is not the same as secretly eating to cover up their feelings. Emotional eating can be as simple as munching when there is nothing else to do. “Phantom hunger” is what Gould labels this type of eating, “In those moments of boredom, it’s the excape you’re looking for.” “Actually for me I eat whatever I can get my hands on, [whatever food] that's good anyway,” the unnamed student adds, “but probably something sweet preferably moist.” Emotional eating out of boredom can also comes in the form of snacks. “I guess I tend to get a craving for snacks,” Fang admits, “like crackers or candy or things with white flour.” They

make her more satisfied she feels.

Mind the mindless munching

One, two, two, a couple, two, and suddenly my M&M's are all gone. It's become subconscious for me, eating that is. Recently I've realized that I do such especially when I'm feeling bored and have nothing better to do. It's just something to take my mind off the fact that I have nothing to do. One,two, one, three. What really happens when I eat? According to Dr. Gould, author of Shrink Yourself, eating provides something exactly like that. “Its a form of escape that works immediately. What people don't recognize is that this escape is addictive.” Which is true, considering the fact that the bet-

ter half of a one dollar bag of M&M's has been demolished by my jaws. Multiply that by once a week and 57 weeks in a year and that means a good part of my birthday money gone. Of course I don't eat M&M's every week, let alone every two weeks, but I do eat other things in place of that. Eating with out consciously thinking is not entirely limited to munching when bored. Eating can also mysterously set in when talking, having fun, watching TV, etc. Brian Wansink, food phycologist said. “The average person during the course of an average day makes over 200

food-related decisions.” Which means that we think a lot more about food than we actually realize. This also means that I may also be eating those M&M’s talking during and exciting conversation.

Just Chillax Top Right: Picture of tartini’s topping bar. Middle Right: Three bowls of frozen yogurt showcasing flavors and toppings. Bottom Right: Freshman Brigitte Hong enjoys a spoonfull

Lychee with Mango and Raspberry A froyo-holic’s guide to Cupertino frozen yogurt Far Right: Kids at the Cupertino Teen Center enjoy the locales many different activities, such as pool and video games such as Rock Band.

Meet Brigitte Hong. Just your average freshman—pretty smart, gets good grades, and is on JV Girls Swimming. She’s got her own group of friends that she laughs with, and she’s happy and bubbly all the time.

Centerspread by: Yaamini Venkataraman

Kick boredom and a foosball

Teen Center remedies stress with rest, relaxation, and fun

o, you’ve banqueted burritos at Chipotle, you’ve watched many movies at Cupertino Square, and even hit the books at the Library.

Okay. Now what? Cupertino is a school-minded city. There’s no question about it. And in the whirlwind months of April and May—where the administration forces you to take the STAR Tests, after a measly five days of relief, where teachers are trying to finish their curriculum, bombard you with tests, and trying to prepare you for their grueling finals, where your parents are scheduling your lives, telling you that every weekend of relaxation must be sacrificed in order to run around to a million places, forcing you to study harder than ever, and planning your summer, where your friends are planning parties, telling you to tag along wherever they go—every single teenager is caught up in the tornado of events, struggling to keep their sanity.

“On nights like Teen Lounge Nights, we have Guitar hero Contests, Movie Nights, and we plan to have an Open Mic Night there soon. The Teen Center is also a great way to meet teens from other schools,” Vora said.

Cupertino Teen Center

Location: 21111 Stevens Creek Blvd. Located on the 1st floor of the Sports Center Hours of Operation: Mon So what’s a R&R hungry teen to do? day—Closed Tuesday through Thurs Well, there’s always the Teen Center. day—3 p.m. To 8 p.m. Friday—3 p.m. To 9 p.m. “The Teen Center...was formed 7 or 8 years ago by previous Teen Com- Saturday—1 p.m. To 9 missioners,” Teen Commissioner and junior Soumya Murag said. “They felt that p.m. Cupertino should have a place where teens could go to for relaxation and to meet Sunday—1 p.m. To 9 p.m. with friends.” Phone: (408) 777-1335 w w w. c u p e r t i n o t e e n s . It’s true. In our small town of Cupertino, the Teen Center exists as a testament to teen needs. Located on the first floor of the Sports Center, the Teen Center is there for every teen in Cupertino, loaded with fun activities. “The Teen Center has everything like Guitar Hero, Rock Band, foosball, a pool table, and air hockey table, computers, TVs, and a movie selection,” Teen Commissioner and senior Mishika Vora said.

Think that’s great? It gets better.

So, why aren’t we all raving about this wonderful place?

“Too many people don’t know about it because of its somewhat hidden location, under the Sports Center,” Teen Commissioner and sophmore Anandi Somasundaram said. “The problem is it isn’t very well advertised because we are still trying to find an effective way to do this,” Teen Commissioner and freshman Pranati Sreepathy said.

Calling all stressed! Things to do, foods to eat Cupertino Square

Location: 10123 N Wolfe Rd # 2046 Hours of Operation: Monday - Friday 10 am - 9 pm Saturday 10 am - 8 pm Sunday 11 am - 7 pm Phone: (408) 255-5660

“People don’t know much about it, which is a shame since it’s there for any Cupertino teen,” Teen Commission and junior Vice-Chair Stephanie Szeto said. “It is an “underdog” locale because most people still don’t know about it and sometimes with school, it’s hard to find time just to chill and hang out there...It just takes one time to check it out, and people will keep coming.”

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Location: 10385 S. De Anza Blvd Hours of Operation: Daily—11 a.m. To 11 p.m.

“Well, I’ve heard about it before, but, I just never had time to go there,” freshman Alexandra Lin said. If all it takes is one time to fall in love with such a place, people will go there, and spread the word. The Teen Center will get used to its full potential. It won’t just be a room filled with lonely Teen Commissioners.

We just have to wait for one person with some free time.

But in the mean time...anyone for a game of foosball?

Tartini Frozen Yogurt Bar

Location: 20488 Stevens Creek Blvd #2040 Hours of Operation: Daily—11 a.m. To 11 p.m. Phone: (408) 725-0618

Oh, and she’s a froyo-holic.

“I don’t know why. It’s just so good!” she says. “It’s just...yummy!” With more than seven frozen yogurt places in Cupertino, and a new store—Orange Tree—opening up soon, its easy to get overwhelmed. It’s hard to decide where to sample a bowl of this frozen delicacy, especially for those who haven’t been to all the stores. So, where do you go? “Okay, there’s Yogurtland, and I really don’t like it. I have an extreme distaste to Yogurtland. Usually, I can eat anything green apple [flavored], but this green apple’s really bad.” “Red Mango? They’re generous [with servings]. But there’s only two flavors, so it’s not great.” “I guess I Heart Yogurt is good. It’s good, but its not the best.” “At froyo? the tart is really good, but that’s about it.” “I haven’t been to Tutti Frutti, but I’ve heard it’s pretty good. Same with D.I.Y.”

And tartini?

“I love tartini! It’s really good. It’s indescribable. Their logo is perfect” Hong also admits that going to tartini makes her ecstatic. Every time she goes there, she becomes as ecstatic as a peppy chihuahua barking its tail down the street. Even though she likes to try something new, she has a personal favorite that she always gets.

“Lychee with Mango. And oh! Raspberry too!”

Caught Up Early

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tress levels at Monta Vista High School are no where near the safe zone.

Multiple tests and quizzes on the same day, projects, essays, and homework force many students to stay up all night with this enormous workload. Some manage this overwhelming stress well, but most do not. From the second you enter MV, life turns into a huge, suffocating whirlpool that only gets worse and worse. Each year, there is something new to worry about – freshman year, students have to cope with the huge jump from middle school to high school, sophomore year, honors classes; junior year, the dreaded SATs; and college apps your senior year. Freshman Divya Sriram has already been caught up in this stressful cycle. It is only her first year at Monta Vista, and she already has pulled some all nighters. She starts her homework as soon as she gets home and, even though she has just one extra-curricular, manages to stay up late into the night. And the studying for tests doesn’t stop there. Java test preparation continues on through brunch and lunch the next day. We could say that she’s one student that does not manage her stress well. “I don’t even know how I spend so much time with schoolwork. By the time I finish homework it’s already about nine or ten…and then there’s studying for upcoming tests and finishing up projects…” says Divya. Divya’s parents don’t seem to notice how much pressure this has been putting on her. “Well it is high school,” says Divya’s mom, “What else should you expect? If you don’t work this hard now you won’t be able to put up with any other work in the future.” You can argue that students at other high

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Tough Times

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TOP 5 SCHOOL STRESS FACTORS

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“Tough” teachers Upcoming AP test or Finals Self Expectations Procrastination Parental Pressure

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“Junior year has put a lot of pressure on me academically,” said junior Parag Kikla, “and I don’t have time for the simple pleasures of life.” Many students feel the same way – there simply aren’t enough hours in the day to finish all their homework along with the many extracurriculars that MV students usually take. Sometimes students have to quit some out-of-school activities to manage their work. The saddest part is that they might have to quit something that they are passionate about and have been doing for a long time. “I’ve been doing Tae Kwon Do since I was five,” said Junior Parth Sehgal, “and I had to quit in the beginning of junior year. I really regret it.” When you have to give things up you love to get through one year in high school, is it really worth it? Usually, with so many things to worry about, most students don’t have time to think about all that. But thirty years from now, when you look back at your life, was it really worth quitting something you loved in order to get a B in that one AP class? Maybe that’s something you should think about before you make a decision that you will regret later on.

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Quote Box

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“Junior year is the most stressful because of the APs and last minute SAT stuff.” - senior Rani Tiruveedhula

“Us freshman entered freshman year thinking it would be a breeze, with some bumps, like elementary and middle school, but this year has been very stressful. Thinking of sophomore and junior year is even more stressful.” – freshman Sanchit Gupta

“School gets stressful when projects are expected with regular homework, especially when you might have 7 or 6 different classes, tests, tests outside of school and other extracurriular activities.” - freshman Bhavisha Shukla

and most stressful. With the honors classes and first time AP classes, students don’t know how to manage all the work, and end up feeling overburdened with the tremendous workload.

Dealing With Stress • Get plenty of sleep - 7 to 9 hours at least • Plan out your work before you begin • Make sure to take small breaks in between work • Stick with your plan! DON’T get sidetracked -->

Dealing With Stress Find out what you can do keep your four years at Monta Vista stress free by Kiranmayi Methuku

onta Vista students have to deal with a lot of stress. Freshman year students are just beginning to get adjusted; sophomore year, honors classes; junior year, the dreaded SATs; and by senior year, college apps come into the picture. So with all this stress, how do students manage to remain sane? Sleep The most important stress reliever, of course, is plenty of sleep. The amount of sleep needed for students in high school is between eight to nine hours; Most Monta Vista students don’t even get close to the necessary amount. “I don’t think I’ve ever slept before 10:30”, says freshman Manali Sapre, “Most days I have to stay up till 12 or so.” This lack of sleep leads to irritation which leads to poor quality of work. Staying up late and being overwhelmed with a seemingly endless load of work, MV students experience stress very early on into high school. But there are some things you can do that will help relieve some of this stress. Procrastination First of all, procrastination is a huge problem and leads a huge amount of the stress students feel. When you procrastinate, all the work you have to do sooner or later is always in the back of our mind, and you never feel relaxed.

“I usually put things off till the last minute,” says sophomore Leesa Parikh, “and when I actually get to work I feel so stressed out because I don’t know where to start” The best thing to do is to finish of you work as soon as possible, so that you mind can fully relax once you are done. Also, when you do your work early, you will be able to work with complete focus and you mind will stray less frequently. Planning Planning out your work is also very helpful. If you know exactly when you are going to do something, you will lighten the burden of your workload. “I feel better when I finish and plan in advance, because then I know I have time for other things.” says freshman Karishma Mehrotra. When you don’t mentally prepare for the work you have in front of you, it seems like a much bigger task than it actually is. Most students don’t plan out their work in advance, so when they start their work, they get overwhelmed because they don’t know where or how to start. Following a few simple rules and making some good habits can help reduce your stress. There is always going to be something in your life that makes you feel stressed, but working with a positive attitude and taking it step be step can help a great deal.

Culture sterotyping based on volume of speech

Freedom is never quite free. Even after the appropriate payment, there are certain limits. Remember the old saying "your rights end where my nose begins"? Well, well, as it turns out, a more accurate version would be "your rights end where my hearing range begins". Freedom of speech certainly guarantees you the right to say whatever you would like, but it does not even cover how loud you can say it. Just how loud do you have to be before you are considered as infringing on someone else’s right? Maybe it’s the two middle-age ladies talking rather loudly on the sidewalk next to your house. Maybe it’s the grandpa hollering to the kids. Or maybe it’s speaking above a whisper in a restaurant. Some people express annoyance at these “too-

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Leave your manners at the door Students discover the customs involved in house visiting “I'm comin' up so you better get this party started!” Ever had that annoying neighbor appear at your front door at the worst possible moment? Remember that guest who dropped by at your house unannounced and just wouldn’t leave? Well, if celebrities really do set trends, then you can thank P!nk for her “fine” example of guest etiquettes. Oh, but, wait. Is it really so bad to stop by at your neighbor’s house? And what is a lengthy visit if we believe in hospitality? Well, as it turns out, it depends on where you are on the globe. In most American cities, unannounced visits are considered bad manners because of our busy lifestyle and emphasis on privacy. In many European and Asian countries, a casual tap on the door is the natural way to go when visiting friends and family.

Freshmen Casey Bronec comments on visitors in Czech Republic. “In Czech, it’s really family oriented. We feel like one big family. People there are a lot warmer and friendlier than people here. Even people I don’t know very well drop by to socialize. That’s just normal.” While the visits do not bother her in Czech Republic, Bronec and her family are always surprised when her neighbors in Cupertino hold impromptu gatherings.

Freshmen Manvita Tatavarthy has a story similar to Bronec’s to tell about her experiences in India. “Here if you want to see someone, you have to call them to invite them to your house or wait for them to invite you. You can’t just go see someone. In India, relatives and close friends can visit whenever. It’s so much easier.”

“I expect certain things [there]. I don’t expect the same things here.”

“I don’t like it when neighbors [show up unannounced] here,” Bronec says. “I expect certain things in the Czech Republic. I don’t expect the same things here.”

Tatavarthy’s friend, freshmen Aafreen Mahmood, says, “[In India] people come over without notice all the time. And when they do give notice, it’s like five minutes.”

Maybe an advance warning is an all-American gesture. A large amount of people at MVHS can speak of a different culture where the rules are different.

Tatavarthy believes that the ease comes from having a greater emphasis on family and community. “I love it that way!” she says, “In America, it is way too uptight with all the

procedures of inviting people over and proper etiquettes. It gets to a point where it is just too polite.” A fellow freshman Albert Huang tries to explain the customs of different cultures as shaped by their basic needs. Huang and his family are frequent travelers who have visited many cities throughout China. From his observations, customs and traditions can vary greatly depending on the lifestyle of the people. Hung explains that in the U.S., particularly in our community, people experience a fast-paced lifestyle that leaves little time for surprise visits whereas in China people who live in close proximity grow stronger bonds as they share common resources for a similar goal.

loud”, “too-rude” speakers and brush them off as being annoying. Others have noticed a trend that some cultures seem to naturally speak louder than other. “In terms of the volume of speaking, Chinese people are heck of louder,” says sophomore Eric Wong. “They aren't even doing it on purpose, [speaking loudly] is like not rude to them, but for us, raising our voice isn’t so great.” Some students who are accustomed to Asian cultures do not even notice the difference in volume. Freshmen Timothy Hwang attributes the possible difference in volume to the different lifestyles people lead in Cupertino versus Asia.

What’s the biggest difference between American culture and other cultures?

“In Taiwain, kids don’t move away from their parents when they get married. Everyone lives together.”

-- Junior Rachael Yao

“People are really relaxed there,” said Hwang. “Here we are more aware of our surroundings all the time.” Wong and Hwang are not bothered by the difference because they have come to accept the differences in culture. However, not all are as aware and as accepting of this cultural difference. “I guess it’s kind of annoying, because they really don’t have to speak that loud and it bothers everyone around them,” said freshmen Bhavana Rai. “It’s like you have to listen to what they are saying.”

Here and There MV students share the meaning of cerain gestures around the globe.

“Businesses are more ethical here. They rip you off a lot more in China” -- Freshmen Shua Xu

In China, it is proper to refuse a gift many times before accepting it.

In Columbia, women hold forearms instead of shaking hands.

In Japan, th “OK” sign means money

Monta Vista Verbatim

CU C LT A U R S E H

The volume spectrum

R O F S B JO S R O I N U J

Jumping Through Hoops By Lisa Zhang

Killing Two Birdies With One Stone

by Lisa Zhang

hen Senior Hannah Wang came to classrooms. Monta Vista in her freshman year, it “I sometimes see them and I go, ‘Hi! wasn’t just her first year of high school, I’m not only your senior now, I’m your coach but one of her first steps into the “real world”. too,’.” Hannah explained. “It’s kind of weird.” After her badminton club, Bintang No matter how weird coaching was Badminton Academy offered a discount on at first, it sure gave Hannah a glimpse of tuition for those who coached badminton the world beyond the high school bubble. for younger students, Hannah Wang and her Hannah herself thinks that her patience twin sister, Nina Wang, started to help other and tolerance have improved after having younger kids pick up a racket and start hitting to deal with annoying customers all day. birdies. They then progressed to get a job at the Cupertino However, all Sports Center of these are just through a cousin’s side effects of “You have to hit the birdie over the recommendation. her main reason. net. You have to hit it into the opHowever, nothing “I like the money.” ponent’s court. And you have to prepared them for make sure they can’t hit it back.” what lay ahead. “In the beginning it was really hard to remember I had a job,” Hannah Wang said. “My manager would always call me and ask where I was when I was supposed to be coaching at the Sports Center.” After four years of dealing with obnoxious little kids, she and her sister now coach a variety of students, many from Monta Vista High School. “They’re hecka good, you know,”Jessica Dinh,a freshman on the badminton team points out. “They coached my partner [freshman Rachel Chiou] when she was in sixth grade.” Chiou offers the deeper meaning behind Dinh’s words. “Jessica’s a HannahNina stalker. I’m just a semi-Hannah-Nina stalker. But they are really cute though.” Hannah notices the familiar faces at school too. Over the last year or so, she had gotten used to seeing the faces of her own students in Monta Vista corridors and

By Lisa Zhang You want to work at Walgreens. The minimum wage for California is $8.00/hour, 5 workdays, but your manager looks you up and down and tells you that since you’re still a minor, he’ll let you work at $7.50/ hour. However, he’ll provide three meals a day and housing costs.

