The Talon | Issue 0 | August 18, 2014 by The Talon

Los Altos High School, Los Altos, CA ■ August 18, 2014 ■ Volume XXX, Issue 0

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lahstalon.org

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

TECHNOLOGY

FACILITIES

School launches BYOD program

School constructs new pool and more

MAYA ACHARYA

Print Managing Editor

FALL SPORTS KICKOFF

The school year starts with sports in full swing. Check out fall previews for water polo, football, field hockey, tennis and volleyball. Also read about recent changes to coaching staffs. Sports, 11-12

Summer in review Read Talon writers’ thoughts on summer books, music and movies, from Hilary Clinton’s “Hard Choices” to “The Fault in Our Stars.” Entertainment, 8-9

County reviews district budget Santa Clara county officials reviewed the district’s budget proposal on Friday, August 15. News, 3

New state law caps budget reserves

KATHERINE YEN

As of June 20, school districts in California can only hold six percent of their budget in reserve. News, 2

Customized food takeover Pizza Studio in Mountain View allows customers to personalize pizzas with various crusts and toppings. A writer comments on its taste and unique sodas. Entertainment, 9

Sports opinion: Brazil’s World Cup spending out of hand The 2014 World Cup saw massive spending by its host country. A writer looks back the games and assesses the pros and cons. Sports, 11

UPCOMING EVENTS August 22

Back to School Double Assembly/Dance September 1

Labor Day Holiday September 2

Fire drill during tutorial September 5 @ 6:30 p.m.

Movie night

September 9

Freshman resource fair September 10

Club day

Speech and Debate Demo Day News Editorial Opinions

2 4 5

Features Editor

During summer vacation, the school hosted several construction projects to replace and renovate existing facilities, most of which were worn out from use. These structures included the football field turf, the swimming pool and the trainer building and bathrooms by the

football field. The $3.3 million undertaking was funded by the district school year budget, Measure A bonds, capital facilities fees (money collected from developer fees and allocated to public facilities) and deferred maintenance dollars (money saved specifically for maintenance). The school allocated the four sources of funding to different, specific areas

10 6 8 11

of construction. One area of top priority for the school was the replacement of the football field turf, which cost about $1 million and was completely funded by the district’s school year budget. Every 15 years or so, the turf becomes worn out and loses its bounce. ‘CONSTRUCTION’ CONTINUES ON PAGE 3

‘BYOD’ CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

SCHOOL STAFF

Twenty-one new staff members join this fall COMPILED BY TALON STAFF

This school year, 21 new staff members will be joining the ranks of the LAHS faculty. New teachers will be joining every academic department. Here’s your chance to meet some of them

Sarah Alavardo

Sarah Alavardo will be helming World History and CWI classes this year after previously working with middle schoolers. Her passion for both teaching and history started in middle school when she was inspired by her teachers to follow their career path. She hopes to become involved within the LAHS community and also spread her love of crafts and photography.

Destination: Service

September 13

Features In-Depth Entertainment Sports

PHOTOS BY IAN MACKEY AND MENSON LI

Summer contruction projects improved the school’s sports facilities. Top: The pool was renovated. Bottom left: The school is constructing a new athletic training building. Bottom right: The turf field has been replaced.

Starting this fall, the school is implementing a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program for students. This program requires each student to bring a laptop with a screen of at least 11 inches to school every day. The district has considered and researched the program for more than a year. “When we received grant funding for additional Chromebooks, we decided to proceed with the plan,” Assistant Principal Galen Rosenberg said. The MVLA Foundation and Google provided the funding for new Chromebooks for both the school and Mountain View High School (MVHS). LAHS will require students to have a device with them every day once all the Chromebooks arrive, which could be as soon as Monday, August 25. “[LAHS] will ultimately have more than 1000, but some will have dedicated uses outside of the ‘BYOD’ system,” Rosenberg said. MVHS will not be implementing the BYOD program this year. Instead, MVHS will continue using the cart-based computer system previously used at both schools.

What it means to be a voluntourist.

Megan Blach

Formerly a student teacher at Yerba Buena High School, Megan Blach was drawn to Los Altos High School by the passion students and teachers here share for learning. She will be teaching US History and World Studies and is excited to meet all of her new students. In her spare time, Blach likes to read historical romance novels and travel. She’s visited 17 countries and has even lived in Madrid.

Chelsea Doiguchi

Originally a Mountain View High School graduate, Chelsea Doiguchi came to Los Altos from a teaching post at Del Mar High School in Campbell in order to be closer to her family. She will be teaching World Studies and Contemporary World Issues. Doiguchi says she will have to get used to being an Eagle instead of a Spartan but is looking forward to being involved at LAHS. “LAHS” CONTINUES ON PAGE 10

The Talon August 18, 2014

Get daily LAHS updates and read the news archives at lahstalon.org/news

BYOD CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE “Many teachers already had lessons that used classroom computers,” Rosenberg said. “Now that we can expect availability more consistently, we expect that more teachers will make use of this resource.” The school did a trial of the BYOD program in AVID classes last year. Half of the students brought devices from home, while the other half borrowed from the school. “In classes like AVID there’s a variety of things we do with colleges and everything,” AVID teacher Joanne Miyahara said. “[I think the digital devices will be really helpful because they allow] access to the resources you need to do searches on colleges or information about things like the SAT or ACT and [allow students to work on] a lot of the different leadership projects we do that are collaborative in nature.” In order to facilitate the integration of laptops into curriculum, the school has been training teachers over the summer. “This summer, I’ve been spending time transitioning a lot of what I used to print out and give to my students into Google Drive,” English teacher Caitlin Hannon said. “One of the things that’s really exciting about this

IAN MACKEY

Above: One of the school’s new Acer chromebooks. Below left: The new chromebooks were ordered over the summer, but the school has not recieved all of them due to high demand all over the nation. Below right: Students will also be using HP chromebooks, which were used earlier in the 2013-2014 school year.

year is that...we’re seeing this as a really cool experiment and an opportunity to try new things, and work with each other and work with the students...in a different way that I’m hoping is going to be a lot more efficient for the students and for me, and allow us to bring some new things into the curriculum as well.” Students will receive more information about the program and how to check out Chromebooks in their English classes. “One of our big tasks was to get kids ready for college and beyond,” district Superintendent Barry Groves said in an interview with the Los Altos Town Crier. “Now, everyone has a laptop when they go to class (in college). It’s just part of what you do – you submit online, you get feedback online. This is a good way to get students ready to use this technology when they graduate.”

TALON FILE PHOTO

IAN MACKEY

Governor signs state budget reserve limit Effect on budget if cap is enacted

SPENCER DEMBNER

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18% of budget must be spent

Jose

Unif

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(Cap limit)

6% (Cap limit)

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Starting in the 2015-2016 school year, California school districts will be required to limit the amount of money they hold in reserve to six percent of their budget as long as certain conditions are satisfied. This change comes as a result of a bill related to the state budget, signed by Governor Jerry Brown on June 20. Nearly all local school districts keep funding reserves, which are simply cash on hand used for a variety of purposes. Some of the reserves are allocations to fund building projects for coming years, while the remaining unallocated reserves are kept to pay for unexpected costs and avoid funding shortages. For the Mountain View Los Altos (MVLA) district, having reserves allows the district to pay for the first half of the year without borrowing money, until its normal funding arrives. “We get most of our property taxes in December,” former Associate Superintendent Joe White said. “There’s a whole set of [records]…that show that we’ve had to make temporary borrowings to be able to flow the money right.” The cap is likely to have its greatest eﬀect in the Bay Area. Because property values are high, many Bay Area districts, including MVLA, rely on local property taxes instead of receiving guaranteed funding from the state. These districts, referred to as “basic aid districts,” often keep

Staﬀ Writer

25% of budget must be spent

Current reserve (total percentage of budget) *BOTH DISTRICTS ARE BASIC AID; GRAPHIC BY AMANDA MELL, CARL FAUST

much larger reserves, around 10 or 20 percent of their budget. This is due to unpredictable changes in property values, which can lead to reduced revenue and funding shortages. “My assembly district [which includes MVLA]…has more basic aid districts than any other district in the state,” State Assemblyman Rich Gordon said. Despite the cap’s passage, it is far from clear if districts will ever have to reduce their reserves because the budget includes numerous conditions that limit when it would apply. The cap will never take eﬀect unless

voters approve the rainy day fund in November. In addition, the state would have to increase funding for education and create new state education reserves before the limit can be imposed, including paying a massive seven billion dollar debt to California schools. “We have a repayment schedule on the seven billion dollars…over the next seven years...until we pay that back, there’s no cap,” Gordon said. Legislators and district oﬃcials expect the cap to be enforced at the county level, meaning that the county would refuse to approve a district’s

budget if it was in violation of the six percent cap. However, the county is also allowed to grant exemptions for any district that can justify holding a larger reserve. MVLA projects a budget reserve of around 23 to 24 percent for this school year, with nine percent already allocated to future projects such as construction or technology improvements. After both the Senate and Assembly adopted versions of the budget, they met in conference to resolve differences between the bills and finalize the budget. The cap was added during the conference, surprising many lawmakers, including Gordon. “When I heard about it, I spoke to a couple of my colleagues,” Gordon said. “We were all surprised, like ‘Where did this come from? What is this about?’...Two of us said [to the speaker of the assembly], ‘We don’t like this reserve thing’.” The cap was added at Governor Brown’s request, and lawmakers, district oﬃcials and the press have speculated that the cap was meant to gain union support for his proposed ‘rainy day fund.’ The rainy day fund would have the state save money in case of an economic crisis. Teachers unions were expected to come out against Brown’s rainy day fund, since it would have the state hold onto funds that might have been put towards education and increased salaries. Instead, they have supported the fund in return for Brown’s addition of the cap, claiming that the cap will force districts to

