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March 2013
Table of Contents
11
Irish Film Festival
9
Pizza For A Cause
Page 3
4 High Achievers Truth About 5 The Bottled Water 6 Making The Grade 7 The Fashion Show 10 Club Updates 12-13 Cohasset 15 Catching Zzz’s 16 February Update How We 17 Rethink Think 18 Oscar Pistorus 19 Mayoral Election 20 Yes He Can? for 22 Sacrifice Passion Injury 23 Will Lead to Defeat?
The Knight Magazine
March 2013
NEWS
HIGH ACHIEVERS By Sidney Stephens
Tyler Burke--enrolled in four AP classes, ASB President, Ambassador, reporter for NDTV, 4.5 GPA--is an overall high achiever. He is every teacher’s dream student. But what makes students like Tyler Burke work so hard in school? “I study as hard as I do because I want to go to a good college,” Burke admits. Many students are motivated by the very same reasons as Burke. This past semester, over ninety students earned the Maxima Cum Lade honor (above a 4.0), one of the highest semesters thus far. However, while Tyler’s motivation to do so well in school stems from his own personal desires, certain students are pressured by their parents and society’s high demands to succeed in school. These outside pressures have led to catastrophic side effects. Students push themselves to their limit in order to earn high grades and participate in an abundance of extracurricular activities in order to someday please col-
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lege admission officers. This leaves students burned out, over exhausted, and highly stressed, which is unhealthy for adolescents. Studies have shown that stress leads to weight gain, headaches, irritability, acne, and sleep deprivation. All of which jeopardize students’ ability to perform well in school. Simone Hart, Senior, who--like Burke--is a very high achiever, and works until there is nothing left. “There have been lots of nights where I don’t get any sleep,” Simone admits, “which burns me out by the time the end of the year rolls around.” Hart is not alone. Students alike believe the only way to get into elite, high ranking colleges is to have perfect grades and participate in a wide-range of after school activities. Nevertheless, to do well in school and outside of school is not easy, requiring hard-work, determination, and a lot of nights without sleep. “But is it worth it?” Burke asks. “We’ll see.”
The Knight Magazine
March 2013
By Vaughn Himber
NEWS
Page 5
In 1798, Samuel Taylor Coleridge wrote in his The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, “Water, water, every where, Nor any drop to drink”. Such is not the case at Notre Dame in 2013, where one can find students drinking bottled water everywhere on campus daily. But where, precisely, does all this water come from? The Flood Phil Hanna, son of cafeteria manager Brenda Hanna, said that bottled water is “by far the most bought item” in the cafeteria, which goes through about 60 to 65 cases of the stuff every week. “We also have kids who buy water bottles and then refill them here,” he said, pointing to the “WATER” tab in the soda fountain. The cafeteria sells Crystal Geyser water since it has a “big bottle for an affordable price”, and Hanna mentioned how everyone seems to prefer the sports bottles instead of normal, flat-topped bottled waters. But there may be another reason why many prefer the cafeteria’s water: “The Dasani water in the vending machines is the same price [as the water sold in the cafeteria], but is sold in a smaller bottle,” he said. “Crystal Geyser is affordable; that’s why we buy it.” What Students Think Sean Furqua, who drinks at least six bottles of water per day, said, “Bottled water tastes good and fresh, and is better than tap water or filtered water.” He thinks the water comes from a “mountain spring just like it says on the bottle,” and that the added “minerals make [bottled] water taste better, refreshing, and good for you.” Jack Carty brings two extra-large bottles of water to school daily, while athletes often tote entire quarts. The majority of students interviewed in X-Period buy their bottled water from school, prefer bottled water, and enjoy added minerals for taste. They all believed that all bottled water comes from rivers, melted snow, glaciers, and springs, including some who thought certain companies “actually go to Lake Arrowhead” to get their water and then filter it. In reality, many of them are victims to lifelong brainwashing fueled by aggressive advertising on the part of bottled water companies. Oliver Adams, Senior, said that “convenience and marketing” have contributed to nationwide plastic water bottle-drinking. “It is kind of ridiculous when you think about how engraved it has become [in our culture],” he said. The TRUTH “Many people think bottled water is
safer than tap water. There is no such guarantee,” according to the Sierra Club. All bottled water quality reports are required to print the following as part of the California Health and Safety Code, Division 105, Part 5, Article 12, 111071, § 7 (A): “Drinking water, including bottled water, may reasonably be expected to contain at least small amounts of some contaminants. The presence of contaminants does not necessarily indicate that water poses a health risk.” Most of these “contaminants” are either not detected (and it is implied, not present) during analysis testing, or contain so little harmless compounds that they do not have any harmful effects whatsoever. According to Reader’s Digest, “between 25 and 45 percent of the bottled water sold in the United States originates as tap water”, including popular brands like Aquafina, Dasani, Glacéau Smartwater, and Nestlé Pure Life. This is why Aquafina labels include the phrase “Public Water Source”, meaning that their bottles contain tap water that has purified through procedure like the company’s own HydRO-7™ process, a form of reverse osmosis. Crystal Geyser “is really natural spring water”, according to the company’s website, with its plants “built at the spring sources” surrounded by private land to shield the “water from any possible harmful impact from manmade activities.” The nearest Crystal Geyser spring source is “near Olancha Peak, in the Sierra Nevada”, and the company said, “We do not bottle municipal [or tap] water at any of our locations.” Hanna verified this, describing how he has driven up the 395 Freeway and seen the plant, noting that the company truly does sell “legitimate mountain spring water”. Although Crystal Geyser prides itself as “the only major bottled water company that bottles exclusively right at the spring source”, it neglects to mention other brands like Arrowhead, which also take their water from “carefully selected mountain springs that are continually replenished”. Students seem to have the “luck of the Irish” since most of the bottled water they drink comes from spring sources. Still, the revelation that many other brands originally come from tap water may leave some feeling like the Mariner at the end of Coleridge’s poem: “like one that hath been stunned,/And is of sense forlorn:/A sadder and a wiser man,/He rose the morrow morn.”
