The Talon | Issue 2 | October 29, 2013

Los Altos High School, Los Altos, CA ■ October 29, 2013 ■ Volume XXIX, Issue 2

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lahstalon.org

Vocational program highlights student diversity SOFIA GUO Staff Writer

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

Starting this school year, the school is hosting a new fifth period class for the MVHS Transition to Work program. The vocational program, a yearlong course designed to teach basic living skills to high school students with disabilities, was formerly a Foothill Community College program.

For the past decade, Transition to Work students split activities between the MVHS campus and the Veteran’s Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System

(VAPAHCS) located in Palo Alto, where the students helped out in the cafeteria four times a week.

This year, the Foothill program was replaced with a new MVHS program of the same in an effort to widen the variety of facilities used and involve the students more in the district.

This MVHS program does not include the VAPAHCS element and instead aims to use local school facilities like the Autoshop to teach a wider variety of living skills.

Autoshop teacher Greg Ely super-

vises the class, which contains seven students this year. Ely teaches the students basic living skills such as sweeping areas and maintaining vehicles while they are at LAHS. The students learn other skills such as washing and cooking skills at the MVHS location as well.

“The students have a special classroom over there at MVHS,” Ely said.

“They learn really simple things... they have a stove, sink, washing machine, dryer and stuff so [the students] can learn things that we take for granted.

SPIKING SUCCESS

FONDA SHARES DECADES OF STORIES Get a closer look into the interesting life story of the substitute teacher nearly every student has fallen in love with: Mr. Fonda.

Features, 12

Strong leadership has launched the girls volleyball team to the top of the league

Feminism Through the Ages

Joseph Ong has excelled in the martial arts form of Taekwondo, claiming second place at Nationals.

Features, 13

“Chasing Charming”: Broken Box’s First Performance Read into the humorous, modern take on the classic princess stories in the upcoming Broken Box play.

Features, 14

BRANDON HONG

The players huddle together during a game to discuss strategies and tactics in between sets. The girls volleyball team, led by experienced upperclassmen players, has clinched the top spot in their league.

ALICE DAI

Feature Artist: Emeli Sandé

Staff Writer

Learn about the up-andcoming artist who has taken Europe by storm with her meaningful lyrics and powerhouse vocals.

Entertainment, 15

Horseback Riding Gains Popularity Equestrianism is a sport that can be enjoyed by people of all abilities, and is practiced by multiple LAHS students.

Sports, 18

UPCOMING EVENTS Oct. 30 @ 5:00 p.m.

Haiti Fundraising Dinner Nov. 2 @ 7:00 p.m.

Grad Night Fundraiser Nov. 5 - 6

CAHSEE Testing Nov. 6 @ 7:00 p.m.

Sophomore Parent Night Nov. 11

Veteran’s Day Holiday Nov. 11 - 22

LAHS Annual Food Drive Nov. 18 @ 6:30 p.m.

The girls volleyball team blazed through the first half of the season with a series of wins. Most notably, the team took first in the bronze division at the Spikefest Tournament on September 7, beat Homestead High School 4-1 on October 8 and won against Mountain View High School at the MVLA Tournament on October 12.

Los Altos is currently dominating with a 6-1 league record and a 22-3 overall record, staying strong and consistent throughout the season. The team’s strength was on display in its game against Home-

Nov. 21 - 23

Broken Box Performance 9 12 15 18

court, not just in one stead, one of its toughposition. It’s a really est league competitors. big factor that not a “[The Homestead We have talent lot of teams will have game] was a really good all over the in high school.” game for us because court, not just in Considering the we were tied in first for one position. team’s impressive seaLeague,” junior Carmen — Junior Carmen son kickoff and status Annevelink said. “WinAnnevelink as first in the league ning that game, espeand sixth in CCS, it is cially winning it in four, looking forward to and hoping for was amazing. They were our biggest success in CCS and SCVAL. competition in league.”

