Veritas Shield by Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy

Is faking injury the new to way to win a game? See Page 16

Watch out for black and purple belts See page 14

Hill is home to students, faculty of multiple faiths See Page 8

Veritas Shield January 28, 2011 l Volume 16, Number 4 l Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy, 440 St. Katherine Dr., La Canada Flintridge, California 91011

Seniors finally get privileges By Bella Ye, Staff Writer

econd-semester seniors who have been waiting eagerly for their privileges won’t have to wait much longer. This year’s privileges are (1) being able to wear college sweatshirts starting Feb. 1; (2) permission to leave school at the beginning of enrichment starting Feb. 16; and (3) having free dress on Fridays starting Feb. 11. The privileges show the girls’ seniority within the school and reward them for having worked so hard for the past three and a half years of high school. “This is a fantastic class, the seniors have done a great job so far,” said Principal Sister Celeste Botello. The senior board wrote a formal letter to Sister Celeste asking for the privileges, but the seniors must be on their best behavior before the board can ask for more privileges. “The seniors need to follow the rules or the privileges can be taken away at any time,” said Mrs. Stephanie Contreras, senior class moderator. The seniors are setting a good example to their younger sisters in the school. “Most of us cherish the privileges and will maintain what we do now because we don’t want our privileges to be taken away,” said Ana Sofia Cervantes Leon ’11.

INDEX New students on the hill........2 Alumnae speak to seniors.....2 The cost of college................3 Opinion College is coming soon .....4 School violence..................4 Apps helpful while texting....5 No international assembly.....6 Speech tournament................6 Student teaches dance, yoga to victims of abuse............6 Sevice project for junior........6 Wedding plans.....................11 Giving blood on the hill......11 Entertainment Miracle Worker update.....10 Must-see movies..............10 Sports Soccer loses to H-W ........16 B’ball is ranked by CIF ...16

Spirit Week rouses craziness on the hill

By Alyssa Conti, Staff Writer

n any other day, junior Bella Cremer would’ve been written up within the second, but this was no regular school day. This was Spirit Week. While rocking an Ugg on one foot and a moccasin on the other, Cremer’s skirt was rolled up and sagged halfway down her rear, so much so that her spandex were visibly showing. “I really enjoyed Uniform Infraction Day because it was a day where we could come wearing what we usually do but not get in trouble for it,” said Alex Eaton ‘12. Tologs stepped it up during Super Hero Day by wearing men’s underwear and capes all day; some even painted their faces. “My favorite outfit was the teenage mutant ninja turtles,” said sophomore Savanna Viola. Harry Potter magic and witchcraft filled the Continued on page 5 Photos by C. NIVERA

SENIORS can’t help showing raging enthusiasm for their last Spirit Week assembly while Sydney Flynn ‘13 was happy to compete in the Cheetos-cream contest.

FSHA-shank detention nabs 120+ students

n a scene that can only be described as a cinematic moment, a record one-fourth of our plaid-skirted population found themselves lined up in the gym for detention on Wednesday, Jan. 9 in a catch-up for tardies When the list of 129 students went up on Podium, it took the whole school by surprise, especially physics teacher Mr. Ty Buxman.

By Charlotte Hook, Staff Writer

“I volunteered to proctor detention thinking it would be 15 or 20 people not over 100,” he said. The students, however, were even more startled by Mr. Buxman’s unconventional proctoring method. “Once he got us signed in he yelled, ‘Spread out, turn around and face the wall. Do not talk. Do not laugh. Don’t lock your legs because you will faint.’ It was basically the

scariest moment of my life. I’m a good kid, ok?” said sophomore Juliet Hook. Now that Sister Donna Marie Nicholas is on the prowl and with attendance on Podium, it appears that the “good kids” will no longer be able to hide behind their more mischievous counterparts. Despite the horror of the detention newbies, the story managed to

amuse. “When I heard about [the detention], I had to laugh. I don’t know what else he really could have done with 129 people,” said Assist. Vice Principal Mrs. Katie Sadler. Good news is detentions don’t go on your academic record. So laugh it off and by the way, welcome to FSHA-shank where even the nicest kids have a bit of a bad side.

TIME passes by slowly for nearly a quarter of the student body as Tologs face the wall, solemly atoning for their serious violations.

Photo by K. WILLIAMS

Page 2

News

Veritas Shield

January 28, 2011

Alums talk college, answer questions from seniors By Alexandra Scarborough Circulation Manager

eniors met in the main building during enrichment in early January to talk with FSHA alums about college. Small groups of seniors sat at tables with two alums, one who was still in college and the other who had graduated. Seniors asked many questions and shared concerns about college acceptance letters and where to attend. “I thought the meeting was very helpful. I was able to ask questions about the alums first weeks at college and they helped get rid of some of my worries for roommates, food and class work,” said Allee Fisher ’11. “I really liked that there was

a current student in college and someone who had graduated. It gave me a chance to ask a lot of questions about the difficulties of finding a job after graduation and figuring out what type of job I would want,” she added. Some seniors did not find the meeting helpful because they either had already been accepted to college or had siblings in college who could address their fears and answer their questions. “I thought the meeting was helpful for many seniors, but I didn’t feel I got a lot out of it because I had a lot of my questions answered while visiting colleges. I definitely think they should have it again because it helped a lot of students with their questions and concerns,”said Paige Conti ‘11.

Photo by E. BERNSTEIN

SENIORS Erika Davidson (far right) and Allee Fisher (second from right) are glad they have the oppportunity to ask the alums about their transitions to college. They both intently listen to the what the alums have to say, as well as voice their own concerns.

SAT/ACT PREP COURSE

La Cañada Community Center Saturdays 9am-12:30 pm Feb. 19-May 14 28 hours of instruction

Soph joins at new semester

By Kelly Dow, Staff Writer

ew sophomore Camilla Strassle visited FSHA after encouragement from Ms. Maureen Grady. Following her day on the hill, she decided it was the right school for her over Marantha. She said she left Poly because of stress and the desire to experience a new environment. While it was hard to start classes in the middle of the year, Strassle says the teachers and classmates have helped. “Everybody made it so easy and the people are my favorite part,” says Strassle. American Politics and Film is her favorite class but she also enjoys English with Mrs. Elizabeth Ross. Strassle plans to swim this semester and join clubs when she gets settled in. Strassle thought going to an all-girls school for the first time would be strange but she has already grown to love it and has even adjusted to wearing a uniform.

3 Practice tests Small class for individualized attention All class materials will be provided Snacks will be provided Point increase guarantee or next class is free

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SAT/ACT PREP SAT MATH II CHEMISTRY, BIOLOGY, PHYSICS SPANISH SUBJECT TEST ENGLISH Marina Grijalva, M.A. Academic Coach mgrijalva@hotmail.com (626)354-2032 www.mynteducation.com

NEW at the semester are freshman boarders Yifei Shao from Shanghai and Judy Lee from Taiwam, and day student Camilla Strassle ‘13.

New freshman boarders from Taiwan, Shanghai like dorms

By Yanie Sun, Staff Writer

wo new freshman boarders, Judy Lee and Yifei Shao, arrived on the hill this semester to start their new lives at FSHA. Lee, who is from Taiwan, found out about FSHA through an agency and the Internet. “I came to America because I want to practice English, but I kind of have a hard time with my English. Sometimes I cannot understand what people are saying,” said Lee. “She studies really hard. When she is taking a shower, she puts the vocabulary list on the wall and memorizes the words,” said Tina Liu ’14, Lee’s roommate. Lee likes both dance and swimming, and hopes to incorporate them into her schedule next year. Shao is from Shanghai, China. She came to America because her mom works here. Shao goes back to her home in Corona on the weekends, where she lives with her mom. “I like my dorm life. The room is big and my roommate is nice,” said Shao. “She seems very confident and likes reading,” said Bella Ye ’11, president of the Boarding Student Council. Shao has already studied in America for two and a half years and does not have any trouble with English, but she is still figuring out her FSHA activities.

