t h g i n k f f a t s ADVISOR
Elisia Harkins
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Anna Hovanesyan
EDITOR IN CHIEF Tayce Taylor
PUBLICATIONS & BLOG EDITOR
Vaughn Himber
page 2 Page 2
ADS MANAGER
Ebone’ Chatman
LAYOUT EDITOR Tina Nagai
REPORTER Jessica “Jo” Aquino
REPORTER
Sidney Stephens
REPORTER
Devon Gearhart
REPORTER Ben Sloan
REPORTER Mina Kim
REPORTER Nick Halaby
The Knight Magazine
REPORTER Cameron De’Matteis
REPORTER Sophia Page
REPORTER
Grace McKagan
Special thanks to Tony Swatton of Sword & Stone in Burbank for letting us use the knight guantlets for the back cover photo. See more of his work at www.swordandstone.com. October August 2012
ND r e b o t c ISSUE O
How Econom Affects Studentsy
4
College Tour
6
ASB + Dances
7
Transfer Students
8
ND Grillers
9 10
Graffiti Attack On ND Nonreligious D Students at N
11 12 13 14
The Farmers Market Bringing Dreams to Life A Little Bit of Disney Magic The Perks of a Wallflower Being
15
Hobbies On Hold
16
Technology’s Impact on Teens
17 18
According to Ann Romney Friday Night Lights? 19 Injured Football Players 20 Varsity Girl’s Ten is Loses Star Playner 21 Behind the Scenes With Water Polo 22 Page 3
The Knight Magazine
October 2012
West Coast College Tour By Nounou Buzad
Only months away until college applications are due! Any idea on what colleges best suit you? Do you prefer large classes where there will rarely be a oneon-one discussion with the professor? Do you want to be walking 20 minutes to class every day? How about a school by the beach? These questions and many more can be answered only by visiting and learning about colleges. College tours are the most efficient way to learn about a school, since you can take in what is around you and live a day in the life of a college student. Just like when you were entering high school, you most likely visited the school before applying to get a feel of how it would be spending four years there. Visiting colleges is like going to class. Not only are they an hour and a half to two hours, but when you go to class, you are able to interact and learn from the teacher or in this case the tour guide or college campus itself. However, when you are unable to attend the class, you still get the homework, but there never really is any personal understanding or any thorough explanation about the lesson. Joe Marin, Senior, agrees that college tours are helpful: “Regardless of where you want to go to school, you don’t actually know how you would fit in unless you step foot onto the campus. It is also helpful visiting with friends from school because then you get an idea of what it is like being there with other students.” While the football team was in Ireland, a group of Juniors and Seniors joined Seize the Day College Tours and headed up to Northern California where for four days, the students visited eight different colleges. The colleges included Stanford, Santa Clara University, UC Berkeley, University of San Francisco, UC Santa Cruz, Saint Mary’s, Cal Poly, and UC Santa Barbara. This packed tour allowed students to envision the kind of school they wanted to go to because it covered the various locations and curriculum that each school provided. Jessica Sportelli, Junior, said, “The college tour was a lot of fun and a good way to see the colleges I’ve always wanted to see in one big trip.” Spending an entire day touring two to three colleges can narrow down your choices on what kind of school you feel most comfortable in. You might want to go to school with your friend who enjoys the city and wants a class of 300 students, but you might actually learn that you actually prefer classes with up to 30 students in a more rural district. The only way to find out for sure is by getting feedback from college students themselves. So when you have a day off from school or a free Saturday, go visit a college of your choice, because it will only benefit you in the end. Page 4
The Knight Magazine
October 2012
Working Hard or Hardly Working “If et is g ds min is goin be r u yo dance t will rt en i ng effo y the h t t a i th oring tr utt b ot p ut if you n e n b r fu to b ou se y it fun; d have .” u a c n be ing fa me mak yoursel great ti o t in njoy , ve a to e will ha r Burke t e you -Tyl residen P ASB By Ebone Chatman
Every year the dances at Notre Dame get heavily criticized for not living up to the standards of the students. As much as the ASB (Associated Student Body) tries to cater to everyone’s needs, truthfully it’s impossible to please everyone. ASB does what they can to create an environment that is fun and exciting for all students to come to and enjoy with their friends. The theme is incorporated into the dances as much as possible; however, what many people don’t pay attention to is the amount of time and patience it takes to plan such an extravagant event. The planning starts during the summer as ASB talks about themes. Then they have to vote and agree on one theme, which tends to take awhile. Once that is decided, ASB has to talk about how to execute the theme with decorations and how they are going to attract students in attending. Another obstacle ASB faces, according to Senior Page 6
ASB president, Tyler Burke, “is a lot of difficulties involved due to the limited time and budget.” ASB puts the dances on for the student body and most of the money made goes to funding the prom. It is important to come and support all the dances throughout the year so that prom bids remain low. Senior class representative, Alex DeLena, said, “People should go whether they do not like the theme or do not like to dance because it’s a good experience if you go with all your friends.” And the most important thing about going to the dances is your attitude. Tyler Burke said, “If your mindset is that the dance is going to be boring then it will be because your not putting effort into making it fun. But if you try to enjoy yourself and have fun you will have a great time.” ASB spends a lot of time ensuring that the student body will have a memorable and a great time; so keep in mind ASB’s hard work before criticizing any school event.
