inflight Foothill High School | Vol. 40, No. 1
March 2014
GOING FOR THE ( BLUE &) GOLD Foothill Falcons Fly High
Photo by Kate Revell
inflightmagazine MARCH 2014
p11 SOCHI2014
p8 PROM
p6 CLUB SPOTLIGHTS letter from the editor
contents
Hey Falcons, This year, I would like to welcome the year with a reboot of Inflight. Your Journalism class introduces you to our first magazine of the year: “Going for the Blue and Gold.” Our articles will still be up and running, as well as articles not included in this edition on our newly designed website fhsinflight.com. Our theme this issue is “Going for the Blue and Gold”, based off of all of Team U.S.A’s achievements at Sochi. However, we Falcons have also made our own great achievements this year. We’ve found that high school is not just the excitement of wonderful experiences, but the excitement of striving to accomplish a goal. This issue, we wanted to showcase some of Foothill’s clubs that have made outstanding achievements of their own, bringing great pride and joy to our school, so make sure to check out our Club Spotlights spread. Inflight will be working with several different media outlets this year, including our Facebook page, at FHS Inflight News, which includes pictures of school events; and our home website at fhsinflight.com,where recent articles will be constantly posted and updated. Definitely check out these sites and continue to go for the blue and gold. Be informed. Stay classy, Falcons.
Crystal Chu, Editor in Chief
NEWS p3 OPINION p5, 8 FEATURES p6-7 ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT p9-10 SPORTS p11 On the Cover: Foothill track star Michael Tang (‘14) pole vaults at a track meet in January. (Photo by Kate Revell) View Our Full Issue At
fhsinflight.com INFLIGHT STAFF 2014 ADVISOR Mrs. Mary Crawbuck EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Crystal Chu TECHNOLOGY EDITOR Arthur Hwang NEWS EDITOR Jennifer Kim SPORTS EDITOR Greg Hadley OPINIONS EDITOR Kaitlyn Wang FEATURES EDITOR Sharon Chu
A&E EDITOR Cesar Saldaña MARKETING TEAM Crystal Chu Jennifer Kim Jessica Ou STAFF REPORTERS Maria Akhter Monica Azmi Emilie Francis Tori Knuppe Alice Lee Woojin Lee Jessica Ou Adit Shrestha Brenna Scott
News | Around Town
ANYTHING GOES IN PLEASANTON
Amador and Foothill Students Collaborate For Annual Spring Musical By Adit Shrestha, Staff Reporter This years’ spring musical, Anything Goes, features actors and musicians from both Foothill and Amador High Schools who will perform at the Amador Theatre on March 14th, 15th, 21st, and 22nd. The cast has already been set with the lead role of Reno Sweeney going to Amador students Madalyn Baker and Michelle Kessler. The main role of Billy Crocker was given to Amador Student Jared Siegel and the role of Hope Harcourt will be
portrayed by Amador students Sarah O’Brien and Healy Suto. Anything Goes is set aboard the ocean liner S. S. American, where nightclub singer Reno is traveling from New York to England. Her pal Billy has stowed away to be near his love, Hope, but the problem is Hope is engaged to the wealthy Lord Evelyn Oakleigh. Joining this love triangle on board the luxury liner are Moonface Martin and his sidekick-in-crime Erma. With the help of some elaborate disguises, tap-dancing
CRIMES IN PLEASANTON
Pleasanton is a crimeless city? Think again. By Jessica Ou, Staff Reporter Why do people get involved in illegal activities? Studies show that people commit crimes due to factors such as greed, boredom and mental problems. While some cities are infamous for their high percentage of crimes, others are separated from such demeanors with the exception of a few thefts or vandalism issues. Pleasanton is generally a safe town; however, there are still reports of different crimes every year. The following are real crimes, albeit strange, that happened in Pleasanton in the past year. On August 28, 2013, there was a robbery at the McDonald’s at
Santa Rita Road. Reports say that at around 3 a.m., a man climbed through the drive-through window and demanded cash. When the employees refused, he forced all three of them into the back freezer and started stealing cash himself. One of the employees claimed that he looked like the store manager, but she wasn’t sure. A few days later on September 2, police arrested the same man, identified as Felix Bercerra-Gonzalez, while he was allegedly robbing another McDonald’s in San Mateo. Investigators discovered that he was, indeed, the store’s manager. On January 26, 2014, there was a shooting at the Redcoats
^ Foothill and Amador students’ adaptation of the 1934 Broadway musical by American songwriter Cole Porter will open on March 14 at the Amdaor Theater. Tickets are $14 online.