Features

January 28, 2011

Veritas Shield

Page 3

Some seniors are already receiving college acceptances Here is the first list of college acceptances! Schools in bold show the student’s final choice. Emily Boyd Caitlin Cagampan Megha Chawla Haylee Chun Camille Coffey Alyssa Conti Paige Conti Robbie Dela Cruz Ali De Oca Sarina deSousa Katelyn Docherty Lauren Donnelly Alexandra Fisher Christiana Flaherty Darby Halloran Taylor Hardin Kathryn Herman Charlotte Hook

University of Michigan LMU, UCSB, UCI Drexel University (Dean’s Scholarship $15,000/yr) University of Tsukuba Fairfield University (MAGIS Scholarship $20,000/1st year and 3 year athletic scholarship) Johns Hopkins University St. Mary’s College, Marymount College ($3,000 athletic scholarship) Stanford, University of Connecticut (Academic Excellence Scholarship $13,000/yr), Penn State, UC Davis, USC UCSB Humboldt State University , University of the Pacific Azusa Pacific University ($7,000/yr), California Lutheran University ($9,000/yr), Concordia University ($6,500/yr) Dominican University ($15,000/yr), University of La Verne ($30,500/yr), Mount St. Mary’s College ($12,000/yr), Regis University ($12,000 /yr), St. Mary’s College of California, Whittier College San Francisco State University San Francisco State University, Northern Arizona University, Cal State Chico, California Lutheran ($9,000/yr) University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Portland, Seattle University ($15,000/yr), Colorado State University at Fort Collins, Dominican University ($15,000/yr), Humboldt, University of New Mexico, University of Oregon, Regis University ($20,000/yr), University of San Francisco University of San Francisco Loyola of New Orleans, Penn State Erie, Pace NYC, San Francisco State Arizona State University ($8,000/yr) Emerson College

Paulina Izzo Bianca Juarros Allie Kern Lara Leduc Kristine Locker Aly Lopez Mackenzie Lyng Taylor Maniscalchi Rebecca Morales Amy Nolan Carly O’Connell Lauren Pantiskas Amanda Plumb Nina Ragonese Stephanie Ramsden Vanessa Romero Sarah Rosenberger Rachel Saad Deshawn Samad Alexandra Scarborough Kelsey Shaw Katie Thomson Katy Tyler Alyssa Walton Rebecca Wilcox Natalie Zeenni

University of San Francisco, St. Mary’s College of CA, University of Portland, Cal State Fullerton University of San Francisco University of Colorado at Boulder, University of Alabama, University of Kansas University of Portland Santa Clara University, Chapman University (Chancellor Scholarship $20,000/yr) Humboldt State University U of Alabama, U of Oregon, Loyola of Chicago University of Alabama Arizona State University U of San Francisco, Loyola of Maryland, Texas Christian U, Elon U University of Colorado at Boulder University of San Francisco St. Mary’s College of California, Whittier College, Sonoma State, University of Redlands University of San Francisco, Sonoma State University Drexel University (Dean’s Scholarship $17,500) UC Davis Northern Arizona University, Sonoma State Univ. Creighton University (Dean Scholarship $12,000/yr) UC Davis Hampton University, Bennett College, Shaw Univ. Drew University University of Alabama ($3,500/yr), Indiana Univ. Indiana University University of San Diego University of Delaware (volleyball scholarship) San Diego State (honors program) University of New Mexico (soccer scholarship)

Cost of college may be deciding factor for some seniors By Rachel Saad

Campus Ministry Editor

lthough many colleges claim to meet all demonstrated financial need for their applicants, many seniors are worried about who will pick up the tab for their college education. Senior Charlotte Hook has been accepted into her top choice, Emerson College, but fears she won’t be able to attend because the school did not offer her financial aid upon entrance. She is applying for dozens of scholarships and grants (see Hook-ing College Cash column on this page), but has come up empty-handed so far. “My mom had to pay her way through the UC system and my dad went to college in England back when things were much less expensive. They aren’t very excited about paying over $30,000 a year, and that doesn’t even include room and board,” said Hook. Senior Paige Conti and her twin sister Alyssa also are wary of the financial burden that their college educations place on their family. Alyssa is committed to Johns Hopkins University for soccer, but is expected to pay full tuition at $40,680 each year on top of room and board, books and supplies and personal expenses. Because their dad, Dr. Peter Conti, works for USC, Paige would benefit from an employee discount on tuition if she is admitted, but her top choice is St. Mary’s College of California, where tuition is over

$35,000 a year. “It’s possible that I’ll end up at USC just because my family can’t afford two full college tuitions at once. I’m okay with it though because USC is a great school,” said Paige. Compared to a private college such as Emerson or USC, the UC and Cal State systems are much easier on the bank account, but both are still rising steadily in price each year. The estimated tuition for undergraduates at a Cal State is over $5,000, a 15% increase from last year. This does not include campus fees, room and board, or books, which would raise the total to around $20,000 per year. The University of California system also recently hiked tuition to over $11,000 for instate applicants and as high as $35,000 for non-residents. Including all other expenses, a California resident could pay as much as $30,000 while those from other states would surrender up to $53,000 each year. Because of the poor economy, many seniors nationwide are opting to take courses at local community colleges rather than mortgaging their futures. According to the American Association of Community Colleges, a 15-unit semester at a community college will range from $600 to $5,500, with the national average falling at just over $2,000. Luckily, California community colleges have one of the lowest average rates in the country at

College

PCC Cal State Long Beach UCLA UC Davis LMU U of A Sarah Lawrence

Cost/Unit in-state $26 n/a

Yearly Cost/Unit Yearly tuition tuition out Room out-of-state in-state of state and Board $183 $1,140 $3,060 $4,860 $372 $2,510 $6,974 $11,038

Books supplies (estimated) $810 $1,620

$229* $229* $1490 $544 $1,420

$286* $286* $1490 $999 $1,420

1,608 $1601 $4,599 $1,000 $1,780

$11,124 $11,124 $36,426 $8,238 $42,600

$33,660 $34,863 $36,426 $24,596 $42,600

$13,734 $12,498 $12,397 $9,024 $9,020

*Summer school rate

just $20 per unit. Contrastingly, Vermont is said to be the most expensive, averaging $180 per unit at its junior colleges. Similar to the UC system,

most community colleges have different rates for locals and out-of-state applicants with nonresident fees ranging anywhere from $180 to $360 per unit.

“The hardest part of my application process is no longer getting into college, it’s paying for it,” said Hook.

Hook-ing college cash

This columns follows senior Charlotte Hook’s scholarship quest to fund her education at Emerson.

oney might not buy happiness, but it does buy a good education. How can one pay for college if one doesn’t get money through the university and doesn’t qualify for financial aid? I got into my first choice school, Emerson College, but I didn’t get a merit scholarship. After a couple of hours lamenting over my situation, I was faced with the question: What now? I was about $12,000 short for each year, a collective sum of $48,000 of potential debt. Really, $48,000 is a huge amount of money for a 17-yearold to even contemplate, let alone assemble in a couple of months. I decided to focus on chipping away at the first $12,000 for freshman year. After doing some research I realized that Emerson has a work-study program, so I could earn money towards my tuition at a job that is compatible with my class schedule. If I were to get a summer job and complete a work study program, I could chip the cost down to around $6,500. With this new, more achievable number in mind, I signed Continued on page 12

Page 4

Opinion

Veritas Shield

College coming up sooner than we think

t first our obsessive fear was about getting in. How many will I get into? Is it a target? A safety? A reach? But now that the acceptance letters are gradually rolling in and seniors are voting on graduation dresses, the main concern, at least for me, is what it will be like when I actually get there. A few weeks ago it suddenly occurred to me that in a mere eight months I’ll be living in a room that’s probably about half the size of my current bedroom and sharing it with someone I’ve never laid eyes on before. In other words, I came to the realization that I would be relatively far from the familiar, comfortable world I’m living in right now. Discussing this topic with my mom one night moved us both to tears. “You know you don’t have

Elianna Bernstein to go if you don’t want to,” she said. No, she wasn’t advocating ending my education, but rather staying at home for another year while participating in some other sort of educational program, then attending a university the following fall. “ I’m gonna go, mom,” I responded. As unsettling and scary it is for me to think about next year,

I expect it to be a big maturing experience and yet another opportunity to push myself out of my comfort zone. Yes, we will all have to go through the process of building a support system in our new homes away from home and adjusting to new classes and teachers, but I’m expecting it to be exciting as well. My parents often like to remind me that with freedom comes responsibility. To be honest, I think we all rejoice at the idea of having no adults hovering over our shoulders, telling us what to do, when to do it or how to do it. Everything from what to eat to what to wear to how much to study will be completely dependent on our own decisions. So when we sing the Alma Mater for the last time and throw those red rose petals in the air, I can genuinely say that it will be a bittersweet moment.