The Knight Magazine
October 2012
Transfer-mation By Anna Hovanesyan
From trying to make new friends, to finding the best lunch spot, to getting accustomed to new schedules, the first few days of high school are difficult, terrifying, and are only experienced once. Just imagine then, what it’s like to have to relive the whole experience at another school. Even though transferring may not be ideal to most students, Notre Dame receives many applications from transfers willing and wanting to join the ND community as Sophomores or Juniors. If the adjustments are difficult, then why does Notre Dame receive such an extensive amount of transfer applications? Transfer students may each be different, but all want to be a part of a school who stresses as much importance on athletics, as it does on academics.
Grace McKagan, Sophomore, used to attend Buckley for four years before she transferred to ND recently.
Grace McKagan, Sophomore, and Savannah Levin, Sophomore, both applied to Notre Dame during their incoming Freshman year. McKagan previously had attended Buckley since sixth grade. Even though she was accepted into Notre Dame as a Freshman, she admits that she was too scared to go to ND. “I was accepted, but declined the offer because I thought I felt more comfortable at Buckley, since I had gone there for a few years. However, all throughout nineth grade I regretted it and decided to reapply,” McKagan said. Page 7
Levin also had applied as an incoming Freshman, but was not initially accepted into Notre Dame. She attended Chaminade High School, but felt she should try and reapply to Notre Dame as a transfer. “Notre Dame was my first choice and I loved how it seemed very community oriented, besides also being a great school,” Levin explained. Alec Moss, Director of Admissions at ND, believes that our school’s community feel is a major reason why Notre Dame gets a lot of transfers. Not only are the activities offered extensive, but ND also provides great education and athletics. “Notre Dame is not only a popular sport choice school and brand, but it is also affordable. You’d be surprised, but the religious aspect also makes a difference. When it comes to transfers, the school isn’t an open gate. We don’t accept transfers just to fill up spots,” Moss said. According to Moss, Notre Dame is very selective when it comes to transfers. While they don’t need to take entrance exams, students are interviewed, meet with Mrs. Connelly and Mr. Moss, and have their grades and references checked. This past year about a 100 students applied to ND and only 9 were admitted. “Transfers are accepted on an as need basis, based on how much space we have. We have a number in mind for our school’s population and we tend to stay in that range.” Chaminade High School also has a limit on transfer students, but the number is quite different than ND’s. Ms. Bonino-Bennet, Chaminade’s Admissions Director, said that they “received more than 30 transfer applications and admitted over 20 students.” Alemany High School, on the other hand, had much greater space availability than either Chaminade or ND. While they do not accept all transfers, since their transfers must have made
up all past credits at their previous schools, according to Principal Frank Ferry they “accepted about 100 transfers this year”. Not only is ND quite selective, but maybe it also truly is ND’s sense of spirit that attracts so many transfers. “I came to Notre Dame because I wanted a real high school experience with football games, pep rallies, and more people. My old school was really small and had only 700 students for a Kindergarten to 12th grade institution. So, I felt like Notre Dame would be a perfect fit and change for me,” McKagan stated. Notre Dame’s selectiveness may be the reason why it is so well rounded. From athletics to education to extracurricular activities, ND provides not only excellence, but also a welcoming atmosphere that appeals to so many students and families.
Savannah Levin, Sophomore, and Grace McKagan, Sophomore, gleam proudly and are happy to be at Notre Dame as transfers.
The Knight Magazine
October 2012
Grilling for Good ND Grillers Club
Page 8
By Nick HalabyNick Halaby
Friday, September 21, the ND Grillers’ hosted their first event of the 2012-2013 school year. Like most of the sales, the profits of the event went towards a charity. Great tasting food, a good cause and dedicated members make a recipe for a fun event. Creole Chicken was the Griller’s dish of the day. Marinated in a mix of Cajun and garlic spices, the chicken was preheated in an oven and then grilled to perfection. After the chicken was all done, it was covered with Sweet Baby Rays Barbeque Sauce. The sweet and tangy flavor of the sauce went perfect with the spices of the chicken, giving the meal a nice kick. Sold for merely 3 dollars, the chicken was bought so quickly that the grillers kept running out of ready meals. Overall the event raised $276 dollars. Club leader, Mr. Mcgaha, said, “I feel very good about the event, it was a good start to the year.”Although the number of customers wasn’t quite what the grillers were used to, they still made good money and Mr. Mcgaha said that next time, for the event during spirit week, they will put more signs up and have a meeting about it. There had also not yet been a meeting for the new grillers, which had been the cause to their low participation. The success of the event did not only benefit the Grillers but a charity as well. Shanes Inspiration is an organization that creates universally assessable playgrounds. These play spaces give kids with handicaps a chance to play just like regular kids. All of the Grillers profits went towards this non-profit organization. Shanes inspiration is a long time partner with the Immersion program, which Mr. Mcgaha is also the head of. This year, all of the events that the Grillers will do will be going to a charity. The next event, which will take place during spirit week, is going towards the Conor Lynch foundation. The ND student body absolutely loves the delicious food that the Grillers create. It is only through the hard work of its dedicated members, that the Grillers are able to make hundreds of dollars to help great causes. Due to the success of this event, Shanes Inspiration is getting about three hundred dollars to put towards making handicap friendly playgrounds. So get ready for spirit week, when the Grillers make yet another tasty dish that will benefit yet another excellent cause.