Special thanks: Sean Furqua, Ryan Pastirjack, Matthew Silva, & N.D. cafeteria staff.
The Knight Magazine
March 2013
NEWS
Getting the Grade By Ben Sloan
Some students get A’s and others don’t. What do we make of this? Is it simply because some are lazy and others work hard and spend hours and hours doing their homework and studying for tests, or is it because some students have an easy time with school work? See, it could actually be a combination of all of the above. Opinions run high and some students, typically the ones that don’t do all that well, resort to blaming it on the teacher. One student said to me, “She gave me a C on that paper and I deserved an A”. He said this with some built up angst. It might just be that you didn’t put all that effort into the paper. The other option: you got academically austrasized because of your crude mannerism in class. Chances are the conspiracy side of the deal seems to be a little doubtful, though some stay strong to their beliefs. I’m sure in far out countries where there are three television channels are displaying infomercials of their leader, that there is this type of academic system but at Notre Dame I have come to know the teaching staff to be a tad more democratic with their grading than Fidel Castro would be if he were to be teaching 11th grade English. In a little bit I will touch on some of the more rigorous classes
and see if maybe they have an affect on even the hardest working of student’s ability to get the highest grade possible. For now, all conspiracies aside, let’s stick to basics. A fellow student of mine, Michael Knopf said, “The harder you work the better the results that can be obtained”. It’s true. Let’s say you have a calculus test on a Thursday. The night before the test your friend asks you to go to the gym with you and you decide to go instead of studying. Two days later your mom walks in the room complaining about the grade that you have in calculus. You might make excuses and tell your mom that your teacher gave you an impossible test or that you in fact did study a lot you just forgot the material. Lets look at the scenario from a different perspective: You get home from school and even though you really want to go to the gym you decide to stay back and study. No upset mom and no guilt. That seems to be the better decision. Aside from a few classes or particular tests, any extra time that you out into studying will most likely result in a better grade. The less time you go out, the less chance you have of getting the grade that your or your parents want for you. Lesson is this: put in a little more effort, and in reality, stresses will die down a bit.
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The Knight Magazine
March 2013
NEWS
Fashion Club: 2013 Fashion Show By Anna Hovanesyan
Notre Dame’s very own fashion club is starting to plan their annual fashion show. For those of you who do not know, the fashion show will showcase work and designs produced by members of the club. This show is put on solely by the entire club, with everyone helping out to design, model, set up, clean up, and make sure the show goes as planned. Excited to be planning their first fashion show, club co-presidents, Katie O’Conor and Savanna Scott, have a very busy few months ahead of them. “We are kind of planning as we go, but we have gotten some great tips from FIDM on how to put on a successful and exciting show, so hopefully this one will come out as planned,” explained O’Conor. Both girls have been working on ideas for about a month now, and have been seeking out some brand partnerships. While they do have the difficult task of laying out the whole show, they’re open to new ideas. “We do have a theme for the show, but it’s more of just a guideline, we don’t want to stop anyone form expressing their fashion style,” said Scott. Scott and O’Conor are both very passionate about fashion and are planning on pursuing fashion in the near future. Fashion, to them, is an art form. They are constantly looking to other great designers for inspiration, especially since new designs were showcased at New York Fashion Week a month ago. Another club member, Byanka Alzaga, Sophomore, is a second year member and is thrilled to be participating in this year’s fashion show for the first time. She too, like the Fashion Club presidents, admires the work of many top notch designers. “I admire the work of Marc Jacobs, Stella McCartney, Elie Saab, Jason Wu,
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Alexander Wang, Vera Wang, Lauren Conrad, Michael Kors, Victoria Beckham and Jenny Packham. My drawings are terrible, but I am constantly making notes of a design so when I finally start taking sketching classes I’ll be able to draw out my ideas,” said Alzaga. Not only will Alzaga be designing, but she also hopes to even model her designs. She expects that the fashion show will require a lot of time and energy, but having her designs showcased will be worth the work. All this buzz, has had fashion lovers sketching and preparing for the big event ahead. The good news is that students don’t even have to be a part of the club to participate. The club is more than happy to welcome any students who have a passion and are willing to contribute. “We would love to have anyone who loves fashion or just wants to be part of the show participate. A lot of members do sew, design, and work for the show, but we have other groups that work on planning, publicity, make-up/hair, and props,” stated O’Conor. Past fashion shows have been successful and with all the dedication and planning that the presidents and members are putting into this year’s show, the event will no doubt be as great as past years. If anyone wants to be a part of this great event, just contact club presidents Savanna Scott or Katie O’Conor.
Fashion Show date has yet to be announced! Contact Seniors Savanna Scott or Katie O’Conor for more information!