ANSWERS: (No deal: The minimum wage for California cannot be negotiated or waived under any circumstances. If your employer really offers this, you really need a You are an assistant chief at Simon Met the Pie Man Bakery. As you better manager.) review the contract, you realize that you are being offered (instead of the usual 1.7 times as much of your regular pay for overtime) 1.4 times your usual pay. You are enraged and decide to try to bring this case to court. Your employer doesn’t want a huge argument over such small (Deal: You are required to be paid 1.5 times your usual matters, so he changes his offer instead to 1.55 times your usual rate. pay for every hour overtime you work. If you bring a case with 1.55 times your pay into court, it would be waste of time since your manager is doing something perfectly legal.) (No deal: There isn’t anything illegal about this, but With less than a year of experience with electronics, the average Californian wage for less than a year of you apply for a job at Electrics Made Easy for soft ware experience is $48,981. This may be a legal proposition, design. They consider your application and then offer but try to find a job elsewhere that’ll pay above the you a yearly salary of $40,000 a year (around $19/hour). average wages.) (No deal: The t wo places may have the same pay rate, but San Jose gives a much larger bonus yearly than working in Sacramento (about $4,000/year more). So, You sent your resume to t wo companies. Fishy Fishes in San Jose despite the weird name, Fishy Fishes really is offering offers a high pay for your job, but then Tailoring Tabbies of Sacramento the much better deal.) sends a reply with the exact same pay. Assuming that you have no subjectivity to your city to work in, Tailoring Tabbies awaits their reply.

To see her student break out into dance moves in the middle of a basketball game has been something that sophomore Crystal Hsu is no longer surprised at seeing. After growing up at YMCA—which she calls “the Y”—she is delighted and honored to be coaching for the recreational center that inspired her when she was young. She doesn’t mind the fact that it’s just volunteer work and not being paid. “It’s my childhood,” Hsu said. “I really loved the Y.” She used to be the assistant coach for her neighbor’s recreational team at YMCA. Then, after becoming more familiar with the head coordinator, Hsu applied be a coach by herself. Now, after coaching two seasons of fourth and fifth graders at the Y, she definitely believes they’ve taught her just as much as she has taught them. “My public speaking and responsibility improved,” Hsu mentions, “and definitely organization.” She not only takes on the challenges of working twice a week, she also balances schoolwork and basketball. Voted co-team captain by her fellow members, Hsu has also earned the respect of her coach as well. “She was a player that would always be there when people needed help,” Coach Bradac, Monta Vista’s JV coach said. “Whenever I didn’t know what was going on, I knew I could rely on her to tell me.” Hsu’s reason for coaching was much simpler. “I wanted to give back to the Y.” By giving back to her childhood, she hopes to inspire many others into consider basketball as a fun, recreational sport. Unlike others, who use this experience to get an actual paying job, Hsu is satisfied just staying right where she is now, coaching a recreational league and loving it.

Abyss of the Unknown

Falling into the Perfect Death

Fleeting Life, Fleeting Beauty by Michelle Jiang

Perpetual Motion by Michelle Jiang

A wheel is a continuously rotating circle, a cycle, an ever-turning presence. It is a sort of monotone, a sort of jaded feeling of going on-and-on-and-on. It can symbolize many entities – water, earth, colors, stars. But all of these aspects are part of another wheel. The wheel of life and death. Most optimistic people prefer only to think about the part about living, and generally avoid the topic of death. They have not thought out specifically how they would like to die (and give the general answer of “dying peacefully, without pain, surrounded by friends and family”), and they definitely have not thought out how it would specifically feel to die (the usual, generic answer is “hopefully no pain”). Or perhaps they have, and are just afraid to admit it, for fear of being called suicidal. “I would like to die peacefully,” says Annie Ho, giving yet another general answer, “You know, like falling asleep sort-of-ish.” What is it that makes people fear pain and a violent death? “Well of course I don’t like thinking about it,” says Daniel Ki. But why do people fear death in general? “It’s the uncertainty that suffocates them,” says Robert Hsing, “We don’t like not knowing. We are knowledge thirsty. We do not like being restrained.” Perhaps this is why religious people do not fear death. They believe they already know what will come after death – heaven. “I am in a relationship with God,” says Wesley Cheung, senior, “I have accepted Jesus Christ with all my heart. Thus, I am saved. [I have] no fear in death.” Perhaps this is why religion exists, to soothe the human soul about the wonders, the mystery, the terror of death. But what is death and how does it feel? Only those dead will know.

Opinions of Society: If a peaceful death was impossible, how would you choose to die?

He was unable to stop those “friends”, and A quiet howling breeze stirs through the was threatened with rape if he ever reported starry night air, as a moon glitters brightly them. overhead. The beams of moonlight gently He never turned them in. illuminate the tips of swaying branches, causing To this day, Robert Hsing still feels as if an angelic, yet ghostly, halo to form above the it would be better to be no gender. This stems blossom-covered branches. The ghostly fingertips from both the harrowing event, and a hatred of of these branches stretch up to gently brush the stereotypes. stars, like ethereal smoke frozen midway while It is only a guess, but Ryushi Noma’s death wafting up towards the heavens. Gentle soft pink petals twirl in a passionate waltz, spiraling downwards, ever downwards. Their beauty is fleeting, for the soon meet the ground, where they softly lay, exhausted from their dance. “Cherry blossoms bloom for a few days, then they wither and fall,” reflects Robert Hsing. “They are the epitome of ephemeral beauty.” Robert Hsing, age eighteen, graphic designer, photographer, and friend of Helen Han, desires ephemeral beauty, calling it another facet of vain desires. But for this reason, he has planned ahead, and decided on a method of death for himself. Suicide by hanging himself on the branches of a cherry tree, surrounded by the fleeting beauty he loves. It took him years to formulate this idea. However, he is not sure from when he began gathering ideas, and when he finally chose this as his death. A hypothesis is the trauma he suffered when he watched his childhood best friend, Ryushi Noma, be raped and killed by his other friends. “I felt shameful,” he said. “Dirty, despicable. Watching a friend get killed in front of you changes you.”

very likely contributed to Robert’s idea of the perfect death. But as of yet, he has not decided when to die. “Dying today, dying tomorrow, dying a million years today,” said Robert, “makes no difference to me.” He has already finished everything he wants to do in this world, especially, as he says,

experience “the feeling of being loved”. But if this feeling ever leaves, that is, if his boyfriend Sekkesei Misaki and best friend Helen Han both die, then he will have a reason for death. It is this feeling of love which keeps him anchored to life. Robert Hsing hangs by a petal from the cherry blossom of life.

5 to 12:00

Multiple distractions and multitasking lead to a deprivation of sleep. By Nona Penner

rue—you may not look forward to homework when you get home. There’s a twenty pound backpack that’s just waiting to slide off your aching shoulders, and a leftover slice of cake in the refrigerator. Plus, your favorite show is going to be on at 5 ‘o clock, so you can pass the time by checking your wall on Facebook, singing along to old Disney songs, playing with your dog, Buddy, and texting in between bites of delectable chocolate. It isn’t uncommon to hear that the juniors of Monta Vista are sleeping at two o’ clock in the morning and even later, but the same phenomenon occurs with underclassmen as well. Sophomore Daniel Sun believes that he doesn’t get enough sleep, but also recognizes that this comes from the fact that he doesn’t start his homework until ten at night. “I guess I’m starting to fix my habit of not doing anything,” says Sun, who usually comes home and reads online mangas. His usual sleeping patterns have been similar in both freshman and sophomore year, where he goes to bed at 11:30. As for next year, he thinks, 12:00 will become a commonplace bedtime. Mr. Powers, a math teacher of 40 years, says that distractions during homework affect quality and the time it takes to complete the assignment.

TIPS FOR SLEEPING EARLIER

YOUR BED

Developing good study habits means a rested mind when you most need it in class.

VACANCY!

Prioritize. Don’t eat first, then shower, then play video games, and then start your homework. Relax a little first, and then jump straight into finishing homework.

“The telephone rings, they’re playing music—something that gets their attention is a distraction. They need total privacy without any interruptions.” Freshman Michelle Hodgson knows that sleep is an important priority for the high school student. Looking around a classroom, though, one can see that almost every person has dark bags under their eyes—even freshman and sophomores. The

Days when your bed looks like a comforting hotel after a twelve hour drive.

Don’t multitask if you don’t have to. As you do each assignment, focus on it and don’t get distracted. You’ll finish homework faster this way!

Foresee sports tournaments that you have to attend and plan accordingly. Don’t procrastinate on that project! If you have block days before the game, use those to get ahead on pesky homework assignments that aren’t due until Wednesday. Turn off your cell phone so you won’t be interrupted by texting while working. Get up and walk around every so of ten. You don’t want to fall asleep on your textbook from sitting in that comfy chair the whole afternoon. Write in your planner so you don’t wake up in the middle of the night realizing you have a big essay due tomorrow.

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MORE IMPORTANT PRIORITIES

Try and work in a quiet environment, away from your computer, television set, and MP3 players. If you have somewhere to go, bring a clipboard and a textbook to occupy yourself if nothing interesting is happening. This way, you don’t have to start your homework when you get back at 10:00 at night.

troubling thing is, the average adolescent needs Another thing to watch out for, especially now in the internet age, is having a about 9.5 hours of sleep each night. Even those computer on while working. who sleep earlier than others are only getting 7 or 8 hours. “Research is not a distraction,” says “I think they’re doing the wrong Mr. Powers. “But if a sound comes on saying you have a message—that’s a distraction.” thing,” says Hodgson. “You have plenty of time With the rise of social networking sites during breaks and summer vacation—stay up like Facebook, many students find it hard to look then.” away from their numerous conversations with Although Hodgson does not do her homework straight away, either, she knows how to set up a friends. Add this addiction to music, television, system to make sure she gets the rest she needs. family distractions, and extracurricular activities: It becomes clear why students On a regular day, she will come that are supposed to have a “lighter home and go on the computer to I’ve already had load” are sleeping at times like draw, or watch videos. Although Hodgson does 6 hours of school. 12:30. not do her homework straight away, When will students start getI need a break!” either, she knows how to set up a ting the sleep they need? Personal effort should be put in to assure system to make sure she gets the rest she needs. On a regular day, she will come that they can be awake during school. Having no home and go on the computer to draw, or watch distractions also means a higher quality of work. videos. “I’ve already had 6 hours of school. I need a break!” Hodgson says. At about 6:30, she will start on her school work. She finishes at about 8:30 at night and sleeps at 10:00. Her advice to Monta Vista students: “Set up your distractions and your homework time separately.” Besides having distractions that draw our attention away from our homework, there are also noise distractions. More often than not, students work with music blaring in their ears. “Soft music is alright, it’s a calming thing for the environment. The back of the brain recognizes it—the subconscious—but beatboppin’ music is a distraction,” says Mr. Powers. Indeed, his claim about calming music is proven in a study that it proves to not be distracting and blends into the “normal noise.”

Friends, family... and Facebook.

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e honest. How many times have you sat in front of Facebook at 2 in the morning getting ready to start your homework and wishing you had started earlier so

you could be asleep right now? The biggest distraction of today is the internet. While technology is making life easier in terms of research, it’s also slowing down people when it comes to studying. E-mail, instant messaging, pet sites, Maplestory, Myspace, Facebook. Especially Facebook. Facebook, for those who may not know about it, is a social networking site where you can keep in touch with your friends 24/7 and play games like Tetris. And while many claim that they only check it for five minutes each day, it manages to keep a majority of students hooked until the late hours of the night. Ms. Chang, a Chinese teacher at MVHS, says that, “Some people say they’re going to stop going on Facebook, but they actually keep checking it all the time.” Even though it seems obvious that Facebook is doing some real damage, students still feel the need to defend it. “If it wasn’t for Facebook, I would have never known we had to do this homework assignment,” says freshman Timothy Hwang. But isn’t that what your planners are for? Apparently not. AOL Instant Messaging is a similar distraction. When Freshman Emily Szeto claimed to have slept at 12 a.m., it was because she was chatting to a friend online. “He was really funny!” said Szeto. But how about trading some LOLs for a couple of Z’s?

Stop That Tickle- 4 ways to get

Did you know that the world record for sneezing is held by Donna Grrifinths, who sneezed for 973 days in a row without stop. Talk about allergies!

... hh hh Ah

Impossible Sneezers

by Rotem Landesman

Ever wanted to do something impossible? Well, you can’t. Hence the impossible bit of the action. But what you can do is learn what things are impossible to perform- while human- and not waste your time trying to achieve them. Myth number one: almost everyone have heard the famous myth that it is truly impossible to sneeze with you eyes open. The truth: it is. So please don’t try it. Its not like your eyes will pop out of your head like some people think; not to worry, nothing but a very sharp hammer can do that. In fact, there’s nothing a human can do about the fact his/her eyes blink, for even a nanosecond, while sneezing. It is one of those involuntary actions that your body decides to do for you, like breathing or growing hair. Myth number two: some say it is impossible to sneeze while asleep. The truth: it is. Scientists don’t really know the answer to this one, but they think that while your body is at rest your nose is less sensitive to the tickling sensation that causes sneezing. So don’t worry about waking your family with sneezes…if you ever did before. Myth number three: It is impossible to pee while sneezing. The truth: true and false. As sneezing occurs, most of the muscles in your body contract, which is why some people curl up while they sneeze. The muscles contarct because your brain is sending out a signal to your body that tells the diaphragm to contract super fast, and so all your muscles contract to protect themselves from damage, including your urethra. But on the other hand, if a baby sneezes, for example, its muscles aren’t strong enough, and so sneezing may actually open up its muscles, producing a very wet diaper and a very angry baby. Don’t believe all myths. And when you do, know the reason for it; not only will you sound super smart when you brag to your friends about your little bit of extra knowledge, but from now every time you sneeze, you’ll think of the things you can- and can’t do.

!!!

Ever had that annyoing little tickle that just HAS to come out?

Stick your head in the freezer and inhale. The cold air will do its job.

by Rotem Landesman

Play with your earlobe- to people around yo, it looks as if you’re harmlessly playing with your ear; but the action really does relieve that itch.

Get It Out!

Stare at a lightbulb or the sun- see what happens!

the annoying tickle out of your system

Chew strong mint gum- not only tatsy, but also sneeze relieving!

This is a classic- take a wiff of pepper.

As the volcano erupts inside you, the relief of release washes over your body. Whether it’s the kind that sit right at the edge of your nose and itch so much you think your nose will fall off, or the sudden ones that come uninvited and unexpected, a sneeze is a sneeze, a spray of unwanted material going out. When someone sneezes, what do people do? If any mannered society, they will usually say some kind of “bless you”, to acknowledge that you indeed sneezed, and that they heard you. Others will ignore it, and yet others will run away from you in fear of catching whatever common cold seems to be coming out of your nose. You never know which one you’ll get. Does it matter where on the globe you are? That may be.

action, it means that there will be some sort of an annoying interuption. So what people do is either drink some water before they begin the task or take a couple minutes off to ward off the bad omen.”, says Shravya Guda, a freshman at Monta Vista. What about the famous `bless you`? Who was the first person to say it?

Well, honestly, no one knows. But some think that the phrase originated in the middle ages. Back then, they believed a person’s soul to be in the form of air, so when you sneezed, your soul came out of your body for a few seconds and then came back in. People would then bless eachother in hope that their soul wouldn’t decide on leaving their body, or in other words, so that the sneezer wont die. Another belief that was common in Europe was that inside each person’s body, a tiny Different cultures obviously have different devil resided. Whenever something irritated beliefs about almost everything. What about the devil, one sneezed, and was blessed that sneezing? What does one say, for example, if he got out his bad deeds. he or she are in the middle of India and hears someone sneeze? In that case, you would “In my house, when someone sneezes turn around, find the sneezer himself, and we don’t necessarily say anything, but it does greet him with a simple Chiranjeeva, which mean that someone else somewhere in the in Telugu means may you be blessed to a life world is either talking or thinking about them, without death.” There’s a kind of superstition “ says Rachael Yao of Chinese decent, a in some parts of India that when someone Junior at Monta vista. This is a bit similar to sneezes before they begin to do some sort of

Suck on your finger. Although this may sound silly, this may actually help stop the spray.

the Indian beliefes, as you now know. This, though, was expected, since the two nations have lived in a close range to eachotther= for thousands of years. “ In Japan, “ says Michelle Hodgson, “ there’s a difference in meaning depending on how many times in a row a person sneezes. If you sneeze once, the other person says `ichi homerarete`, which is kind of like praising the sneeze. If you sneeze twice, people would say `ni kenasare`, as if they are laughing at your sneezes. Three times in a row would require a `san shikarare`, which is a sort of scold to your sneeze, and four times around is `shi kaze hiku`, meaning you have just caught a cold.”

Hold your breath- but not for too long!

North or south, east or west, or anywhere in between, sneezes are common and heard. And wether its your soul coming out or some kind of omen, please remember just one thing…. Don’t forget to cover your mouth. Take a VERY large breath. Not 100% helpful, but could be used in the more formal occasions.