The Knight Magazine
October 2012
GrAfFiTi AtTaCk On CaMpUs By Devon Gearhart
Havoc was wrecked upon the Notre Dame campus on September 16, 2012. Unknown individuals snuck onto the football field and spraypainted the back side of the bleachers with demonic images such as a inverted cross and the numbers “666”, Ms. Oyler, Director of Facilities, said, “Due to the fact that our security leaves campus around 11 o’clock, the attack had to have happened very late at night. Cameras were stationed all around the football field, however, the offenders noted the darkness to their advantage and Notre Dame’s cameras were not able to pick up anything. We suspect it was not any students from Notre Dame, but as of now we are not entirely sure who did it exactly. But we do think their main target was the Notre Dame logo on the field and last minute they decided to go after the back side of the bleachers instead. Most likely this was just a bunch of
Page 9
kids goofing around and trying to be rebellious.” Unfortunately this is not the first time Notre Dame has encountered something like this. In the past, teenagers have tried defacing the logo on the Notre Dame field. Kids have even come as far as Bakersfield to damage the Notre Dame campus. Nicole Walsh, Senior, said, “The fact that this happened at Notre Dame does not make me feel unsafe. These things happen at schools all the time. I think the kids were just being silly when they did the graffiti, I do not think there was a sinister threat behind it besides disrespecting our campus.” Even though attacks have happened in the past, Notre Dame deals with a very small percentage of school defamation. According to Ms. Oyler, Notre Dame only faces about one percent of what other schools have to deal with in regards of vandalism. Needless to say security will be buffed up in light of recent events and a careful eye will be kept on our football field.
The Knight Magazine
October 2012
In Go d we tr us t Page 10
“To me, it’s a false sense of hope” - Nick Elsner, Sophomore
By Nick Halaby We have prayer every morning, go to mass every month and must take religion classes during our four years here at Notre Dame. A belief in God is the cornerstone of what ND uses as its doctrine to teach its students. Though Christian teachings are a part of our everyday routine and life, there are kids at Notre Dame who don’t practice any religion. Sophomore, Nick Elsner, doesn’t believe in God. He admits that it is a part of who he is. To Elsner, ND’s religious events, such as school masses and group prayers, are awkward. Though many religious officials say that Atheism amongst teens is just a fad, Elsner says that he became an Atheist, “four years ago after the loss of a close friend and the divorce of my parents. Then I realized that there’s no God to help me with anything in my life.” Though these events in Elsners life would have caused him to question his faith, it wasn’t the only reason he stopped believing. “To me the bible just doesn’t logically make sense,” Elsner explained. Even though his dad is an Eastern Orthodox and his mom a Roman Catholic, “they were just never able to get me into it.” He, like many other teens who don’t believe in God, is respectful towards those who are religious; he just simply doesn’t see what they see. “To me it’s a false sense of hope.” Elsner added that he achieves hope from simply having faith in humanity. According to Elsner, not being religious allows him to live with a more open mind. Freshman Religion teacher, Vera De Artola, has to face nonreligious students every day. DeArtola said, “Them choosing to come to a religious school means that they must be more open than they say they are.” She explained that in the classroom, they pose good questions about faith that benefit everybody. She hopes that they’re always questing to find the truth. “Saying that they’re an Atheist or don’t believe in religion at this young age is really just them closing a door in their lives.” It is a subject that comes up a lot in a Catholic school. That being said, students who don’t believe in Catholicism or any religion for that matter, come to receive an outstanding education. Whether or not someone prays at night, does the sign of the cross with everyone else or even believes in the message of the Bible, shouldn’t ultimately matter. The most importnat thing is to educate our hearts and minds and strive to be the best people that we can be each and every day. The Knight Magazine
October 2012
A Free (& Fresh) Market Abounds With Options By Vaughn Himber
Imagine an oasis of extraordinarily
fee, lemonade, hot dogs, Indian food, fruit juices, and smoothies. Other crisp and natural fruits and vegetables. booths boast dried fruits, nuts, breads, Now imagine that many of these and pastries (gluten-free ones included), other sweet and savory foods are comknife-sharpening services, raw cane pletely free. Well, stop your dreaming sugar, plenty of flowers, various flavorand head on over to the Studio City ful salad mixes, jewelry, and even Farmers Market on Ventura Place and dresses as their products. Ventura Boulevard, where on Sundays One stand that received constant from 8:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., this vision traffic was Ma & Pa Kettle Corn, owned becomes a reality. and operated at the market for the last The sound of light conversation, 15 years by Carolyn and Ralph complemented by live music “The loads of delicious free samples Floto. In contrast to the hours they played on twin tin drums, weaves spend in preparation, each batch are another tantalizing element in and out of one’s eardrums of kettle corn takes only five minwhile casually walking through emphasized by most merchants at utes for them to make. the grounds of the market. Sweet One of the more recent addithe Studio City Farmers Market.” scents and smells of flavorful tions to the Studio City Farmers fruits, veritable vegetables, and spices and teas at one booth. Market is Dough Biz. Joanne Kimes, its all sorts of other foods waif throughout Most of the farmers sell similar fruits owner and creator, sells customized, the booths, inviting inquiring noses and vegetables (even organic ones), made-to-order cookie dough with ingreto investigate their origins. Colorful but what sets this harvest apart from dients that the customers choose. produce in all sorts of shapes and sizes