spend taxpayers’ dollars instead of stashing them away. “I think that the thinking [by teacher’s unions] was, ‘How do you pressure a district that’s sitting on a lot of reserves to not hold all that money and start putting it back into teacher salaries?” Gordon said. However, opponents of the measure call it irresponsible and say that it would make small districts unprepared for another crisis, because it would prevent them from holding necessary emergency funds. “Think about your home budget,” Associate Superintendent Mike Mathiesen said. “Things happen, so I don’t want to live month to month… it’s always good to have money in your savings account, set aside.” While the cap faced little opposition in conference, its future is uncertain now that the budget has passed, and legislators have less pressure to move quickly. “Things get put in at the very end, because now it’s the law that the senators and legislators don’t get paid unless the budget’s passed,” Mathiesen said. With the budget passed, however, the cap is likely to be a major issue for school boards and many legislators, who will attempt to repeal the cap before it takes eﬀect. “It sounds like the legislators, while they support the governor, have some questions about it,” Mathiesen said. “It remains to be seen what will actually play out of that because [there are] a lot of concerns by education agencies statewide.”

The Talon August 18, 2014

County officials likely to approve budget, LCAP AMELIA BAUM SITARA SRIRAM

District Revenue

In-Depth Editor Senior Writer

On August 15, Santa Clara county school oﬃcials reviewed the school’s budget for the upcoming school year, which specifies how $59.8 million out of $62.7 million of revenue will be spent over the next nine months. This year, the Mountain ViewLos Altos (MVLA) school district will receive $62.7 million in revenue. The revenue comes from three places. Eighty-six percent of the revenue the district receives comes from local property taxes. MVLA is one of ten percent of districts statewide for which the revenue from local property taxes is greater than state educational funding. Only three percent of the district’s revenue comes from state funding, with just one percent coming from the federal government. The remaining 10 percent of revenue comes from interest, fees, agreements and donations received by the district. The expenditures are categorized into five major areas: certificated salaries, classified salaries, employee benefits, books and supplies and services and other operating expenses. Certificated salaries refer to the salaries of teachers and administrators, while classified salaries refer to the salaries of employees such as office support workers, instructional assistants and

District Expenditure

3% 1%

Local Property Taxes

4% Certificated Salaries

10%

12%

Interest/Agreements/ Fees/Donations

15%

State Funding

Benefits

47%

86%

Classified Salaries Services & Other

Federal Government

22%

Books & Supplies

GRAPHIC BY NOY ANISMAN, VANESSA MARK

maintenance workers. A portion of the budget is also earmarked for Common Core spending. The money for Common Core was received by the district from the state during the 2013-2014 school year and is meant to be spent over two years. The district plans to spend the money for Common Core primarily on infrastructure, such as training, professional development and finding curriculum, to go along with Common Core testing. “There’s this [program] called ‘Teachers on Special Assignment’ where there are coaches from the district [who] are there to help teachers in the classroom with developing and implementing Common Core type lessons, materials,

etc.,” Associate Superintendent Mike Matheisen said. In addition to the money allocated for Common Core spending, plans for the 2014-2015 district budget include supporting programs to increase district-wide academic performance, salary adjustments for district employees and Common Core curriculum investment. Money that came from increased property taxes as part of Measure A, which was passed in 2010, has been spent primarily at Los Altos High School this summer. The school upgraded the mechanical equipment in the pool and locker room area, in addition to investing in renewable energy sources.

The district budget was approved by the MVLA school board in June. In addition to the annual budget, this year the state has required schools to develop a Local Control Accountability Plan (LCAP) to document how they will spend the dollars they receive from the state government. It also includes a three year projection of how the money will be spent in the future. “The Governor and the state want to give more control to the school districts,” Matheisen said. “People said, ‘Hey, we’re nervous about how districts are going to spend their money,’ so they developed what is called ‘LCAP.’” The budget is separate from the LCAP and is more related to how

the district will be spending money for this upcoming year, rather than in the future. For example, one of the district’s main goals for the next three years is to improve the performance of all students in Algebra I, Geometry and Algebra II. The LCAP includes this goal, the actions and services that will be provided this year and in future years to help achieve this goal and the anticipated expenditures for each action. “[After the LCAP is approved in June] we send it to the county office and they have to approve it,” Matheisen said. “Now, for the first time, they also have to approve the LCAP. The county reviews it by mid-August...says it looks good, and then it’s certified.”

panels were placed on top of the boys locker room. “It’s a completely new heating system which works off the solar panels,” Woodworth said. “The [old boilers] would just run 24 hours, seven days a week… [These boilers] won’t. When the

pool is not in use, the boilers turn themselves down. It’s energy saving, and when the pool is [in use], the boilers ramp up by themselves and go faster.” Construction costs for the pool renovation amounted to about $1.3 million, most of

which was provided by Measure A bond money. In addition, the school bought a new athletic training building to replace the old one by the track field. The portable bathrooms by the track field have also been replaced with a new, larger set.

The old bathrooms had one stall each for the boys and girls bathroom; now there are three stalls per bathroom. Capital facilities dollars covered the combined expense of about $860,000. One smaller project that has yet to be started is the enlargement of the press box and replacement of the visitors’ bleachers by the football field. The current press box and its adjacent control room do not have enough space for controlling the scoreboard and for filming sports games. Woodworth believes that workers will start on this project sometime in November. Overall, Woodworth was pleased by the progress of the construction. “Everything was done just about right on the mark,” Woodworth said. “I’m very happy with the way things turned out.”

Construction CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE This fall sports season, athletes will be training on an entirely new turf field. A layer of foam beneath the turf and a new mixture of sand and pellets are designed for better impact upon collision. “Say you hit [the turf ] with your head, it’s a [cushioned] impact...and it’s a [cushioned] impact when you turn your ankle,” Head of maintenance and operation Mike Woodworth said. “The new turf acts like real grass. It’s easier on [athletes’] knees.” Construction on the turf is slated to run through the first week of school. The other major area of renovation was the pool and its surrounding facilities. Water polo players, swimmers and divers will be using a newly plastered pool, with the decking redone within a 10 foot radius. On top of this remodeling, the school installed three new energy-efficient boilers that provide instant hot water to service the pool and the locker rooms. To help power these boilers, solar

GRAPHICS BY VANESSA MARK

The Talon August 18, 2014

Please send letters to the editor to talon.lahs@gmail.com L

Online health is still insufficient ■ The online health curriculum still lacks essential components ■ The district must make changes to curriculum As the summer comes to an end, almost 200 students have taken online health through the school. Though the number of students taking this course has no sign of changing, the curriculum itself lacks useful information. The school district must revisit the curriculum it provides to revise and add to its content. The curriculum, from the vendor OdysseyWare, does not include important components of health education. In particular, the sex education portion of the curriculum is too limited to be of service to students. Only covering abstinence and condoms as a means of birth control, the curriculum does not meet any qualifications to be a considered a legitimate form of sex education. Though the course is not technically a sex education class, its lack of proper sexual protection education is a disservice to students. In the semester-long course offered at the high school, students are informed of sixteen methods of FDA approved birth control including emergency

201 Almond Ave., Los Altos, CA August 18, 2014 Volume XXX, Issue 0 Editor-In-Chief Carly Cohen Managing Editors Maya Acharya (Print Print)) Zach Cohen (Print Print)) David Wu (Web Web)) News Editor Sofia Guo Opinions Editor Steven Cui Features Editor Katherine Yen

In-Depth Editor Amelia Baum Entertainment Editor Alice Dai

Sports Editor Daniel Rosenbaum

Media Editor Noy Anisman Copy/Content Editors William Jow, James Sun, Maya Varghese, Kevin Yen

Senior Writers Robert Chin, Perla Luna, Johnny Scher, Sitara Sriram

contraception and more permanent contraceptives. Online health, while a shorter alternative, should provide students with access to that same amount of information. In addition, the online curriculum still lacks any information on lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender (LGBT) experiences, which are covered by the semester-long course. LGBT students are left unattended to in the online health curriculum. Since the online course is technically not a sex education course, the district argues that it is not required to fully cover sex education in a health course. However, as the online health

course does discuss sex education, it should provide students with a full understanding of the topic to match its semester-long counterpart. The semester-long health class provides a much more comprehensive sex education curriculum. As a class that relates directly to the personal lives of students, health education must contain as much useful information for students as possible. The MVLA online health curriculum does not provide such information. The district should look for a different vendor with a better curriculum, or supplement OdysseyWare’s curriculum with sex education information similar

to what is offered in the semester-long course. Despite the shortcomings of the online course, the number of students taking the course has not been aﬀected. Students should be able to take the class most convenient for them without sacrificing educational value. With school coming to a start, the number of students taking the district online health course is approximately the same as those enrolled in the semesterlong course. With students continually relying on online health education, the district must make great progress in the upcoming year in reviewing and adding to its online curriculum.