NATIONAL TREASURE The key to beauty is found in the heart of it’s culture American Beauty

The Bridge to Beauty P ale skin, wide faces, big eyes, small eyes, small figure, anything. Beauty comes in various packages, styles, and interpretations. All around the world, there are many classic definitions of the word “beautiful” that may cross with other definitions. At MVHS, Renee Fallon, a biology teacher, has come across many different cultures since she was a child. She’s been to Turkey, Nepal, Thailand, Malaysia, Cyprus, France, Germany, Afghanistan, Pakistan, you name it. She has particularly been to India 4 times, each for a few months, and has seen changes in the Indian standard of beauty each time she visited. “Over time the Indian standard of beauty had gotten thinner. It used to be that female beauty involved being plump,” said Fallon. She saw that when wellrounded women in India were seen as a beauty, Westerners were proud to be skinny. As Fallon visited each time, she realized that food no longer as scarce as it had been the last time she visited. “As soon as food become very common, then getting heavy is obviously common, so then we go the other way [thinner],” said Fallon. However, there are other cultures that still embrace the roundness of female bodies as beautiful. Taneisha Jones, a Freshmen, is one of the few

African Americans at MVHS. She recently transferred to MVHS from Georgia, where in her city over 75% of the ethnicity is African American. She knows that in her culture, a person’s body shape determines their beauty. “They’ll probably look for big butts,” states Jones. “Out here, knowledge is like a beauty.” Jones also sees that her ranking as a beauty has changed from when she was in Georgia. In Georgia she was considered a beauty because she had a light skin for an A f r i c a n American, colored eyes, and flowing hair. “Out here it doesn’t matter because everyone has it,” said Jones. “It’s common here, but rare out there.” Similar to how when food is bulking up in India and plump bodies become more common, beauty is seen as the opposite of the common. At MVHS, with a large

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In Germany there are Germans. In China there are the Chinese. In Africa there are the Africans. In America there are the Germans, Chinese, Africans, and any other nationality. America itself is its own little world. All cultures are embraced and mingled together with no borders or oceans separating them apart. Each country has its universal definition of beauty based on its culture, but the American culture is all the cultures intertwined. The differences in views of beauty are tied together, but is there an overriding American view of beauty regardless of the diverse cultures? Junior Tiffany Woo, an American born Chinese, does not believe that America has its own definition of beauty. She feels that even the modern generation today defines beauty according to their own culture’s definition of beauty. “We’re mixed with culturally different people and people might still have that cultural opinion in what’s defined as beauty,” Woo said. For her, parents play a large role in her view of beauty. Her mother, who is from Taiwan, has heavily influenced her view of beauty. In Taiwan and any other Asian country, pale skin is viewed as a beauty. Her mom still buys skin whitening products in America to achieve that look. Changing one’s location does not change their way in thinking. “I see white [pale] skin as beautiful because my mom believes it’s pretty,” Woo said. “On the other hand, my white [Caucasian] friend thinks that being tanned is prettier because she’s been brought up in California her entire life, and we’re both American born.” Family backgrounds and cultures influence a person’s view of beauty. To mix views and ideals that have been developed over thousands of years in each country is to mix water and oil together. It is not easy to change one’s view of beauty, especially if he or she has been taught by their parents what beauty is at a young age. Parents teach their children what they were taught. Then those children teach their

by Tiffany Lau

population of Asians, many Asians feel that if they had bigger eyes they would look prettier. It is a part of the Asian genes to have small eyes and so it is common, yet Asians strive for the rare features that are considered beautiful. Not all beautiful features are always the rare features. It depends on how a culture perceives beauty. It is pretty if someone is evenly tanned in the west coast, a feature that almost everyone has. In Asia it is considered a beauty to have a light skin tone. “The lighter the skin tone the prettier that was, whereas that standard of beauty at the time for Westerners involved being nice and tan,” said Fallon as she describes the standard of beauty in India. It is not only India that views light skin as a beauty. Many other asian cultures

Out here, knowledge is like a beauty. - freshmen Taneisha Jones

”

envy those who have light skin tones. There are even beauty products in Asia that can help whiten skin tones and most women hold an umbrella over their heads whether it is sunny or cloudy. Almost everyone wants to be perceived as part of the wealthy class. Fallon believes that Indians like light skin tones because it indicates wealth. If you’re tanned then that means you’ve been out all day working, but if you’re pale then it means you do not have to work. Junior Jane Kim agrees that the color of your skin determines your status. If you’re tanned in Korea then you’re obviously a farmer because only farmers get tanned in Korea. Also, in Korea beauty is a biggie. It views beauty to an extreme extent. “In korea, all ‘beautiful’ girls kind of look the same because they get plastic surgery and are all skinny and fair skinned,” said Kim. “Women that are deemed average or normal in America are called fat and chubby in Korea.” What is beauty in another culture may be ugly in another. Beauty is interpreted differently due mainly to the different cultural backgrounds that heavily influence a person. But what remains true is that there are many, many, many different types of beauty.

Top 5 Extreme Beauty Looks:

Neck ring - a series of rings on a persons neck to signify beauty, which is the long neck look. It is worn by the women in the Kayan/Paduang tribes near the border of Myanmar and Thailand.

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Footbinding - a practice done for thousands of years in China until the 20th century. Girls feet were bound when they were young so they grow up with small feet, a beautiful feature to have.

Double Eyelid - Women in Asia percieve double eyelids as a beauty because it makes their eyes big. Many undergo surgery to create the double eyelid.

Corset - a garment worn by many women (and some men) in Europe. The garment shapes their body to a desired shape.

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- junior Tiffany Woo

Lip plate - Worn by Mursi women (and some men) in Ethiopia. It is worn to show a woman’s beauty of adulthood and reproductive potential.

I don’t think America will ever have its own standard of beauty.

children what they were taught. It is all a long chain that repeats itself generation after generation. Tradition is important in many cultures and the American tradition has always been diverse, even when the land was ruled by all whites; all different kinds of white people from all over Europe. “I don’t think America will ever have its own standard of beauty,” Woo said. “America is like a mini world, it’s very diverse.” She hears many students at MVHS boast for their “native” country during the Olympics and feels that it’s natural to embrace our own culture with pride. Even though America is filled with native Americans of all nationality, people are always bound to their own heritage in some way. America’s standard of beauty is ultimately diverse and always will be diverse.

Studenting for Dummies

By Sophia Tiene

Bringing Up Lazy

Cupertino is considered to be an excellent area for education. But for the Finn-Tiene family it was that work has produced. simply a coincidence that they moved here. While many families from “I think she gets the grades that she deserves,” far and wide have come to our sleepy city in hopes of breedin says Kate. “I say this because when she takes g well educated children with study habits that “exceed standards,” a test she gets the answers right or wrong. In Kate Finn and Kevin Tiene moved to Cupertino before they even terms of if a grade is supposed to reflect how knew that they wanted kids. While they have approached parent much work you put into something, I think that she ing differently than many of their peers, their daughter Fiona actually gets higher grades then she deserves. I has fallen onto the fast track when comes to grades and after schoo think that she is lucky that she is as smart as she l activities. She is a “great student” as her 6th grade scienc is because otherwise she wouldn’t get the grades e, social studies and technology teacher Mrs. Rosado puts it that she does.” but she is also an “amazingly inefficient worker” according to “It’s hard for me to say [what I think her mother, Kate. What is causing this discrepancy in opinion a good grade is] because I hate grades. Hard working s between parent and teacher? kids that get whatever grade…I’m proud of them. Unfortunately I don’t think that a C is average in this Fiona, a seventh grader attending Lawson Middle School, participates in Jazz and Hip-Hop dance, takes piano lesson comm unity,” sighs Mrs. Rosado. She hates to see s, is a member of the Junior Honors Society, and plays for her students’ grades dropping, especially when they are her school soccer team as well as a club team. In one doing their best. school week she can have up to seven and a half hours of If we go with a college’s definition of a “good student” Fiona would be a perfect applicant. extracurriculars. Kate speculates Fiona doesn’t even enjoy She has straight A’s and she participates in many soccer. In fact, she may only do it because her older extracurriculars. But there is more to being sister’s main focus is soccer, or simply for the sake a good student what an outsider can see. of being busy. All of these extraneous extracuriculars There is no question that Fiona is brilliant. To don’t leave much time for homework or, as Fiona points succeed in so many areas practically with out out, a social life. any effort does not happen simply by luck. But “I find myself thinking that she is a bit too when it comes to study habits that will mature busy for her time management skills,” says Kate. “I into life skills, will that be the only subject that think that she doesn’t want to do well for the sake of she fails in? doing well so much as she wants to be viewed by her friends and family as being smart. That gets in the The consequences for not turning in a report to your boss are much harsher than the points way of her achieving what she is capable of because you will lose when you forget to do last night’s she only wants to appear smart and so she only does homework. So in a school system that rewards the bare minimum. She only does it for the grades,” intelligence rather than hard work are we breeding a Kate explains. new generation of lazy geniuses? However, from Fiona’s teacher’s point of view it is another story entirely. “I think that Fiona is a great student because she cares about school and she cares about classes. I can tell that she enjoys learning,” explains Mrs. Rosado. She, however, cannot see the work behind the grades. In the beginning of seventh grade Fiona’s class had to write an essay about a hobby that they enjoyed and so she chose to write about piano “because that seemed like the easiest topic.” “I thought I did okay on it,” Fiona grins sheepishly. “I didn’t really do much on it.” After reading her essay her teacher approached her. “She told me that my writing was above the seventh grade standard. She shows me a chart and she points to the middle of it and says ‘this is where a 7th grader should be’ and then she pointed to the top of the graph and she said ‘this is where you are.’” While Fiona’s teachers are narrowed to judging her based on her grades, Fiona’s mother’s perspective is much broader. She sees the work that goes into her education and, at the end of every grading period, she sees what

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and he’ ophmo hments. Yet , now a s ond is accomplis h ec f s o im. He is Eric Wong in l al as w e easily to h hen he m w o E c T s A at ay G w th e al g win metry. don’t MVHS, mad y year follo is failing geo er e h ev t t, th bu f ac r f fi o and sting about a juni grade. In really intere In fourth ’s . at E h ys T “W A da s G edne t of times he made is that a lo ake up on W s w nt de to is tu t th s o E “g d do rally. So at GAT grade he advanced mo like 7:30 an ly at al y l re ed o ir e o u h ar q c they at re t of empath before s ey have a lo r thing th th re t e o lo u li p ag o o ex o ab ng c u er a yo erned deep sea well as oth really conc t as ge e ng es m o ki av ey s in w th that und and critical th examine so . Big issues es ke u li s . s is gs ay g s in bi n th re really ries.” science fathom.” Ka documenta en e ev d nc ’t to ie an an c c n s ai d s h rt pe gifte adult and watc ork doesn’t tands for test in their homew ey don’t e f G.A.T.E. s th th I in ke d ta te Kids interes e n. y ar . io tl ey at ec c th f u er n’ what fit p ey do t do it talented ed ade. Eric too easy, th gr is r nt d it ei ir de f th I th tu . in s r it do a GATE second o eper meaning ea of what at one look for a de id A ey P e h T G to be trivial th .3 4 to a in ey deem it w has th e no if th e d H an in e. rk ls wo should b do it. itive schoo st compet simply don’t in this ey ds th ki as incredible e th f of the mo er student h most o , th er no ev “A w o . h ed s 6 or 7 ts vex country; y. He play it il hool distric ab c ng s ti al e s ic av re s h mu This young inte program says Karen. E stuff is ,” T ts A en G m in e u l h tr el “T e is selfins ry w brilliant. H ly don’t do ve ar le ds he c ki I is e . th an m adox struments because l of the in of like a par al nd ts in ki en . t s m le h t’ gh is gg u I ta mpl tru school. other acco ause they s ec is b H ol o s em h ay c . th s s s h ay ,” pl ting his work wit not stimula onducting r. c is e o el rk “H o ns de . u ew lu ic o m s c c in mu ool Their ho d composing a middle sch , an ta r rg a an fo u tr S b w es C en o h h U kn rc c o I from Karen Ko student. And . ors degree A te el at h ta an th S ac t b e gs no s a in o is r th She has rom San J does work fo a masters f him he only len, a two G er iv Barbara and .” R resting rogram GATE to work at he finds inte emersion p me that the She used h to s li s m ng E ee at s d to It h an y working is trouble way Spanis is currentl n es to all th e le y go h G nl s o am er d ed gr iv an o ft R gi pr being t was school, I as nt l. de o o tu h s c a If dle s ds. diagnose for himself. Hoover mid nd of GATE ki fe p u to o t gr s im a tified I ju had to leave h s have iden dent who where she m te tu s ys s ne l le o o b o ilities, credi “I have the sch the most in learning disab g is in e av h “H as ed . fi s rave identi these kids love,” Karen ow. He is n’t person I kn as a GATE then why is

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Call G for Ghost

How to Find a “Ghost” 1. Go look for a haunted House. -search for haunted houses near you 2. Look for unusual actions such as objects moving on there own, etc.

By Vivi Fan

Ralp ==h Waldo Emerson once said "It is the secret of the world that all things subsist and do not die, but retire a little from sight and afterwards return again. Nothing is dead. People feign themselves dead, and endure mock funerals and mournful obituaries, and there they stand, looking out the window, sound and well in some new disguise." According to Emerson, nothing dies; they just return with a new look. What happens after one “dies?” There’s always the scientifically supported possibility of decomposition, but that’s just one of many theories. Since there is no way of proving what comes after death, we should consider another side: Ghosts. Is it possible that Ghosts do, in fact, exist? In Buddhist religion, death is not the end of life. When one dies, they begin one of six paths of life. One of the paths is becoming a ghost. These Ghosts are here because they have a craving and seek satisfaction that they cannot attain; they are called “Hungry Ghosts.” The craving could be to seek revenge, belongings, fame, etc… They can't ever be satisfied because they are bodiless and usually cannot accomplish what they desire unless under certain circumstances. For example, if a person learned and practiced how to communicate with ghosts, the ghost would have a higher chance of succeeding in what they were craving to do. In the point of view of a Buddhist, hungry ghosts are constantly suffering. In Singapore, the people do not see the hungry ghosts as suffering ghosts, Moreover, the people think of them as ancestral ghosts. Residdents in Singapore nurture their ancestral ghosts by making offerings in the form of prayer, entertainment, burning hell money, and burning furniture. The people pray to the ghost with joss sticks and entertain them with performances by the residents. Hell money is fake money that is burned to support them. Some families will burn furniture such as televisions, cars, and houses to establish a comfortable life for the ancestral ghosts. According to eye-witness confessions, there are many different types of ghosts. Orbs- Orbs are seen most often. They are seen as transparent balls of light and are usually seen outdoor. A few theories about Orbs are that it is the most convenient way of moving around and they are spirits of nature such as trees, bushes, flowers, etc… Vortex- Vortex is the form spirits take when visiting relatives or the place they used to live. They look like long thin thread or they can also look like a swirling funnel shape. Shadow- Shadow ghosts are dark shadows that are seen where there is nothing to cause a shadow. Shadows are typically found indoors. Although the idea of ghosts may seem unbelievable for various people, many religions and countries around the world support this idea. So next time when

3.take a video & replay it when you get home 4. Watch Ghost Hunters 5. Have fun! (:

Libby Cha, Freshman at MVHS

Shannon Lin, Freshman at MVHS

The Other Side

What do Angels and Demons look like? When are you going to be getting a visit from them? When I imagine angels, I see nicely clothed figures with wings. But according to Christians, angels are just messengers of God that look like regular human beings. Of course not all people just become angels after death; Christians believe they are chosen by God. According to the Bible, angels come deliver messages about future events and prophecies. “I’ve never heard of anyone receiving a message from an angel, or even talking to an angel in general. They usually appear when the presence of God is really strong. So like when we’re worshiping and God’s pleased with our worship, angels sometimes appear because they love worshiping God too,” says Jacob Lui, Christian and freshman at MVHS. Demons, on the other hand, are a whole different story according to Jacob Lui. They’ve been around since the world started. Demons are evil spirits who cause tragic events to happen to humans. Even though angels and demons both look like humans, there is an obvious difference; according to Jacob Lui, “So my friend was looking into a mirror at church, and a man appeared behind her. He had raggedy clothes, red eyes, and like, he looked really scary and sent a shiver down her spine. Hahah and then she ran out of the room. I’m pretty sure that was a Demon.” Frankly, we may realize that Angels and Demons aren’t as far away as they seem.

Carolyn Nguyen, Junior at MVHS

“So, my grandma was a second wife to my grandpa. My grandpa gave my grandma a mattress. She started sleeping on the mattress, and every night she’d have a nightmare about this woman with really long hair. One day, she opened her eyes and saw the woman with a knife in her hand. y grandma told my grandpa. And then my grandpa told her that the mattress that he gave her was hisex-wife’s mattress and his ex-wife was a person who had really long hair.”

“Okay, I was home alone one time and I was on the computer and I saw something move from the corner of my eye but I didn’t really pay attention to it and then I turned around and saw a blur. And then it just disappeared. ”

I think this was in seventh grade. Me and Shannon [friend] were swimming in my back yard and we forgot to turn off the stove earlier. We saw a fire start in the kitchen and screamed and ran toward it. There was a man sitting in the fire, it was really creepy. But when we finally got close up, the man disappeared.”

By Alan Hwang

Acronyms Lol: Laughing Out Loud G2G: Got to Go C U L83r: See You Later TTYL: Talk to You Later Brb: Be Right Back AFK: Away From Keyboard Thx: Thanks Ty: Thank You

What Do YOU Think

Does texting affect academics? Here’s what 80 MVHS students had to say.

About Texting?!? “It’s a great way to communicate and it’s a lot easier to say something. It’s much more clear and direct.” says freshman Karishma Mehrotra.

“I suck at it, but I think it’s fun.” says freshman Shanthi Guruswamy. “I prefer emailing and chatting to contact others.”

A ‘New’ English Language?

ike many teenagers, Anthony Angeles often has a cell phone in his hand. “I don’t really call my friends that often,” he said. “[Texting] is what I do all the time.” In or out of the classroom, freshman Angeles can always be found with his fingers tapping on his shiny new LG Dare touch-screen phone. With technology advancing every day, students can email, check their facebook profile, send pictures, and so on. Talking is an almost obsolete form of communication at this point. The easiest way to communicate without talking is in the form of texting. “All you need to do is type it up. Then press ‘Send’. Soon you’ll get a reply,” Angeles said on how easy it is.