typical supermarket fare is freshness, Carol Zide, Board Director of the creates a seemingly never-ending local origin, and expanded options. Studio City Farmers Market, said that visual feast. Spontaneous public eating Nicholas Family Farms is just one the market is open “rain or shine” and areas line the street, occupied by satisof the many vendors offering excellent all of its profits go to charitable commufied customers guided there as if by a choices. Sherry, relative of one of the nity causes. phantom hand. farm’s owners, said, “My brother-in-law For access to free and fresh food The loads of delicious free samples has been a farmer since he was 12, so that is cost-effective to boot, the Studio are another tantalizing element empha[we have operated for] about 50 years,” City Farmers Market is tough to beat. sized by most merchants at the Studio twenty of which have been spent at the Why go to an impersonal supermarket City Farmers Market. Complimentary Studio City Farmers Market. when you can help out your local farmtastes of dozens of varieties of fruit There are various fresh food stands ers and community instead? pieces, salsas, guacamole, jellies, prethat sell corn on the cob, crepes, cofserves, pesto, olive tapenade, spreads, Page 11
sauces, and toppings for all sorts of foods can be found up and down the entire market. In fact, you could eat an entire breakfast made of the finest local ingredients, all for free. Some shoppers have dedicated their time to finding the best bargains. “Oh, my God, this is crazy. This is cheaper than we would buy anywhere else,” a woman said about numerous rows of steel bowls containing exotic
The Knight Magazine
October 2012
BRINGING DREAMS TO LIFE
By Tina Nagai
Why are storyboard artists so important? Basically, a movie starts with an idea—and after the storywriters develop that idea and create a plot, it’s up to the story artists to help tell the story better than how it’s written. Essentially, it’s like we’re illustrating the script. We need to visualize the film, stage everything, and let the events unfold seamlessly so that we can let everyone see it the way we do. What skills are required for storyboarding? Of course, you need to know how to draw, but you also need to learn how to visualize written words. There are just so many ways of picturing a story that you need to be able to create a concrete visualization to put everyone on the same page. How many storyboard artists work on a single movie? It takes around 4-6 depending on the movie. One movie takes about 2-3 years to complete, so some artists get burnt out or decide that they aren’t particularly compatible with the movie.
BOOM! CRASH! SCREECH! POW! Think about it, when we all watch animated movies, our thoughts are solely focused on the many funny, crazy, and nail-biting situations that the characters are faced with. We rarely stop to think about how these movies and characters are first brought to life—the process is definitely not as easy as you’d think. Robert Porter—who has worked on a variety of movies such as How To Train Your Dragon, The Shrek Series, and Monsters vs. Aliens—gives us the inside scoop on what it’s like to work as a storyboard artist at DreamWorks Studios.
portraying emotion, and a comedy needs people who are good at making other people laugh. How many drafts do you go through when creating a storyboard? Again, it depends on the movie—but I’d say it would be around 2-3 drafts. Our job is to cleanup the story each time until it’s the best copy, so we have to be completely comfortable with “killing our babies”; we have to be okay with having our ideas shot down by storywriters and animators. Can you give a quick summary on the kind of process that animated movies go through? The animating itself starts with the story artists. We make sure that the story flows seamlessly and that everyone is on the same page before we send it over to layout. Layout is basically the precursor to animation. They put puppets of the character into a set and figure out the camera placements in each scene. Once the layout is satisfactory, it goes to the animators, who give life to the settings and characters, before sending it over to lighting, which helps the scenes become more realistic.
What factors determine who will work on a particular movie?
What tips would you give to someone who wants to go into storyboard animation?
The people who work on the movie definitely have to be passionate about it. Take drama and comedy for instance: a dramatic movie needs artists who are good with
You have to have a passion for it and you have to be able to commit to a character and always strive to improve your work. But most of all, I’d definitely say that you need to love what you do.
Page 12
The Knight Magazine
October 2012
On any other given day, the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library is said to be the crown jewel of Simi Valley, California. But for nine months, it’s lending its fame and glory to the Treasures of the Walt Disney Archives, the largest temporary exhibit ever housed on its grounds. From Oswald the Lucky Rabbit and Mickey Mouse to Captain Jack Sparrow and Captain America, this exhibit holds many never-before-seen artifacts from over nine decades of Disney history. Now, I don’t know about any of the other people milling about the archives, but the minute I stepped through the door I couldn’t help but let out a squeal of exciteBy Tina Nagai
ment. Not only did they display figurines that Walt Disney himself had created with his own hands, but they also housed original costumes that had been worn in films such as Enchanted, Roger and Hammerstein’s Cinderella, and even the live action version of 101 Dalmatians. It was quite literally Disney heaven. On top of all this, the representatives of the Reagan Library went above and beyond by re-creating an exact duplicate of Walt’s formal office that had once been located in Burbank, California. The tour takes you through years of Walt Disney’s works and even pays tribute to the long personal friendship between the man who created the mouse and our very own for-
Page Page 16 11 Page 13 Page 13
mer president, Ronald Reagan. The exhibition itself was truly remarkable and can be visited until April of 2013. I urge anyone who is still a child at heart to visit the exhibits and truly see the magic that Walt Disney has left behind.