British Pub and Restaurant in downtown Pleasanton. According to witnesses, there was a man who had been acting strangely and was pacing back and forth in the restaurant. Suddenly at 1 a.m., he pulled out a silver handgun. Pleasanton officer Lt. Scott Rohovit reported in a statement that the man started “shooting into the ceiling of the main bar area”. One of the bullets hit a customer in the butt, although he didn’t notice until a friend pointed out that he was bleeding. The victim was taken to Mt. Eden Medical Center for treatment. The gunman was identified as 21-year-old Jason Landes-Caballero a day later. He was arrested for assault of a deadly weapon, discharge of a firearm and for possession of methamphetamine. There have been reports of much more dangerous and serious crimes over the years as well, but recently, Pleasanton has been facing a sudden influx in the amount of small, but still
sailors and good old-fashioned blackmail, Reno and Martin join forces to help Billy in his quest to win Hope’s heart. According to Foothill student Gabriella Syed (‘15) who will play Chastity, “The cast this year is very different than the cast from previous years because there isn’t as much Foothill involvement compared to previous musicals, but nonetheless, it’s still a very talented cast.” The cast has always been stellar in the past and due to the complexity and excitement of this years musical, the cast will be better than ever. The spring musical put on by the talented Foothill and Amador students has never failed to captivate an audience in previous years. Syed says, “This year’s musical is going to be a ten out of ten because of all the amazing talent we have plus an awesome orchestra.” significant delinquencies that have been changing what people think of the town. The answer is a mystery, but many citizens seem to believe that the crimes only took place because of the environment. “McDonald’s can attract all sorts of customers,” Melissa Sur (’15) put in. “Redcoats has attracted a slimy crowd ever since opening,” an anonymous commenter on the Pleasanton Weekly stated.
PHOTO: Creative Commons
3
News | Nation
SHOULD BIEBER GET DEPORTED? By Monica Azmi, Staff Reporter
Driving under the influence and drag racing put anyone at risk of losing his life, and he did not consider his actions or punishments earnestly. Operating a vehicle requires a careful driver, and he was not concerned for the safety of others. Bieber continues his disrespectful behavior, and believes that his actions are acceptable and no one should interfere with his life.
Drag racing, driving under the influence, vandalising property, underage drinking, and driving with an expired license are just a few misdemeanors Justin Bieber has been accused of in a course of a month. According to Politico, Bieber has been working for six years in the U.S. on a temporary work visa. United States citizens recently established a petition to deliver their concerns to the White House and urge them to “remove Justin Bieber from the American society”. The petition has garnered more than 100,000 signatures, individuals expressing “he is not only [a threat to] the safety of our people, but he is also a terrible influence on our nations youth.” Bieber’s actions do not allow people such as limo drivers or pilots to feel comfortable to accomplish their everyday tasks, because of
his offensive actions. He has abused his fame as an excuse to do what he desires. Certainly, it does not exonerate him; Bieber has to follow the rules and laws that every citizen obeys. Nick
Zevanove ('15) wants “Justin Bieber to be held to the same standard and punishments as all non-U.S. citizens, whether that results in deportation or not.”
The possibility of Justin Bieber’s deportation is high. If he returns to Canada, he will gradually be removed from the news and media as
RAIN, RAIN. OH WAIT.
November was much warmer than usual, days usually heating up to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. The weather, however, did a complete one eighty by the time February rolled around. Temperatures dropped to the low sixties and high fifties, and the sun was obscured by the clouds. The winter became abnormally cold in the morning, usually warming up only a little bit by noon and afternoon. Another thing to be noted is this year’s drought. There is much less snow in the Sierra Nevadas this January compared to last year’s, and the season has been rather dry. State officials are urging statewide conservation of water. Fishing
has already been cut off in many areas, as have deliveries from the State Water Project to farms and cities. According to Fox News, The federal government has also recently pledged 14 million dollars to help the water management in California, just one day after the Agriculture Secretary pledged 20 million dollars. Much of California’s water comes from Northern California as much of Southern California is desert. The water is delivered to the South by way of canal. Such strange weather has had its effects on the Foothill campus as well. Foothill Attendance Clerk Gretchen Piscotty says, “There really hasn’t
By Kaitlyn Wang, Opinions Editor California, well-known as the “Golden State,” not only for the Gold Rush, but also for the state’s typically kind and temperate weather, hasn’t been quite as sunny as of late. Unexpected weather patterns such as drought and then a sudden onslaught of rain has plagued the Golden State this winter.