January 28, 2011

Have you already broken your New Year’s resolution? With the beginning of a new year comes changing old ways and habits. But sometimes change isn’t so easy to come by. Veritas Shield asked Tologs about their resolutions. —Yanie Sun and Bella Ye “My resolution is to participate, not anticipate. I remind myself every day, though it is hard, it releases my stress.” –Alanna Pires ’11

Rosenberger

“In 2011, I need to study more and get off Facebook but I have already broken this rule.” –Danielle Chavez ’14 “I want to lose weight and eat healthier. I am tempted to eat chicken strips from KFC but I try not to keep thinking about it.” –Karin Gredvig ’14 Zhang

School violence is not a worry for Tologs

hen Tologs step on campus, fear for their safety is not their top worry. Instead, girls are able to focus on a test they might have first block or contemplate on what they packed for lunch. To protect students, some local public schools take drastic measures. Pasadena’s John Muir High School lines every stone wall with miles of curled barbed wire. Some public schools even force their students through metal detectors before they enter those hallowed halls. On the hill, we don’t need such precautions. No one has ever come to school packing a gun; girls may hide cell phones, Advil or Ipods in their backpacks, but listening to prison gangster music has never proved fatal. Also, because of our location on top of a fairly high hill, strangers do not target our school for

Rachel Saad violent outbursts or theft. Instead of worrying about weapons on campus, FSHA students can instead pay attention to the details needed for the third draft of a Bernstein essay or a best friend’s sweet 16 party for the coming weekend. “When I first walk into school in the morning, I usually wonder how much homework I’m going to have, and if it will be a good day. I’m never concerned about

if I’m going to get hurt while at school,” said junior Kelly Dow. Instead of worrying during breaks, senior Alyssa Conti ‘11 discusses her weekend plans and tells her friends about how her boyfriend wrote her a love poem and surprised her with flowers the previous weekend. “Break is my time to take a break. I’m usually not worried about much of anything, including my school work, let alone my safety,” said Conti. FSHA is well protected at night as well. The administration not only forces all visitors to sign in as they enter the building, but there are also, multiple security cameras that monitor every move the boarders and their guestsmake. “I can always see security gaurds patrolling at night, so I’m never afraid when to go to sleep,” said senior boarder Belle Ye ‘11.

“To avoid senioritis is my goal for second semester. I haven’t broken it yet but I don’t use enrichment as well as I used to.” –Sarah Rosenberger ’11

Spiers

Gredvig

“I want to study hard for the SAT, but I find it is difficult to keep my resolution because I have too much homework to do. I will take SAT prep courses on the weekends and study SAT practice books by myself.” –Tracy Zhang ’12 “I want to use Facebook less, but it is very difficult because there is always a new notification on something that draws me in…and the next thing I know I have been on for a few hours. I’ve definitely broken my resolution, but I’m trying to keep it. I will put little reminder in my planner to help me remember.” –Elizabeth Spiers ’13 “My new resolution is to manage my time better. In the first week it was easy, but later it got a lot harder. I will be organized. I think I can do it.” –Abby Davitt ’12

VERITAS

SHIELD

Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy 440 St. Katherine Drive La Canada-Flintridge, California 91011 (626) 685-8300; Fax: (626) 685-8305 E-mail: kthompson@fsha.org

Veritas Shield is published most months of the academic year for the students of Flintridge Sacred Heart Academy by the FSHA journalism class. Editorial opinions and comments are those of the staff or of contributors and do not necessarily represent the position of FSHA. We welcome all letters to the editors and opinion articles. All letters must be in good taste and signed. We reserve the right to edit for space. We also welcome freelance submissions. Advertising: Veritas Shield gladly accepts display and classified advertising. For rates and publication dates, contact advertising manager Katie Thomson or Mrs. Karen Thompson, moderator. Subscriptions: The annual subscription rate for first class delivery of every issue to your residence or place of business in the United States is $15. Editor........................................................................Laura Allen Editorial Editor.................................................. Ellie Bernstein Sports Editor.....................................................Lauren Donnelly Assistant Sports Editor................................Camille Aroustamian Club Editor..........................................................Sarina deSousa Entertainment Editor.....................................Victoria Humphrey Campus Ministry Editor...........................................Rachel Saad Advertising Manager...........................................Katie Thomson Circulation Manager.......................................Alex Scarborough Moderator.................................................Mrs. Karen Thompson Staff Writers: Alyssa Conti, Abby Davitt, Kelly Dow, Aleenna Escobedo, Charlotte Hook, Susie Mendoza, Amanda Petro, Vanessa Romero, Yanie Sun, Bella Ye. Cartoonist: Ingrid Allen

Op-Ed

January 28, 2011

Veritas Shield

Page 5

App helps teenagers manage texting habits LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Dear Editor: I am a La Canada resident and a good friend of mine, Mike Pernecky, informed me of an article entitled “Driving + Texting is not worth the risk” that was recently published in the December issue of Veritas Shield. I found the article on the FSHA website and was very impressed by the research and writing skill of Elianna Bernstein. She did a terrific job in reporting a difficult topic, and it’s one that I am close to. In the article, Elianna mentions that “...there’s no app to tell you whether your choice to text in your car will result tragically,” and she is completely correct. However, I co-founded an app development company in Seattle with my business partner (and former La Canada resident) Erik Wood. We have an app on the market that we hope will help end the dangerous practice of texting & driving, and the tragic results that come from this na-

tional epidemic. Our app is called OTTER (short for One Touch Text Response), and it has several features to help the user manage their texting habits. The feature that has earned the most recognition is OTTER’s GPS Mode. In this mode, OTTER ties the smart phone’s GPS function with its texting function. Once activated, the phone’s GPS function monitors the speed of travel. When the speed exceeds 10mph, OTTER shuts off the phone’s primary text and phone ringtones/alerts/lights so that the user will not hear or see any notifications while in motion. Furthermore, if a text message is received during this time,

OTTER will automatically reply with a message, telling the other party that the user is driving and will contact them later. When the driver has stopped for at least 6 minutes, the smart phone returns to its original settings and the user can retrieve all of the stored texts and reply as normal. Right now, our app is available for Android and Blackberry phones and we are currently in development on a solution for the Nokia platform. We created OTTER as a tool for users to help manage their texting habits. However, we also recognize that teens are at the center of the texting culture and some may need additional supervision to help curb texting