The Knight Magazine
March 2013
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NEWS
PIZZA FOR A CAUSE By Devon Gearhart
What do you get when you mix 9 high school football players, a Big Mama’s and Papa’s 54 x 54 inch pizza, and the potential to win $1,500 dollars? Just a typical Monday night for Notre Dame students. In an attempt to raise funds to help pay for the Journalism New York trip, ND football players courageously put themselves up to the Big Mama’s and Papa’s pizza challenge. On average they get about one challenger a week, however the odds of actually winning the challenge are about 1 to 100, according to Denis, the assistant manager. The brave challengers were Kelly Hillinski, JJ Muno, Chase Lee, Niko Walsh, Kobe Walsh, Tony Gutierrez, Anthony Gutierrez, Nick Monica, and Cameron Page. Starting off the challenge the boys were in high spirits, many chest bumps and fist bumps were being exchanged in anticipation of the night’s festivities. However once they all got their eyes on the pizza that was bigger then most of them, it was all business. They started pretty strong at first, but then slowed down as their jaws began to hurt. The restaurants solution? Dip the pizza in water to soften the crust of course! Whether they were genuinely trying to help or not is still up for interpretation, but one thing was for certain, the smell, visual, and (im sure) taste, of the soggy pizza was enough to make the players want to quit the competition while we were
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ahead. As the designated 2 hours were waned down to 1, things started to get ugly. Senior, JJ Muno, eloquently stated, “This is the worst thing I have ever done in my entire life.” The boys who came in with firm jaws and eyes brimming with determination, were reduced to the likes of sad puppies. One by one the boys started to walk away from the table to lay down in various areas, to get fresh air, and to try not to vomit. Notable players, Chase Lee and Nick Monica, stayed ture while the rest of their team-mates faltered. Niko Walsh requested to have ice water dumped on him in order to stay fresh for the tournament of his life, and thankfully Tyler Goss played inspirational music to cheer the boys on. While the boys gave it their all, unfortunately we had one of the boys throw up after ingesting too much soggy pizza. This resulted in a disqualification and the fighting Irish lost this round. After seeing their team-mate throwing up, every boy ran to the bathroom to vomit after holding it in for the cause. While we did lose, we should all be proud of our Knights for working so hard to raise money and taking on such a challenge!!
The Knight Magazine
March 2013
NEWS
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By Mina Kim
The second semester has been in full swing and classes have been busy, busy, busy. But what have the clubs been up to? What are they planning this month? Here are three ND updates about what they have been working on.
Gwen Club The GWEN Club shot a commercial
Dry Ink Club This club has been collecting various
works of art, from poems to photographs, to publish into a small booklet. This club tries to promote teen creativity and provides an outlet for those who want to express their artistic capabilities. Senior, Jo Aquino, the president of the club, said, “I love literature and writing so I wanted to lead this club in helping other student do the same.” Along with her Senior Vice-President, Keelin Quigley, Aquino has been working hard collecting various works with the theme involving the year of fire. If you have any poems, drawings, photographs, or short stories, find Jo Aquino on the Dry Ink Facebook page and send in your work!
on campus with the co-founder of the GWEN organization, Tess Cacciatore. This commercial was made to promote the new GWEN app for iPhones. This free app allows people to program up to five people in their contacts list to contact in an emergency situation. In a click of a button, these five people known your location and that you are in trouble. It is essential to anyone who might find themselves in a tight situation. Although this organization promotes the empowerment of women, GWEN is a promoter in general social justice that fights against abuse.
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SriLankids Club This newly founded club is lead by
Juniors, Tara Haniffa and Tatiana Kassam who were inspired by Sri Lankan orphans and orphanages. It collaborates with the Lambesc Children’s Foundation, which raises funds to various orphanages in Sri Lanka, providing basic needs they are denied due to the loss of their parents. Haniffa said, “My sister and I both sponsor children there and when we visit Sri Lanka and we go and help out there to help orphans and underprivileged kids by giving them housing, medical care, education, and food.” The club is now designing sweaters to sell and raise funds for the LCF. Come and help out by buying a sweater!
The Knight Magazine
March 2013
NEWS
Notre Dame Goes to Irish Film Festival
Notre Dame students pose with student filmmakers from Ireland. By Sophia Page
The Irish students pose for a picture at the Film Festival in West Hollywood.
On Saturday, February 23rd, TV Production students, passionate about cinematography attended an Irish Film Festival held at the Lot Studios in West Hollywood. The event was held by Cinemagic, the Irish established organization that educates and inspires teenagers to make movies. It was a huge honor for Notre Dame to be a part of this joyous gathering and to have our very own short films shown. Cinemagic is the largest film event for young people in the U.K. and in Ireland. Our very own Senior, Chris Vukasin, went on a one-week trip to Ireland last summer to learn more about the art of filmmaking. Vukasin said, “Cinemagic was really cool. I wanted to be a cinematographer, so they paired me up with a camera operator who has worked on things like Spiderman and the Life of Pi. It was a great experience.” The festival started with the showing of our very own short films, followed by Hamilton High School’s. The themes of all the short films were saying no to drinking and the horrible effects of suicide and bullying. Everyone in the theater was amazed at the powerful message conveyed from each video. All the students showed immense passion for their films. Filmmaker and actress, Kendra Mcculty from Hamilton High, said, “I’d love to either be a filmmaker, actor, or staff person. There’s nothing else I could ever consider doing in my life.” The students from Belfast, Ireland, then, had the opportunity to show their films. Their films were filled with emotion and were by far the most outstanding. The group of Irish students
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was very talented. Most of the actors and makers of the films were at the festival. They were all extremely nice and happy to be in Los Angeles. The students were already looking to buy a house in Los Angeles for the Cinemagic organization. The Notre Dame Students were amazed by the films created by the Irish Students. Harry Tenenbaum, Junior, said, “I thought they [the films] were really good. They were very professional. The editing was spectacular.” After a quick lunch, the festival continued with a panel of three influential individuals working in the entertainment field. These individuals were Irish actor, Jason O’Mara, American actress, Jo Newman, and British Publicist, Simon Thomas. They spoke to all of us about how tough the acting and filmmaking industry is and the challenges they have gone through. They taught us that rejection is a major part of acting and filmmaking. They told us we couldn’t make it in the industry without being able to get back on our feet after being rejected from a role. The three individuals were very inspiring and taught us about the pros and cons of the industry. The film festival was a great success. It was so much fun meeting the talented Irish filmmakers and getting to see their films. Cinemagic is an amazing organization worth checking out if you are thinking about being a cinematographer. See Mrs. Harkins-James if you are interested in Cinemagic. Website: www.cinemagic.org.uk
The Knight Magazine
March 2013
SPOTLIGHT By Tina Nagai
1. How did the band start up? How did you all meet? Tyler: Joseph and I started playing for this reggae band, West Swell, during freshman year. I was the guitarist and he was the drummer. Joseph: We enjoyed playing the reggae circuit, meeting a lot of great people and gaining a lot of great experience. Tyler: The band eventually dissolved, but Joseph and I wanted to commit to a side project. Our band never really manifested until summer 2011 when I asked Chris to play bass for us. We had tried out other friends Joseph and I knew for different instruments, but Chris was the first one that we could really vibe with. Chris: Tyler wanted me to be the bass player in a funk/reggae band he was starting, but after several line-up changes I’ve now become the singer, bass player, and keyboardist (Tyler and I switch off) for the band.