Cut Off From Reality

t is the end of seventh period on Monday, March 30, and the bell has just rung. While most students are chatting around the campus of Gunn High school, some others are embarking on their daily journey back home. For Jack Kwan, a freshman at Gunn, this journey is done by bike. Fifteen minutes go by. Kwan has entered his front gate, parked his bike, and locked it to a tree. Then he fumbles the pockets of his Gunn High sweatshirt for something. Kwanís face suddenly expresses a cheerful, wide smile as he takes out a black shiny object. His texting phone. It wasnít that long ago that teachers were telling kids to stop passing notes in class. Now they have to tell kids to put away their cell phones. The popularity of text messaging among teenagers is changing the way kids communicate. That has some parents worried. As Jack Kwan walks into his home, his mom calls loudly. ìHow was your day?î she says. Silence. Kwan seems to not have heard her and continues the dialogue on his phone. Not nearly as important, is it? ìItís just not the good old days when kids would tell their parents about their day,î says Sheryl Kwan, Jackís mother. ìNow they either say ëgoodí or just tap away the rest of the afternoon on their phones. When the phone bill came, the cost wasnít a lot. At just $5 a month for the unlimited texting plan, it didnít seem bad at all. ìBut 3743 [texts] this month!î says Sheryl Kwan. ìThatís outrageous, or what you call ëOMGí!î Nationally, more than 75 billion text messages are sent each month, and the most frequent texters are ages 31 to 17, say researchers. According to the Nielson co., a company which specializes in media research, teens with cells phones average 2, 272 text messages a month. ìIt wastes the time which you could use to really talk to people. I mean the real way of talking. With the mouth,î says Jason Lin, a freshman at Monta Vista high. ¨É¾ÁÁ É½¾È ÉºÍÉ¾Ã¼ ¸¶Ã ·ºÃºĲÉ ÉººÃ¶¼ºÇÈ ¶É ¶ É¾Âº Ì½ºÃ they canít get together without planning it out. According to Mimi Ito of the University of California, Irvine, ìTexters share a ÈºÃÈº Ä» ¸Ä ÅÇºÈºÃ¸º É ¸¶Ã ·º ¶ ËºÇÎ ÈÄ¸¾¶ÁÁÎ ¶»ĲÇÂ¾Ã¼ É½¾Ã¼ ħ Surprisingly, Jack Kwan, the avid texter, disagrees with this. ìIf I really think about it, I think [texting] is affecting my closeness with the rest of my family,î he says. ìObviously, itís not close to 100%. More like 43%.î Kwan, however, really doubts that he will quit texting anytime soon. ìWhen I donít have my texting phone with me,î he said, ìI donít feel connected to my the rest of the w orld.î

The language of texting involves short, direct sentences; abbreviations such as “laff” for “laugh”; language puzzles such as “218” for “too late”; and something called emoticons such as “:-#” for “wearing braces”. It’s a social language, designed for brief, private communication. Or “POS,” I’m told, means “parent over shoulder”; “gnblfy” is “got nothing but love for you.” A long one is “roflmao”, which means “rolling on the floor laughing my a** off.” More disturbingly, “TDTM” translates as “talk dirty to me.” Teachers obviously feel texting is a distraction that doesn’t belong in the classroom. Often there are penalties in class for students who are caught texting in class. Usually the teachers assume that when the student is texting, they aren’t paying attention. “I often give warnings to the students who have phones out,” says MVHS art teacher Jay Shelton. “They lose points every time I catch them because they aren’t working on what they’re supposed to do.” The rise of texting is notorious to keep students off task in class, but it is actually affecting the way they write academically. In research papers, students are writing claims without backing them up. “Since it’s easier for [texters] to shorten their words while texting, the results are maimed words and improper grammar,” says freshman Shanthi Guruswamy. Well, texters at least enjoy writing. Texting can often develop their “voice” in writing, but this is often not the case. “I guess in that sense [texting] has actually made [writing] less uniform professional, and understandable by all age levels,” says former Kennedy journalism student Sara Yang. “It usually ruins their voice, or style of writing.” Just as texting may seem to be a detriment towards academic writing, others argue that it doesn’t affect their writing at all. “[The texting language] doesn’t necessarily appear in our essays. We can just put that state of mind away when we have to write seriously,” replied Daniel Hsu, a freshman at Saratoga high school. The ones who grade essays are the literature teachers, so they are the ones impacted the most by texting. However, they also feel it has a neutral effect. “I think it’s just a new mode of writing. I don’t agree or disagree with it,” comments Monta Vista literature teacher Stephanie Platte. But is it just neutral, something that won’t affect writing at all? Some say it’s destroying it while others just argue that it does quite the opposite. “It’s just something you have to deal with. Grammar may suffer, but it might actually improve by inspiring students to write. I’m pretty sure it will,” says Angeles.

The conflict continues.

A literature teacher at Lynbrook high school said that “At the high school, there are a few problems that sneak into their formal writing and even informal writing. We don’t see it as a huge problem. Aside from the u and ur, and the shorthand with w/. But aside from that, even in us intercepting a couple of notes, where it’s even more prevalent there, I don’t think text lingo has really crept into their pieces that they’re submitting to the high school so far.” Let’s leave it at that: texting has a neutral effect towards English grammar. They are the pros, so why not agree?

ne M re Minute As cell phones get more and more advanced, applications, it’s harder to stay on task

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”

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G SA

In n’out... of trouble

Cell phones are especially useful for calling parents But Smith isn’t the only one in times of need; especially on rainy days. Freshman getting into trouble. Tiffany Yang said, “[My phone Lilya Shabirova, another has] saved me from walking freshman at Monta Vista, spoke home a bunch of times.” of her friend’s unfortunate Junior Emily Chu, who goes experience with a cell phone. to Archbishop Mitty High “Once, my friend asked me for a School, agrees. “I usually cell phone in class to text. The use my cell phone to call my teacher caught her and my phone parents for a ride.” was taken away.” Although cell phones can But cell phones aren’t only cause trouble at times, causing troubles. They are great they’re still very useful communication tools that make communication tools that our lives easier when we get help make our lives easier. in tough spots. Smith’s iPhone The same time-wasting proved its usefulness when he applications, if used in forgot his key and got locked moderation and at the correct out of his house. “Since it was times, can be a great help connected through a Wifi network, to our lives. I chatted [with] my Dad and he came over with a key.” *not real name; student wished to remain annonymous

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for his favorite electronic.

SRY, I G2G Is “text” your second language? See if you can decipher these texting abbreviations.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

ttyl g2g lol rofl afk brb paw ily

9. cul8r 10. afaik 11. sicnr 12. thx 13. nvrmnd 14. wats ^? 15. tgif

Answers: 1. talk to you later 2. got to go 3. laugh out loud 4. rolling on the floor laughing 5. away from keyboard 6. be right back 7. parents are watching 8. I love you 9. see you later 10. as far as I know 11. sorry I couldn’t resist 12. thanks 13. never mind 14. what’s up? 15. thank God it’s Friday

t was math class, Ms. Bana was going over homework, and freshman James Smith* was bored. He pulled out his iPhone and started playing “Fieldrunners,” a “Tower Defense” game in which the player tries to prevent attackers from destroying his towers. “[Ms. Bana] asked, ‘What are you doing, James?’” Smith said, “And I started blushing. But I had the good sense to mutter ‘my calculator’ and then drop my iPhone into the deepest, darkest recess of my backpack.” Smith can often be found playing games on his iPhone, especially in French class. “I see him with his iPhone almost every day!” said freshman Shanthi Guruswamy, his friend and classmate. Whenever class begins to bore, Smith can be seen silently reaching into his backpack, rummaging around

“

Sudoku... for “math-related” applications

Bubblewrap: a game that will entertain for hours! Finally, after all those years of looking for packaging, it’s right there, on the phone Phone-- necessary for calling people... the only thing a phone really needs.

iPod button-Music made easy Safari--Efficient Internet access

Email button... even tells you when you have mail!

Last word sophomore

Ok. Just three more minutes. I’ll start homework in three minutes.” Krista Trieu, a freshman at Although there are no games on her LG Monta Vista, sits at her desk, homework in front Chocolate phone, texting can eat up many minutes of her, cell phone in hand. The temptation for Mathur. The only way of Bejeweled is too much. I can play [Bejeweled] for like, she reminds herself that Silently, the “three minutes” there is homework to be turns into twenty. “[Expletive.] half an hour straight! done is when her phone Ok, this is getting a little runs out of battery… -Krista Trieu, freshman repetitive. There’s nothing which actually happens else to do.” Trieu reluctantly quite a bit due to the fact puts down her cell phone, and that she rarely remembers to charge it. reaches for her backpack… Pretty Pictures Trieu, who has a Motorolla Razor phone, Sometimes I find myself playing For sophomore Kelly spends much of her time Woodruff, it’s the with picture effects ... when I’m camera playing Bejeweled and aspect calling her friends. “I use supposed to be doing homeof her phone that takes it when I’m bored,” she up time. “Sometimes work says, “which happens I find myself playing - Kelly Woodruff, sophomore really easily… I can with picture effects and play that game for, like, taking random pictures half an hour straight!” Trieu’s phone is not only when I’m supposed to be doing an entertainment and communicatory device. homework,” she admits. But for her, stopping is She also uses it as a clock. And a storage easy. “I just say I have to go.” And that’s the end of device. “For money and stuff.” Trieu pulls out her that. phone, which has a couple of dollar bills stuffed Fully Equipped underneath the flip cover of the phone. “It’s a pretty good place to put things, you know.” Senior Jessica Chang uses her cell phone for everything. Her iPhone, equipped with everything Just one more message… from internet to Tap Tap Revenge, is often a source Sitting on her bed, freshman Nina Mathur of boredom-relief for Chang. But, games aside, “[I looks at what is in front of her. On the right, a cell use my cell phone] especially when I am driving and phone, just shouting to am lost. I use it to find directions,” be used for texting. On [I use my cell phone] essays Chang. “Also, if my car the left, a bio textbook, pecially when I am driving breaks down or something, I can and a notebook waiting use it to call someone.” and am lost. to be filled with Cornell So although cell phones can notes. Mathur reaches - Jessica Chang, senior be useful in making calls, and for the notes with a the technology has made sigh. Half an hour later, communicating with others however, she’s sitting cross-legged on the floor beside the bed, sending much easier, all the added abilities of cell phones sometimes make it hard to concentrate on what text messages back and forth with her friends. Suddenly, a warning pops up. “Warning: less than needs to be done. But once in a while, in a boring car ride, or a quiet waiting room, it’s nice to just sit 15% battery life. Connect to a charger,” it reads. back, relax and enjoy the engaging technologies of “Darn. I forgot to charge it again,” sighs Mathur. our world.

freshman

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freshman

“Oh well. Back to Cornelling notes.”

freshman

Wait a sec, I’m almost done.

BookZ Free-- Now, instead of buying books, it’s possible to download them with the help of this application. Greener AND lighter!

Lauren Stewart Kelly Woodruff

Darn those distractions

Sneha Anisingaraju Ravali Ambati

By Alex Lin

iPhone: An abundance of applications

“

Most people are quite dependent on their phone, and it’s kind of rude when people pause a conversation to text

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Good: better communication between people… Bad: people get lazy, so they text each other when they are right next to each other

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I think people depend too much on their cell phone that they think that have no other choice.

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I've been in situations when I forgot my phone and communications were be mistaken and it basically got very confusing.”

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JUST CLICK TO SAVE Supersize your savings by shopping online

by Angela Zhang

Compare and Save Learn which items are a must buy online Product

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The economy is bad. There is no other way to phrase it and no way to sugar-coat it. People who never traded a day in their life or let alone know where Main Street is know that stocks are on a wild rollercoaster, with heart-stopping plunges dominating the ride. Financial scandals are exposed like falling dominoes and magnified to a point where Madoff and AIG have become infamous household names. The optimists predict recovery by 2010. Despite their vivacious talks and elaborate graphs, as we look down at our tattered Converse we know that they are generating false hope by assuming the glass is more than half full. As we reinstate our piggy banks and double check to make sure that friends that borrowed money paid us back, we are unconsciously inventing coping mechanisms to compensate for the faltering economy. Spending less, whether out of social etiquette or actual restraints, is blatantly at the top of the list. Currently, malls have that serene aura of undisturbed wilderness, with scarcely a shopper in sight; however depriving shoppers of merchandise is nearly impossible considering American consumer’s extravagant past. The shoppers are still shopping but their venue has drastically changed. In the place of a store and nicely laid out merchandise is a computer screen and an armed credit card. Internet sales were expected to surpass $200 billion in 2008, up from $175 billion in 2007, according to Forrester Research, an independent research company that provides advice to global companies in business and technology. Frugality is the main force driving the wave of online shoppers.

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According to freshmen Ansh Shukla, the appeal of online shopping is the ease in comparing prices online and finding the best deal. “I go onto the original site and find what I need. Then I go onto another site and see what type of a discount I can get. Finally, I go onto ebay and decide whether I’m really getting the best deal,” says Shukla. Sites like bizrate and pricegrabber.com allow online shoppers to compare prices and view customer reviews of each site. With savings in mind, some online comparism sites offer online coupons while customers are shopping. According to New York Times article, ‘To Save Gas, Shoppers Just Stay Home and Click,’ CouponWinner. com, which works with more than 2,000 retailers, had a 186 percent increase in traffic from February to June of 2008. Online shopping not only saves money but it also provides shoppers with perspective. “Online shopping has caused my shopping choices to be more realistic,” says Shukla. “After seeing all of the prices, buying a namebrand product at 3 times the price of the same product without a namebrand doesn’t seem like the best decision.” For others, who are adamant on their reliable brands, online shopping is useful in other aspects. “Shopping online doesn’t really persuade me to buy other brands but it helps me keep track of how much I’m actually buy ing,” says freshman Sayali Khare. .

As oppose to shopping in stores where the grab and go method blinds consumers of their total until after they reach the checkout stand. Most sites inform the customer of their total after each addition to their purchase. This allows consumers to make informed decisions each time they decide to click “add to basket.” At that point, emotions can render parting with your handpicked products difficult (or for girls impossible). “You know it’s time to stop when you see your grand total in the three digit zone,” says Khare. The economy is bound to recover; however, the key question is: will we be able to kick our online shopping habits when the days of scrimping end. In the mean time, we shall continue counting our cents, bring lunches to school, and shop online as we wait for the bitter frost of the economy to pass over.

Breaking Dawn By Stephanie Meyers

Sony - Cyber-shot 10.1-Megapixel Digital Camera -

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a series of pages where you are instructed to register with a minimum number of “partner” sites, typically with the requirement that you make a purchase from those partners or register for a loan or credit card. Assuming that you are super sly and fill in the registrations with fictitious information, escuses preventing the merchandise from arriving commence. Each escuse increase in stupidity and decreases in verity. Dreaming about owning thousands in merchandise is inevitable but turning those dreams into reality is unattainable. Lesson of the day: Save those those precious minutes, don’t fall prey to the deceptions, and just click “X.”

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Music For Thought

The Sound of Music

Is learning music really beneficial to your brain?

eople say, “Learn a new thing every day!” Music can help you do that. There have been many scientific experiments to test the theory which states that music benefits the brain. Human beings are the only experiment and evidence for the fact that the process of learning music affects how people think and behave. Most people who play music say that music relieves their stress and helps them express themselves. That’s all good and true, but what are the real, concrete benefits of learning music? Frances Yeou is a senior at MVHS and has been in band for four years. “Music has taught be how to work with others and gain leadership skills,” Yeou said, “Music broadens your horizons.” Yeou feels that through learning music, she has more experience with life in general. She feels that “it’s just another talent, you know?” Of course! Learning music creates a solid foundation for many experiences and principles. Edward Park, a junior at MVHS, is a prestigious pianist. “Playing piano has taught me discipline,” Park said. He connected the dots by saying that discipline helped him learn how to be patient and to understand exactly what hard work meant. Park is involved in many piano competitions. “[The competitions] taught me how to reach deadlines,” he said. The quality of time management and working towards a certain goal is crucial in school and in all types of jobs. Now let’s get technical. Let’s sit ourselves down at a scientist’s desk and flip through his notes and scribbles. And we ask ourselves the question: scientifically, does learning music actually affect the function of the brain? In the book This is Your Brain on Music, musician and scientist Daniel J. Levitin researches the topic of music and the brain. He discovered that music activates the entire brain and “nearly every neural subsystem.” Basically, it means that music directly affects how people react to certain situations. John Galli, instrumental music director at Monta Vista, referred to This is Your Brain on Music while explaining that music helps people in other aspects of life. “It’s a proven fact,” he said, “Music activates the whole brain.” It also benefits the way people feel. Galli said the process of learning that eventually leads to the end result is the real challenge of music. However, once he reaches the end of that journey, “It’s like an emotional lift. Even when things go bad, there’s good.” We really can’t go wrong with learning music. It benefits the way we behave, react, and feel. Music makes it easier for us to learn other things. What bad can come of that?

Are notes the right way to go?

The

Musical Mind

Learning musical notes is the normal way to learn music. However, the Suzuki method, which is learning music by ear, is popular among people who first start their music experience. According to the International Suzuki Association, the Suzuki method allows students to use listening techniques to learn music, instead of reading notes on a page. They say it gives people a stronger connection to the music. Others can argue that learning by notes is more precise. By physically looking at markings on paper, people don’t have to worry about playing the wrong notes at the wrong time. Christina Aguila, freshman at MVHS, taught herself to play the guitar when she was nine years old. Naturally, she started out learning by ear, listening along and fiddling around with the music. “To me, learning with notes is like having the answer to a math problem - I know the answers, but I don’t know how to get there since I’m a terrible music reader,” Aguila said. Learning by ear is necessary for her to play songs of which she can’t get sheet music. “It’s convenient since you can tweak the song however you want,” Aguila said. From a student’s point of view, learning music by notes or by ear may not make much of a difference. However, with all things considered, how do we know which is more useful? Shari D’Epiro, vocal instructor, teaches Choir and Variations at MVHS. Her opinion on the Suzuki method as a teacher gives a perspective on better technique for a musician in the long run. “The Suzuki method is really good, but personally, I find learning by notes and rhythm [ends up being] a more well-rounded education for a musician.” She has worked with many of the students who don’t know how to read sheet music. In choir, D’Epiro said that after she passes out music to her students, she discusses the notes, rhythm, and dynamics. “A lot of choir kids [who can’t read music], they do okay, but they get bored because they can’t really follow along.” Some professional music teachers start their students out with learning by ear, then move on to teaching them how to read music and rhythms. D’Epiro stated from experience that even if students are phenomenal at playing their instrument by ear, trying to teach them how to sight read notes on a page is “like having to start at the beginning level.” Traditionally, learning by notes is more efficient and accurate. However, in the modern world today, more and more people are teaching themselves how to play music by just listening and playing along. To Brian Miller, a four-year band veteran and a senior at MV, it doesn’t really matter which way is the best way. He stated that “music is a language of its own. Everywhere you go, there is music, and knowing and understanding [that] is fantastic.”

How does music affect your mind and behavior? By Ashley Wu

“Life is one grand, sweet song, so start the music.” Ronald Reagan, 40th President of the US

“Music’s the medicine of the mind.” John A. Logan, 19th century politician

“Music cleanses the understanding; inspires it, and lifts it into a realm which it would not reach if it were left to itself.” Henry Ward Beecher, Mid-Late 19th century abolitionist

“Take a music bath once or twice a week for a few seasons. You will find it is to the soul what a water bath is to the body.”

Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr., 19th-20th century American Supreme Court Justice

Jokes n you by Derrick Yee

And feeling better to be better

“I love making demeaning jokes; it makes me feel so much better”

Top 5 things people do to feel better

Laughing it Out

And keeping it in

aking fun of other people might have been one of the first things that man kind has ever done. John Tierney from the New York Times even thinks that it is the reason why language developed. Some people say its part of human nature, but others like Rona Berger think “it is a bad way to build self confidence.” Reporter: Do you make demeaning jokes behind people’s back to make you feel better? Rona: No, I do it in front of their face instead. Only to friends thought…in a joking kind of way. Do you know what I mean? But, I know a lot of people that can. I could name 10 right off the bat. Reporter: Oh. (Chuckles) Do you think that people are bad people if they make demeaning jokes just for some cheap laughs? Rona: Well, if they are doing it in a vicious way. Yeah, I guess they are. Reporter: If people don’t make demeaning jokes, are they considered good people? Rona: You’re asking me too tough questions! (Moves to the left and put hands in front of eyes). Reporter: Okay then, why do you think other people make demeaning jokes? Rona: To make them feel better. Aren’t we going back into circles? Well, okay. Fine. I think people that make demeaning jokes are the people that are hiding their problems by finding flaws on other people. Dealing with physiologic problems of their own by making other people suffer with cruel jokes is exactly what “Batman’s” Joker does. The Joker wants people to feel his pain that he suffered when he was a child. Vincent Chao pointed out this connection after he associated the topic with the Joker’s quote, “Some people like to watch the world burn.” “In other words, people make demeaning jokes because of their insecurities,” says Vincent. Reporter: Many people don’t make demeaning jokes to make them feel better. What do you think about that? Sunny: Oh my Gawed. That is total BS. Why else do we make demeaning jokes? Reporter: Then why don’t you think people answer honestly. Sunny: And they’ll say, “I totally make fun of people everyday. It makes me feel good to know that I’m better than them. All my two friends totally think I’m the coolest because I crack them up.” “People would never think that the statement of making demeaning jokes makes people feel better is true,” says Vincent Chao “only the extremely blunt people would say that.”

-anonymous

Killer Laugh

and the way that joking is evolving

1. Getting comfort from friends 2. Think of distractions from the problem 3. Crying 4. Laughing at others 5. Eating

As the cliché goes, “laughter is the best medicine.” But, how exactly are we getting the medicine?

Saif Adeeb believes that laughter is getting harder to get out of people. “The only way to get laughter now is from doing something really stupid (a.k.a. the point and laugh) or by harshly making fun of someone that has some truth in it. And there are the girls who laugh at everything… I think that original stereotypical jokes rake in the most laughs. But they are going to become extinct, and the new thing is joking about taboo stuff.” Robert Provine (a scientist) said that people laugh unconsciously. With that in mind, based on a test, people laughed at different jokes. “It is because we laugh at different jokes because we come from different environments,” says Christina Kim. “I guess demeaning jokes are liked in our environment because we laugh at them. I read somewhere about a jokes defying as being are typically for the entertainment of friends and onlookers. The desired response is generally laughter; when this does not happen the joke is said to have ‘fallen flat’ or something like that. I think it was like on a wikipedia article.” Based on a survey, 83% of people agreed that the jokes we have in our environment is because we encourage it by laughing to it. Encouragement on anything would probably make anything popular. But sometimes, a joke can hurt a person so much, that it leads to homicide and suicide.

What people criticize about you 1. Body 2. Intellect 3. Personalility 4. Status in society 5. Things people have

Make a W sh A birthday Investigation

Thirteen or One Hundred Four When is it really too old for a brthday party?

Birthday celebrations tend to take a turn throughout our years. We all remember the large, extravagant parties that were thrown for us when we were children with the whole shebang of goody bags, a big ice cream cake, and those loud blowing things. But as we age, birthdays have become less of a deal then it was when we were younger. “I think I am already too old to have birthday parties, except for the special ones like my sweet 16 for guys, 21st, and the decades. When we were younger, we could play games. There’s nothing we can do anymore,” says Andrew Hsu, a freshman. Many people feel that as they grow older, only the milestone birthdays are important. Sweet 16’s have been a tradition where it shows that girls turn into young women, the 21st birthday marks

Top

Birthday or Parties Undercovering the True Meaning of a “Happy Birthday”

Favorite

Count the days. 5 more.. 4 more. 3 more. 2 more. 1 more day! It’s that day, that day that comes once a year, that day where it’s all about you, that day when you came into the world. Your very own birthday. The literal word birthday is the date of the anniversary of a person’s birth and is usually associated with balloons, cakes, parties, presents, and piñatas. But is that the true meaning of a birthday? The answer we all want to hear is that birthdays are supposed to be like a day of the year to spend time with your close friends and family and reflect upon the happy times and big accomplishments of the past year. “Well, the reality is that a birthday is the excuse to have a big party with all of your friends and to get presents. I think that the real meaning of birthdays have been lost in our need to party,” says freshman Sophia Tiene. As hard as it is to admit, this is true. Birthdays have been all about throwing a big party to receive cool presents that we wouldn’t be able to receive otherwise, while having all the attention and a birthday cake at the same time. It is the one day that we are allowed to be bratty and to make unreasonable requests without anyone there to restrain us. Our birthdays act like a wall to hide the fact that we like birthdays for the parties. Sounds pretty selfish doesn’t it? What have we done to deserve a birthday party? We lived a couple years. That’s it, and it isn’t like we have done good deeds all year round. Sometimes when we are too caught up in the moment, we never have the time to think of what a birthday is really supposed to mean. A birthday should be like a second Thanksgiving. It should be another time of year where you thank your parents for bringing you into this life, thank that you were still alive to celebrate it, thank all of your friends and family for making it another great year, thank your teachers for teaching you things you will forget, but of course, it is the day you are allowed to pig out on birthday cakes and candy.

the fact when children really turn into adults, and the decades say that you’ve lived another 10 years closer to death. Other than those special days, big birthday bashes are no longer seemed necessary. However, others think quite differently. “It’s NEVER too old to have a birthday party! I’m going to have one every single year. They are so fun,” says Jessica Hsu, a senior. Birthdays could be the one day a year where you are the center of attention and when you could feel like a child again. To some, every single birthday is important. A poll taken at Monta Vista High School has shown that exactly 50% agree that only milestone birthdays are important and 50% agree that it is never too old to have a birthday party.

So how many tries does it take to get to the answer of the birthday dilemma? I guess the world will never know.

Days

of the Year

1. Birthday

2. Christmas

3. New Year

4. Thanksgiving 5. Halloween

feshman Sophia Tiene

“I think the real meaning of birthdays have been lost in our need to party”

freshman Derrek Yi

“My favorite part of a birthday is.....present time!”

Investigation by: agent Emily Vu

y b

ti v la

A+

How using a curve as a grading policy affects the classroom by Eric Wong

ing be enough for students to feel compelled to step all over each other to achieve their desired grades? Curving is often used by teachers as a grading policy to curb grade inflation. This happens when tests and quizzes constitute most or all of a student’s grade. Curving becomes a protection against a test that is too easy or perhaps too difficult. For the highly intelligent, the curve allows for an opportunity to get a ridiculously high score if the student knows something that his peers do not. However, those stuck amidst the pack of mediocrity may be receiving slightly lower grades than they may have gotten if grades were simply adjusted. “In general, people getting the A’s deserve the A’s, those that are getting the B’s deserve the B’s and so forth,” says Mr. Joe Kim, a math teacher at MVHS. There is no perfect grading system where the grade one will receive is tied exactly to what one deserves. The curve attempts to foster a competitive environment where students will be motivated to work harder to achieve the grade they want. An unwanted byproduct is that the students are less likely to collaborate on projects and work together to solve problems. “In my class I’ve noticed that the students are very ‘clique-ish’; the smart students will work togeth-

er and shut out everyone else,” says Mr. Kim. He says that this is a natural response, as students try to protect their grades. However, Mr. Jon Stark, another math teacher at MVHS, offers a contrasting view. He has used a curve to grade his students ever since he started teaching high school, adopting the same policy that he used when teaching as a college professor. “From my point of view, the students in my classes quickly adapt to the system and get used to it. Rather than becoming competitive, the students become used to the relatively ‘low’ scores that translate to A’s and joke about their 10 out of 30 on quizzes because they know it is to be expected,” said Mr. Stark. He thinks that the students at the top have no incentive to hide their information from others, and from what he has observed, he thinks that the smarter students relish the opportunity to share what they know because it gives them the opportunity to practice the knowledge they have while creating a more positive and interactive classroom environment. Curving has become prevalent for classes that judge performance based upon tests, mainly math and

a Gr

15 out of 30 translates to 50 percent. For grades, it means failure. A straight F. But not always. Sometimes 15 out of 30 can be the envy of the class, the high score that translates to an A+. This phenomenon happens when teachers use a relative grading scale, better known as curving. They base grades on performance relative to that of the other students, rather than how many questions are correctly answered on tests and quizzes. In competitive learning environments, such as at MVHS, can curv-

ity

scie n c e courses, as according to Ms. Anderson, a literature teacher at MVHS. Since the subject material may be complex, tests may not separate the students according to their abilities if graded for completion and accuracy. Curving grades may be viewed a form of protection against the impossible test or for others, as an excuse to work with select individuals. But no matter the case, views on curves are a relative matter, not absolute.

According to the Harvard Law Record

Adjusting to the College Curves by Eric Wong No matter what experiences students have with curves in high school, things begin to change once they enter universities and colleges. “I remember one time when I got what I thought to be an extremely low score on a test in my thermodynamics class in college,” says Mr. Stark, a math teacher at MVHS. “The teacher called me in and I thought I was in trouble. It turns out that I got the high score and he wanted to congratulate me.” Such incidents are commonplace as students dive into increasingly advanced concepts that become completely conceptual. In fact, sometimes the professor may write a test with questions in which he does not know the answers. In these cases, curves are a protection from the teacher’s desire to see the student’s thinking process and not worry about how much of the answer is written out onto a test form. However, the curve also pits students against each other, ultimately ranking them from A to F, from outstanding to failure. This grade competition, that first becomes apparent in high school, becomes even more cutthroat within many universities. Since there are only so many spots available for a certain class or program, students often become desperate to find an edge over their competition.

“I’ve heard incidents where students rip pages out of library books just so others can’t use them,” says Amy Young, a sophomore at UC Berkeley. Extreme examples such as this often deters people from entering popular fields such as law and medicine where only a fraction of students are even accepted for the graduate programs through a series of rigorous examinations. As students become desperate for the few internships and jobs available within a field, the situation only becomes worse. As a result, a few colleges have responded. According to the Harvard Law Record, many colleges have chosen to relax their standards for grading with a strict curve to ensure that their graduates can still compete with those that graduate from top programs with a higher average for grades. For example, at the UCLA school of law, C’s have become a grade to be given at discretion without a minimum number of C’s that must be issued to students. With relaxing policies and more emphasis on ethics, severe incidents do not occur on a frequent basis. Most people recognize that sometimes grades are important, but they also keep in mind that sacrificing integrity for these grades is unacceptable.

Where Students Think Curves Show Up at MVHS

How grading curves change from high schools to colleges and universities

“I think one of my classes curves the final, but that’s it.”

Jenna Valtanen, 11

“My AP Calculus BC class, taught by Mr. Stark is curved. Also, I have a few classes that curve the finals.”

“Sometimes I think Ms. Moore curves our chemistry tests.”

David Wang, 11

Joshua Ding, 10

IS This

50 50

= Glass FU Or

TY Should you be optomistic or pessimistic? Is the answer to that question really that easy? By Karishma Mehrotra

oday was literally the worst day of your entire life. Are you never going to step out of the door again? …Or is tomorrow going to be better? Last night, you studied hours and hours and hours. Walking into the classroom, is your first thought: I am going to fail this test for sure? ...Or I have a decent chance of success? You sit down at dinner and your parents have already set the table. But why is your glass half empty? …Or is it half full? We all know, how cliché. But everyday of our lives we decide if we want to find that thin silver lining around the clouds. Sometimes our lining is too thin, Nicole Riche thin. We end up whining and moaning. In other words, we choose to be optimistic or pessimistic. But which one should we really be? For freshman Peter Choi, the answer is obvious. “An ideal person is optimistic! No one wants the sour apple in the barrel of happy apples.”Choi is almost always smiling and explains that he is hopeful for his future and the rest of his life. Convincingly, he tells me that when he is pessimistic, things just never turn out right. What about if you aren’t a cheerful freshman like Peter? Junior Jessica Simmons relates optimism to people who don’t carry a smile around all the time. Optimism can just plainly be your outlook, without the cheerfulness. “If you look for the good in people and life in general, then you will see the good. But if you were to only look for the bad, then guess what? You will see the bad. And yeah, you will live a sad lonely life.” And yes, we all know the health benefits from having a perky lifestyle. There are gazillions of studies that prove you a) will live longer b) will live happier and c) will overcome Stage II skin cancer. This can’t be so easy. If everyone could overcome cancer by smiling, then why don’t they? Sophomore Kriti Garg explains why. “I think if a person is always cheerful or always optimistic they are hiding something or they

100

OPTIMISM

he nose scrunches up. The camera is almost always glued to her hands. She is always smacking on a piece of Peppermint Orbit gum. Everyday, she’ll be singing a different tune. “Sara is one of the people that tells me how it's going to be great and how we should see the good side of things. This benefits her really well because she's able to stay happy in her life.” Freshman Jacob Lui says, “I mean have you ever seen Sara sad? That's such a great thing, because she always tries to see the glass as half full.” Sara Yang is the true definition of your girl-next-door. She received exactly seventy-seven Happy Birthday posts on her Facebook page and walks around school on the balls of her feet. “When there's a situation where she doesn't know anyone, or she doesn’t know the definite outcome of something, she is optimistic and thinks of the best possible outcome,” Freshman Kelly Darmawan, one of Sara’s friends, says, “Sara is really hyper and loud and happy and spazzy. She is like a bouncing smiley face. She's really friendly, because of [it].” More important than all these little quirks, Yang’s view on optimism is different that you would assume. She wrote and presented a speech for the Optimist Club about her point of view. “To me, optimism is acting on positive thinking.” When most people think optimistic, they think smiles and just positive thinking. Even Yang smiles. How-

ever, she understands that this alone won’t get you anywhere. “An optimist utilizes optimism as a tool to get the most out of life. Optimism is the ladder that gives you a way out of the huge gaping pits of self-pity, frustration, and disappointment that are so easy to fall in to. It traces back to your mindset; optimism depends not only on a positive mentality, but on the ways you choose to implement it in your life.” This is a way we have never thought before. To achieve true optimism, we cannot just walk around with a smile. We have to use that smile to achieve success.

Straight from the Source I always like to look on the optimistic side of life, but I am realistic enough to know that life is a complex matter. -Walt Disney I am an optimistic lady. -Julie Andrews are oblivious to the world. And things aren’t always the best in the world. There are consequences in reality.” So optimism may cure cancer, but you cannot ignore the fact you have cancer. Garg realizes that optimism can blind the realistic side of life, but she also acknowledges happiness and its results. “Happiness just spreads to other parts of my life. So I end my emails with smiley faces and draw them all over my binder even if I had a crummy day.” But annoying smiley faces all over your Spanish binder might not be enough to keep your life upbeat. “To keep my self optimistic, I try to look at everything from all perspectives before just sitting on my own,” says Simmons, “It helps if you have someone to talk to about life. Like I seek advice through my mommy, daddy, and sisters. They help me see the other sides to things. They are my fuel for optimism.” This question, that is overlooked often, can actually impact your life in ways unknown. Is optimism or pessimism better? It’s all about the moderation. Be a little bit of Peter, a little bit of Kriti, and a little bit of Jessica. Take account of what is real, even if it is bad, but don’t resort to a slump of your shoulders.

I am optimistic globally. So many scientists are working frantically on the reparation of our planet. -Steve Irwin Optimism is the faith that leads to achievement. Nothing can be done without hope and confidence. -Helen Kelleher

A new wave of knitters, painters, and allaround crafters has gathered for...

The

Student Handicrafts a. decorated metal buttons b. personalized tote bag c. thank-you collage d. masquerade mask e. promotional apron

HANDMADE

REVOLUTION

by Kriti Garg

It’s common to ask a friend what she wants for her birthday. What isn’t common is receiving a list of eyeshadows, blushes, and brushes, complete with store, brand, color, number, and price – all pulled straight from memory within three minutes.

“I think [making cards are] fun and cute. Plus, it’s considerate,” sophomore Frances Wu said. Wu writes cards for friends on their birthdays, and sometimes makes encouragement cards for friends who are going through tough times reaching a goal.

Three minutes is also the time that it will take to go to Sephora.com and order CARGO PlantLove eyeshadow in Bamboo for $20. Search, Select, Checkout, Done.

“Often, one can express an inside joke or something [the giver and recipient] share,” said sophomore Eric Wong, who has received handwritten greeting cards before.

The emotional and sentimental value of handmade gifts is what many see to be the value of handmade gifts. Through the time, effort, and thought that is put into making something handmade, the value of a gift exceeds that of the number on the price tag.

“It looks like the person put in a lot more effort, than, say, buying a gift card,” junior Surabhi Srivastava said.

A personal touch is what many are going for when they make gifts for their friends and family – and it is also what people appreciate when given handmade presents.

For most, it’s about showing that they care, enough that “it feels like it comes from the heart rather than ‘Oh shoot, I forgot it’s her birthday tomorrow, time to buy her a kettle!’” according to freshman Christina Aguila.

“Handmade gifts are more meaningful because they can be personalized and you feel all warm inside knowing that the person who gave you the gift put in time and effort and creativity to make the perfect gift for you,” junior Christine Chang said.

The value of something handmade, whether given as a gift or made simply to treasure a memory, often justifies the time, effort, and love that are put in to these keepsakes.

Others put their time into making personalized cards and notes for friends, to preserve cherished memories. These cards often turn into elaborate scrapbooks, containing photographs and AIM messages as a compilation of a friendship’s history.

“

Handmade just goes back to when you were younger and your mom would rather have made something made by you than something you just bought...Like a card with handprints on them versus some weird perfume.”

”

Money doesn’t grow on trees Yes. the economy is making an impact even in the crafting industry

Crafter’s Profile: Connie Ng Handmade Value I feel like homemade items are that much cooler and unique than ones you can buy at a store. I know that I made it and can be really proud of the outcome of my labor. Of course, store-bought probably “looks better” if you’re not that artistically inclined, but really it’s more of a sense of accomplishment of doing something and just thinking it’s cool for yourself.

The economy is a big reason that many are going handmade. Michaels Stores, a craft retailer, has noticed an increase in the sales of scrapbooking, jewelry making, and cooking supplies.

Money Issues It kind of falls along the lines [that] buying things is a lot easier and sometimes easier means more expensive which is bad because I can’t handle spending large amounts of money. My parents are really strict about how much I spend on someone else for their birthdays

Handmade goods have also traveled into something not-so-local anymore, with the usage of online marketplaces such as eBay increasing drastically. Venues that specifically cater to handmade goods are becoming increasingly popular, such as Etsy.com, which reported that $10.2 million of goods were sold in February 2009.

Making Gifts More often then not, I make some part of the gift that I am giving someone. Whether it’s the card or the gift itself, I just feel like that’s so much more personal then “Oh here...I got you this...from such and such.”

Handmade does not always equate cheap, however, as shown at these websites. A Funny Bunny Pin sold for $25, while a beaded bracelet sold for $135. While the word “handmade” might conjure up images of macaroni necklaces and Play-Doh pizzas, it has established itself in a growing wave of elegant and sophisticated items.