Lorem Ipsum

& driving. For this reason, we also included a Parental Control feature which allows the parent of a teen driver to enter a pass code which locks OTTER in GPS Mode. This way, parents can be certain that their teens won’t be tempted to text while they’re driving. We also think Parental Control is a great way for parents and teens to engage in discussion about the risks of texting & driving. If you have a few minutes, please take a look at the video produced by a local Indianapolis CBS news station. The video is embedded in the top left corner of the linked webpage and their reporter, Scott Sander, did a terrific job in demonstrating how

our app works. You can view it at www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/ local/marion_county/solutionsto-stop-texting-at-the-wheel. In addition, please visit our website at www.OTTERapp. com for more information, news and videos about the app and our company. You can also find us on Facebook and Twitter for the most up-to-date news and developments about this important issue. And, of course, please contact me if you have any questions or would like to discuss this further. Thanks for your time, Jon Lam 818-808-5902 jon@otterapp.com

It’s not too late to register for Dance & Music Classes!!! 626-‐768-‐2614

Spirit Week Continued from page 1

hallways during the third day. Mrs. Rosemary Johnston was a Hogwarts professor and turned her classroom into the Gryffindor common room. Class color day highlighted the week for many Tologs. “Thursday was definitely my favorite. I have waited four years to wear all red and be a senior at the Spirit Week assembly,” said Taylor Maniscalchi ’11. One of the many entertain ing games was a competition in which Cheetos were thrown on a face full of shaving cream. “I never thought that I would ever know what shaving cream tastes like. I had it everywhere, even in my ears! It was completely disgusting yet totally hilarious,” said Becky Wilcox ‘11. Although the “S” seniors looked like they were scandalous or sexy, the majority wore all black and were spies for Letter Day. Kelly Trueblood wore a pink flamingo over her shoulder for the junior’s “F.” “I didn’t really know what to expect of Spirit Week coming in as a freshman, but I thought that it was really fun and creative and I loved how happy and excited everybody was,” said Stasia McGregor ‘14. Junior Heather Norris thought the week was better than last year’s but she missed having Dress like a Boy Day and Twin Day.

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Guitar Piano

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Musical

Theatre WWW.PASADENADANCECLASSES.COM

Page 6

Veritas Shield

Cultural festival to replace the international assembly

Features

January 28, 2011

Boarder succeeds in speech tournament

By Yanie Sun, Staff Writer

new festival called “Celebrating Diversity” is tentatively scheduled to lift its veil on March 24 when it takes the place of the traditional international assembly. The international assembly, started in the 1980s, featured mostly international students who performed dances from their own cultures. However, the event was canceled this year due to the heavy expenses for the boarders. “The cost for costumes and dance teachers was huge. Each of our girls paid $500 last year,” said Mrs. Martha Lem, director of boarding students. The details for Celebrating Diversity are still under discussion, but Tologs may have the chance to play games from other countries and try different foods such as boba. There may also be a short presentation on several cultures. Celebrating Diversity welcomes not only boarders but also day students and faculty members to participate and showcase a variety of cultures. “We hope the entire school can be involved, not only boarders. We have parents from Germany, Ireland and Japan; we have teachers from Italy, France and Britain, and we have boarders from China, Korea, Mexico…American students are also invited to show their culture,” said Mrs. Lem.

‘We hope the entire school can be involved, not only the boarders.’

Photo courtesy L. McHUGH

RACHEL Koo shows off her third place medal after her successful speech..

By Bella Ye, Staff Writer

achel Koo ’14, an international student from Korea, took third place in a recent Speech and Debate tournament after working hard to improve not only her public speaking but also her English. She encountered many challenges, including

memorizing the entire eulogy “Ted Kennedy gave his dad Sen. Edward Kennedy”. Koo had to say the words correctly and express emotions throughout her speech. “Since English is my second language, it was not easy for me to do a 10-minute long speech clearly in front of people,” said Koo. “I am still struggling with the pronunciation of many hard words.” To prepare for the tournament, Koo sought out empty places to practice her speech without feeling any embarrassment and made her feel more confident. She also practiced infront of her writing, grammar class. Her parents are very supportive, and were at the tournament for her first round which she says gave her security. Koo has had a great experience being a member of the team and she wants to continue next year. She encourages other international students to join the Speech and Debate team to work on their public speaking skills. “I truly did not expect any award; I was lucky to take third place which gave me the confidence that I can do anything if I try hard,” said Koo.

Junior organizes pool, pizza party for kids with special needs

By Abby Davitt Staff Writer

unior Micaela Hicks coordinated a pool and pizza party at the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center Therapy Pool for kids with special needs in November. Hick’s mom had purchased the private pool party at an auction and they both thought it would be a great opportunity to organize something for a good cause. About 20 students, teachers and teaching assistants from Loma Alta Elementary’s special need classes attended the party. The students go to the therapy pool on a monthly basis, so the

school was happy to accept the offer of the party. “I am so happy that I got to do something with these kids and I would like to do this again. I had a lot of fun and loved the kids,” said Hicks. The partygoers enjoyed the pool and considered the 91 degrees of the pool to be quite soothing and comforting. Hick’s swam and played with the kids and especially enjoyed spending time with a girl who was blind. “First they were a little shy, but once they got in the water they had a lot of fun,” said Hicks. Later everyone had pizza

and cupcakes that Hicks made herself. “There were smiles everywhere,” said Paige Kenny, website and communications coordinator of the Rose Bowl Aquatics Center. “We thank Micaela for her thoughtfulness.” MICAELA Hicks ‘12 enjoys working with the special needs kids who attended the pool and pizza party she arranged for them at the Rose Bowl in November. Photo courtesy M. HICKS

Junior teaches dance, yoga to victims of domestic violence By Sarina deSousa Clubs Editor

Photo courtesy YEARBOOK

KYLER HARVEY shows off her dance skills during last years dance concert.

unior Kyler Harvey is earning her Girl Scout Gold Award by teaching dance to kids and yoga to their mothers at Hope Gardens, a wellness center which she found out about through the Union Rescue Mission. Harvey, a dancer herself, wanted to teach dance to spread the happiness it brings her. She teaches every Saturday; dance to the kids from 8- 9 a.m. and yoga to their mothers from 10-11 a.m. She started teaching them on Nov. 20 and plans to teach her last class on Feb. 5. Hope Gardens’ mission is to heal and change the lives of women who have been victims of domestic

violence. These single mothers experience stress because of a lack of money and the responsibility of raising children. “I collected clothes donations and also raised money by recycling to pay for some dance equipment I needed, such as yoga mats for the moms,” said Harvey. The kids stay active and enjoy learning how to dance. “It helps get their energy out. I have also taught them many moves and they are starting to make up their own dance combinations; I couldn’t be happier and more proud of them,” said Harvey. The mothers look forward to her yoga classes. “It is their time to relax and focus on themselves for a change. I also give them any nutrition facts or tips I have,” she said. “I know they greatly appreciate a place where they can pretty much start over. Overall these women will be in

better shape and realize that they are important too and need to take care of their bodies,” said Harvey. Family, friends, fellow Girl Scouts, dance stores and studios all helped in her efforts to accumulate contributions. “I will definitely be coming back to set up a storage place for all of the donations I collected,” said Harvey. She recalled that her first day was hard, as it brought both surprise and

the challenge of accommodating everyone. “I expected my dance class for the kids to be mostly little girls, and I was told they would be between 4 and 11 years old; however, I ended up with 21 kids, few of whom were girls, and the age range was 2 to 13,” said Harvey. She was surprised at how well she is getting to know the kids, each of whom has a different and often sad story.