“
Cohasset 2. Where did the original name Ask The Others come from? What about the new name?
Joseph: Ask the Others was a spawn of our lack of band name ideas and our uncertainty of the ones we did come up with. We would always tell each other to “ask the others” after sharing a name idea. So it kinda stuck. Chris: We got the new name Cohasset simply because it’s the name of the street that leads to my house. We changed the name from Ask The Others mainly due to the dramatic line-up change. Tyler: When we were thinking about changing the name, I insisted that it include nature in it. Cohasset translates literally into “pine place.” I’m pretty satisfied with the name change.
3. Do you guys have any major influences?
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Tyler: Yes. We have picked up on some of the styles of a few bands that we have gotten into over the past couple years. For me, the most influential groups that have affected my writing would be Tall Ships, Tame Impala, Animal Collective, TTNG, Maps & Atlases, Weye, and a few others. A year ago I would’ve said Incubus, Red Hot, and The Young Rapscallions. Joseph: I think as a whole the band is influenced by post rock, indie, and math rock bands. This Town Needs Guns, Tera Melos, Weye, Animal Collective, Toro y Moi, & Tall Ships all seem to find a way into our music. As individuals I’m positive that our influences break the ‘math rock’ or ‘indie’ barrier. We are each influenced by musicians who we draw techniques and styles from—one could say we then portray them through an indie lens of sorts. Chris: My major influences are The Beatles, Radiohead, and This Town Needs guns. Our band has been compared to Incubus multiple times, and they were certainly our original influence when we were initially trying to figure out what direction we would take.
This band is just an outlet for our musical cravings.
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The Knight Magazine
March 2013
4. Who writes the songs? What do you like to write about and why? Chris: Tyler comes to practice with an idea and then I help him complete the idea. I am the main lyricist, but I feel that all three of us have a say in the direction of our songs. Tyler: These days I usually come to practice with some guitar parts written out and a general direction that I want the song to go in. Chris writes his own bass parts on the spot and Joseph learns the meter changes when I bring them up. Joseph: I listen to it to pick apart the different time signatures and get an overall feel for what Tyler and Chris are trying to express through the music. Then I come up with some drum parts, usually basic at first and then as time goes on they become increasingly more complex or interesting. As far as lyrics go, we have all found ourselves writing lyrics, which helps us keep themes and ideas fresh and different. Tyler: We jam it out, then we leave the lyrics to Chris to compose later, unless we have material for him. I really like the freedom that songwriting with Cohasset gives me; expressing vibrancy is so easy when there’s no restrictions.
5. What are rehearsals like? Joseph: Rehearsals tend to be on the weekends, usually Sundays at noon. In a sense it is planned but we like to keep it spontaneous in that we have a general outline of what will be worked on that day, but are not constrained by that outline. Chris: We usually start by working on the songs that we already have down, just for extra practice. After that, we spend most of the time working on new material. We are constantly trying to make new songs, rather than dwell on the same songs over and over. Tyler: Rehearsals are sparse but desperately needed. They are pretty low-key besides the whole “loud” thing. I’ve heard that the volume we rehearse at is ridiculous. That’s probably why I’m losing my hearing. Anyways, our practices are very relaxing, personally. Spending a few hours submerged in music is so elevating. At least I think so.
7. What is your ultimate direction as a band? Joseph: To be honest I feel that we create music for ourselves. Music in my eyes the purest form of human expression and allows the individual to communicate feelings or ideas in a way that attracts the attention of others and combines poetry, rhythm, and often times visual arts to create an experience that can last the listener a life time. And it is also a very self-fulfilling experience. There is no doubt that being able to have a steady income through music would be nice, especially since it allows you to continue to make music. But there is definitely more to making music than others tend to see. Tyler: Personally, this band is just an outlet for my musical cravings. I’m not necessarily expecting to find fame or money in the music world, but I’m happy to live humbly, playing small shows. It would be nice if this group does catch a niché, but I’m not banking on it. Chris: We all think it would be nice to be famous, I’m sure. But more realistically we are just playing music because it is what we enjoy most. I personally feel that this should be the priority. If we get the opportunity to become successful, however, we will definitely take it.
8. Do you have any advice for people who want to form their own bands? Joseph: My advice to anyone wanting to start a band would be to have fun with it. When you start taking things too seriously (especially early on) you may loose the urge to make music. Make music for the sole purpose of human expression. Everything else is secndary. I also strongly recommend to everyone to express themselves artistically in some form. Draw even if you can’t draw all that well. Write poems even if you think they suck, because you may not realize it, but that basic form of expression can help you on so many levels. And who knows, one day you may make a career out of it. Chris: I’d make sure that the band members you are playing with are people you actually like. No matter how good of a musician someone is, the band will never get anywhere if there is always tension or arguing. Tyler: Just do it! Big problems that happen in bands are a lack of confidence, motivation, inspiration, or chemistry. If you don’t care, then your music will suck. If you don’t want to play, you probably shouldn’t be in a band. If you have nothing to look up to (unless you are a true artist) you will fall. If you don’t feel the vibe with the band, don’t force yourself to stay; make music when it feels right.