FOR MORE ABOUT THE ISSUES WITH THE ONLINE HEALTH CURRICULUM, CHECK OUT THE ISSUE 3 EDITORIAL FROM LAST YEAR

Staﬀ Writers Anneliese Gallagher, Spencer Dembner, Annie Gaﬀney, Teddy Chmyz, Hannah Craford, Josh Kirshenbaum, Eric Kopps, David Lisbonne, Olivia Jerram, Jessica King, Claire Bai, Leonardo Wai, Eric Thiem, Emily Terada, Hanna Khosravi, Elaine Lee, Cole Hansen Photographers Brandon Hong, Ian Mackey, Allegra Maeso, Noah Tsao, Elvis Li, Menson Li, Gina Kermode Videographer Carl Faust Graphic Artists Amanda Mell, Vanessa Mark Adviser Michael Moul

POLICIES Los Altos High School’s Compositional Journalism class is solely responsible for The Talon Talon,, which is published eight times a year. The Talon also updates its website, www.lahstalon.org, with full-time coverage. The Editorial Board sets the policies of The Talon and crafts its editorials and thumbs. Its members are Maya Acharya, Zach Cohen, David Wu, Sofia Guo, Steven Cui, Katherine Yen, Amelia Baum, Alice Dai and Daniel Rosenbaum.

THUMBS UP to the MVLA School District Board candidates for providing voters choice Thumbs up to MVLA School District Board incumbents and challengers for providing voters choices in the upcoming election. This November, voters will choose from seven candidates to fill three open seats, the first contested MVLA board election since 2008. Having competition makes board members accountable to the voters and provides discussion of key issues. This year, three seats are up for reelection. Incumbents Joe Mitchner, who is the current board president, and Debbie Torok will be running for reelection. In addition, Kevin Kramer, Dana Bunnett, Doug Moore, Sanjey Dave and Fiona Walter will be running for the first time. Board elections will occur on November 4, 2014.

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THUMBS UP to the district for providing tech support during first week of school Thumbs up to the school and the school district for its efforts to ensure that problems with Wi-Fi connectivity are resolved in the upcoming school year. During freshman orientation on Wednesday, August 13, the school conducted a Wi-Fi test with 750 devices under the supervision of the district’s IT Director, Technology Coordinator and another tech support personnel. Throughout the first week of school, both LAHS and MVHS will have a Wi-Fi engineer as well as district IT support on campus to address issues with Wi-Fi connectivity and other problems.

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The Talon August 18, 2014

See more opinions articles at lahstalon.org/opinions

Gourmet food: Quality vs. Cost Worth it for the quality

ALICE DAI

Entertainment Editor

The Bay Area is renowned for being a center of technological innovation. What people often overlook is the far tastier fuel behind such innovation: the area is also a gastronomic hub for one-of-a-kind foods. A recent boom in gourmet food eateries in the Bay Area has attracted food fanatics and curious diners alike. In addition to offering unique flavor profiles that are coveted by these foodies, gourmet restaurants manage to pull off the laid-back, simple but epicurean feeling of an elevated grilled cheese sandwich or liquid nitrogenchurned ice cream. Gourmet eateries get called out for being too expensive and unhealthy, but they are often misrepresented. From the ambience to food quality to customer service, gourmet dining is becoming a more popular dining choice, and for good reasons. Gourmet food restaurants like Umami Burger, The Melt, Scoop Microcreamery and others are offering high-quality cuisine for justified prices. While pricing is subjective and solely based on the buyer’s budget, gourmet restaurants offer certain specialties and notable qualities that bring up their prices. For example, Umami Burger boasts house-made sauces and condiments, and The Melt prides itself by offering 100 percent recyclable or compostable supplies and all natural ingredients. Scoop Microcreamery even offers

novelty ice cream flavors like saffron, maple bacon crunch, chili mango sorbet and others, which are all made using a liquid nitrogen churning process. These eateries offer a unique experience to the customer, but these experiences come with a price. For example, Scoop Microcreamery offers two scoops of ice cream for $4.50 while two scoops at Baskin Robbins cost $3.69. But considering the nitrogen churning process and unusual flavors that Scoop uses, in addition to it being a microcreamery (small batches are made), charging one more dollar for Scoop’s ice cream is reasonable. After all, novelty sells, especially in a food-oriented environment such as the Bay Area. Health is also a big factor when considering the quality of a restaurant. Fast food restaurants like McDonalds do not offer the same quality of ingredients compared to more high-end restaurants and are more vague about exactly what ingredients they are using. And while gourmet food may not have specific defining parameters, the quality of ingredients, originality of flavors and dishes and well-rounded experience that these eateries offer justi-

ROBYN LEE / FLICKR

PHOTOS BY ELVIS LI

Above: The Melt is a restaurant offers unique grilled-cheese sandwiches for a higher price. Below: The restaurant is a gourmet eatery located in the Stanford Shopping Center in Palo Alto.

Not worth the extra cost KATHERINE YEN Features Editor

Above: Scoop Microcreamery makes special nitrogen-churned ice cream. Left: Umami Burgers is a chain that presents a fresh take on burgers.

The recipe is simple enough— take a classic comfort food, spin a couple variations and set up a higher food chain. Indeed, the idea seems to have taken off in the Bay Area, with chains such as The Melt, Umami Burgers and Scoop Microcreamery all capitalizing on this idea to market gourmet versions of grilled cheese sandwiches, hamburgers, and liquid nitrogen ice cream, respectively, at hefty prices. But is the upgraded food really worth the cost? The answer is a resounding “no.” Gourmet by its very definition implies food that is prepared with care, made with high-quality ingredients and presented tastefully. Chains

such as Melt and Umami Burgers may meet the standard of high-quality ingredients by using artisan cheese and all-natural beef, but who is to say that their sandwiches or burgers are prepared with more care than one from any other restaurant? After all, quality is a difficult thing to control when they are such large business chains. And what about their presentation? Who is to say that it is worth the extra five dollars? In addition, the driving force behind many of these chains is the familiarity of their food. You would be hard pressed to find a teenager who has never heard of a grilled cheese or ice cream sandwich. Both are entrenched in our childhood memories as the quintessential party or comfort food and both are easy to whip up. Yet chains like the Melt and Cream lure us to shell out extra money for something that we could easily make at home by appealing to our emotional connection to these foods. Dangling the word “gourmet” in front of their brand names does not hurt either. Exploiting these two tactics, food chains are able to make lucrative business out of something as simple as a grilled cheese sandwich. Ultimately, whether or not the food is truly gourmet and worth the price can only be determined by the customer (and his or her stomach). But, before stepping into one of these new eateries, it is important for consumers to stop and consider the balance between the stomach and the wallet. Are they really getting what they are paying for? The answer will vary according to the individual, but I believe not.

SAT/ACT prep courses are not cost-effective PERLA LUNA Senior Writer

At some point in their high school careers, driven by pressure from parents and administrators, students will begin the mad dash for a high score on the SAT or ACT, hoping it will help them be admitted into their first choice college. As a result, families spend anywhere from $100 to $1,000 on test prep classes promising better test results. Although taking a prep course probably won’t lower scores, it is not always as practical or as beneficial as one might think. For many students, the cost of the test prep classes can outweigh the possible benefits. Students from less socioeconomically advantaged backgrounds often choose to forgo test prep courses altogether because of the cost. For these students, even the discounts some companies offer may not be enough to persuade families to spend such a significant amount of money when they could feasibly improve on their score themselves.

“[The decision to take a prep course] depends mostly on money since...not everyone has the luxury to give up so much money to have someone help them do well on the test,” senior Maria Muñoz said. “Neither my parents nor I can afford [prep courses] so I’ve been studying with friends and on my own.” With the high price tag attached to test prep courses, even those who do have the budget for them question whether the courses actually do raise scores by the remarkable amount many companies claim. Most students find that they can improve on their score just by taking the test again. However, it is tempting to take a prep course when companies like Revolution Prep promise a score increase of 200 points. However, these claims can be far from accurate. A 2009 study conducted by the National Association for College Admission Counseling (NACAC) found that on average only a 30 point increase among students who took a prep course. Even though many test prep companies may offer a refund or a chance to take the class again for free if the student is not satisfied, they maintain this rarely happens.

Revolution Prep reports that 4.5 percent of students retake the class for this reason, while Kaplan says the percentage of students who want refunds is low, though this is not necessarily an indication that the class caused any improvement. For those who are unable or are hesitant to spend a lot of money for a score they could likely earn

themselves, there are other valuable study alternatives. Popular alternatives include self-studying with prep books, which tend to be reasonably priced, though they do require plenty of dedication on the student’s part. Creating study groups is a good method for students to keep each other on task. “At first I wanted to study alone,

VANESSA MARK

but I realized that I couldn’t actually physically sit down and study if I was doing it alone,” Maria said. “I told my AVID teacher about it and she wrote [down information on forming an ACT group] on her whiteboard, so both AVID periods would know about [the study group]. If it wasn’t for the study group I wouldn’t have learned about tricks on how to tackle the ACT.” Other options include using online resources, including the free options offered by the SAT and ACT. Both have questions of the day for students who can’t always find the time to schedule long blocks of studying. Despite recent changes to the SAT and more colleges like Sarah Lawrence College dropping the SAT/ACT requirement altogether, the SAT and ACT continue to be points of anxiety for students and parents alike. However, when the time comes to prepare for these tests, it is important to remember that a high score won’t necessarily guarantee acceptance and a low score will not guarantee rejection. A strong academic record is far more important than an ACT or SAT score in determining college admissions.