“Honestly, it will come down These season successes have led to the last week of the season to many to speculate that the team is at really determine who will be the the best that it’s ever been. league champion,” Head Coach “This is the best team Los Altos Peter Kim said. has had in a lot of years,” Carmen CONTINUES ON PAGE 20 said. “We have...talent all over the

Since the start of the school year, Vemna, a relatively obscure company, has recruited students to sell products and grow the company by convincing others to join. Vemma has generated controversy for its non-traditional business model, which some have called a pyramid scheme.

Vemma is a 7-year-old multi-level marketing company that is currently recruiting high school and college students to be “brand partners,” salespeople of the company’s line of energy drinks. Like the majority of multilevel marketing companies, Vemma’s business model is centered on the premise of recruitment, and as such, the company does not pay any hourly wages. Instead, Vemma compensates its salespeople for convincing other people to buy into the company.

Due to its recruitment-oriented foundation, Vemma has been accused of being a pyramid scheme, a business model that is illegal in the United States. Pyramid schemes function on recruitment, and must have an exponentially increasing enrollment of members to sustain themselves.

Technically, Vemma is legal because its business model includes products such as the Vemma Verve, an energy drink that is marketed for more than $3.00 per 8.3 ounce can. Under federal law, companies are classified as pyramid schemes when the only source of revenue is recruitment.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 2

State Assembly Bill 1266 signed into law AB 1266, which concerns transgender students using public facilities, has been passed in the state assembly STEVEN CUI MAYA VARGHESE Copy/Content Editor Staff Writer

Fall Sports Award Night

In-Depth Features Entertainment Sports

Nearpyramid scheme spreads Staff Writers

Junior Takes Down Competition in Taekwondo

2 5 6

CONTINUES ON PAGE 3

ALEX BARREIRA RILEY SOWARD

Read the story of feminism from generation to generation, including the views of students today.

In-Depth, 9-11

News Editorial Opinions

You and I can sit there and wash some dishes and stuff like that, but to them, washing dishes is just a concept that’s beyond their imagination.”

The program also focuses on teaching students specific skills they will likely need later in life.

“When they get up into their early 20’s, they have to learn some basic things like washing their clothes, going shopping and how to use a bus,” Ely said. “[The program] takes them out on field trips all the time.”

On August 12, 2013, Governor Jerry Brown signed California Ed Code AB 1266 into law. This amendment, which adds subsection f to Section 221.5, states that “A pupil shall be permitted to participate in sex-segregated school

programs and activities, including athletic teams and competitions, and use facilities consistent with his or her gender identity, irrespective of the gender listed on the pupil’s records.”

Essentially, AB 1266 permits students who identify as a gender different from that listed on their records to use facilities of their identified gender, such as bath-

rooms and locker rooms. Due to this change, AB 1266 has drawn the attention of supporters and opponents of the law alike.

AB 1266 was first introduced as a bill by Assembly member Democrat Tom Ammiano on February 2, 2013, and was first read on February 5. The bill then began its six-month-long journey through both the Assembly and Senate. It was read three times and passed by the Assembly’s Committee on Education on May 5, 2013, with a vote of 46-25, with eight abstentions. The bill was then given to

Read a guest opinion on the benefits of this bill PAGE 8 the Senate, which read the bill three times and passed the bill with a vote of 21-9, with eight abstentions. Finally, the bill reached the governor and was signed on August 12, 2013. It is set to take effect at the beginning of next year on January 1, 2014.

CONTINUES ON PAGE 3

The Talon October 29, 2013

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

Near-pyramid scheme spreads on campus Continued from the front page

While Vemma has not been found to meet the legal definition of a pyramid scheme, it has been criticized as a “de facto” one. William Keep, dean of the business school at the College of New Jersey and an expert on pyramid schemes, released a statement to the nonprofit truthinadvertising.org warning students excited about the company.

“Vemma presents itself as an exciting new opportunity…yet, when compared to previous companies that have been found to be pyramid schemes, there are too many similarities to ignore. Essentially, Vemma invites students into a competitive free-for-all where an increasing number of Vemma ‘Brand Partners’ chase a decreasing number of potential customers,” Keep wrote.