6. How has your music evolved since you first began playing together? Chris: Our musical evolution has been very dramatic over the time we have been together. We started as a reggae band, then started to make funkier songs. We tried to be a metal band shortly, but that didn’t quite work out. Later, we became more alternative, and our music has slowly gotten more complicated. Now, we consider ourselves math rock due to the complexity of our music. With me as a vocalist, this genre is more appropriate that our previous styles. Joseph: While still retaining outside influences, we found ourselves able to create something unique to the indie scene while still keeping the average indie listener in their comfort zone. With our work on our current record in progress, we aim to create an album that flows well and is easily accessible while still being musically challenging and complex. Tyler: Yeah, we’ve definitely experimented with a lot of stuff since 2011. In total, we have written around 31 songs over two years.
Check ou their new t single, Sunbe Now oanms. Itunes! Page 13
on: theothers them Finud sk tube @ youtube.com/a
Yo Cohasset s/ er th O e h T sk A : h rc Itunes @ Sea amp.com dc n ba s. er th eo th sk a @ p Bandcam /CohassetMusic m o .c be tu u o y @ k o bo Face hasset Amazon @ Search: Co The Knight Magazine
March 2013
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The Knight Magazine
March 2013
Less Sleep, More Problems
NEWS
By Ebone’ Chatman
“Starting school
later would be such a good idea. Maybe I’d be more interested and learning would be easier”
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Are you a morning person? Well with all the activities that most Notre Dame students are involved in and the homework that still needs to get done, I am going to assume that you are tired at school and you fall asleep in class. Well, if this is the case, the simple solution would be to get more sleep. However, it is not that easy when school starts at 7:45am. Many students, including myself, would like to have school start later in the morning, giving us a chance to get more sleep or allow us to be more alert during classes. Most statistics, including the one from CNN: Later School Start Time Means Happier Students, says that students are more awake around the times between 8:00 am and 8:30 am. Teens need eight and half hours of sleep each night. The statistics also mention that the schools that start between 8:00 am and 8:30 am have students that are less depressed, unhappy, annoyed or irritated, and attendance has also improved. This sounds great, but If only it was that easy. However is starting school later really something Notre Dame students want? Well Jeffery Estrada, Senior, seems to think so. He says, “Starting school later would be such a good idea. Maybe I’d be more interested and learning would be easier throughout the day. Since I can drive, getting to school at a later time wouldn’t be a problem. Having shorter class periods actually seem like a good idea because I get drained after the first 45 minutes.” Hunter Woods sophomore says,
“School would be better if we started slightly later, I think kids would be more focused and well rested to be ready for class.” Alexa Fabrizio, Freshman, says, “I think starting school later would be a good idea. There would be less traffic because most people would already be at school and work. I also think everyone in general would be more awake and willing to get out of school a half hour to a hour later, instead of starting earlier. I think the only drawback would be the fact that most people have after-school commitments they would have to rush to or miss because of the later dismissal.” They all mostly agree on students being more focused, however if school really did start at a later time I am sure there would be some other consequences such as maybe getting out at a later time as Fabrizio mentioned or maybe having a shorter summer. Moreover not everyone agrees with the concept of starting school later. Andrea Diaz, Senior, says, “I dislike the idea of starting school at a later time because, besides the heavier traffic, I feel that it is necessary to start our days earlier so that way we end earlier and allow ourselves time to relax at home and finish homework.” Diaz makes a valid point, the sooner school starts the sooner you can be done and finish all your other commitments. Whether the students disagree or not it is just a thought and the starting time for Notre Dame is not changing, signing off in 3 more months.
The Knight Magazine
March 2013
NEWS
The Knight Staff Makes a Match! By Tayce Taylor
Last month, the Knight Staff played matchmaker with Seniors, Wesley Adrianson and Keelin Quigley. Cupid must have striked them hard because this match has become one of the cutest Senior couples on campus. With a full expense paid lunch at Panera Bread on Ventura, apparently it did not just end with a soup and salad combo. These lovebirds hit it off and continued their date by walking around Ventura, stopping by a bookstore and an art gallery. After talking about books and discovering their mutual passion for art, Keelin noted, “We are really compatible and have a lot of similar interests.” Before the date was set up, Wes was anticipating who he could be meeting with. “I knew Keelin was friends with the Newspaper staff so I figured it might be her, which made me want to go on the blind date, honestly.” Once the first date went well, it gave them both leeway to start dating. Wes said, “There was more potential than just being friends. I had a crush on her for a while so I was really happy to be put in that position to continue dating her.” Even though this couple thoroughly enjoyed their blind date that started their spark for companionship, Keelin and Wes were both hesitant at first. Keelin said, “I’ve heard about a lot of bad blind date horror stories, so to have this work out so well it really changed my perspective. The person you end up being set up with could be totally awesome.”
Advice about blind dating?