4
Bieber’s mugshot on January 23, 2014. (Photo Courtesy: People
many wish to see. Bieber’s name will be mentioned less or not at all. He has lived in the U.S. for six years and he is comfortable with his lifestyle, surrounded by friends and supporters, as well as his career that he has built. Sahil Patel ('16) believes that “The deportation of Justin Bieber is a great idea.” Justin Bieber doesn’t stand alone as millions of supporters are behind him. “Beliebers” do not recognize that they worship a singer who is truly a bad influence. Common tweets on twitter say, “Justin, I’m always with you no matter what, you are my life…” It is sad that this generation of young girls is brainwashed into the negative influences of pop culture. It seems that young girls are more focused on an individual who contributes negatively to society, rather than praising someone who does good deeds in the world. If Bieber does get deported, there will be a change in the way the media portrays him, and maybe the younger generation won’t be as influenced by an artist that will slowly fade from American society. been an excessive amount of full-day absences, but the number of first period tardies has increased.” She goes on to say that this may be because of the sudden rain Pleasanton endured on February 6th, with parents rushing to get out of the house and to school in time. Traffic tends to clog up quickly when it rains. With spring within the next month, the weather may change. It’s been colder, warmer, and a lot drier. California’s winter has been a little bit strange, for perhaps a couple of reasons. Nevertheless, dress warm and bring an umbrella, at least until this blows over.
Opinions
LGBT COMMUNITY SEEKS FAIR REPRESENTATION ALICE LEE STAFF REPORTER
PHOTO: Creative Commons
Let’s get this straight; we do not treat our minorities as well as we should. Nowhere is this more prevalent than in the LGBT community, where the movement to accept and integrate them into society is still in its infant stages. Today, the media continues to leave their queer characters in carefully shaped “molds”; their personalities, interactions with others, and even choice of clothes are generally consistent throughout. As with the portrayal of other races in Western media, the process is going to be slow and arduous, but will reward the world with equal representation and an audience properly informed about the various minorities that make up society. In 1969, communications scholar Cedric C. Clark published an editorial in Television Quarterly about the representation of minorities in media. He states that minority groups will go through four stages: non-representation, ridicule, regulation, and respect. The first stage indicates absolute exclusion from the media, the second stage invokes minority characters for pure
comic relief, the third stage portrays the minority only in a limited number of acceptable roles, and the fourth stage fully integrates them as equals. Currently, the LGBT minority is only at the cusp between the second and third stages. Though most gay characters are there as the funny sidekicks, notable places where they take a starring role include The Ellen DeGeneres Show, a talk show featuring the titular celebrity, and Modern Family, where one of the three main families consists of a gay couple and their adopted daughter. Even now, the community continues to be underrepresented; as the name for the minority continues to expand with new sexual orientations, so do the demands for equal representation. Most anti-gay arguments sound logical, but most of them are completely backed by religion. They argue that because the Bible declares homosexuality a sin, it should be banned throughout the country. However, one has to ask: does religion have a bearing on law? One of
the main points of the Constitution is that the church will be completely separate from the state, which immediately refutes a good percentage of those arguments. The others can be easily rebutted with common sense; for example, the very thought of same-sex marriage leading to marriages with animals, children and/ or inanimate objects is laughable, so why even make the argument? In short, as world citizens, we have the duty to fairly and equally consider the rights and opinions of all minority groups, including the queer community. The way we portray them in media is no different either; it may be the most exposure some people get to them, and the way media sees them is inevitably going to strongly influence their viewers’ opinions of them and, in turn, people who share the same orientation. The media needs to step up their game and progress the fair representation of this last big minority group, and prove that it is not as narrow-minded and shallow as it already seems to be. 5
FALCON FRIENDS
Falcon Friends provides an excellent way to extend your group of friends and strengthen your bonds with a very special group of Foothill students – the disabled kids. “It’s a great way to interact with the disabled kids because we don’t have classes with them,” says Pallavi Joshi (’15). Thanks to Falcon Friends, students are given a chance to spend lunches with students with developmental disabilities. Each student is paired with a disabled student so they can interact more personally with each other.