The The Knight Knight Magazine Magazine The Knight Magazine The Knight Magazine
October October 2012 2012 October 2012 October 2012
By Sidney Stephens
The movie adaptation of the The Perks of Being a Wallflower holds true to the book since the author, Stephen Chbosky, acted as the screenplay, writer, and director. The Perks of Being a Wallflower captures the highs and lows of growing up and dealing with hardships. The main character, Charlie, is describing his journey through his first year of high school in letters sent to an unknown individual. These letters describe the difficulties and beauty that occur in Charlie’s life and the unforgettable friends he makes that help him get through it. Since this book is told through Char- Friend Maddy O’Donnell with Ezra lie’s perspective there wasn’t much diaMiller, who plays Patrick, at the logue in the book. However, Chbosky movie premiere. was able to recreate the world Charlie how he always questioned everything wrote about without being narrated and was prone to noticing those around solely in letters. Many details that Char- him—were conveyed on screen through lie wrote about himself—for example, Charlie’s actions. That being said, Ch-
bosky still had Charlie narrate his letters at certain points during the movie. Many major scenes in the movie were portrayed exactly how they were written in the book, which is not usually the case for most book adaptations. However, with time being a major constraint, particular scenes had to be cut to make the movie fit the time allotment. There were certain times that scenes from the book were manipulated to be more dramatic and fast paced in order to appeal to all movie go-ers. Overall, I found that The Perks of Being a Wallflower held true to the book more than any other book adaptation I have seen. Even the actors played their parts to a tee, convincing me that Logan Lerman, Emma Watson, and Ezra Miller were really Charlie, Sam, and Patrick.
s e i b b o H on d l o H By Jessica “Jo” P. Aquino
It seems like the start of a school year is always the mark of when you have to give up your freedom. As a writer, I constantly find myself distracted with all my different ideas and inspirations, and I always want to act on those impulses— But after—and only after—doing homework for all my AP classes, and after studying for tests, and after working on college applications, and after working (as in doing files) at Kaiser Permanente for the leadership portion of my resumé, and after pouring my life into everything else that I don’t necessarily care for, can I finally do something I want to do: sleep. And the thing is, by the time I get time to myself, I don’t have any energy to act for just myself. And I know I’m not alone in this lifestyle. Most students have to stop or give up the hobbies they love, in favor of something they “need” for college. Jarret Manlapaz, Senior, said, “I love music and theater, but my future occupation will be in the medical field. I can’t even do the musical this year because I’m volunteering at the hospital every week. I understand that my future should be my priority, but it just sucks.” This, of course, excludes those people that plan on pursuing their passions as their future. If, however, we live all these lives that are not meant for us (the life meant for our parents, the life meant for colleges, the life meant for our school), what happens to those hobbies that we slowly have to start letting go? Do we give them up completely or put them aside instead, only to leave them with nothing but spiders and cobwebs as company?
But I don’t want to put it aside! Half of my life is about writing, and by gosh, I am going to keep that half of my life alive, even if I must abandon it for a few months at a time. Does all of me have to suffer? Sure, past me and present me, they didn’t have much choice, but future me too? And I know that if I give up writing, future me will hate present me. Why do we, as students more than as young adults, require ourselves to stop our hearts’ desires in order to alleviate the fears in our minds that say putting passion over practicality is dangerous? “I’ve grown up with this drilled into my mind: A hobby is nice to have, but it will only ever be a hobby,” Manlapaz said. “Being a professional is all the security my parents want me to have.” It’s not okay to surrender our ardor for academics and collegiate purposes, and we know this, but what else can we do? The fear of failure instilled in me will always supersede the vexing feeling that I should follow my heart. What can I do but sell out, because it is easier to pursue something secure rather than something you could very well fail at, especially something you truly care about.
“I understand that my future should be my priority, but [putting my hobbies aside] just sucks.”
Page 15
The Knight Magazine
October 2012
Future Syncing
By Sophia Page
Our generation faces a lot of pressure from parents and teachers to finish high school, graduate college, and get good jobs. This pressure is plaguing our everyday lives because we strive for the best and if we don’t, it may even seem like the end of the world. However, the easy, popularized technology in today’s world is lessening the people skills we need to become well-rounded adolescents. People skills are extremely important for our futures because they are the gateway to communicating with friends, co-workers, and even life partners. Disconnecting us from society is one of the negative aspects of technology. Sophomore, Dannie Zhabilov, from San Marino High School, said, “I feel sucked into this vortex of technological equipment due to the fact that my friends have become dependent on it, causing me to become drawn as well.” Becoming too dependant on electronics contributes to anxiety and shyness when the time comes to communicate face-to-face. Adolescence can be considered the few hardest years in an individual’s life. Some teenagers find listening to their ipod or playing videogames as an escape from their hectic reality. Melodie Najarro,
Page 16
Junior, said, “Listening to music helps me block out everything and relax.” Constantly running away from new experiences will hinder our performances as adults. Turning to electronics to escape from problems negatively impacts teens because later on in life they will persistently avoid their problems. The isolation underdevelops fundamental social skills, which are hard to gain later on. Effective communication is an important aspect for our lives. Texting and using social media causes us to lose our skills and character. We become like robots, depending solely on technology. Mrs. Dubin, a mom from El Camino High School, said, “I would rather call my children rather than text them because it is much faster and easier to communicate with them.” Texting has no emotion, no facial language, and no body expression. In response, misinterpreting messages is common and happens often. Our generation is lacking well roundedness because of our diminishing people skills. Technology is not all bad. In many ways it is very helpful and we are lucky to have it, but only to a certain extent. We should not let technology get in the way of our face-to-face communication skills, especially our goals for the future.