“You should be willing to take the risk even though you may have heard some really bad things about blind dating, because you never know!”- Keelin Quigley
“My friends did not recommend it and thought it would be really awkward and uncomfortable, but I went for it and figured it would be okay. It’s worked out really well and I would definitely recommend it.”–Wesley Adrianson
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The Knight Magazine
March 2013
e W e b y a M # k @ n i & h t e % R d * l u $ o h ! S
NEWS
y a W e th k n i h T We
By Jessica “Jo” P. Aquino
Having been told since we were toddlers that ‘shut-up’ and ‘stupid’ are offensive, it is plausible to believe that the more violent curse words would remain taboo. However, based on a single conversation I had the intense ‘pleasure’ of overhearing during a walk up the stairs, these taboo curse words are practically indispensible to the average teenager’s vocabulary. When asked why he curses, Jason Dela Cruz, Senior, said, “Curse words just convey exactly how I’m feeling about something. Try replacing [expletive phrase] with anything else, and it won’t work.” Many studies have shown that letting out a few choice words can lower blood pressure and relieve stress and serve an important role in relieving pain. One study, published in the journal NeuroReport, measured how long college students could keep their hands immersed in cold water. During the exercise, they could repeat an expletive of their choice or chant a neutral word. When swearing, the 67 student Page 17
volunteers reported less pain and on average endured about 40 seconds longer. But maybe more well-chosen swearwords are more suitable for a school environment. Some may argue that, because of our country’s policy on freedom of speech, administrators cannot control what words students can or cannot use. However, there are so many words in the English language, couldn’t you, at least while you’re at school, find a different one to use? After all, teachers and faculty give us their all and sacrifice time and energy for our education; they don’t need our disrespect on top of that. Maybe replacing the s word with “snap,” an easy and nearly seamless fix, wouldn’t be that hard.
well-chosen swearwords might help dull the pain There is a catch, though: The more we swear, the less emotionally potent the words become, Stephens cautions. And without emotion, all that is left of a swearword is the word itself, unlikely to soothe anyone’s pain. Cuss Control Academy: “Swearing can be rude, crude and offensive. It can reflect a bad attitude that hurts your image and your relationships. People might perceive you as an abrasive person who lacks character, maturity, intelligence, manners and emotional control.”
The Knight Magazine
March 2013
NEWS
Why are scandals so prevelant? Nick Halaby Oscar Pistorious, who was once an international icon, has become a figure smeared by scandal. On Valentine’s Day, he supposedly shot into his bathroom repeatedly because he feared there was an intruder. He ended up killing his girlfriend and throwing himself into the spotlight of scandal. There is a lot of speculation about whether or not he meant to kill his girlfriend. There are to questions however that must be answered. Why is it that celebrities are so often torn down by scandals and why is it that society seems to care? There are many great things about the world’s advancement in communication in the past couple of decades. With the internet, almost all the world’s information is available to anybody. Cell phones allow us to communicate from anywhere we would like and social networking lets us connect to anybody around the world. There is one giant down side to all of this though. Somebody of notoriety has to be careful. Almost every electronic device has a camera. A picture or video can be taken of somebody and instantly ruin their reputation. With social networking, a mistake by you or a leak by somebody else can be put online for everybody to see, and once something is on the web, it can never be taken down. With all of this access that somebody has to the life of a celebrity, it’s actually hard for them not to get into scandal. That’s part of the reason why scandal is so prevalent today; technology is finally catching up to the rich and famous. There are scandals left and right in society today. The mistakes of celebrities are constantly shoved into the public spotlight. You can blame the media all you want, but it really isn’t their fault. The media will only show something if people are willing to look or listen. If you don’t like what they report on then don’t pay it any attention and they’ll change it. If you want to train a beast, starve it. The big problem is that everybody does pay attention, and it’s for a rather dumb reason. There are many times that teenage
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girls talk bad about somebody and spread rumors because of their own low self esteem. Exposing somebody else’s mistakes and faults makes them feel better about themselves. That’s the same case here. Society hasn’t grown up yet and instead of spreading rumors of their friends, adults pay attention to the mistakes of Lindsay Lohan and Chris Brown. It’s the whole mentality of “oh that person is a drunk, that girl’s always in jail, their life is a mess.” Why do we care? Does it affect us, no. This is the main reason why Oscar Pistorious and many other celebrities are torn down by scandal, it boosts societies self-esteem. Of course, Pistorious did kill somebody and he has a right to be punished, but people get killed every day and the only reason the public cares about this situation is because he is a celebrity. Many things in the modern world have evolved. This includes technology. Sadly it can be used to fuel the immaturity of society. Unlike technology, society’s immaturity has been thrust backwards. Why must we be reduced to gossip and tearing down others? If the roles were reversed and the famous were writing tabloids and were constantly obsessed with lives of us, there would definitely be an uproar. So come on, society, grow up.
The Knight Magazine
March 2013
NEWS
OFFICIAL BALLOT Los Angeles Mayoral Election Wendy Greuel Eric Garcetti Kevin James
By Sophia Page
“You have to get out vote, be a part of the process...in this great nation, this great city, you have to take the time to be informed and get out there...it is a privilege, it is democracy at work, especially at the local level, and this is where we are most affected by politics and policies, locally.”