The Talon August 18, 2014

A Day in the Life of a Voluntourist Over the summer, many LAHS students participated in service trips organized by local churches or school clubs such as Haiti Solidarity and One Dollar for Life (ODFL). Though these trips visited various countries such as Haiti, Nicaragua and South Africa, the common goal of students on these trips was to aid those in need. Below, the Talon walks through a day in the life of students on the 2014 ODFL South Africa trip to show some of students’ experiences with the local culture and people.

8:00 a.m. Students on the trip wake up at around 7 or 8 a.m. and trickle into the dining room of the main house for breakfast, which usually consists of bread, oatmeal and scrambled eggs. Above, the cabins in which students stayed were located in the backyard of their hosts, Lucas and Leona Schleeper, who often welcome students on service trips with a place to stay.

SITARA SRIRAM, SENIOR WRITER MAYA VARGHESE, COPY/CONTENT EDITOR KATHERINE YEN, FEATURES EDITOR KEVIN YEN, COPY/CONTENT EDITOR

COURTSESY ALICIA LEONG

9:00 a.m.

Destinatio

After breakfast, ODFL students pile into a bus and drive to Mvelaphanda Preschool to play games with schoolchildren called “brain gyms.” According to junior Alicia Leong, these games are meant to strengthen the kids’ coordination as well as their mental skills. Students sing songs such as “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” and played “Duck, Duck, Goose.”

What it is, what it isn’t, an about humanitaria

COURTSESY COP TRUST

12:00 p.m. Students take a break for lunch. To the right, the plate contains typical American fare such as chicken and coleslaw as well as traditional South African staples such as pap, a creamy white porridge-like substance made from ground maize. On other days, students usually eat chicken or tuna sandwiches with chips or fast food from Steers, a South African fast food chain.

Volunteerism

(n.) The use or involvement of volunteer labor, especially in comm

Voluntourism

(n.) A form of tourism in which travelers participate in voluntary w COURTSESY COP TRUST

1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. When not sightseeing, students spend about three to four hours in the afternoon renovating kindergartens, also known as creches. This is part of ODFL’s belief that change starts with helping young kids build a brighter future. At these renovations, which are called upgrades, students paint cheery pictures, fix swing sets, put in windows and build relationships with the children at the creches.

COURTSESY COP TRUST

3:30 p.m. All of the students on the ODFL trip travel to visit the six meter tall statue of Nelson Mandela, which was placed into the Nelson Mandela Square as a way of commemorating Mandela’s contributions to South Africa.

COURTSESY JESS ORFORD

7:30 p.m.

5:00 p.m.

COURTSESY COP TRUST

A few days ago, the group bought scarves, gloves, socks, backpacks, beanies and blankets from a South African shopping mall to assemble winter packs for the kids at the community center of Tswelopele. They now distribute these packs at the community center. Above, children delight in rummaging through their backpacks to see what they received.

ODFL students from Burlingame and Mountain View High School huddle around a campfire in front of their cabins after dinner to sing, play games and bond with the ODFL group. At night, temperatures dropped below freezing. This, combined with the lack of heat during the power outage, forced students to put on up to five layers of clothing before climbing into their sleeping bags. “But then again, heat and electricity are all luxuries in the townships [towns consisting of governmentissued housing], so knowing this made us all realize how lucky we are,” junior Alicia Leong said. “No one complained at all. Instead, we embraced the whole no-power thing and it honestly was a great experience.”

COURTSESY ALICIA LEONG

9:00 p.m. Students turn in early around 9 or 10 p.m. Above, junior Analisa Milkey brushes her teeth in the communal bathroom shared by all nine students who were part of the ODFL trip to South Africa. Because their hosts are considered middle class in South Africa, the bathroom has a shower with hot water, a sink and a flushing toilet.

The Talon August 18, 2014

SITARA SRIRAM Senior Writer

Voluntourism: Helping Westerners, not host communities

A lot is expected of modern high school students. In addition to maintaining high grades and juggling various extracurricular activities, an increasing amount of emphasis is now placed on giving back to the community. Students are responding to this in various ways, some choosing to give back locally and others choosing to embark on voluntourism trips to foreign countries. Unfortunately, when these high schoolers go abroad on humanitarian trips, the services they are expected to perform often take a back seat to experiencing the local culture. They come home with eye-opening experiences, but little to show for their efforts. Senior Elise Jacobsen went on a humanitarian trip to Tanzania in the summer of 2013 through an outside orga-

on: Service

nd what you didn’t know an work abroad

nization called Global Leadership Adventures. Her job, nors to the status of their different projects, the organization along with a few other volunteers, was to teach English to allows donors to contribute to projects where help is truly a class of third graders at a school in Tanzania. Though the needed so they can make the most of their money. experience was exciting, the trip’s impact on Elise was difWhile volunteers’ intentions may be good, most do not ferent than what she expected. have the skills, time or even resources to make the kind of “Honestly I don’t think we were that great at teaching Eng- impact that is necessary. lish,” Elise said. “I think the biggest [impact] was For example, Theresa Higgs is a director of more [on] me personally, getting to help out the organization United Planet, a prominent While volunteers’ and see and learn in this other country.” service organization that sends volunteers on The problem with voluntourism trips is that intentions may be humanitarian trips abroad. In an interview many of the times, the tasks that volunteers with National Public Radio, she expressed good, most do not are assigned to perform are not consistent with concern over how much voluntourism trips their skills sets. Rather than flying abroad and have the skills, time actually end up helping the intended targets. helping with tasks that they are not suited for, or even resources “What I think often gets lost is the host it makes more sense for people to donate the to make the kind communities,” Higgs said. “Are they gainmoney to a well-established humanitarian oring? Are they winning? Are they true partganization so they can ensure that they will be of impact that is ners in this? Or are they simply a means to necessary. helping in an effective way. an end to a student’s learning objective, to For example, Doctors Without Borders is an someone’s desire to have fun on vacation international humanitarian group dedicated to and learn something?” she asks. providing emergency aid. In the event of a natural disaster or While donating money may not provide volunteers crisis, they provide assistance to struggling developing com- with the opportunity to interact with a new commumunities whose own health care system may not be sufficient nity, it is a safe and effective option for those who want enough to respond to the needs of the population. to make sure that are making a real difference and using Money donated to Doctors Without Borders goes towards their resources in a practical way. allowing the organization to treat a greater number of paImmersing oneself in a culture is an exciting and imtients, providing assistance to victims of armed conflict and portant experience for youth to have in order to develop continuing research to help fight deadly epidemics. their worldview, but voluntourism may not be the way Additionally, the organization alerts potential donors to do this. Visiting another country and interacting with when money is no longer needed for a particular project. The the locals without volunteering provides an opportunity Doctors Without Borders response to the Ebola outbreak in to broaden one’s perspective, without all the potentially Western Africa is now fully funded, and donors are no longer negative impacts of voluntourism. able to contribute to this particular initiative. By alerting do-

munity services

Perspectives

work, typically for a charity

Most popular voluntourism destinations by region: 1. Africa 2. East Asia 3. South America 4. Mexico 5. Western Europe

INFORMATION FROM UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO

A group of 10-30 voluntourists can expect to spend anywhere from $8000- $24,000 on airfare to and from their destinations.

MAYA VARGHESE Copy/Content Editor

With The Right Attitude, Overseas Volunteering Can Be Beneficial For Both Sides Depending on the way they are carried out, overseas trips perform jobs that require labor rather than actual skill, can either be great or harmful to the volunteers involved. such as scraping paint or laying bricks. More hands workFrom what I have seen through my own experience as an ing means the job gets done faster. ODFL officer, the clubs at this school take precautions to The benefits of a trip are also dependent on the attitudes make sure their trips are productive. Though One Dollar For of the volunteers themselves. Though the goal of the trip Life (ODFL) and Haiti Solidarity may not have is to help people in need, there are many ways perfect systems, I have seen beneficial effects this can be approached, even by good-intenboth for people overseas and the volunteers’ For students, tioned volunteers. It is easy for volunteers to the opportunity perspectives. fall into the trap of acting like Westerners comThose who argue against voluntourism criti- to learn about ing to save the foreign people from their “incorcize volunteers who go overseas to build struc- issues in other rect” ways or to adopt the attitude that they are tures that the locals do not need. During these great people for coming and volunteering on unhelpful excursions, volunteers push their countries from these trips. When I was in South Africa, I tried own ideas of what is needed onto the people the local people is to keep in mind that I was not doing anything there and sometimes make things worse. How- invaluable. that was worthy of gratitude. I had much more ever, I have seen ODFL and Haiti Solidarity take than the people there had, through no virtue a different approach, working through non-government or- of my own, and what I was doing was tipping the balance ganizations (NGOs) based in the regions they visit. When a little bit. I volunteered with ODFL in South Africa, we helped nonI had known something about the injustices in the region government organizations with their usual work, doing before I went, but seeing real people facing them made the things that they deemed necessary. High school volunteers injustices real and immediate in a way they hadn’t been

before. I also learned a lot just by seeing people so cheerful despite having problems so much bigger than my own. It was a humbling lesson in gratitude, and when I came back to ODFL it was no longer just a club I was a part of but a huge priority for me. Critics of voluntourism say that trips are self-serving if the volunteers benefit from them more than the local people, but the clubs at our school are trying to create globally aware citizens. Maybe at this point high school students cannot make a huge difference, but if the trips can make problems in other countries immediate to people used to a luxurious lifestyle, these trips have the potential to create a generation more invested in the welfare of people around the world. As high school students and volunteers we are not able to make as big a difference as we might wish. But the clubs at this school help non-government organizations do work that is necessary, and students come back with a new perspective on the world which extends past their own communities. They may not be transforming the communities they visit, but that is not the point of the trips. For students, the opportunity to learn about issues in other countries from the local people is invaluable.