January 28, 2011

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Entertainment

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January 28, 2011

Miracle Worker cast gets advice from professional

By Victoria Humphrey, Entertainment Editor

he Miracle Worker cast was thrilled to have guest speaker Anne Marie Lee, a professional actress, talk to them about the upcoming play on Jan 20. Lee, who performed as Helen Keller when she was younger, has been in several T.V. shows including Brothers and Sisters, 7th Heaven and Nip Tuck. Lee grew up in Fairfield, Conn., with two older sisters. She began

“When I was cast the first time the director would put me in a room and tell me to look forward. Several people would enter and make noises around me. I couldn’t look around or flinch at the sounds they were making. It was very grueling and I had to be focused,” said Lee. Lee told the girls to try various trust exercises involving blindfolds to help develop their characters and trust their fellow cast members. She added it would also help with sudden reactions from night time critters, a past experience Lee had. “During one of the scenes, I was sitting on a chair looking off into the distance when a huge bat flew right past my face. But since I had had so much training, I didn’t flinch. The entire audience thought I was really blind,” said Lee. Lee was seriously injured each time she played Keller. But she encouraged the girls to take risks, whether it be physical or mental. “The first time I cut my head open on a sharp edge of a table. The second time was in a scene where water

Lee was seriously injured each time she played Keller, but encouraged the girls to take risks, whether it be physical or mental. acting when she was 9 years old. Her first play where she was cast as Helen Keller was the Miracle Worker. She was later cast again as Keller at ages 10 and 14.

Anne Marie Lee talks about her past experiences as Helen Keller. was thrown into my face. The person who threw the water shoved a metal pitcher in my face and cut my nose. The third time I broke a blood vessel in my hand,” recounted Lee.

Photo by V. Humphrey

She encouraged the girls to physically and emotionally connect with the audience and to research the mid 1800s when the play took place. “She was very inspirational. She

had such great advice to develop my character more and delve into the history of what went on in the time period,” said senior Katie Polley, who plays Annie Sullivan.

Five great movies to watch before Academy Awards

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By Victoria Humphrey, Entertainment Editor

ave you been to the movies lately? If not, it’s time to quit studying and go see some wonderful performances of this year’s must-see movies. From Jeff Bridges and Colin Firth to Natalie Portman, these films’ protagonists range from psychotic ballerinas to Wild West assassins. “I loved Black Swan. Although the movie had some graphic parts, the overall effect was great. Natalie Portman did an outstanding job and really played her character well. I would definitely see it again,” said senior Bianca Juarros. Black Swan is about a mentally unstable ballerina who will do anything to reach perfection. It is one of Portman’s darkest roles and has already won her a Golden Globe for best actress and a nomination for an Academy Award. “The King’s Speech was amazing. No other actor could have pulled off the stutter as well as Colin Firth. I really hope he wins an Oscar for his performance because he deserves it,” said junior Sienna Hill. Directed by Tom Hooper, The King’s Speech is about King George VI of England who tries to overcome a speech impediment with help from an Australian speech therapist played by Geoffrey Rush. Firth won the Golden Globe and is a nominee for the Academy Award for best actor. Rush is nominated for supporting actor. “True Grit was great. I enjoyed Jeff Bridges play such an amazing role. I would see it again,” said senior Aly Lopez. True Grit, directed by the Coen brothers,

is about a U.S. Marshall who helps a young girl find her father’s murderer. Bridges is a nominee for an Academy Award as best actor, and could be his second consecutive win. Other amazing actors in the film include Matt Damon, Josh Brolin and Hailee Steinfield. Steinfield is also up for an Academy Award for supporting actress. “The Fighter was outstanding. Christian Bale did an amazing job and I’m so happy he won a Golden Globe for his performance. I don’t like fighting movies, but I really enjoyed this one,” said senior Lara Leduc. In addition to Bale, Mark Wahlberg, Amy Adams and Melissa Leo star in The Fighter –– a film about Irish boxer Micky Ward and his brother who helps him become a professional in the 1980s. Bale and Leo both won Golden Globes for best supporting actor and are both nominees for supporting actor for the Academy Award. “I loved Blue Valentine. I don’t like watching romance or depressing movies, but I really enjoyed this movie. Ryan Gosling and Michelle Williams have such great chemistry. I would recommend it to people who don’t like romance,” said junior Nicole Parseghian. Directed by Derek Cianfrance, Blue Valentine revolves around a married couple looking back on their relationship. Williams is a nominee for an Academy Award as best actress.

(Clockwise from left) Natalie Portman shows her dark side in Black Swan (Photo courtesy of Austinpost.org); Jeff Bridges and Hailee Steinfield get ready to ride in True Grit (Photo courtesy of davonfilm.com); Colin Firth as King George VI waits nervously with Helena Bonham Carter before orating in The King’s Speech (Photo courtesy of Dailyawards.com).

January 28, 2011

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Features

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ologs plan for their weddings a decade in advance By Kelly Dow, Staff Writer

Walking into Mrs. Hunnewell’s freshman enrichment classroom in early January, I asked how many girls had planned their wedding; every hand but one shot into the air.

January 28, 2011

icking a dress, finding a nuptial location and choosing color schemes are all crucial aspects to creating a perfect wedding, an event that many Tologs have already planned despite a lack of a marriage proposal. Television wedding shows are popular, which is where junior Anna Liebelt found her dream wedding dress on “Say Yes to the Dress.” She plans to fly to Kleinfelds, a haute couture wedding shop in New York, when it’s time to buy her gown. Along with having a dress and ring picked out, junior Ivy Fitzgerald also has selected a red color scheme

which will include white and red roses. She plans to have a big wedding in a church at 2 p.m. Yes, she has the exact time. Junior Maddy Castenada plans to get married on a ranch in Santa Barbara during the day, just like her parents. Her color scheme will be lavender and ivory, with hydrangeas and roses tying the theme together. These juniors all have chosen princess-cut diamond rings from Tiffany & Co. and plan to marry in their midtwenties. “Because I’m a girl,” said Castaneda, when explaining why she has her wedding planned 10 years in advance. Several seniors even have their bridal parties assembled. Kate Herman hopes to have a young niece as her flower girl and wants her bridesmaids in floor-length, light blue dresses. The bridesmaids will all wear their hair down and curled to accent Herman’s hair which will be styled up. “I don’t want to have as many bridesmaids as Katherine Heigl in 27 Dresses,” says

senior Katie Williams. owner of an oil company and Senior Camille Coffey plans to have football player are all demands her two best friends and sister make up freshman Kacey Benson had for her bridal party. They will hers. Benson also wear floor-length navy blue demands that he dresses and their hair will be not be balding, down and styled. sport big eyes and Some students even have really white have their music picked out. teeth. Sophomore Nelly Irwin Interestingly, refuses to have chamber freshman Raleigh music at her wedding, Scharre wants preferring to have a DJ play her tattoo-less classic rock and techno groom to drive during the reception. She an Escalade. She plans to dance to a Bruce adds that she Springstein song for her wouldn’t mind if father-daughter dance her groom shed a because her father loves the tear when he first singer. sees her coming Marilyn Manson-obsessed Photo courtesy WEDDINGBEE.COM down the aisle. sophomore Nina Sarian STAFFWRITER Alyssa Conti ‘11 Dreaming has already selected this dress to plans to have all Manson that her groom be her wedding gown. songs at her wedding and will look like reception, and hopes rocker the perfect mix Mason will make a guest appearance and of singers Bow Wow and Trey sing for her. Songz, freshman Sydnie Johnson In the search for prince charming, does want him to have tattoos and many freshmen know exactly the qualities doesn’t want him to cry when he they demand in their future grooms. sees her for the first time. He must Neurosurgeon, animal shelter volunteer, be manly, she says.

Students don’t shy away from giving blood

Photos by L. DONNELLY

CAMILLE Coffey ‘11 (above) keeps a brave face even with a needle in her arm, while Rachel Saad ‘11 proudly shows her bandaged arm, a sign to “be nice to her today, she gave blood.”

By Katie Thomson, Advertising Manager

hile some girls, including myself, faint at the sight of blood and others cringe at the thought of being pricked by needles, several Tologs donated blood for the blood bank at the Providence Saint Joseph Medical Center.