Special Memories Well, I’m pretty sure that the first pair of shoes that I decorated were for my then-boyfriend. I spent so long on them because I thought he wouldn’t like them or wouldn’t fit them. I have lots of paranoia over things like this. But they hold a pretty dear place in my heart because they were for his birthday and they were my first attempts at shoes. I also recently made a masquerade mask for a banquet that I had to attend for [Winter]guard.

A few sellers and Etsy “shop” owners have even left their full-time jobs and now sell their wares online – enough that Etsy has a whole section dedicated to its “indiepreneurs”. However, for high school students, affordable handmade is possible, with local stores such as 3 Beads and a Button, Michaels, Jo-Ann Fabrics, and Memories Live On. For the time-bound student, 3-D paint, ribbons, and other accessories add a personalized kick to everyday items, such as water bottles and tote bags, as are common for sports teams’ Secret Sister gift exchanges. “I love handmade things because I don’t feel guilty like I normally do if I receive something store-bought and pricey,” freshman Christina Aguila said.

Handmade just goes back to when you were younger and your mom would rather have something made by you than something you just bought, you know? Like a card with handprints on them versus some weird perfume. It’s just nostalgic in those situations and way more personal.

Sleep Tight... Don’t let the bed bugs bite... ZZZ.

Thoughts on Sleep “Sleep is yummy. Especially when I dream about cupcakes.” - Donald Kim ( junior)

“Life is good- but only with sleep.” Emma Tang(senior) “The worst thing in the world is to try to sleep and not to.” F. Scott Fitzgerald

ZZZ.

Wake Up…NOW!

ZZZ.

Gawk

n the middle of the night, all is silent. Suddenly, the lyrics of the song “American Idiot” blasts into the air. “Jason, SHUT UP. I CAN HEAR YOU THROUGH THE WALL!” Sharon screams. Of course, this has not been the first time this has happened. In the Kim household, this has been a daily occurrence for the past 3 years. Meet Sharon and Jason Kim, one a senior(Sharon) at Monta Vista, and the other a seventh grader(Jason) at Kennedy. The two siblings have next-door rooms in their old one-story house. However, since the house is so old, the rooms aren’t exactly sound-proof. “It superly pisses me off when Jason kicks up a racket in the night,” Sharon says, “Usually when he wakes me up, I go and pound on his door until he shuts up.” Sharon also comments that sometimes, she can’t fall asleep again after he wakes her up, but nothing too serious has happened yet. “I mean, sure, it’s super annoying and stuff, but it doesn’t really affect my grades or anything,” Sharon says, after giving her brother a hard look. “Geez, it’s not my fault you have sleeping problems,” Jason ejects, while poking his sister in the head. Sleeptalking can result from stress, emotions, or even tiredness. With its formal name being Somniloquy, researchers have found that 50% of young

“Sleep is a time to dream...” -Ravali Ambati (freshman)

onday morning. The weather is terrible, the birds are cawing, and the mood in Spanish class is drastically plunging downhill. Even though we’re learning about the food chapter, the class is oddly silent. As I look around the room, people’s heads are buried in their arms, casually leaning down on the desks. Once again, as I poke my friend Tiffany to sit up, no response is given. With a sigh, I poke her hand with my very pointy ruler. After a sudden jolt, Tiffany sits up and frowns. Once again, disaster has struck period 1, class of Mrs. Coughlin, in room A211. However, this time, she was not caught. Then again, it’s not that Tiffany is a lazy student. It’s just that Tiffany was studying for a Chemistry test early that morning. With a puzzled look on her face, followed by a look of understanding, Tiffany opens up her textbook to the vocabulary page. This time, it’s not because of late night studying. First period on Mondays are just too tiring. Not only are they after the lazy Sunday mornings, but also it’s just so frustrating to have to sit in class after a great weekend. “I don’t like how it’s hard to concentrate in class. My grades are slipping too in my morning classes!” says an anonymous source. Conducted by a recent survey(the National Inquiry on Sleep), 90% of the population doesn’t get nearly enough sleep as they need. Yes, once again sleep deprivation is part of the factor. Not getting enough sleep in the morning, either because of studying or doing homework, is drastically taking its toll during class time, whether or not the teacher catches the student. Now they are taking its toll during class time, whether or not the teacher catches the student. Not only are they missing important information that can impact their grades, but their cranky moods also put a bad atmosphere in the air. “I get about 7 hours of sleep each day,” says Fangfei Li, an eighth-grader at Kennedy Middle School. If middle-schoolers like Fangfei are only getting 7 hours of sleep, then what about high school students? Although the general pretense of getting few hours of sleep is equal to overachieving, it’s actually not that impressive. All it shows is that the person isn’t very efficient in finishing homework. Researchers urge students to get enough sleep, whether it’s taking short naps or getting a long one. However, the general consensus at Monta Vista is that sleep=good.

Sleeptalk Makes Everyone

children do this. As they mature, it usually wears off. Sleeptalking has been found to be harmless, unless it is a branch off of a sleeping disorder. In most cases, it’s just a side effect of being deep in one’s slumber. So what do researchers urge people like Sharon to do? Well, there are several products out in the market that are like headphones, except they muffle out sounds. Sharon’s parents are looking into getting her one, especially as she gets ready for college and might have loud roommates. “But as for now, I’m stuck with the brat and his stupid sleeptalking,” Sharon groans.

ZZZ. ZZZ.

Sleep

TOP 5 REASONS WHY TEENS DON’T GET ENOUGH

5. Distractions from family (snoring, sleeptalking, etc.)

4. Internet surfing

3. Disinterest in getting enough sleep

2. Early mornings 1. Late night studying/homework

By Laura Liu

Sen-ior-i-tis(n.)

o N s ’ e r e h T e r u C

“Senioritis is a disease that means we start slacking off schoolwork and lose the motivation to do well” -senior, Angelina Lam

“Basically, we just become really lazy and start slacking off in school instead of stressing out every second about grades ” -senior, Alice Jan

“Anyone can catch it, just as long as they start relaxing and actually having fun during the schoolyear.” -senior, Brendin Dinh

And it’s spreading. By Rachel Lu

Symptoms: Laziness

High School Disease

Loss of Motivation to do Work

Is it Deadly?

ho knew that the words “relax” and “school” would ever come together in one sentence. But that’s all I’ve been hearing as I’m talking to Philina Lin, a senior at Monta Vista High School. “I don’t want to admit it, but I think I do. I just BS a lot of homework and I don’t care,” said Philina referring to if she has senioritis or not. Mr. Clarke, a teacher at Monta Vista who teaches both freshmen literature and AP literature, describes senioritis as something that most seniors get when they lose their motivation to work for good grades. “They’re done with college applications and second semester grades don’t really count that much so, basically all motivation is lost, so they think ‘What’s the point?’ which is reasonable,” explains Mr. Clarke. Considering how difficult classes at Monta Vista can be, it’s surprising that students, aren’t just failing all their classes after catching senioritis. But maybe that’s because of the teachers. Mr. Clarke does something very specific for his seniors, not necessarily making things easier, just to help them not blow it. “At the end of the first semester, seniors are freaked out about applications, so I give them short assignments like poems. Same with the second semester where they have little focus and short attention spans, so I continue giving short assignments. The AP test is the only thing that they need to do.” For senior Philina Lin, she believes it’s not as easy as everyone thinks. “People believe that senior year doesn’t count, but colleges could still kick you out for slacking off too much.” But it’s definitely not as bad as junior year according

to her; she just keeps it simple making sure her grades stay at her standards. She also admits that she does hang out a lot more than normal. Unfortunately for her, her teacher isn’t as understanding as Mr. Clarke. “AP Econ[omics] is really hard and I’m not doing too well.” Her mother definitely has something to say about that. “I understand that they’ve worked really hard to get to where they are today, but that isn’t an excuse to slack off too much. It’s okay to relax, just as long as grades don’t slip too much.” So Philina still has her mother’s watchful eye on her. “My mom would like freak out because I spent $200 in one week. That has nothing to do with school, but she’s just still paying close attention to me.” “Kids at Monta Vista always do too much, just to get into a good college, it’s like the last 10 meters and they just stumble. Like they end up falling because they ran too fast. I think senioritis says a lot about how they will do in the future.” Senioritis isn’t a legitimate disease; students don’t go to the doctor and get diagnosed with this. Some seniors get hit harder than others, but it just happens. Everyone knows it’s there, but no one really does anything about it. But maybe there’s nothing that needs to be done.

Increased Amounts of Sleep Mild to Severe Lowered GPA

Too Cool for School Seniors are the top dogs, they always feel this way.

7a.m. It’s Monday morning and senior Jeffrey Lu has still yet to wake up. School starts at 7:35 AM. His alarm clock went off at 6:45 AM, but he decided to ignore it. 7:05 a.m. Lu crawls out of bed and slides his way over to the bathroom. By 7:20 a.m., he manages to leave the house According to Lu, as a second semester senior at MVHS the only thing he has left at school is graduation. Colleges have already sent out their lists of those accepted. Now it is just a countdown to the last day of school. “It’s now at the point where I just don’t want to go to school anymore,” Lu said.

Tendency to Skip Class

This isn’t unusual behavior as many seniors drive into the parking lot all at the same time: right before the bell rings. Now they can all walk into class together. “Jeffrey isn’t that bad, he always gets to school on time and his grades are still pretty good,” said Ethan Lin, a friend. Lu managed to keep a 3.8 GPA in his first semester of senior year. But now that second semester is here, he may be in more trouble. Luckily, his mother is able to keep him on track. “I’m still watching him closely, but I have been a little easier on because he got in to college so he deserves a little break,” said Jennifer Lu, his mother. Getting into college is one thing, but now he has to choose one. This has added a little stress to his day. “We aren’t really given choices that can really effect your life until now, so I have to put a lot of thought into it. Plus I’m taking Physics and playing badminton so I’m still busy,” said Lu. Diagnosis: Lu has a moderate case of senioritis; he’s taking it easy, but doing enough to stay afloat. So unlike before, he can stay up till 12 PM of later, not because he’s doing homework, but just for the heck of it. 1:00 a.m. Tuesday Morning, time for bed.

We live in an aNGRY WORLD...

Steam in g Ears

Causes and Effects of Anger Management that MVHS students discover

“When my mom didn’t let me go to my best friend’s surprise birthday party, I got really mad and locked myself in my room for the rest of the day. I was hungryand ate nothing. “ -Tiffany Hsu, freshman “I bought my homework and someone ripped it. Then, I pucnhed them.” -Alan Hwang, freshm “My sister didn’t listen to me and took all of our money for food and spent it on prizes. We had no food to eat and I was starving. Then, I told my mom, who didn’t do anything, so I stepped on my sister’s foot.” - Swetha Balaji , sophomore “I got a D- on a test I studied for and tried really, really hard on. I couldn’t believe I failed on smething that took up so much of my time! I ended up acting really mean to my sister and got grounded.” -Kevin Chang, junior “So this one time, I couldn’t get this shrt that I really wanted because it was too expensive. The next we went shopping, my parents bought counches that cost way more than my one top. I got really mad and took out all of it on my poor mother. She got pissed off and told me I couldn’t go shopping for another month, just because I screamed at her!” - Maya Srinath, freshman “My dog was being annoying and wouldn’t ftch the ball, so I had to go get it. I was already irritated so I threw the ball even further. My dog still didn’t get it. I got really angry and left the ball there.” -Lisa Chen, senior “I was biking and minding my own business when some car ruuns right ino my bike. The lady driving the car didn’t even get down ask me anything, I found the closest thing that I could reach and threw it at her car. The thing was a tanbark.” -Aarthi Ravi, freshman

By: Ramitha Nyalakonda

Flaring Nostrils

HAIR ON FIRE

You’ve been through it. I’ve been through it. We’ve all been through it. Yet, it still gets to you time and time again. Anger. It’s everything from a little irritation to uncontrollable fury. People try to handle their anger from time and time again, yet the emotional distress of it always slips everyone’s control. Although anger is caused by many different situations, there is usually the same result: aggressive behavior. “I usually try to stop getting mad at stupid things when I’m not having a good day, and end up taking out all my anger out on my sister anyway,” says freshman Aarthi Ravi. Anger is just like any other emotion: sorrow, happiness, and hope, but if it is bottled up inside somebody and not expressed, worse situations take place. If anger is held in, and then repressed and redirected; other “innocent” people will feel the wrath of the one who suppressed their anger. Usually when anger is not expressed, fatal situations take place. The most lethal situations include hypertension/high blood pressure, and depression. Hypertension is a medical condition where the blood pressure rises by a huge amount when angry. This is one of the main risk factors for strokes, heart attacks, and heart failures. Depression is an extreme feeling of sadness over normal events that happen in life. Though anger and depression are opposites, they usually result in the outcomes of each other. Many people wonder if they’re “too angry,” and according to Jerry Deffenbacher, PhD, a psychologist who specializes in anger management, “some people are more hotheaded than others are; they get angry [more] easily and [more] intensely than the average person does.” People who get angered easily don’t always react aggressively; they can also sulk and withdraw from the society. The people who often don’t get angry are usually always grumpy throughout their daily life. “Yeah, I get mad easily, but I find my control over [it], which helps me focus on my current problem instead of getting sidetracked. Also, I seem to forget about my anger after the incident,” Ravi said. The simplest way to express anger, without being aggressive, is to be assertive, and to try to use humor to forget about the reason of being angry. Being assertive, instead of aggressive, means knowing what your needs are and achieving them by acting respectful to yourself and others. Using humor can solve rage quickly. It can always be helpful when trying to calm down an intense situation.

You do it. I do it. We all do it. Everyday. When having a “not so good” day, students tend to show their anger on their loved ones. Why? “Well, ‘cuz we know they’re still going to love you,” freshman Aarthi Ravi states. After having a hard test, falling down the stairway, and running an eighteen-minute mile, being nice isn’t the first thing on the “to-do” list. Usually, when an innocent bystander approaches an angry person, they get the wrath of the mad person shown on them. Whenever people are angry, they show their anger on someone else to them because they want others to suffer the same feeling. “So, when I come across my happy sister, who finishes her homework, I make her do some of my work that I don’t feel like doing. The hard part,” states Ravi. Pet peeves, loads of homework, annoying siblings, and naggy friends usually set students’ tempers off, as well as many political figures. Although teenagers’ hormones start to kick in at this time and they type of behavior is expected, some elder people also seem to act more moody as they get older. For example, John McCain, the candidate for President, became angry after asked certain questions from news reporters, according to writer and illustrator Mike Facey. This ended up causing John McCain being asked more questions about the same topic from the reporters. Everyone knows that “not nice” behavior ends up in “not nice” situations. In Ravi’s scenario, after screaming at a friend or a sibling, one must apologize and “literally beg.”

You know you're an angry person when you act like a... SNAP-MONSTER

You snap at every one and everything in sight, whether it does any harm to you or not.

GRUMPY MEISTER

You can’t seem to smile at anyone even after getting a 100% on your latest math test.

SCARY FREAK

You scare everyone near you, and make everybody shy away from you.

All of these angry acts are common in humans, but when they are recognized as a personality trait, you’ve taken it a bit too far with the crazy ourbursts of anger

“Anyone can become angry - that is so easy. But to become angry with the right person, to the right degree, at the right time, for the right purpose, and in the right way - that is not so easy. -Aristotle

We aren't the only ones!

As students, we usually only get to see the nice, calm side of our teachers, but as humans, they get angry on a daily basis as well. Teachers can get frustrated at their students for not grasping a fact properly. They can get angry with children who don’t follow directions. Teachers can even get enraged when students talk back to them. And when do they show their anger? “Usually when I’m alone with no one around me,” teacher, Norma Abarca says. It doesn’t seem likely to students that teachers get angry because of their own mistakes. Although the patience of teachers is yielding, they still must be able to express their anger. Some teachers in the past have expressed their anger by boxing their pillows, shouting t their family members, and even run laps around their neighborhood. It’s not only students that get frustrated with their teachers, the same is true vice versa as well.

“It doesn’t help if you restrain your anger. Sooner or later all the anger building up inside will make you burst.” -Kiranmayi Methuku, FRESHMAN AT MVHS

Unreachable or Reachable

The different meaning of DreamZzz...

“Sweet Dreams... ”, your parents have probably said this to or you have heard it before. But do people always have sweet dreams? No. Just sometimes. Dreams can be about absolutely anything. From monstrous grades to fairyland castles, just anything.

A WHOLE NEW WORLD

“Dreams are, “says Rathnalekha Vishwanathan, “another frontier of the human mind, where what the concious can’t do...” 6 in 10 students going to high school associated the word dream with sheep. “When I think of dreams”,Shreshtha Wadhwa, a freshman at MV says, “I think of ‘fantasy.” So why fantasy? Probably the unreachable goals that people dream about and almost seem unattainable to the ‘average’ student. “ Dreams represent possiblity,” says Arjun Baokr, a sophmore,“ They are hope for a better future [and] goals to fulfill, as well as solutions to the problems of the world.” “I like dreams.” says Alex Lin, a freshman, “Dreams are confusing.” Another student associates the word dream with ‘sleep’. This is a fairly common answer among students. I’m pretty sure this is because we usually dream in our sleep. But dreams do not always need to associate with the fairylands. What about a haunted-house? One simple word tells the story. NIGHTMARE. 4 in every 10 students going to high school are paranoid about their nightmares. Some take it as a fact that it is going to happen to them. Some just think of the nightmare over and over again. Because of this many students have tried staying awake if their dream continues every night or some have even tried to put an end to their lives. 3 in every 10 students going to high school remember their dreams. “My dreams can be about struggles to get”, says Wadhwa , “good grades, my friends, and my future”. Many students in MV think of a dreams as grades. Grades are often asscoited with the term of dreams of students because they hope to have a brighter future and be successful.

Sweet DreamZzz... .

Dictinary DefinitionZzz of DreamZzz .. -noun 1. a succession of images, thoughts, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep -verb (used with object) 2. to see or imagine in sleep or in vision -adjective 3. most desiable; ideal

REM. Three words. Rapid Eye Movement. This is how we dream. When we are asleep our eyes are usually moving and our brain is analyzing images. The eyes create and image and send it to the brain where we sense the dream. When we wake up in the middle of the night REM might still be in process. This is why we remember some dreams better than other. If you wake up in the middle of the night there are more chances of remembering your dream than if you get a full night’s dream. REM works the most when you are young. In fact, it is the effective. As we grow older, we start to notice that we have less dreams. An older person may have 3 times as less dreams compared to a child.

Are they paranoid about their DreamZzz

“A dream is a goal that you most want in life,” says Demitri Grinenko, a freshman, “It may be the thought of the impossible, but it is something you try to reach with what you’ve got.”