PHOTO: Debate Club Foothill’s Debate Club boasts achieve-
DEBATE CLUB
ments that parallel many competitive debate programs in the Bay Area. This year alone, the team has a record of 23 wins and 9 losses, entering the elimination brackets of every tournament this year. Last November, a Foothill two-person team brought home the first place title at the Presentation High School Invitational Tournament. In February, another team gained a bid to the Tournament of Champions, a prestigious national tournament held annually in Kentucky. President Jeffrey Huai (’15) explained that the goal of learning how to debate is to “teach students to think intelligently about different topics, communicate effectively, and research efficiently.”
GOING FOR THE (BL MODEL UNITED NATIONS MUN, one of Foothill’s new clubs, simulates the real UN by developing proposals to solve some of the world’s most prominent issues. Those in MUN participate in conferences where they compete against other schools in an attempt to resolve world dilemmas. MUN is a great outlet for kids who want to immerse themselves in worldwide problems. “In MUN you get a much better, more practical perspective on the sort of issues that plague the world,” shared Bryce Fan (’16). The competitions give them ample experience. “It’s cool to see teenagers getting involved and doing something about world problems, even if it’s only practice,” said co-secretary Amy Zeng (’15). “It teaches you that there’s more to the world than just what we know.”
PHOTO: FHS MUN
MOCK TRIAL Mock Trial is a new club dedicated to educating students about the American judicial system by means of studying and acting out a case. The team is split into two: the prosecution and the defense. Each side must prepare their witness statements, pretrial motion, and direct and cross-examinations. Foothill Mock Trial has already won two competitions, stand in sixth place overall in Alameda County. Secretary Amy Zhao (’16) says of the team, “Mock Trial is a great way to actually experience a trial and learn how our legal system works. I’ve learned so much from it and also made a lot of new great friends. The team is pretty much a family, as cheesy as that sounds.”
PHOTO: FHS Mock Trial
OUR MOVEMENT
Our Movement inspires people to build strong relationships with each other and to bolster the community as a whole. The club supports organizations such as To Write Love on Her Arms, a nonprofit that finds help for and supports people who are suffering with depression and self-injury. They meet every other Thursday to discuss events such as their annual Post-Secret. Also known for passing around balloons with reminders that the holders are loved, Our Movement does a lot to give hope. President Karen Chang (’14) says of the club, “Our Movement started as a branch of To Write Love On Her Arms, a suicide and depression awareness foundation, but the movement has grown to become this club’s attempt to unify FHS as an accepting, loving community.”
TEENS 4 TEENS
PHOTO: Our Movement
Kelley Dixon (’15) founded Teens 4 Teens this year, and along with new clubs come a myriad of new opportunities. Teens 4 Teens gives Foothill students an opportunity to reach out of their comfort zone and aid people through community service. “I wanted to share my passion for community service with other students and teach them how to run their own drives and events. I wanted to expand the events I’m passionate for, and most importantly I want people to enjoy the work they’re doing,” expressed Dixon. “It’s an eye-opening experience to help people.” said vice-president Tori Larsen (’15).
UE &) GOLD The Latin Club keeps a dead culture alive. On Thursdays at lunch, Falcons of all types with a shared interest in Classical history meet to test their knowledge in a highly competitive buzzer quiz. “The club aims to celebrate Classical culture and enrich students’ knowledge of it,” says Eric Heinitz, English teacher and Latin Club advisor. “Currently, however, the students are practicing for Certamen, a Latin bowl.” After getting into the top nine placings at the regionals, the Certamen team will be heading to the state-level competitions on April 4 at Irvine. Foothill will support these teams in their quest to prove themselves victorious in their contest of Classical knowledge.
LATIN CLUB
CLUB CLUB SPOTLIGHTS SPOTLIGHTS
By Arthur Hwang, By Arthur Hwang, Tori KnupTori Knuppe, Kaitlyn pe, Kaitlyn Wang, Adit ShresAditOu Shrestha, tha, Alice Wang, Lee, Jessica Alice Lee, Jessica Ou
HABITAT FOR HUMANITY
Habitat for Humanity is a “non-profit organization that builds houses that are simple, decent and affordable to low-income families around the world” says club president Carl Mubarak (‘15). Habitat for Humanity is in its first year as a club at Foothill but they’ve already accomplished a lot. Mubarak says, “We had a successful build day at Oakland putting up fences for the house that was just completed by Habitat for Humanity and the opening ceremony for the the owners of the home is in a couple of weeks and that’s always exciting.” Mubarak also mentioned that since it’s a new club, “For our future goals we would like more members and try to incorporate about four to five more build days.”