Tologs, along with faculty and family members, gave about 35 pints on Jan. 19 inside the Bloodmobile parked outside of the SAC.. Prior to giving blood, vitals were taken to ensure that donors were healthy and that their bod-

ies could tolerate the blood loss. Donors could not have cold or flu symptoms, a fever or high blood pressure. They had to have enough iron, a sufficient hemoglobin count, and need to be at least 17 or have a parent’s consent in order to donate. Maddy Morey ’11, was among the first-time donors. “I was a little nervous at first, but the nurse was calming and walked me through it. I am glad that my blood can now be used for a person who is in need of it,” she said. ASB President Alanna Pires ’11 “was surprised by how smoothly it went. I asked the nurse, ‘When are you going to slide the needle in?’ he responded, ‘it’s already in.’ I was pleased I was not in pain.” Senior Caroline Vettese was unable to donate. “They checked my vitals and my iron count was too low. I was disappointed but I know that my own health is very important, especially when losing blood,” she said. Participants received t-shirts as a thank-you for their donation. The blood drive is an annual event at FSHA, held each January during National Blood Donation Month, which raises blood shortage awareness and saves lives.

Hooking Dollars Continued from page 3

up for the scholarship search engine, fastweb.com. I filled out my information and found I was a match for 68 scholarships. Two hours later, I had narrowed it down to about 25 that I wanted to apply to. One of the first was called “Healthy Respect Win-Win” (which is kind of humorous considering, that I’m neither commendably healthy nor notably respectful). But when I tried to submit my essay, the site kept rerouting me and making me signup for accounts on other websites. Finally, it got to the point I had to give up, because it was a waste of time. ince then, I only apply to scholarships to which I can apply to directly. There are some scholarships which require only a paragraph or are simply raffled off and require only your contact information. I try to apply to those as much as I can because it takes so little time, it would be a waste not to apply. My dream school is only couple thousand dollars away I’ll be keeping you upto-date on my search.

Features

January 28 , 2011

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Photo courtesy A. RAMOS

ALUMNA Annie Ramos ‘04 feels at home with her students in Mmanoko, Bostwana, after initially feeling it wasn’t the place for her.

Alum describes life in Botswana with Peace Corps By Laura Allen Editor

t was nearly impossible to discern that the young woman smiling brightly before her fellow Tologs was Annie Ramos ‘04, a Peace Corps volunteer who had carried the coffin of her best friend, a victim of HIV in Botswana, in southern Africa. It was hard to relate to how Ramos had spent weeks trying to help a little boy get to a hospital so he would not have to collapse every day during his three-mile trek to school. And one could hardly believe that Ramos was more than willing to return to a place where she spent her evenings locked in a concrete house with bars over the windows. Yes, Ramos truly had endured all those things, and she had returned to the hill to share these experiences on Jan. 6.

Ramos was like any other involved Tolog during her time on the hill, when she ran for the cross-country team and served as Ambassador Club president. Her

English major, where the Peace Corps was first introduced to her. After a year-long process, she was accepted into the program and was sent to the underdeveloped village of Mmanoko, Botswana. Initially, she was convinced she was ill-suited for this adventure and wanted to leave. “The craziest thing I had done was wear white. It was daunting. But I told myself, ‘Annie, you can’t leave after one day.’ Just make it to the end of this week,” she told Flintridge students. One week became many weeks, which turned into months, as she taught life skills at the local school, including HIV prevention to kindergarteners. While Botswana is a lot cheerier

“Katherine was the first to smile at me, the first to speak to me, the first to hold my hand.” favorite classes were Driver’s Ed and English, taught by Mr. Thornton and Mr. Bernstein respectively. She matriculated to Santa Clara University as an

than Tologs would expect, with “smiling, happy children” and the company of neighbors whom Ramos calls her family, she also had to tolerate the pain of only speaking to her mother for “ten seconds through a bad connection” once per week exacerbating the loneliness she felt so many miles from home. A student who became her closest friend, Katherine, died from HIV. While most children in Mmanoko had never seen someone who was not AfricanAmerican and were too afraid to speak to Ramos in the first four months, Katherine was “the first to smile at me, the first to speak to me, the first to hold my hand,” said Ramos. Yet Ramos stood merrily amongst her fellow Tologs, aiming to broaden their cultural horizons, inform them about HIV and, most significantly, to inspire them to make a change.

“She was brilliant. She really showed that anyone can make a difference, and that you don’t have to wait until you’re old to do it,” said freshman Sammy Dier. She advised students to persevere and have a good work ethic, and emphasized that anyone can be a Peace Corps volunteer, noting that she herself was not “the strongest student, not a girl genius” while on the hill. Ramos took her graduate school entrance exams in South Africa last June, and hopes to study journalism or law to further help the people she met in Botswana. In mid-February, she will return to Mmanoko, where she will seek to incorporate a music program and develop a playground at the elementary school.

New peer tutoring center opens in for freshmen

By Alyssa Conti, Staff Writer

he new Student Tutoring Center (STC), spearheaded by Ms. Kelly Bothamley, opened in Portable One during enrichment on Jan 18. The STC is a place for sophomores, juniors and seniors to help the freshmen in biology, English, algebra 1 and geometry. The goal is to expand into more courses and tutor more grade levels by the fall of 2011. Sophomore Jasmine Taver was eager to tutor freshmen in geometry, algebra and English. She has never tutored anybody before but she feels like she would be a big help for people who need clarification. “I have a fresh perspective on what they are learning,” said Taver. Ms. Bothamley originally came up with the idea while she was studying at Loyola Marymount University, which has a peertutoring center that is extremely useful to students. “When I began working at FSHA, I realized that there was a definite need for the same kind of service here,” she said.

The STC allows students to help one another so that the teachers can spend more time focusing on more needy students. “The goal is not to replace help from teachers but to provide daily homework assistance, group study and support for students,” said Ms. Bothamley. Sophomores and juniors are eligible to receive Christian service hours for time spent tutoring. Tutoring can also look great on college application, be added to a resume, or provide meaningful experience to girls who might want to pursue a career in education. Sophomore Brianna Silverman is especially excited to earn service hours and feels she will make a good tutor because of her experience. “I have already gone through those classes so I know what to expect,” she said. Although the STC is not too busy yet, the faculty anticipates that P1 will become highly populated in the weeks to come.

ANAIS Engel ‘12 (right) helps Abby Durkan ‘14 in math.

Photo by A CONTI

Martial Arts

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January 28, 2011

Ronay is taekwondo pro By Abby Davitt Staff Writer

enior Stephanie Ronay has taken taekwondo for a large part of her life but has had to overcome many obstacles to obtain her black belt. As a little girl, Ronay recalls being fascinated by the taekwondo center near her house. Her asthma and allergy to grass made her unable to play the usual sports

and belt colors aren’t really that important in her studio; rather it is more about the commitment and practice technique, says Ronay which is one reason why she has remained involved in taekwondo for 10 years. She is currently an assistant instructor, and practices and teaches up to 10 hours a week. Although Ronay admits that the sport is hard work, she loves the community that her studio has established, which “feels like a family.” R o n a y believes that it is important to protect others and yourself, and her studio really emphasizes that. “Our studio’s creed is ‘to build true confidence through knowledge in the mind, honesty in the heart and strength in the body.’ It also teaches us values of courtesy, integrity, perseverance, self-control and an indomitable spirit. I feel that the creed and

Ronay believes it is important to protect not only yourself but also others. such as softball and soccer, so she was thrilled to begin the sport when she was about 7. Ronay earned her black belt at 14, but it took her over five years to get there because she contracted Rocky Mountain spotted fever and had to take almost one year off. But rank

Mr. Pariante wears purple belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu

By Suzana Mendoza, Staff Writer r. Mario Pariante, one of FSHA’s social studies instructors,

combat sport and self-defense system that focuses on ground fighting and grappling. “Brazilian jiu jitsu is for discipline, fun and training. It is not for real fights,” said Mr. Pariante. He has practiced the sport on and off for about 18 years now. It took him three and a half years to earn his purple belt, the third highest rank, in the late 1990s. He used to be very competitive and play tournaments around the country and once took 1st place in a Tampa, Fla. competition in his division. He does not practice as much as he used to, but still occasionally plays with some friends. Mr. Pariante loves this martial art and plans to do it for many years to come. Photo courtesy M. PARIANTE “It’s almost like an MR. Pariante shows off his jiu jitsu gi. addiction,” he said. He recommends it, esholds a purple belt in Brazilian pecially for the young because it jiu jitsu, a type of martial art, builds up people’s confidence.