The Talon August 18, 2014

See more entertainment articles and daily updates at www.lahstalon.org/entertainment

MOVIES

Shailene Woodley

AMELIA BAUM

In-Depth Editor

f you went to the movies this summer, it is likely that you saw 22-year-old Shailene Woodley making an appearance on the big screen. With leading roles in popular films like “The Descendants,” “Divergent” and most recently, “The Fault in Our Stars,” she has thrilled audiences with her realistic and heartfelt portrayals of complex characters in a variety of genres. Born in 1991 in Simi Valley, California, Woodley has been doing commercial modeling since the age of four. In 2008, she took on her first major acting role as lead char-

MINGLE MEDIA TV / FLICKR

acter Amy Juergens in ABC Family’s “Secret Life of the American Teenager”. The show received mixed reviews from critics but broke a record for ABC Family’s highest rated series in its first season. Woodley has received acclaim for many of her television and film performances, including a 2012 Independent Spirit award and a Golden Globe nomination for her supporting role in “The Descendants”. The Fault in Our Stars (TFIOS), which hit theatres this June, is one of her most well-received performances. One critic went as far as to call it the next “The Notebook”. In “TFIOS,” Woodley plays Hazel Grace, a 17-year-old with ter-

Senior Writer

Sam Smith: “In the Lonely Hour”

ritish artists who gain widespread success in the United Kingdom can often find it hard to achieve the same magnitude of success in the United States. However, British singer-songwriter Sam Smith’s full length debut album “In the Lonely Hour” not only managed to debut at #1 on the Official Chart Update in the UK, but also debut at #2 in the United States for the highest number of first week album sales. This pop and R&B album

centers around the theme of unrequited love. “[The album is] just a diary from a lonely 21-year-old,” Smith said in an interview with Digital Spy. “It’s my way of defining what is love, and how unrequited love is just as painful, just as powerful, as what we call ‘normal’ love.” The album has received favorable reviews from critics, who exalt Smith’s vocal range. Andrew Ryce from Billboard called his voice “one hell of a set of pipes, able to go from a commanding lower register to an inhumanly high squawk in record time.” Three singles from Smith’s new album have already been released, and the fourth single, “I’m Not The Only One,” is set to be released on August 31.

Trending Bar

This

SUM

REVI

Lana Del Rey: “Ultraviolence”

uirky, mysterious, and even controversial, Lana Del Rey is no conformist. Her new summer album, “Ultraviolence”, continues to incorporate unique, unconventional sounds that push the boundaries of modern pop. “Ultraviolence” has achieved widespread commercial success. It is Del Rey’s first number one album on the United States charts, and has sold more than a million copies worldwide as of July 2014. Critics have praised its melancholy, cinematic, even bluesy sound with Mark Richardson from PitchFork calling the record “tragic and beautiful—darkly-shaded ballads are what she was created to make, and this album is nothing but, a Concept Album from a Concept Human.” Del Rey has created a strong identity for herself that this album reinforces and supports. MetaCritic is another website that aggregates reviews of music albums and gives albums a score from 1-100. A score of 81100 indicates universal acclaim, 61-80 indicates generally favorable reviews from critics, 40-60

RAIN CITY AMBIENCE

Social Media

Her ability to get into the minds of the characters she plays is the secret to her authentic character portrayals, according to many she has worked with. Before she was cast for “TFIOS,” for instance, she was a huge fan of the novel, and her enthusiasm was apparent to John Green in her audition. “She auditioned for ‘The Fault in Our Stars’ not because she needs the part, but because she loves the book,” John Green wrote on his blog about Woodley. “Her depth of understanding was immediately obvious in the audition and for me there could be no one else to play Hazel.” Woodley’s talents extend beyond romantic comedies, as she took home a surfboard award for best actress in an action movie for her role in “Divergent” at the 2014 Teen Choice Awards on August 10. Though many of the movies and television series she stars in are aimed at a teenage demographic, Woodley’s flexibility and ability to empathize with the characters she plays has yielded her a more diverse fan following. With an excellent reception so far and contracts with several movies currently in the making, it does not look like Woodley will be leaving the big screen anytime soon.

Albums of the Summer

MUSIC SITARA SRIRAM

minal cancer who becomes smitten with the witty, defiant and loveable Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort) who she meets in a cancer support group. Woodley co-starred with 20-year-old Ansel Elgort in both “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Divergent” (March 2014). In 2014, Woodley and Elgort won a Young Hollywood Award for best onscreen couple. The two are becoming well-known for their exceptional chemistry onset, and are booked for roles in upcoming Divergent sequels as siblings Tris and Caleb Prior. In an interview with the Huffington Post, Elgort said he was “thrilled” that he would be spending the next four years on set with Woodley as they film the next three Divergent sequels. “There’s something really beautiful about working with someone and working with them again and again and again because the more you get to know somebody on a personal level, the more free you feel artistically,” Woodley said in the same interview. Woodley has played a wide variety of characters over the last few years, from George Clooney’s troubled daughter, to a pregnant teenager to a likeable girl with a terminal illness and a caustic wit.

indicates average reviews and anything less than that indicates poor reviews. “Ultraviolence” received a score of 74. Her new album has proved to critics and public alike that she is here to stay, and not a one-hit-wonder. “Lana Del Rey’s 2012 debut LP, Born To Die, was too unfocused to live up to the high expectations generated by the enigmatic power of songs like Video Games and Blue Jeans,” Benjamin Boles from Now Music said. “Now Del Rey has answered those diminished hopes with a consistently strong album, proving her initial appeal was more than just the result of clever marketing.”

THEMEPLUS / FLICKR

#LEH

#YESALLWOMEN

#IWOK

The Talon August 18, 2014

FOOD

This spread continues on: www.lahstalon.org #LAEAGLES

Pizza Studio: Unique creations for a bargain ZACH COHEN

Print Managing Editor

Pizza Studio

Make-Your-Own Pizza 645 San Antonio Road Mountain View, CA

Price Range: $$

★★★★☆ The customizable meal popularized by mega-chains like Chipotle has taken the 2010s by storm. While good-intentioned, it seems that the idea of a more expensive, pre-designed dish is a thing of the past. Behind-thescenes chefs’ assembled plates are being swapped out for the cheaper, but certainly more flexible assemblage of whatever topping/salsa/meat/anything strikes the patron’s fancy at the particular moment of ordering. Enter Pizza Studio, the newcomer to San Antonio Village. Upon arrival at the restaurant, customers are greeted by continuously cheerful and enthusiastic employees who immediately offer the option of the “Ultimate Pizza” in which, after selecting a crust, customers can pile on toppings to their hearts’ content. The alternative is one

MMER n

MENSON LI

Pizza Studio is a new, trending restaraunt located in the San Antonio Shopping Center in Mountain View. Pizza Studio offers a variety of ingredients for customers to make their own pizzas. of the three pre-designed dishes. Currently, Pizza Studio offers four crust options: from fiery to savory to flax-seed-healthy. They even offer a tapioca-based gluten-free crust. And, if you elect to have the gluten-free crust, they’ll offer to change their gloves. (And they said “glutenfree” would never catch on). Next, Pizza Studio employees walk customers through various sauce and cheese options, as well as over 14 vegetable toppings and more than eight meat toppings. Customers can also choose to add some flavorful salts, like truffle salts,

and garnishes, like basil. Finally, the pizza goes to the oven for baking. At $7.99 before tax, Pizza Studio’s “Ultimate Pizza” is a bargain. Considering the ultimate (and tempting) idea of choosing every single topping offered, the price tag becomes almost negligible compared to the amount of food you get. The final product is always satisfying, especially considering all that could go wrong (or right) in having the power to choose so many pizza toppings. The pizza also is always perfectly toasted and portioned. Another one of Pizza Studio’s

BOOKS

DANIEL ROSENBAUM

Copy/Content Editor

VANESSA MARK

E UPLIKETHIS

selling points is its health— not necessarily in its calorie count, but certainly in the quality of the ingredients. All vegetables are certified organic, all meats are raised “cruelty free” and all cured meats are sans-additives and sanspreservatives. Whether or not the quality bump has a psychosomatic effect or if maniacally organic food actually tastes better remains to be seen, but the final product is a slam-dunk, time and time again. The only drawback is Pizza Studio’s selection of fountain drinks. In abiding by its health standards, Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite, or anything of the like is nowhere to be seen on the premises. Instead, fountain drinks of some unmemorable and frankly disgusting organic soda company are available. I don’t really know how healthy I feel drinking “Cane Sugar Cola” … especially when it tastes like sugary dish soap. Overall, Pizza Studio is an ultra-customizable, ultra-organic, ultra-preservative-free environment with excellent options, bubbly staff and a wonderful end product. The price is fair, and the location is convenient. Just be sure to bring your own drinks. (Or, you can try the Lemon/Lime Soda drink, which coincidentally also tastes like sugary dish soap).