PHOTO: Latin Club
Opinions
HURRY UP AND SAY YES TO THE DRESS CRYSTAL CHU EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
Every year at Foothill, juniors are given one night to forget about school, parents, and other stresses in life, to let loose and dance the night away. That is right: Prom. Prom, a formal dance many Falcons attend, is always a night to remember. It’s a night where boys let their inner Michael Jackson out and girls to show off how stunning they look. However, to many junior girls this year, prom is not about interacting and having fun with friends anymore, but rather, prom has become a competition to find the most beautiful dress – first. This year, finding a prom dress several months before prom has become the latest fad amongst girls at Foothill. In late December and early January, Facebook groups for both juniors and senior girls were made called “Junior Prom Dresses 2014” and “Ball Dresses”. These groups were meant for girls to post their dress and call “dibs”, as to make sure no other girl will buy the same dress. I think the whole deal of “calling dibs” on a dress is flat out stupid. Since when in our culture, did it matter if another girl chose to have the same dress as another? Since when and where, did we start attacking fellow female for choosing the same dress? If another girl and I had worn the same dress, I would think she has a good sense of style; anyone should be given the right to wear anything they want without feeling the pressure of being judged by others. When asked what her opinions were on the calling dibs on dresses, Stacy Lin
8
(’15) responded, “I think it’s kind of dumb, someone is bound to have the same dress as someone else. People should just be chill, like twinsies or whatever.” Think about it, if you fell in love with a dress, but found out it’s the same as another girl’s, would you sacrifice that love and take the time and trouble to search for a new dress? The Facebook groups however, have left a negative effect on many girls. When asked if she felt pressured to find a dress quickly, Mitsu Dill (’15) responded “It freaked me out and I suddenly started feeling the pressures of having to get a dress. Now I’m like what if I don’t get a date, so it just adds on to the stress.” As more and more girls began to post their prom dress on the group page early January, many felt rushed to find a dress three months before prom. The rush to find a dress has not only affected the juniors, but the seniors as well. Senior ball, approximately four months away, has already got senior girls scrambling to find a dress. Christine Oh (’14) commented, “Yeah I guess I felt a little pressure, because they made the group in like late December and early January, so it felt like everything was really soon.” In addition to finding a dress early, there is now a competition to spend hundreds of dollars on a dress to get the most beautiful one. According to USA Today, the American teenager will spend an average of $1,139 on prom, which includes hair, makeup, nails, and a dress. Lin, comments, “Ev-
ery girl wants to have the prettiest dress and ends up spending way too much money on one”. While others are willing to spend at least $500 on a dress, some girls such as Oh and Dill are taking other options. Oh has planned to borrow a dress from her friend, while Dill wants “spend little money now so [she] can spend more on ball”. I mean sure, it’s a “night to remember” and a once in a lifetime high school experience, but why is there a need to spend so much money on a dress you will only wear for six hours? Prom has no longer become a night for high school friends to laugh and hang out with each other. The concept of prom has changed to a competition between the girls. Irina Marutyan (’15) comments, “girls always compete, I guess to look better and what not even if it’s unconsciously”. If this trend of competition continues, the amount of money girls will spend on a prom dress will continually rise and eventually may even cost more than your future wedding dress. In addition, the battle to find a dress may begin so early that people will start to search for prom/ball dresses two weeks after school starts. I think girls should stop worrying so much about looking gorgeous and spending a ton of money on dresses. Your date will respect you and find you beautiful no matter what you’re wearing, and in the end, it all comes down to having fun with your friends and truly making it a “night to remember”. PHOTO: Creative Commons
Arts & Entertainment
2014: THE LINEUP
EMILIE FRANCIS STAFF REPORTER
It’s that time of the year again, the Coachella lineup is out! The 2014 lineup was released in early January. The biggest surprise of the year was the main headliner, Outkast, returning to the scene for their 20-year anniversary. Coachella’s lineup consisted of other big name artists like Muse, Arcade Fire, Pharell Williams, Queens of the Stone Age, Lana Del Rey, and Beck. All this Coachella talk comes with good news and bad news. The bad news: both weekends are already sold out. The good news: Coachella’s lineup plays a huge role in the lineups of other major festivals and in upcoming shows in the Bay Area. One major festival that will be heavily influenced by Coachella is our local festival, Outside Lands, held in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Outside Lands will start on Friday, August 8 and end Sunday, August 10.