SENIOR Steph Ronay teaches a taekwondo class for kids. values are really important in your development of becoming the best person you can be,” said Ronay. The Korean language and culture are a big part of Ronay’s life, so much though that she considers herself part Korean. Also, she has become close with the people in her studio, including her best friend who is Korean. Having a black belt makes

Photo courtesy S. RONAY

Ronay feel safe although she has not needed to use her skills. “Just because someone is trained doesn’t mean they should go out looking for trouble. You should always use common sense and never go out alone at night. You should also know that your life is more valuable than money or a cell phone. So if I were in a situation where someone was threatening me to give them my

Senior dancer is a karate black belt

By Amanda Petro, Staff Writer

enior Kristine Locker earned her black belt in karate, a martial arts developed hundreds of years ago in Japan, after eight years of practice when she was just 15. She started practice at IKA Karate when she was 8 years old and her dad pushed her to continue. As in other martial arts, a student starts at the white belt level. Every six months or so, students are tested on what they have learned; if they pass they move up a belt. She has competed twice; at the first competition she won two gold medals and a silver, and in the second she won another silver. Her favorite karate skill was the roundhouse kick; her least favorite part was the outfits she wore. “I hated them; they were a really uncomfortable, rough material,” she said. She likes to think if she was attacked on the street she’d be able to defend herself, but she honestly does not know for sure. When her guy friends find out she is a black belt most of them are shocked and some think it’s funny, but she’s sure none of them are afraid of her. Since she moved away from karate at the end of her freshman year, Locker has concentrated on dance. She joined Junior Salt as a sophomore and continued to Senior Salt for her junior and senior years. She feels accomplished for earning a karate black belt and wants to put her kids in it some day. It made her very aware of her surroundings and boosted her confidence, she said.

iara Avaness ’14 earned her black belt at age 13 in taekwondo and hapkido, which she has participated in for four years. Avaness says in order to receive the black belt you must pass the punching, kicking, blocking, seven forms, 30 selfdefense called Hapkido, grabs,

flying kicks, jumping kicks, teacher and makes the class fun,” rolling, falling, jump rolling says Avaness. Master Lee not and breaking. You also have to only teaches her the physical break 14 different sets of wooden aspects of martial arts but also the boards using various history and spiritual methods and you have aspects. to break a brick with Avaness used to your hand. practice four times “I really enjoy weekly but that Taekwondo because became difficult it’s fun, you get a work with schoolwork out, gain new skills and so she goes at least Avaness my master is a goofy once a week now.

Photo courtesy K. LOCKER

A YOUNG Kristine Locker competes in a karate competition.

Freshman has taekwondo and hapkido black belts

By Aleenna Escobedo Staff Writer

money or anything of the sort, I would give it to them,” Ronay said. Although she has achieved much taekwondo success, Ronay is modest; having a black belt isn’t the first thing she tells people when she meets them, but when boys find out, they usually respect her — and some are even surprised because she is so skinny.

During taekwondo class Avaness spars with other teens of all different sizes but says she always seems to be paired with big guys which she thinks is beneficial because it challenges her to improve. Avaness’ favorite part of Taekwondo is self-defense because it is hands-on. She does not give up trying to take her opponent down unless they hurt. She also likes taekwondo

because she knows she could protect herself if necessary. Avaness does not hold back from telling guys that she has a black belt; they often do not believe her until she does a selfdefense move on them and then they clutch an arm in pain. “I feel safer and more confident because I know I can protect myself. When I earned my black belt it felt like a big accomplishment and I am very happy I stuck with it,” says Avaness.

Features

January 28, 2011

Speech & Debate off to promising year By Aleenna taff Writer By AleenaEscobedo, Escobedo, SStaff Writer

ot many Tologs know about a key benefit of joining the Speech & Debate team: over the course of a season, new team members completely conquer their fear of public speaking. So far the team has competed in several tournaments. Dani Chavez ’14 won first place in a competition on Jan. 9 in novice oratorical interpretation, which is taking someone else’s speech, interpreting it, memorizing it and giving it as yoor own speech. Chavez also competes in the impromptu category. “I believe the reason I’m doing so well in novice oratorical interpretation is because I love the speech I’m doing – it is by Lady Gaga – and I believe in it,” says Chavez. There are eight freshmen and one sophomore on the debate team (see related story on page 6 of this issue). Speech and debate members are divided into two separate teams. The debaters meet with Coach Tim McHugh while the speech team meets with his mother, head coach Mrs. Leilani McHugh, who works in development for FSHA. The subject for debate changes every two months and the team researches the new topic during their meetings. “Because we are a new and small team my goal this year has been to grow the team so

Photo by M. McHUGH

DANI Chavez shows off her winnings from novice tournaments.

we can have more girls than last year and to establish our presence amongst other debate teams in the LA area,” says Mrs. McHugh. Her favorite part of coaching the team is watching someone grow, believe in themselves and become more confident in public speaking.

Porter. The freshman class will hold elections next week. Running for president are Audrey Garibyan and Lexie Rittichier; for vice president are Haley Shewfelt and Sara Vargas; and for secretary are Elizabeth Hinckley, Marina Horvat, Megan Sey-

Hindu senior feels unique will be reincarnated. For example, if you are a bad person, you might be reincarnated as a worm, the lowest of the low. The cycle continues, hopefully upwards, until in one of your lives you become most religious and free your soul, which then joins with Brahma, one of the three main gods. Hindus prepare for their death

mour and Charisse Yeh. Running for treasurer are Daniella Argueta and Julia Byrne; for activities are Daisy Beckner, Kacey Benson and Abigail Goad, and for campus minister are Karin Gredvig and Madeline Wirhtlin.;

Continued from page 9

by focusing their minds and actions on the Supreme Lord. It is believed that if one can remember the Lord at the time of death one will attain liberation. “I’m different from the norm and most people don’t understand the religion,” she said, never having to go through discrimination on the hill.

Megha Chawla

Give your loose change to CAM Koins for Kids and make a solid change in a child’s life.

Page 15

Just like old times at the winter alumnae games

Sophs elect officers; frosh to vote Jan. 31 he sohomores elcted new officers for the second semester this week. They are President Yasmine Dabbah, Vice President Nicole Muchamel, Secretary Margret Lee, Treasurer Athena Williams, Class Campus Minister Camille Betance and Activities Anna

Veritas Shield

By Vanessa Romero, Staff Writer

reshman angst surfaced among the senior athletes during the annual alumnae soccer and basketball games over winter break. “When I saw the alums from my freshman, sophomore, and junior years I immediately felt like an underclassman again, having to watch out for what I’m saying or doing,” said Vanessa Romero, a starter on varsity basketball. “I felt like a freshman seeing and playing with all the alumnae again,” echoed teammate Darby Halloran. Both alumnae games were fun, informal, with 20 alums in the basketball game and 30 alums in soccer. The final score for the basketball game was 42-43, the alums won. “I thought it was a fun game,” said Mr. Buxman. “They were a little out of shape but they still were good,” added Halloran. After the games, both teams hosted luncheons in the SAC. “The food was good,” said senior soccer co-captain Natalie Zeenni. Returning alums from the class of 2010 for basketball were Amanda Erwin and Stephanie Kiang, and Danielle Molina and Dominique Oro for soccer.