The Knight Magazine
October 2012
Educational Downfall By Mina Kim
www.tspaSanJose.com
Westgate Mall, 1600 Saratoga Ave., Suite 103, San Jose, CA 95129
PRESENT THIS AD TO RECEIVE A
PRESENT THIS AD TO RECEIVE
$10 HAIRCUT
$10 OFF HIGHLIGHTS
PRESENT THIS AD TO RECEIVE
PRESENT THIS AD TO RECEIVE A
Offer Expires 11/30/12
$15 OFF
OMBRE HIGHLIGHTS Offer Expires 11/30/12
Offer Expires 11/30/12
$50 SCHOOL DANCE UPDO & MAKEUP Offer Expires 11/30/12
All services performed by students supervised by licensed educators.
Page 17
High school students only have one thing on their mind: college. With the SAT, the ACT, GPA and other acronyms, high school students have a lot on their shoulders. They fret over which colleges to apply to, which state they want to live in, what they want to major in, and if they can even get in to the college of their choice. But the question they should be most concerned with is if they can even afford it.Budget cuts over the past years have increased in deficits for the public education department, lowering the availability of classes in public high schools and universities. So what does that mean? Fewer classes means fewer students will take the classes, which in the end, means less students are accepted into colleges. Although private schools are privately funded, they are much more expensive than public universities, estimating about over $40,000 a year. This leads to significant consequences. Fewer students will go straight to a four-year college or university from high school; and therefore, fewer students will be able to graduate on time. These students will be under a greater student loan debt and plan on majoring in something that will help them get a high salary in the future. They are going to need the money if they plan on paying off all their college loans in this economy. This adds an even greater competition for classes and acceptances into colleges as well as for high paying majors. On the other hand, students are taking time off to save money. Katy Palermo from Hamilton High School plans said “she plans on taking a year off before college and working for a year for school tuition.” Junior, Andrea Avila, said, “I want any high paying job to become rich.” Senior, Yungune Shin, from Fairfax High School does not even “plan on going to college.” She works as a marketing manager at a club and said, “I don’t need a college degree. I can get promotions and connections and I work up.” When asked if she enjoys the job, she responded, “I do it for the money.” Even our counselors see a change in college admissions. Ms. Canzone, the Senior counselor, is constantly giving advice to upperclassmen starting in the college process. “Go cheaper for undergrad… Go as cheap as you can.” Ms. Canzone and Mrs. Greenwald both have seen that recent seniors are more pressured to find jobs than previous ones because of the demanding economy and they choose “pre-professional” majors that help secure their careers in high paying jobs. Mrs. Greenwald says that she sees “more and more majors like pre-law, pre-med, and pre-pharmacy. You don’t see much of English or other liberal majors anymore.” It is clear that our generation has lost something. The pursuit of happiness that the American dream entails has become an ethereal, mythical concept now, since we are confined within the shackles of the economy. Teenagers no longer follow their dreams, but the economy. We could starve for the sake of art, but this possibility has become more and more literal, and could very well leave us homeless and hopeless. Needing money is a necessity in our society; it is neither a vice nor an evil; but it does corrupt our culture and rot the human spirit into a terminal corpse.
The Knight Magazine
October 2012
Slaves to Tradition “Why should women be paid equal to men? Men have been in the working world a lot longer and deserve to be paid at a higher rate. Heck, I’m a working mom and I’m not paid a dime. I depend on my husband to provide for me and my family, as should most women… and if a woman does work, she should be happy just to be out there in the working world and quit complaining that she’s not making as much as her male counterparts. I mean really, all this wanting to be equal nonsense is going to be detrimental to the future of women everywhere. Who’s going to want to hire a woman, or for that matter, even marry a woman who thinks she is the same, if not better than a man at any job. It’s almost laughable. C’mon now ladies, are you with me on this?” – Ann Romney By Tayce Taylor
No, Mrs. Romney, I am not “with you on this.” I will not depend on any man to provide for me. I will be in the working world and demand the same pay as my male counterparts. I will be considered equal to males. Even though I may be different from men physically and emotionally, that does not mean I am lesser. I may not be able to vote, but I should have a say in how my gender is treated, and how I am treated in a country that is upheld by the idea that “all men are created equal”- I guess she is taking this statement too literally. I do not want to have this woman who believes in a traditional sexist environment sitting next to the leader of my country. I do not want women to be diminished into worthless maids obeying men who want to put women in their “separate spheres.” Mrs. Romney is denying half of the population their human rights to equality and happiness. Tradition kills us, because even if tradition is morally wrong it is still prominent enough to be subconsciously carried on to future generations. Society will hold onto tradition. The barriers that women face in the working world are existent because throughout history, men have been trained to work and women have been trained to nurture. Tradition, even though slowly undergoing change, is still there because people hold onto it as it is the only thing they know and are comfortable with. Women who work end up hitting the glass ceiling even if they may be considered “better” at the job than their male counterparts. Ann Romney’s views on the world are very out-
Page 18
dated. So women have worked so hard to overcome these sexist views just to seep back into the same inequality? It wasn’t until the 1920’s that women got the right to vote. Women to this day are not paid equally to their male counterparts even in the White House. The Paycheck Fairness Act failed in the Senate on June 5, 2012. Obama responds: “This afternoon, Senate Republicans refused to allow an up-or-down vote on the Paycheck Fairness Act, a commonsense piece of legislation that would strengthen the Equal Pay Act and give women more tools to fight pay discrimination. It is incredibly disappointing that in this make-or-break moment for the middle class, Senate Republicans put partisan politics ahead of American women and their families. Despite the progress that has been made over the years, women continue to earn substantially less than men for performing the same work. My Administration will continue to fight for a woman’s right for equal pay for equal work, as we rebuild our economy so that hard work pays off, responsibility is rewarded, and every American gets a fair shot to succeed.” Women are being denied equality even in 2012. This may be politics, but it determines what will happen when I enter the working world, how my children will grow up, and how my grandchildren will be raised as well.