Every year, the Outside Lands lineup drops around early June, but usually not on any particular date. While you may have to wait a while to see who’s playing, keep your eyes out for Early Bird specials as early as March and April for the most affordable tickets. Since the announcement of this year’s Coachella lineup, tons of musicians have announced their upcoming tours scheduled around the festival. Some will be stopping near us to play in venues around San Francisco and Berkeley. Watch out for March and April especially, because most bands’ tour dates are scheduled around the two weekends of the Coachella festival. For those of you looking for insane pop shows, Lana Del Rey, Arcade Fire, and Lorde have all confirmed appearances at major theaters in San Francisco. If you’re looking for more of the rock experience, try making
your way to the city to see bands like Queens of the Stone Age, Neutral Milk Hotel, Broken Bells, and Cage the Elephant. Even bands that won’t be appearing at Coachella will be making their rounds in the next couple of months. Franz Ferdinand, The National, and Foals will be stopping by for a few shows in the Bay Area. All in all, 2014 is going to be one exciting year for music lovers and concertgoers alike!
PHOTO: Cochella
9
Arts & Entertainment
AROUND THE WORLD IN FIVE DAYS MARIA AKHTER & JENNIFER KIM STAFF REPORTER & NEWS EDITOR
With more than 60 different ethnicities making up its diverse population and several dispersed ethnic enclaves along the golden coast, California is one of the most culturally diverse states in America. At Foothill High, these cultural differences are celebrated and promoted through the Multicultural Club. The biggest project that the Multicultural Club takes on each year is the renowned MCC Week, in which each day of the week is dedicated to honoring different aspects of culture such as food, dance, and fashion. MCC Week takes students on a five day tour of the world, occurring from March 24th to March 28th. Planning every minute detail of MCC Week is no easy job. Priyanka Walimbe (’14), MCC president, says, “There are a lot of behind the scenes things that happen for the MCC week. We have to file all the paperwork in advance, audition acts, find and advertise to get models for the fashion show, find music and write scripts. It’s a lot of work, but with the right officer team and dedication, it all works out in the end!” Several students around campus have created their own dance teams and began practicing for the MCC assembly as early as January. The Bhangra team, the Indian dance team, always attracts the most participants and requires intense, dedicated prac-
10
tice in order to perform its highly anticipated performance. Anjali Wignarajah (’14), one of the Bhangra leaders, says “It’s hours upon hours of choreographing, finding costumes, and doing all the other behind the scenes work, but the result is so worth our time and effort.” Christine Oh (’14), member of the Korean Fan Dance performance, feels that coordination is the hardest part; she says, “Since we have a lot of people and it’s essential for them to be at every practice, it’s hard to match everyone’s schedules. Finding music and making choreography is hard too.” Aside from dances, many other performances showcase students’ talents in various activities. The Chinese Yoyo performance always gets an enthusiastic cheer from the crowd as it displays an extraordinary and unique sport that requires immense skill and practice. Stanley Ho (’14), member of the Chinese Yoyo club, says, “We practice an hour a week at our weekly club meetings, and many of our members also practice at home. Our performance can only be at its best when a backbone of commitment and teamwork are strong.” With so many hours spent together perfecting their respective performances, it is only natural that Foothill students bond with one another on a deeper level over the
course of preparation. The students are not only able to confidently express pride for their own cultures, but they are also able to teach them to their peers as well. For instance, the Bhangra performance constitutes students from all grade levels, ethnicities, and interests, allowing students to experience a different culture without making the actual trip. Spreading racial tolerance is an essential if not one of the most important movements that should be addressed to the youth before they go out into the real world. Though Pleasanton has a generally diverse population, exposing students to other cultures allows them to become more understanding, cultured citizens. Wignarajah says “MCC week exposes us to other cultures while still exhibiting a sense of unity. The array of students representing their own cultures along with others is phenomenal.” MCC Week shines as one of Foothill’s most anticipated and beloved events of the entire school year. Bringing its students together as individuals, a student body, and moreover, as people of a beautifully diverse world, MCC Week is an event that is always well worth the hard work. PHOTO: Creative Commons