-Ms. Reichert
Voting for the first time can be an exciting experience for eighteen year olds. It is a chance for the young to step up and have a voice when it comes to huge decisions in the community and nation. The youth in America play an integral role in shaping a new generation of voters that will one day preside. Motivating eighteen year olds to vote and to get involved is essential to developing a sense of knowledge about our government. Understanding our community should be the first step. With the Los Angeles mayoral election approaching, newly turned eighteen year olds have an opportunity to make an important decision in the community that we live in. Electing a mayor is just as important as electing a president. Mayor’s represent the city and make it a better place for its citizens. In this case, Los Angeles needs a new strong leader who will oversee how our money is spent, stop wasteful spending, and make Los Angeles a business-friendly city. Returning Los Angeles to prosperity will not be an easy task, but with the right candidate, it can be done. Held March 5, 2013, the Mayoral election will select a new mayor to the city of Los Angeles, replacing two-term incumbent mayor Antonio Villaraigosa. With the city of Los Angeles nearing a possible bankruptcy in 2014, a strong mayor is vital to reducing the prevailing budget deficit and returning Los Angeles to its once prosperous days. Currently out of the five mayoral candidates, City Councilman Eric Garcetti is in the lead followed by Los Angeles city controller, Wendy Greuel. There is a strong possibility of a run-off race on May 21st if no one wins with a large majority of the votes. So, how will young voters contribute to the election? Young voters can reduce the possibility of a run-off race. Every vote Page 19
counts. The more voters, the better. Since older generations play an already prominent role in the mayoral elections, it is the job of young voters to now step up and cast their ballot. Voter apathy, the decrease in eligible voters participating in elections, is starting to creep in on Americans between the ages of eighteen and twenty-four. Out of the many eligible young voters, very few are choosing to participate. It is important for high school students to be educated and urged by teachers to vote. Senior Social Studies teacher, Kathleen Reichert, said, “I ALWAYS think that voting is important and one of my favorite former Speakers of the House (Tip O’Neill) said “all politics is local” - and I couldn’t agree more. That idea was reinforced by one of my personal heroes, Tim Russert... you have to get out vote, be a part of the process...in this great nation, this great city, you have to take the time to be informed and get out there...it is a privilege, it is democracy at work, especially at the local level, and this is where we are most affected by politics and policies, locally.” A major debate that the mayoral candidates have in front of them is the sales tax in Los Angeles. Currently at 9%, the tax is expected to go up to 9.5% on July 1st if approved by the majority of voters. With the tax hike, an estimate of $215 billion is expected to be gained by the city to try to pay off some of the alarming $1-billion budget deficit. Young voters over the age of eighteen can help decide whether they want a higher sales tax by voting. Having a say in how we should be taxed is a great motivator for all voters over the age of eighteen. It is extremely important that eighteen-year-old Seniors consider voting during the mayoral election. Not only will it benefit the results of the election, but it will also get more young people involved in the hard-won right to vote.
The Knight Magazine
March 2013
NEWS
Yes he can ?
By Nick Halaby After getting re-elected this November, President Barack Obama swore to many things. His goals for the near future include legalizing gay marriage and putting control on gun violence. The biggest question is whether or not he can follow through. With an agenda that is pretty polarizing and a Congress that is reluctant to follow it, the President certainly has his work cut out for him. The biggest theme of Obama’s last term was the economy. Many have argued that he has done nothing to speed up its recovery and that his spending has only thrown the country further into economic troubles. Lately, the economy seems to be on a slight recovery and though it is slow, it is still better than nothing. Another issue that dominated his first term was healthcare. Most of congress opposed Obama’s care proposition. Besides these two subjects, there is little that can be said about the President’s first term. He remained very bipartisan on issues like immigration and guns. Except the Benghazi scandal and the execution of Binladin, he has not done much when it comes to foreign
affairs. This could lead some to believe that he will not do very much in his second term, while others are still optimistic. So far, his biggest push during his second term has been immigration reform. This was an issue brought up during the campaign when he became the candidate who stood up for immigrants. His reform has made citizenship easier and though it does not solve the whole problem of illegal immigration it will definitely help. In December, the issue of Gun
strong. The one controversial issue that the President will most likely have success with is gay marriage. Currently, support for the legalization is national and the biggest force against it, the religious right, is at a weak point. Though the President came out in support of homosexuality only because Vice President Biden doesn’t have a filter, he will most likely move forward in getting it’s legalized. Gay marriage is going to be something that his administration will go down in
Violence reared its ugly head again when the lives of more than twenty innocent women and children were taken. The shooting at Sandy Hook elementary could be the straw that breaks the camel’s back. Though many say that having these rights to arms is in our constitution, most will agree that it is too easy for the mentally ill and the dangerous to get their hands on guns. This will probably be an issue that the president will be stopped on simply because the gun lobby in this nation is to
history for. Many are disappointed with President Obama. Who can blame them? He promised change and little of it has happened. He has done little in four years but we have to remember, he is not a terrible president. His second term has much more promise because he isn’t campaigning for reelection. He has a lot to do and though he cannot do all of it, change is definitely coming. Besides, if things don’t get done he isn’t solely to blame. There’s not a lot a President
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can do if Congress won’t work with him. So how does this affect us? Well, as teenagers the world will soon be in our control and that world includes the repercussions of the actions of our parents. Right now, President Obama is dealing with issues that will either make our lives easier or harder when we get to adulthood. Many say his actions make it harder for us to get to college. Well, maybe a higher degree of difficulty is something we need. Many countries have youth that work harder and are more educated than we are. We basically need to catch up. On another front, the President’s challenges in foreign affairs will affect how we live in the near future. If he does a horrible job, there is a huge possibility that half of us will be part of a world war with China, Korea or maybe even Iran. This and so many other challenges that face President Obama will affect how we, soon to be adults, will live. Right now, as students, the only thing we can do is prepare ourselves for the best and pray that Obama does a great job, because if he doesn’t, we will be the ones paying for it.
