INSIDE
Where are the black authors? p. 3 Lines from The Hangover p. 5 Tahoe on a budget p.8
Valentine’s Day history explored p. 9
The Highlander Carlmont High School Newspaper Volume I, Issue v - February 2010
Carlmont start time to be pushed back
New Board policy forces Carlmont and other schools to begin a half hour later By Theo Yeh
Photo by Dylan Coyne
Staff Writer
Carlmont Students hurry to class each morning. Will another half an hour make them better students? A Stanford study and the school board suggest that it will.
On January 20th, the Sequoia Union High School District Board approved later start times for all schools starting Fall 2010. This means school would start no earlier than 8:30 a.m. each day at Carlmont. Bettylu Smith, the public information officer for the Sequoia High School District, reported, “As stated in the policy, schools are expected to implement the new bell schedules by Fall 2010. However, the superintendent may grant a delay if requested in writing by the school(s). To date, the superintendent has not received any requests for a delay.” The reason the board made this decision is so students can get more sleep. According to Smith, “Research indicates that teens require nine hours of sleep daily to increase achievement, productivity and engagement. Award-winning research
conducted in collaboration with Stanford University at MenloAtherton High School produced similar findings.” Carlmont’s Principal, Mr. Raul Zamora, plans to request a delay for implementing the schedule change. Regarding how to accommodate the later start when it does occur, he stated, “Once I get specific details, I will talk to all stake holders to receive input.” Sleep has many health benefits, just like exercise and a good diet. According to TalkAboutSleep.com, most teenagers need about nine hours of sleep. Sleeping is very beneficial to a healthy, proactive teenager. It helps you concentrate, improves your memory, makes you more alert, and can even prevent the common cold. According to Medical University of South Carolina Hospital Health, “Sleep is a time when the cells of the body produce proteins that restore and repair damage that occurs from stress, u-v light exposure, exercise,
pollutants and a host of other things that we encounter when we are awake.” A good night’s sleep is also connected to maintaining a better weight control because people who are tired want more carbohydrates and other fattening foods. When Carlmont’s Vice Principal, Mr. Robert Fishtrom was asked about his feelings toward the new proposal, he replied, “I think that if the data shows that a later start increases student achievement, I would be in favor of a later start because I am in favor of anything that helps students.” When asked how this would affect him and the school he replied, “For me it would be a challenge, because I have my own children. I think it will affect athletics because when
students are involved in athletics, they often get out of school early, so if we have a late release, they will miss more school. I think there
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Carlmont students break up a sexual assault Prop 8
Debate
By Jenna Chambers Carlmont juniors Kevin Burleigh and Vlad Vinarskiy, are being called heroes after they saved a potential sexual assault victim in Redwood City on Saturday night. Burleigh and Vinarskiy were returning to their car when they heard loud screams coming from a suspiciously parked vehicle with darkly tinted windows. “We heard screams and there was banging on the windows. Someone was obviously trying to get out,” said Burleigh. Startled by the unexpected distressed screams, Burleigh and Vinarskiy quickly made their way to their car. “Our first intention was to run and get help” com-
mented Vinarskiy. They then proceeded to drive their car behind the suspicious vehicle flashing their headlights in the back window attempting to give the troubled individual hope that help was on the way. “When I flashed the headlights, I definitely saw a head pop up and then saw someone yank the head down,” stated Vinarskiy, “someone was obviously trying to hide something.” Upon flashing the headlights, Burleigh and Vinarskiy discovered that there were at least three men in the mysterious van, one driver and two or more men in the back with a girl. After the students drove behind the car, they parked their car about a block away and called 911. “We stayed at a close, but
2010 Repeal Effort By Ashley Dierolf Staff Writer Photo by Ashley Dierolf
Staff Writer
The heroes show off for a photo after the incident safe distance from the vesaid Burleigh. When the police arrived, hicle,” said Burleigh. the heroic pair left the scene. “I was ready to follow the “We wanted to get out of car if it tried to get away,” there as quickly as possible,” added Vinarskiy. After calling the police, the said Burleigh. No other information about courageous students waited this possible sexual assault for the police car to make has been released at this their way to the scene. “We time. However, both Burknew something sketch was leigh and Vinarskiy wish the going on and wanted to wait best to the victim. to make sure that the police got there and checked it out,”
Proposition 8 is one of the most controversial state laws California citizens have had to vote on. When it passed in 2008, the LGBTQ (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgendered, questioning) community’s right to same sex marriage was taken from them. However, this important proposition may have the chance to be put back on the ballots in 2010. The right for same-sex couples to marry has been given and taken back many times over the short course of eight years. In 2000, Proposition 22 passed, stating that marriage between a man and woman will be the only kind valid or recognized in California. In
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