Sports
SUPER DISAPPOINTMENT By Greg Hadley, Sports Editor Fumbles, disappointing commercials, and rainy weather in Pleasanton made for a gloomy Super Bowl Sunday this year. Two weeks after a heartbreaking 49er loss in the NFC Championship game, Bay Area football fans had to watch rival Seattle Seahawks win Super Bowl XLVIII in blowout fashion, creaming the Denver Broncos 43-8. “The game was a joke” said Logan Winn (’14). Despite their top-ranked offense in the NFL throughout the season, Peyton Manning and the Bron-
cos scored only one touchdown, turning the ball over 4 times. The tone of the Super Bowl was set on the first play from scrimmage, when a high snap sailed over Peyton Manning’s head and turned into a Bronco’s safety, giving the Seahawks the lead and putting them in the driver’s seat for the rest of game. On top of the sloppy football, the commercials failed to entertain as much as in the years past. This was a large disappointment for the many fans that watch the Super Bowl primarily to see the funny advertisements. As quoted by Entertainment Weekly: “You know it’s an off year when two of the most memorable spots involve Greek yogurt.” “The commercials this year were very off-topic,” added Sahil Patel (’16).
U.S.A. Women’s snowboarder Jamie Anderson rides down a hill in Sochi. (Photoa: Getty Images/Spencer)
SOCHI 2014 By Woojin Lee, Staff Reporter The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics are the biggest sporting event in the world. They have been happening for every four years. It is also similar to the summer Olympics
that were held in London in 2012, which is also established every four years. 88 countries participate in this Olympics. Athletes from various countries fight for gold medals for themselves and their countries.
But a Super Bowl like this was far from the norm. Fans may have watched in boredom and frustration while the Broncos lost by 35 points, but in fact, the last 6 Super Bowls leading up to this one were won by an average of only 5.7 points, indicating how close and exciting those games were. “Past Super Bowls were a lot better than the one this year” said Janelle Bettencourt (’14). As for the commercials, we can surely expect both M&M’s and Snickers to produce funnier ads next year (Snickers didn’t even buy a TV spot this year). The scars from watching that lame excuse of a football game may not have healed yet, but we can be sure that Super Bowl 2015 will be much Peyton Manning hangs his head more entertaining. after throwing his 2nd interception. (Photo: AP Photo/Humphrey) There are a lot of sports in the Sochi 2014 Winter Olympics, including snowboarding, ice hockey, and figure skating. They are the most popular sports that people around the world enjoy watching. Snowboarding is the one of most popular sports for the United States’ fans. Many Americans love to snowboard when winter comes. Sage Kotsenburg and Jamie Anderson are men’s and women’s slopestyle gold medalists in Sochi 2014. They are the first snowboarders to win a medal in this sport. It was not counted as a sport in Vancouver 2010, but it qualified in this Olympics. United States sweeps the slopestyle snowboard gold medals. Ice hockey is another one of favorite sports that U.S enjoys. United States and Canada even share a league called National Hockey League (NHL). Canada and other European teams are good and well organized as United States.
There are a lot of NHL players in this Olympics for playing for respective countries. Figure Skating is one of the more graceful events in this Olympics. Yuna Kim, form Korea, is the top medal candidate. She won the gold medal in Vancouver 2010. She also has the world record of points in figure skating. Mao Asada and Yuna Kim will be an interesting matchup in figure skating. Most students and teachers in Foothill High School (FHS) insist the athletes to win gold medals for the United States. Nathan Lu and Josh Low (’17) cheered, “We hope they beat every countries and win the gold medals as many as possible, for the No.1!” Another quote from P.E teacher, Halliday Dickerson, “I hope we will do awesome job in this Olympics. I enjoy watching it.” People in FHS have large expectations for TEAM U.S.A.
11
1.5
Years that on average American spends watching commercials on TV
51
billion dollars spent on Sochi
88
C
#’s
5
nations competed in the Olympics
345
million dollars spent by consumers on chocoate during Valentine’s Day
L
Years that an average American spends waiting in line
2679
total medals America has won in Olympics
days of yelling is enough energy to heat up a cup of coffee
3136
12