INSIDE
Spring fashion tips p. 2 Teen drug abuse rising p. 9 MTV — Where’s the music? p. 4 What’s really at the end of Liggett — Coaching Legend p. 11 the rainbow? p. 2
The Highlander Carlmont High School Newspaper Volume I, Issue vi - March 2010
Drumline rocks Heritage Fair Basketball season ended in CCS bid
Photo by Laney McGrew
By Christina Belasco News & Opinions Editor
Carlmont’s Drumline rallies up the crowd with their glow-in-the-dark routine. See more drumline on page 7.
Hometown Days threatened by cuts
Budget cuts may force many San Carlos parks to close
By Nicci Betteo Features Editor
Park, and Arguello Park. Sophomore, Malak El-Khatib responded to the news by asking, “can they even do that? I don’t think that it’s fair for San Carlos to just shut down parks and stop traditions.” El-Khatib has a point; how can the San Carlos council take away years of traditions and joy to kids and adults everywhere in the area?
Sophomore, Caitlin Costello was extremely shocked. She commented, “that’s the stupidest thing I’ve ever heard. It’s the most amazing thing that we have in San Carlos. It’s my checkpoint to the beginning of summer.” Hometown Days has been a San Carlos tradition for more than twenty- five years, and to take that away would not be fair to anyone. Though many think that the shutting down of parks will be sad and unfair, others believe that it would be good for sports teams in San Carlos. Adam Alberti, a parent who is involved with as this one as the San Carlos Little League and AYSO league believes that “it would be a big hit to youth sports throughout San Carlos to have that kind of reduction in field space. It’s very challenging to run the sports programs in San Carlos with the restrictions on field space we
On December 13, 2009, the San Carlos council held a council meeting that would determine how many budget cuts the city would have to make. This means that there are going to be many drastic changes to the city of San Carlos. There are going to be cuts in the Police Department, Fire Department, Department of Public Works, and the San Carlos Park and Rec Department. With so many budget cuts involving different categories, there are going to be less parks in San Carlos open to the general public. According to the Many San Carlos parks may soon look as empty San Carlos City the city begins closing parks Council, the city Not only is San Carlos debating plans to eliminate the Recreation Coordinator and a Recreation on whether or not to shut down Supervisor as well as to cancel parks, but they are also supportthe Summer Concert Series and ing the closing of one of San the Christmas Tree Lighting cer- Carlos’ most beloved events: emony. They would also close Hometown Days. The closing the Laureola Community Cen- of Hometown Days would be ter, as well as Cedar Park, San a shock to everyone, especially Continued on page 2 Carlos Avenue Park, Crestview the San Carlos natives.
This basketball season was filled with ups and downs for the girls varsity, but for the boys varsity team, it was one of the most memorable ever with them going to the quarterfinal game of CCS against Gilroy. With an astounding record of 21-5, Carlmont’s boys team continuously stunned fans every time they were on the court. They went the entire season without losing a single game at home. They only suffered two league losses against their biggest competition, Mills and Burlingame. According to Coach Low, “They weren’t mentally ready, there was no energy on the court and they weren’t playing together. Those games were our biggest losses.” He also went on to say that if he could do any game(s) over again, it would be those two.
It wasn’t all just fun and games, however. Like all varsity teams, they had to deal with the difficulty of replacing the talent of graduating seniors. Coach Lowe said they also had difficulty working together as a team. Girls varsity had many challenges to overcome, not the least of which included losing six seniors. Battling off injuries such as partially torn ACL’s (Lisa Sandoval), concussions (Genna Verderame), and a partially torn meniscus (Aly Lazzarotti), just surviving the season was enough of a job for the girls. And these were only the major injuries. To add to all of this, Carlmont was moved up into the power
Continued on page 10
What’s the point of CAHSEE?
By Han Li Staff Writer
Every year more than 500 Carlmont students have to sit down and spend two days in March tediously reading mindless tests, correcting obviously wrong grammar, solving middle school math problems, and mindlessly filling in little bubbles. We've all grown up taking countless standardized tests; they are a fundamental part of our education. They allow us to see where they are in comparison to our peers and also allow us to see and hopefully improve on any weaknesses we might have. Despite these supposed advantages, many Carlmont students don't see the point of the California High School Exit Exam, also known as the CAHSEE. One of these students is senior Thomas
Smith who thought, "It was a waste of time." His claim is backed up by the fact that last year, 91% of test takers passed. The CAHSEE was created in 1999 by senator Jack O'Connell in order to improve the academic level of California schools. The first class required to take it was the class of 2006, with only one out of every ten students failing to pass. The obvious consequence of failing to pass the CAHSEE is not graduating; even if you have completed enough credits, without a passing grade on the CAHSEE, you will not be able to receive a diploma from Carlmont. According to Vice Principal Lynn Bailey, "The basic purpose of the CAHSEE is to demonstrate a basic competence in 9th Continued on page 10