pg 10-11 // centerspread
March 15, 2007
preview pg 3 // news
Coachless mock trial team lays down the law
To catch a vandalist Reward offered for information on graffiti
by Casey Wong staff writer
S pg 8 // perspectives
Lunch, tutorial not extensions of classtime
pg 15 // entertainment
Rubiks cube comeback makes for quick minds, quicker hands
pg 19 // sports
Diving team strives for recognition
urrounded by a quiet suburban environment and filled with students who voluntarily glue their eyes to their study material, MVHS is likely one of the poorest examples of a culture typically associated with the sprawled streets of an urban environment. Even break dancing required a period of time to be accepted as something that Monta Vistans were capable of when not huddled behind towers of textbooks. Joking about the idea of vandalism at a school as pristine as MVHS, junior Patty Chao said, “You’d think that everyone here is too busy to do anything like that.” Yet for some puzzling reason, someone out there has found the walls of this school suitable for spray painting messages so out of place in Cupertino that they are ridiculed. In early February, school officials responded to an incident of graffiti in a school bathroom, which was followed by another case later that same week. Although the messages were sprayed in a manner more artistic than the one saying “Crips” found earlier this year, it was not the style of the message that attracted a more critical response from the Administration. Instead it was the bizarre timing of these events. The messages were tagged before brunch throughout the week. Because this happened multiple times in such a short interval, Assistant Principal Dennis Plaza said, “I’m pretty sure it’s someone in the school.” His reasoning was based on the idea that it is unlikely for a stranger to be able to enter the campus without being identified as a stranger either by students or officials. Few staff or students actually saw the tagged messages, but the prompt removal of them was not an attempt to isolate and contain the incident.
Austin Cheng | photography editor
HORSEPLAY An unsuspecting junior Philip Bate gets put in a playful headlock by his ROP Engineeriing teacher Bruce Kawanami as senior Eric Nguyen witnesses the prank. Kawanami was recently diagnosed with myeloma, a type of blood cancer.
Diagnosis: In good humor Kawanami refuses to let cancer overshadow his comedic presence waves by singing, especially when they’re not the best singer the world. However, it is this playful and optimistic approach that has helped Kawanami not only in the classroom, ll that can be heard is a but in coping with his cancer. discordant sound: the clashing On Nov. 4, Kawanami was diagnosed of twenty different conversations with stage one multiple myeloma, a cancer fighting to be heard. The bell rings affecting white blood cells. It is not a curable and the students continue chattering cancer, but it is treatable. In addition, obliviously. However suddenly, a sharp, Kawanami is in a “smoldering” state of the long note penetrates the air. Instantly cancer in which the cancer is dormant and the conversation stops as all eyes he is unaffected and needs no treatment. focus on the source of the shrill note, In fact, Kawanami could stay in this state ROP Engineering Tech teacher Bruce for 17 years, which is currently the Kawanami. longest “smoldering” state recorded. It isn’t often that a teacher Because he is in this state, Kawanami prepares not only a lesson, but a Burgundy is monitored to ensure everything is show to boot. Most teachers wouldn’t is the official myeloma in check. think of starting off a lesson on sound support color
by Ellen Casavant
sports editor
A
see CANCER on page 3
see GRAFFITI on page 4
Teachers submit to AP tests of their own In attempt to standardize curriculums nationwide, College Board scrutinizes reputed AP programs
by Pooja Shah staff writer
Flashback Bomb scare page 2 Point for Point Graffiti reward page 9 In the Halls Bape jackets page 14
I
n the alphabet of letters most esteemed by MVHS students, two letters seem to stand out above the rest: A-P. MVHS students are familiar with Advanced Placement, or AP courses, which are common upon the transcripts of their peers. However, they are unfamiliar with courses such as AP Band and AP Oklahoma History. Although these courses seem absurd to most, recently, it has been brought to the attention of College Board, the administrators of the AP exam, that schools across the nation are mislabeling courses with the title of ‘AP.’ Some so-called AP courses do not have college-level curriculums and do not serve as preparation for the AP exam. In response to their discovery of improper usage of the term “Advanced In 2006, 88% of 1,854 AP exams taken at MVHS earned a score of three (passing) or higher.
yet...
Only two MVHS teachers’ AP syllabi were approved by College Board.
Placement” in January of this year, the College Board officially launched the AP Audit program. As the administrator and creator of the AP exam, as well as the owner of the trademark rights for the expression ‘AP,’ College Board has found it necessary to review the course syllabi of every school in the nation that wishes to continue labeling their courses with the phrase. This review will ensure that all AP courses do in fact convey a high-level curriculum, and thus maintain the integrity of the term. In order to implement the AP Audit program, the College Board has contracted the Educational Policy Improvement Center, which is a non-profit organization based at the University of Oregon. EPIC works with state education departments and private organizations to research issues that improve student success in high school and college.
AP Auditing
Disconnect
see AUDIT on page 6 Last year, College Board named MVHS’ Biology AP program number one in the world.
yet...
College Board’s recent audit reported that MVHS’ Biology AP curriculum does not meet all necessary standards.