“The financial return on a student’s investment of time and money will be negative for an overwhelming percentage of participants.”

In order to join Vemma, individuals must first make a purchase, typically either a $150 starting pack or $500 combo pack of Vemma’s energy drinks. After they buy in to the company, brand partners are in-

structed to recruit two branches of salespeople underneath them. Although compensation is not solely determined by one’s position in the hierarchy, profit falls into an uneven distribution favoring a select few founding members of the company.

Potential employees are first introduced to the company through informational meetings hosted by local affiliates of Vemma. At these meetings, senior members of the company show pictures of expensive vehicles and talk about how nearly anything is possible with Vemma.

“One of the guys from UCLA [was speaking, and] he was obviously an honor student,” senior Lillian Zhou said after a Vemma meeting. “He [talked about] the stories of other people who worked with Vemma... and [how] they went from working minimum wage jobs at McDonald’s to making six figures a year.”

Some students are attracted to Vemma’s ideology, which emphasizes youth initiative towards business opportunities and involvement in a system that values effort over time—what Vemma calls a “Young People Revolution.”

“[The speaker] was actually really motivational and he talked about like ‘Oh we [teenagers] shouldn’t be paid for spending time, we should be paid for the effort we make and our talents,’” Lillian said. “And usually with a business, some guy has a brilliant idea and then he sells a whole bunch of stuff and keeps a lot of the money for himself, but this was like the buyers are keeping something for themselves.”

Many students have left information meetings optimistic about possible profits and career opportunities offered by Vemma, but as with any multi-level marketing company, the legitimacy of such claims is always in question.

This August, after facing media backlash for allegedly exploiting minors, Vemma altered company policy to bar minors from joining the company after September 1. Brand partners who joined before the cutoff date were allowed to stay in the company as long as they received parental approval. However, Vemma has offered a way to bypass this regulation; by allowing prospective employees to register under their parents’ names, stu-

miChael zhu

dents are able to evade the age policy I’m presenting in front of speakers and to join the program. and I’m constantly on the phone…

Much of the media criticism sur- When I first started, I had such a rounding Vemma’s recruitment hard time talking to people, but now process of minors comes from the it’s just so comfortable because I’m so potentially misleading claims that used to it.”

Vemma presents at their informaHowever, Dean Keep disputes the tion meetings. One student, who claim that Vemma models a real or preferred to remain profitable business anonymous, left a experience. meeting convinced it “Business school was a good idea and compared to deans should be bought a starter pack- previous compaconcerned that not age. Though Vemma nies that have only does Vemma promises that those been found to be resemble compawho dedicate time and nies found to be effort will make a prof- pyramid schemes, pyramid schemes, it, the student found there are too many it [also] teaches it was much more dif- similarities to students all the wrong lessons ficult to recruit people ignore. when it comes to and make money than — William Keep, Dean of business,” Keep initially anticipated. the School of Business at said.

“Students Additionally, he felt the College of New Jersey are taught to disthat the recruiting regard business process was hurting fundamentals—understanding his relationships with others.

“I don’t know what [Vemma’s] markets, competition, the cost of definition of working hard was. doing business and accountability What I got out of it was bugging —in pursuit of short-term selling people on Facebook at 1 a.m. to based on quickly attracting other try to make them come to a meet- students who are then encouraged ing,” the anonymous student said. to quickly attract other students in “I actually tried to get about 50 an apparent endless chain.”

Though Larry joined the company people to come to meetings but only ended up having four to five a month and a half ago, he has only of them actually come. It started recently turned a profit. For a Vemma employee, however, Larry’s story to get overwhelming.”

The recruitment process is made can be considered a relative success. tougher when many students from Due to the hierarchical structure of the same area are involved in Vem- the company, more than half of its ma, such as at Los Altos High School. members will have a negative net “‘[It’s] especially difficult when profit at any given time. According you’re recruiting teens. When you go to Vemma’s 2012 income disclosure, on campus and recruit a whole bunch posted on their own website, over 85 of teens who are friends and you say, percent of the company earns an an‘you just have to recruit some people,’ nual wage of less than $1300.