VIRAL VIDEOS

MAYA VARGHESE

IEW

Sports Editor

“Hard Choices”

Weird Al Yankovic

In June, Hillary Clinton published “Hard Choices,” referred to by many as “the book of the summer.” Clinton is widely expected to run for the presidency in 2016, making her book a must-read for anyone interested in knowing more about the potential candidate. The book mainly details Clinton’s work during the Obama years. Clinton starts her story just after she had lost the election for Democratic nominee in the 2008 presidential election. She describes trying to move on from her own loss to supporting Barack Obama, the man who had just been her rival. Clinton’s book does not reveal much about her personal life and instead focuses on her work as the Secretary of State as well as the different issues she faced. She is thorough in detailing her work— Clinton mentions 105 of the countries she visited while serving as Secretary of State and discusses several of the trips in-depth, covering many regions of the world. The book is divided into sections based on region and chronology, and finishes with her discussion of her overall goals related to everything from climate change to human rights. “The Guardian” calls “Hard Choices” a “long, exhausting, faintly robotic but ultimately impressive book.” It is thorough

eird Al Yankovic is a premier comedic musical producer and he is back at it again with his album “Mandatory Fun” topping the Billboard 200 chart at number one. Known for his humorous renditions of popular songs with tweaks in the lyrics, he is famous for his singles “White ‘N Nerdy” and “Eat It”, which

GAGE / WIKIMEDIA

rather than revealing, a political book rather than an autobiography. Clinton never completely confirms whether she plans to run for the presidency in 2016, but it has given her publicity which will be useful if she does choose to run. If nothing else, the book’s publication at this time is an indication that Hillary Clinton is not planning on ending her political career anytime soon.

MIKE MOZART / FLICKR

The Nae Nae

he NaeNae is a dance move made popular by We Are Toonz in the song “Drop That #NaeNae”. Many people have made their own rendition of the dance while mixing it up with their own lyrics as well. From popular NBA star Dwight Howard to the Vine-famous group DemWhiteBoyz, the NaeNae has become a household dance move. It has even grown to be used as a touchdown celebration in the NFL. The Nae Nae has become popular like other dance trends such as the Dougie, Cat Daddy or the Jerk, which all had their time in the spotlight.

Suarez Bit Me

KRISTINE SLIPSON / WIKIMEDIA

are parodies of the famous songs “Ridin’ Dirty” and “Beat It”, respectively. His brand new album, however, may be the most popular with songs such as “Foil” (Lorde’s “Royals”) and “Word Crimes” (Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines”). He is one of very few comedians to top the Billboard 200 chart. Each song on the album was released separately through his #8videos8days campaign on twitter promoting the album. This campaign along with the humor of the songs made it resonate around the world.

#ALSICEBUCKETCHALLENGE

hen two brothers play, rarely does it send waves across the internet and the world; but, when Charlie bit his brother’s finger, it was a whole different story. However, Charlie wasn’t the only one to be seen biting this year. With all eyes on the World Cup in Brazil, the bite seen round the world goes to Argentinian forward Luis Suarez. In the round of 16 match between Argentina and Italy, Suarez was seen biting the shoulder of defender Giorgio Chiellini. Like with any faux paux, the internet did what it does best and combined the two incidents, making a Suarez Bit Me video that has been shared over four million times and cementing it as another viral video.

The Talon August 18, 2014

Read more features articles at lahstalon.org/features

LAHS welcomes 21 new staff members SOFIA GUO, DANIEL ROSENBAUM, MAYA VARGHESE, PERLA LUNA, SITARA SRIRAM, SPENCER DEMBNER

World Language

Dayana Swank

Dayana Swank first came to LAHS last semesEnglish ter as a long term Lauren Amoros Amy Schlueter substitute for A Pennsylvania native, Lauren AmAmy SchluSpanish teacheroros moved to California two years eter just reKim Hanley, and ago and worked in a San Jose charter ceived her Math will now be joinschool before ultimately deciding she masters degree ing the language department as a per3. Brent Smith 1. Adam Anderson wanted to work in a public school from Stanford manent Spanish teacher. She hopes to Brent Smith spent five years Adam Anderson will be joining with a more diverse demographic University and create a comfortable classroom environin Hayward as a math teacher, LAHS as a first year math teacher like LAHS. Amoros’ first priority is to will join the ment for her students and positively imand will now join LAHS as a teaching Geometry and Algebra I. adjust to the LAHS curriculum of the LAHS staff pact the campus during her time here. Geometry and Trigonometry In the past, he worked as both an World Literature and Survey Comp./ as a Survey environmental field technician and Math Analysis Honors teacher. Lit. classes that she is teaching. She Comp./Lit. and American LiteraAfter his time at Hayward, Smith for a toy design and development hopes to incorporate more creative ture teacher. Schlueter loves soccer was ready for different challenges firm. He taught as a student writing into the curriculum of these and before attending Stanford, she Psychologist and felt that LAHS would teacher at UCSB this past year and two classes. As a first generation col- was a student at Middlebury ColChad Ablang provide him with new teaching then applied for a job at LAHS lege student herself, she knows how lege in Vermont where she played Formerly experience. His goal next year is after meeting Principal Wynne difficult is it to collegiate soccer. She was a student from Sequoia to help students enjoy math. In Satterwhite at a job fair. Ideally, he’ navigate the col- teacher at Mountain View High High School, his free time, he enjoys playing would like to teach math for the lege waters, so School last year and loved the expeChad Ablang basketball and studying Japanese. rest of his life. He is interested in she hopes to be rience, so she decided to apply for a is taking over sixties era muscle cars and longa mentor to her job within the MVLA district. She as the new 4. Jillian Green distance road biking. students in the hopes not only to teach but also to school psyMath teacher Jillian Green same way her learn from her students and build 2. Charles Castleman chologist. His came to Los Altos after own teachers great relationships and communi- door (located in the Tutorial CenCharles Castleman has taught spending a summer teaching were to her. ties within her classroom. ter) is always open for any student nearly all types of high school in Hong Kong. She will be who wants to chat with him about math, and will be joining teaching primarily freshmen in anything from their interests to LAHS as an Algebra II and AB her Geometry and Geometry friendship troubles to college anxiCalculus teacher. He is excited Honors classes this year and Science ety. When he is not working on his to help students reach their looks forward to helping Freedom Cheteni goal to connect with as many stufullest potential as learners. He them adjust to being in high Freedom Cheteni will be teaching both Biol- dents as possible, he likes to spend plans on becoming an assistant school. She hopes to get to ogy and Algebra II this year as part of a new pro- his time traveling, attending concoach for the cross country know the school community by gram for teachers with dual credentials. He pre- certs and eating good food. team and hopes to help the attending sporting events and viously taught at a Native American reservation science and math departments school activities outside the where he helped the Ipakammi tribe graduate align the physics and calculus classroom. Outside of school, its first five students from high school. While at Administration curriculums. Green is also a yoga teacher. Los Altos, he looks forward to the challenge of Suzanne Woolfolk helping students explore their interests. Outside of school, Cheteni is passionate about helping Growing up near her grandfather’s second-hand bookstore in his autoshop, exotic animals such as snow leopards and lions. Woolfolk always had a knack for literature and education. The aspiring educator participated in ASB, the newspaper and yearbook in high school, which provided a place for her to work towards her dreams amidst her turbulent community. WoolStephen Hine folk was one of ten people in her class to graduate high school and entered Stanford As a Los Altos alum, Stephen Hine ‘09 fits University on scholarship. right into the LAHS community. Hine will be After college, Woolfolk worked as a literacy educator both locally and internateaching AP Physics I and II. He is excited to be tionally. She has taught and been an administrator at Hillsdale High School, Burlworking in the same community that he grew ingame High and San Mateo High. Woolfolk plans to use her near decade of adminup in as a student. The UCSB graduate enjoys istrative experience to help LAHS grow as a school and a community. spending his free time playing ultimate frisbee and disc golf. News Editor, Sports Editor, Copy/Content Editor, Senior Writers, Staff Writer

Special Education Trina Lee

Trina Lee will be joining the Chemistry regular and Environmental Science regular classes this year. She previously taught at Summit San Jose and is excited about the history of strong academics and the unique student population here at LAHS. She looks forward to imparting her passion for science onto students. When not in the classroom, Lee loves to be outdoors either hiking or biking.

2. Dan Carter

Christopher Lucas

Christopher Lucas will be teaching freshman Pre-Biology and Biology classes this year. With a background teaching in Hayward, Fremont and overseas in South Korea, he looks forward to coming back to teach near his alma mater, Stanford University. He is excited to help his students build a strong foundation in science for the rest of high school.