The Knight Magazine
March 2013
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The Knight Magazine
March 2013
A SACRIFICE FOR PASSION Nick Halaby We all have something that we love to do. Whether it is participating in the Academic Decathlon or writing for the school paper, our extracurricular activities are our passion. Like all of us, Sophomore, Jason Starcher, has something that he loves to do. He is an avid baseball player and has been ever since he was little. Playing Ball for Notre Dame meant that he had to sacrifice a lot, which he accepted. If giving up things meant that he could do what he loved, than he, like many others, was prepared to do what he had to. Starcher said that he has always loved to play baseball because it has always been his favorite sport. “I like the mental challenge it provides you, along with the hand eye coordination that it takes to excel at it,” he says. The thing about playing baseball for a school like Notre Dame, is that you are always going to have to sacrifice something along the way. “When I first came to this school I really wanted to play, and I knew that I had to give a lot up. My long hair was one of those things that had to go.” Along with his awesome mop, he also had to sacrifice a lot of time. “Practice runs for at least 2 hours six days a week during the season.” It is in practice where his teammates began to admire his selfless traits. “He is a great teammate, he is somebody who would definitely give himself up for the team,” said player Lukas Surbek. Baseball isn’t his only sport during the busy school year. During the Off-season, Starcher is playing football, which is excellent cross training for
any sport. In fact, there are many students at Notre Dame who play more than one sport, which keeps them in top physical shape year round. Starcher said that as of right now he expects to be slotted in the Junior Varsity team for the upcoming season. “I feel that if I did put more work into my game I would have a shot at making Varsity.” A commitment like that would just add on to his already busy schedule, one that almost every student at Notre Dame has to deal with. Still, like so many, Starcher is willing to put up with it so he can do what he loves. And his good friends accept that. Payton Hare, a close personal friend of Starcher, said that he is a great friend and his sacrifice for what he loves is something she admires. “One of my favorite things to do,” Hare said, “is to watch him succeed and cheer him on.” She knows that if giving up more time with Starcher means that he can spend more time working on his swing or hanging out with his teammates, than Hare is also willing to make that sacrifice. Starcher’s story of his passion is one that belongs to most student’s at Notre Dame. We should all be able to relate to sacrificing time to finish preparation for a debate, staying at school late to edit the final version of this week’s NDTV, or spending your Thursday night on the Football field with the band preparing for the next day’s half-time show. After all, sacrifice is part of becoming mature and growing up, and the best part is that the more you sacrifice, the sweeter the feeling of success is when you finally pull it off.
Nick Halaby On Monday, March 4th Notre Dame High School’s winter sports programs celebrated the 2012-2013 seasons. Boys and Girls soccer celebrated their journeys into the playoffs, Girls Water Polo was saluted for their great campaign during league play and the Girls Basketball team was applauded for their two round playoff run. The Head coach of the basketball team, Coach Oliver, was also celebrated at his first winter sports awards. His basketball program, which he took over this year, had a good showing and seems to have a bright future. When he was first on the podium, Coach Oliver spoke about what an honor it was to coach such a dedicated team. “I was extremely proud and impressed with the boy’s effort,” the Coach said. He said that he was very lucky to be given control of a sports program at a school that has such a rich athletic tradition. Though the program has struggled in recent history,
the coach talked about his view on the future. “I am extremely excited for the future. The foundation has been laid and I’m excited for what’s to come for Notre Dame Basketball.” Coach Oliver then recognized his team and their efforts this year. One of this year’s highlights was that eight of the varsity players were all academic league players. The team’s MVP was Sophomore, Ryan Ducar, which is something that can further lift the team’s spirits about the future. With Coach Oliver’s new energy and the team’s young talent, the future sure looks bright for this squad. Basketbal has never been a strength of Notre Dame’s, but it just might be in years to come. The new coach has a lot of enthusiasm and the team is full of young players with a lot of talent. This year they made a good run which included some big wins, best of which was on the road at Crespi. There is a lot of hope in this young squad and their new coach. After a year of both ups and downs, the sports awards was a good bridge between celebrating this past season and looking forward to the next one.
A great end to the season
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The Knight Magazine
March 2013
NEWS
Will Injury Lead Will Injury Lead to Defeat? to Defeat?
By Alex Stephenson
At times, athletes seem unbeatable and untouchable because of how powerful and healthy they are, so when they get injured, it is sometimes daunting how easily their vigor can be taken away. As Darren Kremicki, Senior, can attest, no sport is without its risks. As a volleyball player, playing for Notre Dame since his freshman year, Kremicki has never had to worry about a major injury until recently. On February 14, Kremicki “... fell on another players foot on a spike.” Kremicki says “I bruised pretty much every bone in my ankle,” but luckily there were “no breaks or fractures.” However, he is on his way to recovery, the injury only taking about 2-3 weeks to heal. A relieved Kremicki states, “Honestly I got lucky and I should be back to play no later than our first league game.” While that is good news, Kremicki has not been able to contribute to his team lately, an upsetting revelation for an aspiring volleyball player. When asked how this was affecting him, he says, “I was pretty bummed because our team is the strongest it’s been in years and I really wanted to contribute to that team in their success.” Kremicki is rather passionate about volleyball, claiming “I love the teamwork volleyball requires. One sole player is not going to take a team to victory. You are forced to help one another to succeed.” As an experienced player, Kremicki has watched the players grow from individuals to a true team. “The team overall is quite close which is great because last year the underclassmen definitely clashed with the arrogant seniors,” Kremicki reveals. It is the experiences and dependability that bind them, something Kremicki will cherish and continue to enforce. “Everyone on the team is considered my friend. Page 23
“They are pretty much family.” This bond has also helped the team in games and championships. Kremicki has optimistic views of the future, commenting, “... we all act like one team and the chemistry may be the reason why we may win league.” Playing for four years at ND has granted Kremicki many fun-filled experiences with his team. “One of the best experiences playing at ND is going down to Santa Barbara and playing a tournament there. We sleep over the night before and the team really gets to chill together.” This is a great bonding experience, especially before a tournament. It brings the team together and it’s just plain fun. When asked if he would be interested in playing volleyball after high school, Kremicki responds in a definite affirmative: “I already have some schools like UC Santa Cruz looking at me to play, but I’m really trying to make the team at California Baptist U, that would be my dream.” With Kremicki’s determination and positive attitude towards volleyball, his goals don’t seem far off. All the best to Darren Kremicki and the Boys Volleyball team as they continue to practice for the big league win!
The Knight Magazine
March 2013