Vemma has also faced controversy well you just recruited all of their friends. So what’s left for them?” eco- in the media due to its pragmatic and nomics teacher Derek Miyahara said. ethical concerns.

Miyahara believes that students Some students engaged in Vemma still view it as an opportunity for lured by easy money may not be business experience, rather than fully considering what it takes to earn back their initial investpurely as a means for profit. “[In Vemma] you need to be able ment. To succeed, students need to develop leadership skills, you need to have the “proper attitude” about to develop and sustain a team, as well what they’re getting into and what as learn skills such as following-up, they’re looking to get out of it.

“If you’re looking at this as easy closing, inviting, basically establishing meetings,” Vemma brand part- money, then in that case you’re just ner junior Larry A. said. (Last name a ‘mark,’” Miyahara said. “I think of involved students have been omit- that there’s a lot of people who are ted). “I’ve learned more from Vem- going into [this] saying ‘well it’s goma in the past one and a half months ing to be easy money... If [a business than I [had] in my two years of FBLA opportunity] seems too good to be because it’s using real life situations. true, it probably is.”

School utilizes state guidelines to plan Prop 39 projects RobeRt chin kevin yen Senior Writer Staff Writer

In the November 2012 general election, voters in California approved Proposition 39, a ballot initiative that altered the way that outof-state corporations calculate their California income taxes.

A previous loophole allowed outof-state corporations to choose one of two formulas: taxes were either derived from sales, property and employees, or just sales in California. As a consequence of the loophole, companies that utilized the loophole gained a tax advantage over those businesses that solely derived their income from California.

Through the approval of Proposition 39, out-of-state corporations that generate revenue in California will be forced to pay Californian tax rates, which are the highest in western United States.

In June 2013, California decided that half of the estimated $1.1 billion received from Proposition 39 would go directly to the reconstruction and energy retrofitting of California’s public school buildings. The other half would go to the state. The money will serve this purpose for the first five years following the beginning of the the tax collection. After the five year period, however, all of the money will go into the state’s general fund.

The district is currently referenc-

ing state guidelines to brainstorm possible uses for the money, including expenditures towards improving the schools’ overall energy efficiency and lowering their carbon footprints.

Proposition 39 is one of California’s many attempts to focus on green energy, and supporters are lauding the bill as an initiative towards “investing in California’s future.” Many California high schools, including LAHS, will receive the revenue generated from the proposition with the intent of improving energy efficiency.

“Items that we may improve include new heating/cooling systems, improved lighting [or] installing a new thermal solar system for the

LAHS pool,” District Superintendent Dr. Barry Groves said. “[As a result of Proposition 39, our] schools will be more energy efficient and more carbon neutral.”

In addition to the implementation of a new heating system for the pool, much of the pool’s mechanical equipment is slated to be upgraded. “[The pool project] is the biggest energy-efficient project on the docket,” Associate Superintendent Joe White said. “We are planning to start [the project] right after graduation next year, completing [the project] by August 15, before water polo season starts. We are also looking into changing the Mountain View boilers afterwards.”

Energy-efficient LED lights for the campus breezeways are also being considered. Skylights are under consideration for the gym and hallways as well, in order to reduce the amount of light needed.

Proposition 39’s revenue has already been used to add one small improvement to some classrooms: the introduction of an automatic blind system. The money used for this specific pilot program will be reimbursed by Proposition 39 funds when the money becomes available.

“In the 300 wing, we did a pilot for a new automatic blind system,” White said. “They darken rooms so projectors can be turned on, and let in natural light during other times.”

The Talon October 29, 2013

School hosts Transition to Work Program Continued from the front page

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Above: Students in the Transition to Work program help the school clean its vans during fifth period. Top right: The program teaches students how to organize equipment. Bottom left: Students learn how to spray the pool deck.