Jake Russo

PHOTOS BY TALON STAFF

Jake Russo will be teaching Biology Honors and AP Biology. The California native sees Los Altos High School as a place to improve his teaching while becoming a part of the school’s culture. He hopes to bring more field trips to the science department to enrich students’ educational experiences. Russo is also an avid standup paddleboarder and with the help of GoPro has captured interactions with whales, seals and dolphins.

ous learning experiences with new teachers. When she is not fostering positive change in her students, she loves to write and

1. Katie Canales After spending time at various high schools and a year teaching the course, English as a Second Language, in Costa Rica, Katie Canales was drawn to the Special Education department in LAHS after hearing from several other faculty staff that the LAHS motto was to do what was best for the students. In this upcoming school year, she looks forward to growing as a teacher and getting to know her students on an individual level. Canales also hopes to share her previ-

Dan Carter is a recent transfer from Alta Vista High School and will be part of the Special Education department at LAHS. He is no stranger to this school, having worked here for four years as an instructional aid prior to his position at Alta Vista. His previous positive experience with LAHS is part of the reason why he decided to take a job here; he also wanted to try and learn new things. He hopes to be a positive role model on campus for students who do not necessarily have anyone to look up to in their lives. Outside of school, Carter likes to spend as much time as possible with his family and cheering on the Giants and 49ers.

3. Damara Nasca paint in her spare time. Damara Nasca will be joining the Special Education department this year as a speech and language specialist. She

recently graduated with a Masters degree from San Jose State University, and this job is her first teaching position. She enjoys playing tennis in the moderate Bay Area weather. She appreciates the supportive staff and environment of Los Altos as well as its beautiful campus, and is looking forward to working closely with the other special education teachers and getting to know her students.

4. Amy O’Hayer

Amy O’Hayer came to Los Altos from Cupertino High School. She likes the focus on well-rounded students who are encouraged to pursue arts and sports as well as academics. She will be teaching Reading, English and Study Skills classes for Special Ed, and plans to help students who struggle with reading improve their skills this year. O’Hayer hopes she will bring a lot of energy to campus and looks forward to meeting her new students and settling in. She has four children of her own and also lived in Las Vegas for ten years.

The Talon August 18, 2014

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Brazil Looks Like Biggest Loser After World Cup AMELIA BAUM In-Depth Editor

All eyes were turned on Brazil this summer when the nation played host to one of the most talked about international sports competitions—the 2014 FIFA World Cup. The football festivities lasted just over a month, starting from the official kickoff on June 12 and finishing with a riveting final match between Germany and Argentina on July 13. From the perspective of a spectator watching on television, the event certainly looked impressive, with several state-of-the-art stadiums, manicured fields and scores of distinguished officials. However, the event was both preceded and accompanied by nation-wide protests arguing against the egregious amount of money going into preparations for the event in a country with a significant amount of citizens living in poverty. The message of these uprisings may have been partially drowned out by football coverage, but it is critical that we not push their concerns aside. Now that the final whistle has been blown, it is time to step back and look at an issue that is much bigger than football: what happens to Brazil when the world leaves Rio? Unfortunately, the World Cup’s legacy in the country looks dismal. Poor planning, overspending and politics prevented the event from benefitting a country in desperate need, leaving Brazil in no better shape than it was before preparations began. In order to fully understand this issue, it is necessary to take a look at the state of affairs both economically and politically in Brazil in the years prior to the World Cup. When World Cup Rio was announced in 2007, things were looking pretty good. Inflation was down, the currency was up and

in many ways it looked as if the Brazilian economy was moving in the right direction. That was the argument former president Lula de Silva made when he lobbied for the event to be held in his country nearly a decade ago, a decision he hoped would help put Brazil on a path to becoming the next major world superpower. Unfortunately, in 2014 the future isn’t looking quite so bright. At the beginning of 2014, Brazil’s economy was at the lowest it had been since the recession of 2008-2009 and the national gap between rich and poor remains one of the widest in the world. The World Cup was supposed to help this struggling country by updating infrastructure and increasing tourism, but it failed on both fronts. The majority of the nearly $11 billion spent went toward building and refurbishing 12 stadiums around the region, many of which are unlikely to ever be used again to their full capacity. An example of this waste is the Arena Amazonia in Manaus, a remote region outside Rio which is home to a group of indigenous peoples. The arena cost nearly 300 million dollars to build, yet hosted only four World Cup games. Officials defended the decision, saying that the cost would be made up in revenue from future sporting events held there, but given the remoteness of the location and the area’s lack of a club football team, that assertion seems foolhardy at best. Arena Amazonia represents the worst of World Cup grandeur, and points to an important truth: too much of the spending in Rio was ill planned and wasteful, with little regard toward its effect on the country’s future. The notion that increased tourism is going to magically repair the massive hole that the World Cup created in Brazil’s budget is simply false. Studies have shown that the expected increase in tourism to host countries during international sports competitions is a myth. In fact, the opposite appears to be

Field hockey looks for comeback WILLIAM JOW

NEW COACHES

History of World Cup Spending

4 Bil

$3.6 B Stadium Construction Costs

3 Bil

Fan cost index (FCI), which is the construction cost per fan visiting the stadium four years after the initial event.

$2.9 B

$2.1 B 2 Bil

$1.9 B $1.7 B

$1088 $846

1 Bil

$713

$664 $.6 B

$149

$95 France 1998

Japan 2002

South Korea 2002

Germany 2006

South Africa 2010

Brazil 2014

SOURCE FIVETHIRTYEIGHT ECONOMICS GRAPHIC BY AMELIA BAUM

particularly third world and developing ones, the rights to host these events will not miraculously fix deeply ingrained social and economic issues. Once that is accepted, FIFA must take more responsibility for its choices of host countries, taking into account of impacts of such events on local infrastructure. For FIFA to insist on many state of the art stadiums in its host countries and to allow countries to build new stadiums when older ones would suffice is not only impractical, it is immoral. But at the end of the day, it is the host countries themselves that are responsible for their own economic welfare and image projection. This

past summer, Brazil provided yet another example of political egotism getting in the way of sound, long term financial decisions. It might be too late already for Russia, who has already begun spending its $20 billion budget in preparation for World Cup 2018, on top of the $51 billion spent this winter at the most expensive Olympic games in history. However, only time will tell how Qatar (World Cup 2022) and future hosts will handle the spotlight. With no signs of stopping, it seems like this international trend towards overspending means that no matter the final score, host countries are likely to be the competitor with the greatest losses.

BY STEVEN CUI

Baseball - Gabe Stewart

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The varsity field hockey team has been training hard, practicing at 7 a.m. three days a week for conditioning and stick drills. On top of this, the team has played 25 minute scrimmages against other teams in an informal, four-week tournament hosted by Saratoga High School during the summer. The team competed well and placed third overall. “I think our performance improved dramatically over the course of the tournament,” senior Nicole Atkins said. “At first a lot of us felt discouraged because we lost hope as soon as our opponents scored on us. I realized a major hindrance to our performance was our mental game—we did not play with enough drive or intensity, which explains how some players would give up throughout the course of a game.” The team lost several key players after graduation. However, the fact that the varsity team has

true, with potential tourists being “pushed out” by higher prices and expected crowding. For a country like Brazil, whose politicians hoped to capitalize on the publicity the event would create, the pressure to build new stadiums and infrastructure was massive. Though FIFA only required eight stadiums for the event, Brazil built or refurbished 12, many from the ground up. Granted, Brazil isn’t the only country that has fallen into this trap. South Korea, Japan and South Africa also pumped millions of dollars into the construction of World Cup stadiums, and they are feeling the pain too. Cape Town stadium, which hosted many games during the 2010 World Cup, remains largely unused except for occasional soccer matches, concerts and private events. The story is old, but the magnitude of waste in Brazil is unsurpassed. Brazil has spent significantly more than any World Cup host since 1994, at just over $3.6 billion on stadiums alone. In addition to spending the most overall, Brazil’s construction cost per fan is through the roof—at $1,088 per fan visiting the stadiums over the next four years. Even South Africa, with the nearly empty stadium in Cape Town, only spent $718 per fan. Brazil is the latest and most extreme example of this chronic problem of overindulgent World Cup spending. As a result of this massive stadium spending, projects with the potential to have more positive long term impacts on Brazil were delayed or abandoned. For instance, a high speed rail from Rio to Sao Paulo scheduled to be ready by the World Cup is not expected to be operable by 2020. So where do we go from here? The mistakes in Brazil and other countries may already have been made, but that doesn’t mean that the World Cup has to continue to be synonymous with gross immoderation. The first step towards mediating this problem must be an ideological one. It must be understood that giving countries,

IAN MACKEY

Senior Kathy Hamilton looks to pass the ball. She is one of the returning seniors to lead this year. a considerable number of seniors filling these positions helps to lessen the damage. “It is evident that our field hockey team has not had many victories in the past,” Nicole said. “However, I believe this year our team has the strength in skills and overall determination that will allow us to succeed in ways we have not in the past.” The field hockey team’s first home game takes on Monta Vista High School, September 24th at 3:30.

As of the 2014-2015 school year, the school will be welcoming a new yet familiar face to the coaching staff of the varsity baseball team. After a hiatus from coaching baseball, history teacher Gabriel Stewart will be replacing former coach Donnie Ecker as the head coach. Following a rough season last year, the team is hoping to improve their consistency this year. Despite finishing sixth out of eight teams Mr. Stewart in the De Anza League last year, the team ended the season strong by winning their first round CCS game before being eliminated by eventual finalist Westmont High School. This year, Stewart hopes to take the team even further by focusing on the team’s strengths during the season and their weaknesses during the off-season. “Our strengths were rooted in the ability of every player being able to contribute to our success and being able to call upon almost every player to contribute effectively,” Stewart said. “Our weaknesses stemmed in large part from a lack of having a few standouts who could be counted on every game to be successful and dominate. This can hopefully be addressed by players putting in a lot of work in the off-season to be able to step up and be amongst the best players in the league.” However, Stewart does not believe that this tactic is set in stone. In fact, he anticipates needing to change his coaching style each year to accommodate for each year’s players, with only a single permanent rule: “give the team maximum effort, have a positive and growthminded attitude and use your talent to do the greatest good for the team.”