Fun FactZzz About DreamZzz

???

!!!

1. Blind people dream. 2. We forget 90 percent of our dreams. 3. We only dream about things we know. 4. Not everyone dreams in color. There are blackand-white dreams. 5. You are paralyzed when you dream. 6. When you are snoring you are never dreaming. 7. Kids the age of 3 and under never dream about themselves. 8. An average person dreams about 4 to seven times a night. 9. There is evidence that we dream before birth. But we don’t know what we dream about.

???

What kind of DreamZzz do people have

“The wisest men follow their own direction.” -- Euripides “The work goes on, the cause endures, the hope still lives and the dreams shall never die.” -- Edward Kennedy

“Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream.” -- Martin L. King Jr.

Swe

Ravali Ambati

Do You See What I See? The piggy banks of Monta Vista are not as fat as they appear. By Sarah Park

Through the Looking Glass

The opinion of new student entering the privledged community of Cupertino

“

Economic Crisis” “Economic Crisis” “Economic Crisis” “Economic Crisis” When will this catastrophe end? It’s affected everyone from celebrities to us. People are losing their jobs and homes. Parents are struggling keeping a roof over their children and a meal on their plates. Most of all, schools are trying harder than ever to deal with the budget cuts. “At my old school, they were laying off so many teachers. They wouldn’t even turn on half the lights on anymore,” freshman Libby Cha says. “I went to two schools, Dougherty Valley and California High School. Dougherty is a new school and it first started out only freshmen to juniors, but now they’re trying to make get teachers for 12th graders so they’re laying off even more teachers.” Apparently, it’s gotten so bad at their school that each class is only getting two dollars. Interestingly, the only thing that Monta Vista students almost lost summer school. Why is that? “Basically, the way Monta Vista is funded is different from other schools. Monta Vista is mainly funded by the community from local taxes, while others schools are funded from the state,” Econ. teacher Chris Chang says. “House values are up which is good in terms of helping Monta Vista.” But are Monta Vista students really better off than other students at other schools?

“Yeah, I think that the people here aren’t affected. They seem well off here compared to the other schools I’ve been to,” Libby says. “My family is actually struggling right now, and I feel like not many people can relate to my situation.” Don’t feel that way. In fact, you’re not the only

ily is still doing fine. Me and my sister learned to make our own money, and, like, the whole family pretty much adjusted our lives in ways so that we could continue living here,” an anonymous student says. “I think everybody in this school can agree that we are affected by the economic crisis, but in a lucky way so that we can get a taste of the real world” she says. Although Monta Vista and the students are currently riding out the troubling time, Mr. Chang predicts the future might not be as bright as it is right now. “The thing is with local funding from schools is that the effects of the economy comes a couple years after.” Who knows if it’s a good thing or bad thing, all we can do now is hope for the better.

“I feel like not many people can relate to my situation.” family who is struggling to stay in this pricey neighborhood. “People here are definitely affected because a lot of people’s parents here work in hightech and the stock-market affects it the most,” Chang says. “Luckily at Monta Vista, the economic crisis is more like a learning experience for students on saving money, preparing them for the real world.” “My dad got laid off three years, but my fam-

Worse Than Last Time?

Are the teachers have it better than before? o you here that? It’s the pink slip protest organized by hundreds of teachers. While teachers around the country are getting laid off at insane amounts, Monta Vista teachers hold their breath and hope that they aren’t next. “I think that a lot of us are very grateful for the way our district planned for this,” first-year English teacher Matt Brashears says. “The people that I went to teaching programs with don’t have jobs.” Thanks to the way the school if funded Monta Vista teachers are safe, for now. The effects of the economic crisis cannot be felt currently, Emmet Powers says it “usually catches up.” “Last time teachers got laid off was back in the 70’s,” Powers says. “But that was when the school was funded from the state.” Powers says the devastating condition of the economy is worse than before, making teachers nervous. So what is going to happen in a couple years? Newer teachers will be the first go and our school might just get as bad as other schools in California. “There isn’t much teachers can do right now to prepare,” Brashears says. He admits that all he can do for now is to slowly gather money to support his new family. “We are tightening our belts.”

Quotes of the Famous “There are American dreams that are being deferred and that are being denied because of the current economic climate. There is a devastating economic crisis that will become more and more difficult to contain with time.” - Obama “The recession is affecting everyone, they couldn’t even afford two ice cream cones for us. We had to share.” - Blake Lively “It’s really sad - the recession is everywhere. But at least they are having good sales, that’s where I got this! The recession!” Mary- Kate Olsen

Save Some Green A few tips on how to save some cash • Don’t go shopping as much • Share a meal at resteraunts • Bring lunches from home • Make presents for friends instead of buying them • Open a savings account • Use coupons • Hang out with friends the good ol’ fashion like with board games. • Buy only the things you need • Shop at places that are closing down • Keep the spare change • Shop at thrift stores like Goodwill

Feeling Philosophical?

By Shaalini Bommakanti

“The glory of friendship is not in the outstretched hand, nor the kindly smile, nor the joy of companionship; it is in the spiritual inspiration that comes to one when he discovers that someone else believes in him and is willing to trust him.” Ralph Waldo Emerson American author, philosopher, and poet

A lasting friendship

Bridging gaps despite long distances

nce upon a time there was a little boy named Bill. Just Bill. He lived with his parents in a cute, little house in the friendly neighborhood of Summit, New Jersey. The best part was the that he was best friends with his neighbor, Jamie. They did everything together: ruined their older sisters’ lives by fooling around with their make up, played pirate ship, and even made a mud pie for the little old lady across the street. It was all dandy and happy before it happened. Jamie’s dad got a new job in Pittsburgh and had to move. Does this story sound familiar? For some, it’s reality. One day you and your best firned are playing together, enjoying life, and the next, you are separated, longing for each other. As life proves, not every dream world lasts forever. With one move, the friendship will be stretched, acrossed state, country, or even the world They haven’t seen each other in ages. A phone call makes no difference. Like two logs in a steady flowing river, you have drifted apart, with no ties. The funny thing about relationships is that distance can change them-and sometimes, change is bad. Now the term “long lost friend” doesn’t seem so odd. If happened decades ago, any chances of locating your friend would be minimal. But today...is a differnet story. From social networking sites to people you can hire (e.g. Tyra Banks Shows), it has become easier to locate long lost friends.

Oh Where or Where Did my Little Friend Go?

If you dig through your memory, and sift through all the fragments, from you first ride without training wheels to your first basketball game, you may find that who have an interesting life or no life. But if you dig deeper beneath layers of empty, lifeless memories, you may be surprised to possibly find a long lost friend buried underneath. Who is this little friend that you one day lost entire contact with and completely disassociated yourself from? Well of course, your imaginary friend. These seemingly cute and realistic friends have vanished from the face of the earth, somewhere into the depths of our imagination-at least for the most part. This has created our very own Foster’s Home for imaginary friends scenario.

“A true friend stabs you in the front.” Oscar Wilde playwrite, poet, and author “What is a friend? A single soul dwelling in two bodies.” Aristotle Greek Philosopher

La La LA... You’ve Got a Friend in Me by Randy Newman

Friendly Nature

The bell has just rung, symbolic of the end of 3rd period and the beginning of the much-anticipated 15-minute brunch. Students flocking from their classes gravitate toward the place of their choice to hang out. For some it’s the academic quad, where they enjoy the convenient seating under the trees, or even plop in the middle, anywhere there is space. For others it means the appreciated shade of the trees in the rally court. And of course, there are those who prefer the cafeteria or yet, the satisfaction of mobility while talking and eating, all at once. This everyday act of escaping from 3rd period and embracing the brunch ahead is symbolic of two things: our utter desire to rest our minds and enjoy life and to hang out with our friends, while catching the latest bit of gossip or bug people for “is the test hard?” In fact, this repetition of gravitating toward your friends in a certain location at school reinforces your relationship with your friends. Everyday, students congregate and take the time to shorten the gap between themselves and their friends. But if you take a deeper look, you’ll notice the people we choose to hang out with. Everday it’s the same bunch of grapes we choose to join or to float back and forth between. So the question is, why do we choose to hang out with friends of our type, people whom we share many similarities with? Granted it’s not such an easy task to make a diverse group of people we call really call “friends”, but what is preventing us from doing so? Some believe that the friends you make in middle school and earlier on are the friends you tend to stick with. Since the “breaking of the ice” was already established in middle school and friendships were created, it is natural to continue the relationship. Each year spent with old friends improves and expands the relationship, all the while creating a narrow gap to allow new friends. “I mean if I have to I’l make friends in class,” states freshman Sara. “Like we talk a lot and stuff, but they aren’t my really great friends.” But it’s nothing more than just talking. This relationship doesn’t go beyond the classroom. Others argue otherwise, stating that the situation your in determines the friends you have. Some people are forced to make new friends because the moved to a school. It wasn’t a choice, but an obligation. For some, the relationship begins to blossom, while for others, it never really flowers into a close friendship. Whatever the case may be, having close friends and maintaining friendships is a neccessity in high school,

You’ve got a friend in me You’ve got a friend in me When the road looks rough ahead And you’re miles and miles From your nice warm bed You just remember what your old pal said Boy, you’ve got a friend in me Yeah, you’ve got a friend in me You’ve got a friend in me You’ve got a friend in me If you’ve got troubles, I’ve got ‘em too There isn’t anything I wouldn’t do for you We stick together and can see it through Cause you’ve got a friend in me You’ve got a friend in me Some other folks might be A little bit smarter than I am Bigger and stronger too Maybe But none of them will ever love you The way I do, it’s me and you Boy, and as the years go by Our friendship will never die You’re gonna see it’s our destiny You’ve got a friend in me You’ve got a friend in me You’ve got a friend in me

2. 315 entries in Webster’s 1996 Dictionary were misspelled. 3. Donald Duck was banned from Finland for not wearing pants.

Funny Facts!

1. 23% of all photocopier faults are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their butts.

other perspectives

4. The word “queue” is the only word that is still pronounced the same when the last four letters are removed. 5. What is called a “French Kiss” in the English speaking world is called a “English kiss” in France.

...BY SHANTHI GURUSWAMY Freshman

6. Coca-Cola would be green if coloring was not added to it. 7. Queen Elizabeth I, who considered herself a pagan of cleanliness, declared that she bathed once every three months, whether or not she needed it.

8. 35% of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.

9. A ball of solid glass will bounce higher than a ball of rubber. A ball of solid steel will bounce higher than the glass.

Alex Lin, Freshman

aughter from

That’s GR

SS, n t funny!

One of the most mystifying things about human nature is the fact that we all laugh at inappropriate things. Why is this? Why do we think vulgar and improper things are so funny? “I don’t know,” says freshman Poornkia Kakkanaiah. “It’s something I developed sometime in 6th grade and more throughout 7th grade. I’m not really sure why...probably just immaturity, I think. Think about it…6th grade equals puberty, so it’d make sense.” One idea is that people might be too embarrassed to talk about it, so they laugh instead. Another reason may be that laughing is their way of dealing with the situation. When they find

something awkward or embarrassing, they start laughing. However, they may just be laughing because they don’t understand what’s going on, and don’t want to admit it. “I’m a little clueless about these perverted things,” says freshman Alex Lin, “and usually it takes me a couple of seconds to get what’s going on…and then I usually get really confused and ask people to explain to me what just happened. And then my friends go, ‘Oh, you’re too innocent. You don’t need to know.’ And then…yeah after about twenty minutes I go ‘OHHH I GET IT NOW!!!’” And that’s perfectly okay!

Knock - Knock! Why should you never marry a tennis player? Love means nothing to them. Submitted by Alan Hwang, Freshman (at left)

If I laugh, do I need Tylenol? the

It’s cliché. Everyone says it. It has been overused to the point that it’s just a string of meaningless words bunched together in a sentence. A lot of people believe it, a lot of people disagree with this topic: Laughter is the best medicine. Person Number 1: Meera Krishnamoorthy. Even though she’s only a 6th grader, she has strong opinions about how laughter affects her. “I think laughter is the best because it really helps you feel better, and you know that even if you are sad, there is still something happy going on...It has helped me to cheer up many times.” Person Number 2: Thuong NguyenVu. This 9th grader has very strong opinions about why laughter isn’t the best, even though she laughs very often. “[Laughter] puts stress on lungs...and if it was [the best cure], cancer wouldn’t be a problem.” However, research has shown that laughter actually can strengthen the immune system. Believe it or not, it also can reduce food cravings, and even increase the ability to bear pain! It does sound like there’s no downside...unless, of course, you start laughing too much, and people start suspecting that you’ve lost it. Laughter is one of the most contagious things other than illnesses, so if you lose it, you make your friends lose it too. Most of the times, they start laughing about the dumbest things, and even though it’s a well-known fact that the average adult laughs only 15 times a day, the average child laughs over 300 times! Since teens are somewhere in the middle, they probably laugh an average of 158 laughs per day -- that’s not bad! A conversation between Larry King and Dr. Andrew Weil emphasizes that point. “Comedians generally live a long time...is that because they are making people laugh?” asked King. “I think they’re making people laugh, and also I think they’re

able to see the ridiculous side of life. It was one of the -- I quoted my mother. One of her mottoes was, never lose your sense of humor. She said, no matter what happens, you have to always be able to laugh,” said Dr. Weil. “Good things happen to your body when you laugh, right?” “Excellent things...have you heard about laughter yoga? There is an Indian physician, a few years ago he started in Mumbai, India and he’s now got these laughter clubs all over the world.” “You just sit and laugh all day?” “No, they get together for a half hour in these big groups. They do breathing exercises first and physical exercises. They don’t use humor. They start by doing simulated laughter, and then in a group, it becomes real. And people...” “Yeah, once you hear it.” “Once you hear it. And this is extremely healthy.” “I laugh just at the thought of it.” With April’s Fools Day in the near past, and with more reasons to laugh every day, it should be that more people are getting healthier and healthier. But what about crying? Can crying make you feel just as good as laughing? “Sometimes crying out your problems is what helps you the most...” says Amy Thomas, a freshman from MVHS, “...sometimes it can just be a tub of ice cream. People have friends but often they don’t tell each other of their problems and although [they] may laugh, it doesn’t lift their spirits by much. Sometimes laughter works, but often just letting go of the emotion on a punching bag for example works so much better.” Crying while under some circumstances can help relieve you, just as laughing can. This has been proven scientifically, because emotional tears release certain chemicals, hormones, and endorphins (chemical which makes us happy) and eventually makes us feel happy. And so maybe we should laugh until we cry.

A man returns home to his wife and tells her “Pack your bags, we’re going on vacation! I just won the lotto!” The wife says, “Oh good! where are we going, the mountains or the beaches?” The husband replies, “Doesn’t matter, just get out!” Submitted by Nicolas Arquie, Freshman (at right)

10. Sloths are so slow that they take two weeks to digest their food.

That’s what SHE said . . .

An American goes to Scotland and he sees this guy playing the bagpipes. The American says, “How do you play those?” The Scottish says, “Well.”

Knock knock! Who’s there? Eatmop. Eatmop who? Just sound it out and you’ll get it!

Submitted by Devi Kovi, Freshman (at left)

Submitted by Arifa Aziz, Sophomore (at left)

Psyche! What’s yours? The MBTI is a four-letter sequence that differentiates between whether you are extroverted or introverted, sensing or intuitive, thinking or feeling, and judging or perceptive of things. Answer the following 10 questions to see whether you are more extroverted or introverted! 1)At a party, you... A. Interact with many, including strangers B. Interact with a few, known to you

Psyche

2)At parties, you... A. Stay late, with increasing energy B. Leave early, with decreasing energy 3)In your social groups, you... A. Keep abreast of other's happenings B. Get behind on the news

What’s your personality? A look into the meaning of an individual...

4)When phoning someone, you... A. Rarely question that it will all be said B. Rehearse what you'll say

6)New and non-routine interaction with others... A. Stimulates and energizes you B. Taxes your reserves 7)You prefer... A. Many friends with brief contact B. A few friends with more lengthy contact 8)You... A. Speak easily and at length with strangers B. Find little to say to strangers 9)When the phone rings, you... A. Hasten to get to it first B. Hope someone else will answer 10)You are more inclined to be... A. Easy to approach B. Somewhat reserved If you answer mostly ‘A,’ you are more of an extrovert. However, if you answer mostly ‘B,’ you are more of an introvert. For a longer version of a Myers-Briggs Type Indicator assessment, visit the website of Human Metrics at: http:// www.humanmetrics.com/, and visit the links about Carl G. Jung.

1506: Croatian humanist Marco Marulic implements use of the term psichiologia, meaning psychology in Latin.

By Somel Jammu

Time for a Personality Check

5)In company, you... A. Initiate conversation B. Wait to be approached

1020: Persian physician Avicenna suggests that the brain has 5 processes: common sense, imagination, cogitation, memory, and estimation.

Secret The argument over whether stereotypes are good or bad is an ongoing one since just about forever. And the ability to stereotype has also been with humans since just about forever. It is seen in the animals of today as well as our ancestral homo sapiens and primitive apes--the innate skill to stereotype. And Sheila Altmann could not agree more. “Stereotypes are positive, because if you think all the way back to when humans were just apes, stereotyping was a life skill. An animal has to anticipate predator from prey. It judges to tell--something larger than itself is a predator, while something that looks the same is a friend. Animals were wary of differences because it was an adaptive behavior.” Altmann, the school psychologist, feels that learning about personality types is important for all students and not just MV alumni alone. But first, what exactly are personality types? “(Personality types) are the lens people view the world through. It’s how they react. It’s their style,” says Altmann. “Learning about the different types is a healthy process. There are lots of advantages--the key is to not be too rigid,” she adds. According to Altmann, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator perRichard Prinz sonality test is one of the very useful tools that people can utilize to learn more about themselves as well as about others. In fact, the MBTI is used a lot in business and the ‘real world.’ Student advocate Richard Prinz is also of the same mind; he encourages that students study psychology and find out more about not only themselves, but about others, as well. “It’s helpful to become more conscious--it helps to understand problems,” says Prinz. Prinz, however, thinks of personality a bit differently than Altmann. He believes that a person’s personality is their mindset, and this mindset is affected by genetic or inherited qualities as well as outside influences that people are exposed to and come to experience. In addition, the mindset is divided into categories: the fixed mindset, and the growth mindset. And that’s where the problems begin to occur. “It’s okay to identify your personality,” says Prinz. “It allows you to be versatile and flexible. But personality types can be constricting, and labels can be damaging,” he cautions. “People become too fixed and think, ‘This is who I am, I can’t change it.’ It limits you without you realizing that the brain is not hardwired. With any label, there is value. But it‘s not who you are--we‘re more than that.” Altmann agrees with Prinz, but to an extent. “Personality types are not fixed traits,” she says. “You can evolve. The problem is when people have a fixed mindset. Dr. Freud thought that a person’s personality is formed between the ages of 2 to 5 years, but evidence has shown that with a growth mindset, your personality can continue changing even into your 80s.” “Instead of being judgmental, at least be accepting and have self-awareness,” she continues. You should understand what drives other people and say, ‘I understand.’ We should embrace our differences.”