At MVHS, the Transition to Work students are integrated into the rest of the student body. During brunch and lunch, the class goes out to interact with other students.

MVHS sophomore Dominique Lau interacts with the Transition to Work students on a daily basis.

She is an officer of the MVHS Spartan Buddies Club, where members pair up with a special needs high school student and interact with their buddy through activities such as pumpkin decorating in the fall and ornament decorating in the winter.

“Last year I had a special needs student buddy who I saw on a daily basis at lunch,” Dominique said.

“We would have conversations about almost everything, like what the weather was like or what was for lunch that day. My buddy loved trains so sometimes he brought train books so I could read them to him. This year I have a different buddy who is in a wheelchair and is mute. I am currently learning a special sign language so I can communicate with him.”

Dominique has a 21 year-old special needs sister who has played a role in Dominique’s involvement

with the Transition to Work students. Even with this personal connection, Dominique emphasizes how much she has learned through seeing and interacting with the Transition to Work students.

“When I first saw the Transition to Work students at MVHS, I was a freshman, and I was surprised to see so many students with different disabilities, some in wheelchairs,” Dominique said. “I [began to realize that] MVHS was a really diverse environment more than before because of these students, especially during my freshman year when I developed my first impressions [of] high school.”

When interacting with Transition to Work students or special needs students in general, Dominique advises that high school students should just try to treat them just like other students.

“The most important thing for LAHS students to keep in mind when interacting with Transition to Work students is to be understanding,” Dominique said. “Transition to Work students may not live the generic high school life as others do.

[But] they are in fact students, just like any other high schooler. It would be great if students could treat Tran-

sition to Work students like any other ordinary student.”

However, since Transition to Work students at the Autoshop are only present during fifth period, they are limited in socialization opportunities with other LAHS students.

Despite this limitation, Ely believes the same kind of integration is possible with the LAHS student body and wants to have the class eventually participate in some of LAHS’ school activities and assemblies within the next school year. Because the Transition to Work schedule is very flexible, the class is available to participate in schoolwide activities such as assemblies if invitations from LAHS are extended. This has not happened yet, as the class just began using LAHS as a facility this year. Social interaction and more exposure to the outside world are the major aspects of learning that the class has and is looking to expand upon.

“When [the Transition to Work students] first came here, I took them for a tour around the school and took them up to the office,” Ely said. “During Homecoming we walked around the campus and they just thought [the decorations were]

the greatest. So you know its very, very simple things that these students enjoy because you’re stimulating them into seeing what else is out there in the world.”

Ely has personal experience working with special needs students and family members, as his sister was born paralyzed from the legs up.

Now in her late 40s, she has learned to adapt to her physical disability. Ely credits his open-mindedness in part to witnessing his sister’s experiences.

“It is important for LAHS students and the community to realize that there are other kids in our schools that have difficulties or limitations in what they can learn and do,” Ely said. “Not everybody... can communicate or have good social skills. Some of the kids have autism; some of them have physical issues. One of the kids [that] I teach [is] technically legally blindhis field of vision looks like frosted glass all the time. The only time that he can see clearly is when he gets the object up within two inches of his eye. He’s extremely brilliant and bilingual and helps one of the other kids [who doesn’t speak English] who is very lowfunctioning.”

With diversity being a central aspect of the schools’ core values, Ely believes that physical and mental diversity should also be brought to the student body’s attention.

“There are kids that have physical limitations and mental limitations and that’s what we’ve got to understand if they want diversity in this high school,” Ely said. “You can have cultural diversity, but how about physical and mental diversity?”

Programs like Transition to Work are also vital to families who cannot afford private schools or separate programs for their children. Public school programs like Transition to Work help all families regardless of financial situation to secure a future for their children.

“Everybody needs a chance,” Ely said. “Every one of them needs a chance at having a better life than what they had to start out with. All kids should have a right to learn.”

Ely encourages LAHS students to stop by the Autoshop during fifth period if they have a free period to greet the Transition to Work students.