Varsity Girls Soccer - Stephen Nichols Frosh/Soph Football - Kalani Bounos

JV Girls Tennis - Michael Bourquin JV Girls Volleyball - Tammy Lee

Frosh/Soph Boys Basketball - Marlowe Wells

Secti

The Talon August 18, 2014

Water Polo prepares for tough season DAVID WU, JAMES SUN

Seth Tasman is now the varsity boys water polo head coach and having coached girls varsity water polo, JV boys swimming, varsity boys swimming and diving at the school in years past, has a wealth of coaching experience. In addition to his extensive coaching at Los Altos High School, Tasman also runs an aquatics club called Northern California Aquatics with coaching for swimming and water polo. With his insight on the mechanics of the game, many team members are optimistic that coach Tasman will be able to help the team make a deep push into the CCS bracket. “[Coach Tasman] has a relationship with the players that is pretty established because he has been coaching for so long,” junior Patrick Fong said. “He was the JV [swimming] coach a while back and he has been our club coach too. I think he is going to be pretty good for our program.” Tasman hopes to continue building the school’s aquatics programs. “I am very excited for the opportunity to take over the boys water polo program at Los Altos,” Tasman said. “We have had a great water polo history and I look forward to continue building this program...my goal is to build and elite swimming and water program at Los Altos High.”

Senior Bryan Kim

Football Last year, the school’s football team ended with a league record of 8-2, but their efforts did not merit a ticket into the playoffs. Since taking the position last year, head coach Trevor Pruitt has overhauled the football team, making it much more competitive. He has changed everything from the training program to the strategies and plays. This summer, the team focused on bulking up in the weight room, while training for a faster paced game on the field. “We’re doing a lot of strength training, focusing on the chest, the shoulders, neck areas, so they can absorb most of the force from the hit,” Pruitt said. “We like to practice. We like to push the tempo of practice where we don’t have to do the conditioning.” The football team trains two hours a day, five days a week. “It’s the desire to win,” junior captain Kyle Gounod said of their moti-

Girls Coach

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Boys Coach SETH TASMAN

oming off a quarterfinal CCS finish last season, boys water polo will be returning to the pool as a much different team, with both coaching and roster changes. Switch-ups in the team have also proven to be a characterizing dynamic going into the season. The team lost its top three scorers from last season after graduation in Sam Lisbonne, Jordan Stout and Ryan Seltzer, respectively, leaving the team with big shoes to fill. These shoes will likely be filled by the host of returning seniors, among which include Bryan Kim, Sean Nguyen, Joshua Santos, Montana Goloubef, Cameron Hayes and Dane Grosvenor. “We graduated a lot of talent this past year, but I know that our incoming seniors will do a great job leading this team,” head coach Seth Tasman said. “Our goal is to be top four in our league and qualify in CCS. We have about 15 incoming freshman boys and our program is expanding quickly.” Big changes are also happening for the Eagles at the goalie position. Senior Dane Grosvenor, who was expected to play as Los Altos’ starting goalie, has been training to become a field player after suffering complications with concussions from years of taking hits to the head. Sophomore Vishnu Ram, last year’s JV goalie, will likely be taking over as starting goalie for the Eagles. "To be a goalie as a sophomore...I am certainly a bit scared about it because the shots from the field players are much faster and harder to reach,” Vishnu said. "But there is also a part of me that is excited to play at a high level at a young age. It will be hard to transition to varsity at first, but I think that once I get used to the shots, my job will be much easier.” Though the team has been significantly reshaped, a number of its players come into the season having played together over the summer for NorCal Aquatics, Tasman’s club water polo program. “It’s important to play club so that you get to know your teammates,” Bryan said. “You can’t play as a team if you don’t know what each of your teammates are going to do.” As the team heads into the season, Tasman has already identified what he believes to be the keys to success for the team. “We will have to be a fast team to be effective in our league, the De Anza Division of the SCVAL. We have many of the top swimming and water polo programs in this area. Speed and smart game sense will be key.” The Eagles play their first game away against Gunn on Tuesday, September 16 at 4:45 p.m.

KATIE BUZZETTA

irls water polo returns to the fall season as This season, Kaa revamped team. The team’s loss of key tie Buzzetta will be senior players Kimberlyn Tilley, Jenna Gavenreplacing Seth Tasman and Casey Vanneman looks to be one of man, this year’s boys the Eagles’ biggest challenges. varsity water polo “The team graduated three seniors who were head coach, as the crucial to the team, which is looking like our biggirls varsity water gest challenge this year,” senior Ya’el Weiner said. polo head coach. “Since they were our main goal-scorers, the team Buzzetta coached has beewn working all summer on creating new girls JV water polo offensive plays and improving our shooting.” last year, and previously held the poA young team with little experience is another sition of head coach of the boys and obstacle the Eagles will have to overcome in the girls swim teams at Woodside Priory. coming season. She also has multiple years of experi“We have a lot of incoming freshmen and ence playing and coaching water polo JV [players] moving up to varsity,” Romy said. at many different schools across the “They aren’t used to the varsity teams so adjuststate. ing will be an obstacle.” “We were so lucky to have her last The slew of incoming underclassmen, while year as the JV coach, and she helped inexperienced in high school play, also look to elevate the entire program,” junior be the team’s biggest asset. Christina Pao said. “I think we have a pretty solid team going With a new season of varsity level into this season,” Ya’el said. “We have more coaching ahead for Buzzetta, the team numbers than I think we’ve had in years and is excited to play under her. everyone coming out this fall, even the in“I definitely am excited for the seacoming freshmen, has been practicing all son because I know she will help us year and are ready to take on the high school all become more cohesive in both our season.” offense and our defense,” Christina Fortunately, a number of returning players said. and new players have also been playing for boys In past years, the JV team has pervarsity coach Seth Tasman’s club team, NorCal formed well. With her innovative Aquatics, over the summer, ensuring a degree of coaching style, she helps to motivate cohesiveness and familiarity. the players to a different level. “Since we all played on the same club team “She has so many drills that are new with the same coaches we really bonded that and innovative that have helped me way,” Romy said. “A key aspect to a strong become a more aware player,” Christeam is being able to work together which we tina said. “She is the are slowly doing. This summer really gave us most motivational a leg up on that, high school season won’t be coach I have ever much different.” had, and she has Going into the season, new head coach Katie so much faith in Buzzetta already has a game-plan. our team which “[We need to] mainly focus on defense bealways helps cause defense wins games,” Buzzetta said. “Its push us to be not about having an abundance of shooters, but our best.” being able to play all four quarters and consistently challenge them.” Though challenges lie ahead in compensating for graduating players and a lack of experience, the team remains optimistic for the season ahead. “We have a great shot at placing high in our league this year, maybe even qualifying for CCS,” Ya’el said. “We may be a young team, but there is a lot of talent regardless.” Girls water polo’s first league game is against Gunn on Friday, September PHOTOS BY IAN MACKEY 16 at 6:45 p.m. Sophomore Veronica Hsu

Fall Sports Previews WILLIAM JOW, JOHNNY SCHER Copy/Content Editor, Senior Writer

Girls Volleyball

Coach Trevor Pruitt directs practice. This year the team looks to continue their newfound success. vation to train. “We want to win, we don’t want to go 0-10 again like we had in previous years.” The desire to improve is found throughout all the football players and is praised by Coach Pruitt. “It’s tough to find a football team where everybody wants to be there playing ball and getting a better atmosphere from football,” Pruitt said. “That is something I’ve enjoyed the whole summer.” Don’t miss the first home game versus Burlingame on September 20th at 1:30 p.m.

Although last year the varsity girls volleyball team made school history, this year they hope to replicate that success with a rejuvenated starting lineup. The team made school history after finishing second place in both CCS finals and the Northern California CIF, losing one game before playing for the California state championship. “Last year’s success was fabulous and an experience none of us will forget but hopefully we can follow it up just as strong,” junior Louisa Kishton said. “If we don’t get complacent with last years success and come out and work hard, I think we will have a great season.” This year, the team remains optimistic about its prospects for success, despite losing four starting players after graduation. “Our starting lineup will be quite

PHOTOS BY IAN MACKEY

Senior Carmen Annevelink serves the ball. She will be a big offensive force and leader for the team this year. different this year, however, we have a very good junior class that will keep our team growing and improving,” senior Carmen Annevelink said. “I think that this change in the roster will change up some dynamics, however not negatively. Our team is very outgoing and we all get along on and off the court. This year will be just as great as last year if we work hard and work together.”

During the summer, the team hosted “open gyms” every Wednesday from June 11 to July 30. These sessions allowed new and returning players to get a feel for the team’s upcoming season, in addition to providing coaches with new insights on players before tryouts. The first home game for the lady eagles is September 11 versus Burlingame at 6:45 p.m.