The Knight Magazine
October 2012
Friday Night Lights? How dedicated are we?
By Devon Gearhart
A cool crisp breeze brushes across the stands as the knights cheer the “Fighting Irish” on their way to victory. Notre Dame football games are a necessary fall activity for many Notre Dame students. However, attendance for football games has been slowly decreasing over the years as students spend their time doing other activities on a Friday night. Maya Rodrigo, Senior, thinks “the games have slowly become boring because it’s the same thing every week. For someone who doesn’t know much about football, four years of the same thing gets old. I think people are losing interest because of lack of excitement.” Are the games too boring? Should there be more Pep rallies? Or are there just better ways to spend your time on a Friday night? Many students, like Maya Rodrigo, don’t really know the sport that well. Many students say they prefer to go to the movies, parties, and the mall instead of football games. Sadly the lack of attendance at football games is not just at Notre Dame, North Hollywood High School has also experienced a decrease in the past few years as well. Ted Harris, Athletic Director, said, “I think the reason for the decrease in the past few years is because of kids not wanting to travel to different schools. The game cost varies, so a game that is five dollars has a higher attendance then a game that costs seven dollars has a lower attendance. Attendance also depends on if the team is winning or not. It just all really depends.” While many students suggest that the reason attendance has gone down
Page 19
over the years is because there are just better things to do, Greta Lorenz, Senior, said, “I think that people have just lost their football spirit, but hopefully this year we can get it back!” While it may be true that football spirit has decreased, Bishop Alemany High School has actually seen an increase in fans. David Urbach, Athletic Director at Bishop Alemany, said, “We are surrounded by many public schools in a pretty remote area. The kids from all the other schools seem to flock to our games instead of their own. We think this is because our team has been winning and they enjoy the atmosphere. As for our own kids, they have always come to our games and supported our team. We have the hip hop club, dance flags, and the cheer leaders performing at the games. Because so many diverse groups are involved that makes more kids come out to support their friends.” By going to the games we give supporting our fellow peers. Not only do the football players need our support but so do all the cheerleaders, band, and dance flags. Even just your presence can push our students to victory. Maybe even to increase student attendance, we can involve different clubs like the hip hop club or the glee club.
The Knight Magazine
October 2012
Cracking Clavicles in Ireland By Nick Halaby
Wednesday, August 29, was an exciting day for the Knight Football team, cheer squad and band. It was their first day in Ireland. They were all ready to explore Dublin, beat Hamilton High and watch Notre Dame University square off against Navy. It was all a great experience for everyone, except one Senior Football player, whose injury on the first day would put a damper on the rest of his trip in Dublin. Knight Senior wide receiver, Tyler Goss, was practicing with the rest of the Football team the first day in Ireland. He dove for a pass and when he hit the ground, he felt a terrible pain in his collar bone. He was immediately taken to the nearest hospital, where a doctor would tell him that he had a compound fracture. He had to receive surgery at the hospital to make sure the injury didn’t get any worse. “The hospital was weird,� he said, “there was no family there to come stay me. Only some of my friends and a couple of the parents visited me, which was nice.� In the surgery, the doctors put a metal plate to hold together his collar bone,
“He was definitely in our thoughts the whole time and him being injured helped inspired the team to strive to victory.� -Coach Rooney
$2!7 ()- ).34%!$ !4
Coached by Simpson Artist
!'%3 50 #!,,
20% OFF For Contest WWW !6!.)-!4)/. ).&/ Artists
Page Page20 20
which needed six screws to hold it in place. Goss had to stay a night in the hospital before he was able to join his friends for the rest of the trip. “I was able to watch the game,� Goss said, “which I was really happy about.� Luckily, having Goss on the sideline didn’t have a negative effect on the team. “Losing Tyler didn’t really affect our game plan. His injury was unfortunate, especially in a foreign country. He was definitely in our thoughts the whole time and him being injured helped inspire the team to strive to victory,� said Coach Rooney. Even though he watched his teammate’s battle from the sideline, it was hard for Goss not to be able to throw on a uniform and help them beat Hamilton. The trip to Ireland was something that everyone on the football team was looking forward to, including Goss. While his injury on the first day put a damper on his trip, but it was not completely terrible since Goss was able to watch the knights beat Hamilton and watch NDU completely destroy Navy. Though it was an unpleasant one, Tyler’s experience was something that not everyone can say they’ve had, but he can definitely get a good story out of it.