1892: G. Stanley Hall founds the American Psychological Association (APA).

1900: Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud’s Interpretation of Dreams is published.

1905: Alfred Binet and Theodore Simon create a primitive form of the I.Q. test.

1917: Standardized intelligence and aptitude tests are administered for the military starting in World War I.

Do What You Say Group projects—you either hate ’em, or love ’em. For some students, group projects are a great way to push off the burden of work onto another member’s shoulders. For the rest, or the receiving end of this burden of work, group projects are a nuisance that teachers implement with the popular phrase that they’re a “necessary way to learn to work with others and to get to know the people in class.” Math and life science teachers Colin Anderson and Katheryn McElwee knew a better way to teach students this frequently used concept. A little less than a decade ago, McElwee taught a class called Peer Counseling. She was the last one to teach it in the school year of ’02-’03 before it was dropped from the course list. “(Peer Counseling) was a class on problem-solving and communication skills. We covered all the steps of counselKatheryn McElwee ing—listening to what the problem was, understanding, and helping solve,” says McElwee. Peer Counseling, only one out of quite a few classes, including Statistics, that were dropped less than 10 years ago, was a class that students interested in helping out their peers could enroll in. It was both a closed environment class where students learned to build trust, had frequent simulations, and weekly seminars headed by a facilitator, as well as an interactive organization of students that went out to the student body to utilize their skills and help solve problems. “It wasn’t advice...it was peer coaching, really. Each week we would have a facilitator that would start the seminar by introducing a topic, and we would discuss it.” adds McElwee. “I gave them personality tests for fun, but in the end, I think they learned a lot about understanding others and working with others.” However, unlike Statistics, which returned to the purple course list within a few years, classes like Psychology and Peer Counseling literally disappeared. “It wasn’t an a-g requirement—it was just a basic elective,” says McElwee. Colin Anderson Yet Anderson agrees that though he only taught the class for 1 year before passing it on to McElwee, who taught it for 3-4 years, it was a helpful and insightful class. “It was designed to get students trained in solving conflicts, but also to increase awareness. It filled a good need. Students learned how people react to things and the different personalities.”

Classic Characterization In the year of 1907, renown psychologists Carl G. Jung and Sigmund Freud met for the first time. The lengthy conversation that lasted thirteen hours was the start of a joint curiosity as to their ideas of psychology. But their curiosity was only a primitive beginning. In the early years of the 1940s, Katherine Briggs and daughter Isabel Myers Briggs, according to the Myers & Briggs Foundation, decided to apply Jung’s theory of psychology by designing the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator--a personality test with a personality unlike any before it. In the school year of ’04--’05, business and law teacher Jeff Mueller was introduced to the test by fellow colleague, business teacher, and DECA advisor Carl Schmidt. At the time, both business teachers were not pleased with the way their business classes had were structured, and were looking to change them. The personality test provided a great opportunity for that change, and after taking the test himself a week before he gave it to his classes, Mueller knew it was something students would find helpful. “In order to be an effective leader, you need to understand behavior,” says Mueller. The personality test comes in handy especially when students must cover the leadership aspect of the class. In addition to useful leadership skills on how to work with others, Mueller feels that it gives him valuable insight. “When I find out their personality type, I can understand who the student is,” he adds. And Mueller’s valuable insight doesn’t stop there--as head coach of the football teams, he gives it to his players to take, as well. “When they take it, I get to know them better--I know what motivates them,” he chuckles. While others feel that personality tests such as the MBTI are too labeling, Mueller disagrees. “The type indicator answers fundamental questions. It identifies strengths and weaknesses--it’s important to understand that. You’re labeled no matter what.” 1929: Hans Berger, a blank psychiatrist, devises the Electroencephalogram—a device that graphs the electrical activity of the brain.

1938: Ugo Cerletti, an Italian psychiatrist, uses electroconvulsive therapy, or electrical shocks, to cure patients of schizophrenia.

1939: Swiss psychologist Carl G. Jung begins publishing his theories on psychology and personalities.

1962: Katharine Cook Briggs and daughter Isabel Briggs Myers create the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator.

1973: After much debate, the APA removes the term “homosexuality” from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

2001: The 27th International Congress of Psychology is held in Stockholm, Sweden.

Funny Loud Outgoing Quiet Introverted Calm Moody Anxious Happy Smart Patient Friendly Wise Likeable Adaptable Lively Alert Faithful Ambitious Charming Responsible Capable Punctual Skillfull Adventurous Energetic Sensitive Diligent Efficient Determined

B.F. Problems?

The Drifter

Best friends can cause hearthache too By: Surabhi Srivastava

FO R E FOREV E R

“I don’t know if I’m going to have a birthday party again this year”, said Junior Deepa Kollipara. “It’s just too hard to get all my different friends to come together and get along.” Kollipari is commonly known as a drifter. She likes to be friends with a variety of people rather than stick to one group of similar friends. She splits her time between all the different friend groups and learns a lot. “It’s really interesting to see how different people at our school are. I’m glad though because I get to do a lot of different things with all my friends.” Spending time with all these different friend groups can get a little tiring. It can be hard to split all your time evenly with everyone. “I actually think it’s the opposite. Since all my friends like to do different things, I can spread out my time easily. I have friends to study with, friends to gossip with, friends to talk through the tough things with, and friends to just go out and have fun with. Based on what I need to get done or what I feel like doing, I can choose who I hang out with”. By picking a variety of friends who are all different from one another, Deepa eliminates distractions for herself. When she needs to study, she isn’t around her gossiping friends who would easily distract her from her work. Junior Rotem Shaul said “I have unscheduled 4th with Deepa and we usually hangout in that class, but we get distracted easily. On days Deepa has lots of homework she leaves and goes to the Career Center because she knows there’s no way she will be able to get her work done around us”. At the same time, when Deepa has no homework, she can always go to her group of friends and have someone to talk to when she’s bored. This balance of activities and interests keeps her focused on what is most important. “Right now what’s important is for us to secure our future. I want to get into a good college as I’m sure most people at MVHS do, and one of the best ways to go about this is to use friends as helpful tools along the way”.

Real P.I.C’s

Friends are a distraction.

Must Haves Need help focusing because you get distracted too easily by your friends? Try balancing out your time between different types of friends. Instead of doing everything with every friend, pick and choose. To best help spread your time and focus, pick a variety of friends. Here are tips on three must have friends types in order to keep you grounded. 1) STUDY BUDDY This friend will help you stay focused on school. You can plan study lunches and review sessions together and keep each other motivated to do well in school. Try and pick a friend who meets your level of hard work if not crosses it. This person should be a little friendly competition that keeps you going and makes you want to try harder. 2) PARTY MATE This is someone who knows where all the fun is. Pick someone who knows how to relax and have a good time without stressing too much. It wouldn’t hurt if they have connections to some of the hottest parties around either. This is your go to person every time you just need a break from the crazy pace of life and just need to have a little fun. 3) THE SHRINK Sometimes all you need is someone to talk to. Make sure you have at least one person, if not more, who you can go to anytime you need help. This person will help you through the ups and downs of life and keep your spirits high. They will be there for you to scream with joy when something good happens as well as sit by your bed handing you kleenex when something goes wrong. The most important thing is that you should be able to trust this friend.

Surprised?

So were the group of kids that were listening to a speech by motivational speaker Prabodh Chaitanya. Friends distract us from what we need to accomplish. We know that, it’s common knowledge. But our friends themselves are a distraction? That’s a new way of looking at the situation.

ER V

Mr. Chaitanya is a teacher at a local indian school that teaches younger generations about the morals and values of their ancestors. Mr. Chaitanya’s job is to explain to kids the tricks of leading a successful life. He explained to the kids, “Your friends themselves may not be the distraction as much as the times you choose to talk to them. If you spend a day studying for a test with your friends, then they are your guides. If you spend your time talking to your friends instead of studying for a test, then they become the distraction”.

The four years of high school are a time of self-discovery, and if friends truly are a distraction, then aren’t they getting in the way of our success?

From freshman year to senior year, many friendships change. Sometimes people make new friends while holding on to their old friends while others form completely new social circles or never leave their childhood group. Freshman year is the time when students stick to their middle school friends and try to stay in the comfort of their bubble. By sophomore year they begin to discover their own interests and slowly branch out into the school. As seniors ideally students have marked their space and formed an identity. “For me I think junior year has been the biggest challenge in terms of friends. This year my friends schedules were so different from my own that I hardly had time to see them. However, through all the different activities I was involved in I made a lot of new friends so I think it’s a give and take. It is important to balance the fun with the actual work”, said Junior Reva Bhatt. For others, switching friend circles entirely is a better solution all together. An example of this is Senior Teresa Vellaringatu, who switched friend groups halfway through sophomore year to avoid the distractions. She found herself friends who were a little more school oriented to help her focus. In the end, whether or not our friends are a distraction is entirely up to us. It is important to choose friends wisely, prioritize social and studying time, and use friends in a manner in which we can constantly benefit from. We all love our friends, but sometimes they can be as harmful as our enemies.

A Digital Addiction by Thomas Chow

Hypnotized Often, when people hear the word “addiction”, they may immediately rummage through their memory bank and conjure up a picture of a cigarette or a can of beer in their minds. Usually, when a person references such a word, they imply these exact definitions. However, addictions can apply to other bad habits as well.

Chicken Soup for the Gamer’s Soul

The word “addiction” is defined as “being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming”. As one can see, this definition can certainly pertain to many more behaviors other than those strong attractions to drugs and alcohol. An equally habitual activity to do is video or computer gaming.

Of course, there are many ways that can help recover the individual’s mind, while avoiding going cold turkey. Therapy is designed to help eliminate the compulsive behaviors. Due to the ever growing population of video game addicts, many clinical practices have been incorporating video game therapy for those who are hooked. Engage in other activites to help refocus the energy. The busier you are, the less time you have. Simple, but effective.

Gaming. Seems friendly, fun, and not too detrimental to one’s physical health. Sure, maybe it’s not as physically detrimental as wine and narcotics are, but mentally and socially, it can leave quite a dent.

Take up a sport, hobby, or hang out with friends more often. If socializing is not your thing, then try reading or even watching TV and movies. Set limits to how much can be played. For some people, numerical limits appear easier to reach than just simply saying to yourself, “ I have to stop.” This also works on any friends who are addicted, and it is easier to enforce when another person is policing the addiction. Learn real life excitement rather than virtual excitement.

Take World of Warcraft, for example. One of the most widely known AND played massively multiplayer online role playing games (MMORPG) ever created, this internet gaming world has sucked in millions of players around the globe into the virtual black hole. To date, World of Warcraft boasts about eleven million subscribers that are actively playing the game. Overall game sales topped $1.7 billion in March of 2008 alone, 57 percent higher than that in March 2007.

There are many, many exhilerating ties one can do away from the computer. Try striving for something that’s outside a normal day’s routine! From playing basketball to skydiving, the options are endless. Recently, video game addiction treatment centers have been popping up in various large countries such as the US, China, and South Korea. If you live in one of these more video game prone countries, don’t forget to consider them.

Surely these numbers indicate some sort of massive addiction. And the symptoms are all there: excessive time consumption, payment of immense expenses, unhealthy routines.

Wang Ho, a 16 year old teenager acknowledges such symptoms.

“It’s like a trap,” Ho explains. “But you can’t really get out of it. The hardest thing is managing your time. I always have homework so of course, it’s hard for me to sleep early because I’m always playing WoW (World of Warcraft).” Wang Ho was first introduced to the game when he was fourteen. Now having consistently played the game for almost two years, Ho suffered drops in grades and paler skin. He plays a minimum of two hours a day and sometimes exceeding five or six. A clear sign of a notorious addiction. While gaming has not scientific addiction, more and falling under the influence of this is certainly worldwide and not limited to certain cultures. Surely, a clear candidate for a habitual problem, right up there with alcohol and smoking.

officially been decided as a more people are gradually digital menace. This illness

Are YOU Hooked?

10 signs that may show an abnormal attachment to the virtual world. 1. A tendency to favor games over spending time with friends and family. 2. Not adhering to deadlines or being forgetful of events. 3. Gaming withdrawal (irritability or agitation).

Startling Stats The popular online internet mmorpg World of Warcraft claims to have 11 million subscribers, and increasing every year. -Dr Richard Graham, a child psychiatrist at the Tavistock Centre, said: “Some of my clients will discuss playing games for 14 to 16 hours a day at times without breaks and for those the consequences are potentially very severe. -A 2007 poll reported that in the US 8.5% of youth gamers (ages 8 to 18) “can be classified as pathological or clinically “addicted” to playing video games” while another 23% say they have “felt addicted” to video games.

activi-

4. Lying about obsession.

-Nearly one in 10 children and teens who play video games showed signs of what could be considered addiction to games in a January 2007 poll. -88% of children surveyed said video games were played at least sometimes. On average, they played three to four times each week, with boys playing more often. Boys also played longer, over 14 hours per week, and girls played over nine hours. -Boys were more than twice as likely as girls to have obtained M-rated games, whether as a gift or through a purchase using their own or their parents’ money; 7% of boys admitted to purchasing such M-rated games with their own money without their parents’ knowledge. -To date, there have been three reported cases of men dying due to lack of sleep and nourishment from video game addiction.

5. Needing to “sneak” out from routines to play.

6. Skipping meals, losing sleep or forgetting daily routines.

7. Having a lack of focus due to thinking about gaming.

8.Failing to keep up with work or education.

9. Being criticized by close friends for gaming obsession.

10. Expeoriencing fatigue during other activities (work, school, etc.)

FAQ Q: What is your favorite part of being in a band? A: “My favorite thing about being in a band is the sense of brotherhood that I get, a sense of camaraderie with my bandmates... more so than the actual music we play, which is a lot of fun, too, don’t get me wrong. I also like creating music together, especially when we all sit down and write a song.” - Michael Debaets, senior, of NervousTick “I love performing, it’s the greatest part of being in a band.” - Abishek Menon, sophomore, of Fat Lui “My favorite part about being in a band is able to hang out with my friends and have fun while being able to take songs that we like and performing them. It is sort of like Rock Band in real life.” - Brendan Lee, sophomore, of Crash On Garage Door “My favorite part of being in a band is being able to jam with other people and create something new from all our ideas.” -Krista Trieu, freshman, of Just Your Daily Dosage Q: What is the goal for your band? A: “My goal for the band is to write mor songs, maybe record an album, maybe do a music video. I don’t know how to answer the serious question, but I do want to continue being in bands for a long time. I think that whether I have a career in it or not, I will play music until I die.” - Michael Debaets, senior, of Nervoustick “I want to get into the club scene and start playing in clubs, and maybe some bars eventually. I really enjoy being in a band, I hope we’re able to put out an album sometime, even if we produce it ourselves. I really hope to have a career in music.” - Abishek Menon, sophomore, of Fat Lui “My goal for Crash On Garage Door is to become more famous than the Jonas Brothers... just kidding. No but seriously, even though I don’t really like them, everyone knows who they are, even if they like them or not. So being as famous as them would be cool. But for now, I think being in a band is just for fun. Time will tell if it becomes more than that or not.” - Brendan Lee, sophomore, of Crash On Garage Door “I want to have fun, learn and create music, maybe a CD... just make ourselves last.” - Krista Trieu, freshman, of Just Your Daily Dosage

PARTY LIKE A

This is Gavin Mueller Gavin Mueller, sophomore, is the guitarist for his band Crash On Garage Door. He’s been playing with the band for a little less than two years now with Brendan Lee (vocals), Pavan Kanekal (drums), and Zack Lamm (bass). “We just love music, all of us, and we would always just screw around with my dads guitar and piano in my garage. We all loved music so we all decided to take up our instruments,” Mueller said. Mueller spends his Saturdays with his band mainly practicing covers but also working on some original songs. Jimmy Page (guitarist of Led Zappelin) and James Hetfield (singer and backup guitarist for Metallica) are his main influences on his music while Metallica is his favorite artist right now. “We play rock and metal. We play alternative rock like Matchbox Twenty and Green Day, all the way to Red Hot Chili Peppers, and then all the way to Metallica,” Mueller said. He doesn’t know if he’ll have a career in music but for right now, Mueller finds his paradise in Crash On Garage Door.

ROCKST R understanding how music affets the lives of students in bands and students who fan over actual bands

Kimberly Goldman and Abishek Menon (both sophomores) sport Goldman’s My Chemical Romance t-shirts.

Brendan Lee and Gavin Mueller (both sophomores) are both members of Crash On Garage Door.

So You Like My Chemical Romance? With five shirts, two DVDS., a wooden coffin, a Dia de los Muertos mask, a certificate of death, three posters, buttons, and a shirt that says “I love My Chemical Romance,” Kimberly Goldman, sophomore, is surely a fan of the alternative rock band My Chemical Romance. Goldman gives an excuse for her obession, saying, “Well I like them because I find them different. You listen to all three of their albums and they never sound the same. They have evolved and each time their music has a new twist to it. I also just like the people. They’re really dedicated and they put a 110% into what they do. Also, Gerard helped use the band to get his art work out and start a comic book of his own. The guys are just really down to earth people. They are just one of those bands. Again, their music is also something I just love. I know people argue that they aren’t different from any other alternative rock band but I have to disagree. They aren’t afraid to do whatever they want. They go for it. Their lyrics are so deep and really hit home, or at least they do for me.”

Since the end of seventh grade, Goldman has been a dedicated fan. Her favorite songs include “Early Sunsets Over Monroeville”, “Cementery Drive”, and “The Sharpest Lives.” “It’s cool how she really likes them for their msuic, and not just because they’re cute... but that too,” said Elizabeth Kim, sophomore and friend of Goldman. Like any other dedicated fan, Goldman has tried to lure her friends into the MCR fandom. “I just think my obsession with MCR has turned most of my friends off from them forever. But I have definately tried to get themn to join me in my obsession,” Goldman shared. Another friend Giovanna Scaglia, sophomore, recalled an experience where, “Once I went to her house and she wanted us to marry them. She had us, like, hook up with them. I had Bob and she had Frank.” Whether her friends like them or not, Goldman is still a fan. She says she feels really connected with their music and that their songs have helped her get over hard times.