Water polo looks to improve

By Abby Davitt, Staff Writer

he water polo team has much potential and the future looks bright particularly with so many freshmen who can grow as players. The team has had five games so far but has yet to notch a win one under Coach Rob Curreri, who also coaches boys water polo at Poly and a club water polo team at the Rose Bowl. On the team are senior captains Hayley Bowyer and Marina Morales, junior Cheri McGlynn, sophomores Margret Lee, Hannah Walleck and Athena Williams, and freshmen Rebecca Armstrong, Devin Aubert, Deedee Durkin, Jackie McGreal and Elizabeth Hinkley. The team is open to “receiving constructive criticism in a healthy way,” said Captain Hayley Bowyer ’11. The next game is away on Feb. 1 against Lousville.

Devout Muslim Zeenni Continued frompage 8 are a belief in Allah (God), his angels, the Koran, the prophets and messengers, the Day of Judgment and Resurrection, and fate. “I have read from the Koran before, and if I read really slowly I can relate words to other words I know and get an overall meaning,” said Zeenni. The sacred book of Islam, the Koran, contains the Five Pillars of Islam. It is a practical doctrine that encourages Muslims to declare “There is no god but God, and Muhammad is his prophet” among other professions of faith. The Muslim Creed is at the heart of every individual. “It is what makes someone a Muslim. I say it five times every day in my prayers,” she said. Muslims believe that some parts of the Bible and the Torah, or The Five Books of Moses, may have been misinterpreted or distorted by followers of the Muslim faith, and that world events have caused some people to misunderstand the true nature of the Muslim faith. “Everyone connects my religion to terrorism because of September 11 and the war in Iraq, but what terrorists do is the complete opposite of what Islam teaches us,” she explained. “Being a Muslim makes me feel protected.” Zeenni credits her mental and spiritual health to her faith. “I’ve become a lot more patient and accepting within the last couple of years due to my religion and practices,” she said.

Sports Soccer loses 3-4 to Harvard-Westlake Page 16

January 28, 2011

Veritas Shield

Time Out

By Camille Aroustamian

Assistant Sports Editor

arsity soccer was gliding through the season until Monday night when the Tologs were defeated 3-4 in stoppage time by nemesis Harvard-Westlake in a bitter loss. The sting was eased by the 3-0 victory against Louisville on Wednesday, but the Tologs are still lamenting their defeat by the Wolverines. Things began brightly when three minutes into the game Kayla Mills ‘13 passed the ball to Katie Johnson ‘12 who scored the first goal. But a minute later, Harvard-Westlake tied. “At that point, we told ourselves we have to speed it up and take it up a notch,” said Breeana Koemans ’12. In the 15th minute, Koemans who has committed to Northestern University, scored and put the Tologs ahead. Jill Jacobs ’12 then put the ball in the back of the net after a spectacular pass by Koemans, but in the 28th minute Harvard-Westlake scored again making it 3-2. Goalie Lindsey Espe ’12 initially had the ball but it slipped out of her fingers and went into the goal. “It was disappointing because we were ahead most of the game,” said Tera Trujillo ’12. Sam Dier ’14 replaced Espe in the goal for the second half, and by the 53rd minute, the game was 3-3. “In my mind I said, ‘this can’t be happening,’” said Zeenni.

By Lauren Donnelly Sports Editor

The new Oscar category: faking sports injuries

A Photo by N. PARSEGHIAN

FORWARD Katie Johnson ‘12 scores the first goal during Monday’s game at Harvard-Westlake.

hot trend in the world of competitive athletics is not scoring the winning basket or being the team captain, but rather “getting injured,” which came to light in recent football news when a Cal coach ordered his macho player to fall to the field “hurt” to slow down Oregon’s momentum during a game. Faking injuries can definitely have benefits, and perhaps that is why so many coaches encourage their team members to do it.

Things only got worse. One minute into stoppage time, Harvard-Westlake scored another goal which ended up winning the game at 4-3. The Tologs remain on top in the Mission League, solidified by Harvard-Westlake’s 0-2 loss to Notre Dame Sherman Oaks on Wednesday. Today is the Tologs turn to play Notre Dame at Occidental College at 5:30 p.m.

Junior commits to D-2 college in Tennessee By Camille Aroustamian

Assistant Sports Editor

indsey Espe ’12, a varsity soccer team goalie, committed to Belmont University in Nashville, Tenn. on Oct. 30 at 12:50 p.m; yes, she remembered not only the date, but also the exact time! She will join the Div. 2 team with a full scholarship. “At first I didn’t want to visit because I thought they would all be rednecks, but my mom made me go and I absolutely loved it,” said Espe. She was also recruited by Dartmouth University, but didn’t meet with coaches there

“because I wasn’t interested in the East Coast,” she said. The Belmont coaches saw Espe at a tournament in Texas and contacted her on Sept. 1, the first day coaches are allowed Lindsey Espe by NCAA rules to communicate with juniors. “I fit in so perfectly [at Belmont]. I completely surprised myself because I went in with a closed mind and low expectations,” said Espe.

Basketball improves and is ranked in CIF Lana Haddad was an unstoppable force, making 16 points in the first half. She also made 18 points in the Harvard-Westlake game last Friday when the Tologs lost 48-67. Another stand-out player at Prep was Vanessa Romero ’11 who made five steals and scored 19 points for the Tologs. She scored 13 points against HarvardWestlake. “We have a lot of commitment on the team. We STEPHANIE Ramsden dribbles around her opponent. Photo courtesy YEARBOOK have improved a lot since last year and we want have beaten both Alemany and to win playoffs. Last year we By Lauren Donnelly Chaminade. We weren’t on our lost the first round,” said Ivy Sports Editor game and basically gave them the Fitzgerald ’12. arsity basketball improv- win,” said co-Captain Stephanie ed this year and is even Ramsden ’11. JV basketball is winding down The practices have been tough- the season with a 5-6 record. ranked 8th in the CIF Southern Section V-AA division. er and the coach is trying to run “We’re doing much better than The team has an overall record of his team more to keep up the last year. We beat Chaminade for conditioning, Ramsden said. 13-8 and league record of 2-3. the first time in I think 7 years, and The game against Flintridge we have a much better chance of “We have a lot of potential but I feel like we haven’t quite Prep Jan. 18 showed a major winning more league games this played up to it. I think we could improvement in the team. Junior year,” said Cathy Nivera ’12.

Photo courtesy N.Y. TIMES

FAKE injuries were part of Cal’s game plan against Oregon in the Nov. 13 game. Cal lineman Aaron Tipoti looked toward his coach on the sideline before grabbing the back of his knee and falling to the ground without being touched.

When a Mission League soccer player falls to the ground crying buckets of crocodile tears that a girl on the opposing team cruelly fouled her, the alleged kicker will likely get a penalty and the injured girl’s team will have the advantage of a free kick. Any coach familiar with this scenario might encourage or even make one of his players fake an injury, but a player might make this decision on her own, especially in overtime. Why not? It might lead to a goal. The FSHA coaches have high enough morals to understand that while this strategy might work, it isn’t the right way to gain a leg up. But our school is full of athletes who are on club and rec teams outside of school where coaches are open to the idea of “taking one for the team.” “I know that people exaggerate injuries on the spot to make it look like they get fouled,” said Jessica Reed ’11. Even if people do not lie about getting hurt, there are other ways to cheat your way into scoring more points or preventing the opposing team from doing so. “I’ve never faked an injury before, but there’s a strategy that some girls on my club team use where you tie your shoes in the middle of the game to slow the momentum down if the other team is gaining too many points,” said volleyball player Alyssa Walton ’11. “When we ref, our coach encourages us to make bad calls against the team that just beat us,” said volleyball player Kathryn O’Sullivan ’11 of her club team. As it is well known, basketball players are notorious for pretending to get hit when someone tries to block their shots, causing a foul and stopping the game for two free throws. The point of a sport is to be competitive and showcase one’s skills, not to act. If you are trying to win an Oscar, then get out of the game.

“I know that people exaggerate injuries on the spot to make it look like they get fouled.”