TheMagazine Knight Magazine The Knight
2012 October October 2012
S I N N E T Y T I R E Y A VARS L P R A T S S LOSE Y TO INJUR
By Cameron de Matteis
Notre Dame’s Girls Tennis team suffered a tremendous loss this season with the absence of their star player, Senior, Stephanie Chandra. As a Freshman, Chandra’s skills were apparent and secured her a spot on Varsity. She also acted as a key component for Notre Dame’s doubles team. During her Sophomore year, she qualified for CIF Individuals and led the team to Semi-Finals, which was the farthest the ND Girls Tennis had gotten in ten years. Chandra was honored to be the team’s captain her Junior year, but unfortunately her spine injury prohibited her from playing. Chandra’s initial childhood passion was swimming, but around twelve Chandra started experiencing severe leg and back pain. Doctors discovered that she had two stress fractures located in her spine. When numerous nonsurgical procedures, such as braces, did not work, she resorted to having her first back surgery last November 2011. “The surgery was necessary because my back problems had been interfering with my daily life,” explained Chandra. This year, Chandra had to have a second surgery, a spinal fusion, to correct two fractures in her lower spine. As a result of this surgery, she will miss her Senior tennis season and approximately one month of her Senior year at Notre Dame. Page 21
With such a loss, how is Notre Dame’s tennis team coping? “We are missing her very much. It makes things a little harder when you lose your number one player,” explained Coach Cupo. Molly Metcalf, 2012 Varsity player, added, “Varsity was struck hard with the news that Stephanie would not be able to play. She was a major asset to the team.” While Chandra’s team may be losing their star player, she will be losing her one passion and her three closest friends. “I loved the girls that I got to play with on the team,” stated Chandra. “To me, tennis was not just a sport, but it was an escape...Nothing beats that.” Chandra also faces challenges outside of tennis. “In the hospital, I had to re-learn how to walk.” Because of the surgery Chandra will have to attend physical therapy and avoid physical activity from four to six months. The most challenging obstacle will be trying to readjust and catch up with her current classes. “Being gone for so long really takes a damper on your ability to learn and focus, so it will take me a while to become accustomed with my normal school routines,” said Chandra. Despite all the struggles, Chandra will be able to play tennis again, after allowing herself to fully heal. “My experiences have shaped me into the person I am today. Mentally, it takes a lot to deal with devastation, but nothing stops me from smiling.”
The Knight Magazine
October 2012
W
A
T
E
R
P
O
L
O
At Notre Dame, we love our sports teams. For years, the Notre Dame community has supported the football teams, volleyball teams, and other sports through fundraisers, games, and pep rallies. But what is the real reason behind joining a sport? Is it the glory, the popularity and the attention? Or is there a hidden attraction in each sport that seduces athletes to play?
“The water polo team requires an incredible amount of dedication. It’s not for everyone. We sacrifice much of our summer, and many hours during the Fall season. It’s not easy to jump in a pool to swim laps at 6am.
-Wesley Adrianson
“We have double practices one in the morning and one in the afternoon everyday but Friday.”
-Gehrig Gosslin “I love the game. It involves both incredible physical condition and strategic focus. I love the feeling after finishing an insanely difficult practice. More importantly I love my team. I don’t play for myself, for my coach, or for Notre Dame. I play for them.”
-Wesley Adrianson
is like “a part time job… in the water about 18-19 hours [per week], and it takes up most of the extra time me and my teammates have.”
-Alex Kerekes
Page 22
The Knight Magazine
October 2012
“Our school community is so involved in breast cancer awareness, especially like events like Dig Pink. It’s something that has had an effect on our community as well. Mrs. Connelly herself is a breast cancer survivor. We need to put our combined efforts towards re“I’m search and hopefully finding a survivor, a cure.” Mrs. Kassakian so far, so good. And “Much I’ve lost too many love to those friends, so we need to battling now. Stay keep looking for a cure, strong and to those because there has to be “My who lost their fight, one.”-Ms. Connelly grandma was RIP beautiful angels.” diagnosed last year. -Emma Comtois, I want to let everyone “Stay Sophomore know to keep fighting strong and everday, because everyyou can get day is worth fighting through this befor.” -Aubrie Loden, cause you’re brave.” Senior -Olivia Rigberg, “My Freshman mom’s best friend lost the struggle against “I breast cancer. I think it’s think it’s a cause that important that we deserves a lot of athelp out because it is tention and a lot of an important cause. A lot support.”-Monique of people go through with Candiff, Senior “About it, and I’d like to tell them one out of all to hang on. There’s no every eight women day but today.” -Jarret in America will be diagManlapaz, Senior nosed with breast cancer “My at some time during her life. godmother In other words, even if you get “For has breast canbreast cancer yourself, you will all the strong cer and she’s going still be affected by it because it women fighting, through it now. I’d like will strike someone you love. or the women that to tell all the women If tath is not worth doing are gone, this month is going throught it to something about, I don’t for you. You got this.” not give up.”- Sarah know what is.”-Mr. -Kelli Hamilton, Dunn, Freshman. Klee Sophomore
Page 23
The Knight Magazine
October 2012