“Come and support the kids,” Ely said. “Come down and meet them, and then you’ll find out how nice they really are.”

Assembly Bill 1266 to take effect on first of January Continued from the front page

AB 1266 has been passed with widespread support for the increased rights of transgender students that the law provides. Many equal rights and gender equality groups back the law, such as the Transgender Law Center, the Gay-Straight Alliance Network and the Gender Spectrum.

Alongside many statewide parent and teacher organizations, these groups form the backbone of AB 1266’s support, carrying it past the Assembly, Senate and Governor Jerry Brown to become a new law.

The organizations which backed the law believe that the law is a definite step in the right direction for transgender students and that this will significantly change their everyday lives.

“By recognizing the rights of transgender students, this important measure also symbolizes that all students, regardless of their gender identity or expression, have the right to a safe en-

vironment in which to learn,” Gender Spectrum’s website said.

The school has already made preparations for implementing the law in January, when it comes into effect.

Students who would like to change the gender on their school records should plan a meeting with the administration where their parents are present. According to superintendent Barry Groves, “if there is a LAHS student who would like to change their gender identity, that student would meet with their parents with site administration to begin that process.”

Along with district employees, many of the faculty at LAHS support the law and its freedoms for gender questioning students as well.

“It’s so important to come out as a transgender student or a genderquestioning student,” Librarian Gordon Jack said. “They’re taking a big step, you know. It’s a courageous act and I feel like schools

should support that and not put additional barriers up for them.”

Though the bill is meant to offer a remedy to the problem of transgender students feeling out of place in school, some individuals see the new law as a threat to the privacy of the majority of children who identify as the gender on their records.

One of the leading groups in opposition of AB 1266 is an organization named Privacy for All Students.

According to Privacy for All Student’s website, “It’s an invasion of student privacy to open sensitive school facilities...to students of the opposite sex. Further, the legislation is poorly drafted and flawed, a onesize-fits-all approach that contains no standards, guidelines or rules.”

Privacy for All Students is focusing on halting the implementation of the law through a referendum, which will suspend the legislation in dispute and allow voters to determine

whether to approve or reject it. Privacy for All Students must obtain a petition with approximately 505,000 signatures by November 12, 2013 in order to enact the referendum.

Privacy for All Students is not alone in its endeavors, however. The California Republican Party voted to officially support the referendum at a conven-

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tion held in Anaheim earlier this year.

“I’m sure [the opposition’s] actions are just from well-meaning people... but I wonder how many of those people understand what it’s like to be a transgender student,” Jack said.

“It’s a just and fair law, but it needs to be implemented and communicated well within a school community.”

4

News

The Talon October 29, 2013

Green Team plans conference, ABC days david wu James sun Sports Editor Staff Writer

In the short two months that school has been in session, the Green Team has worked on keeping the school on a path to become more environmentally friendly. The Green Team has been holding presentations at events such as the Silicon Valley Youth Wireless Conference.

On top of this, the Green Team helped get the school recertified as a “green business” by the Santa Clara County last June and was given an award for the recertification.

The Green Team has since shifted its focus to new projects.

TALON

Bay Area Green Conference

Members of the Green Team have frequently gone to conferences to discuss environmental issues, but most found them to be of little benefit.

“A lot of our members have gone to conferences that are run by adults and supposed to benefit high schoolers,” Green Team copresident senior Wendy Wu said.

“They just simply don’t work. We just don’t take anything away from [them] and it doesn’t help our school.”

The ensuing idea was to organize a “green” conference for high school students from around the Bay Area.

“We thought that we’d orga-

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nize our own conference, kind of like a ‘by high schoolers, for high schoolers’ kind of thing,” Wendy said. “The general premise is that we’ll have a bunch of schools from the Bay Area come. We’ll split off into groups and a representative from each school will be in a group and then we’ll discuss project ideas.”

Although the initial plan was to hold a green conference sometime in October, complications with Google, the company which initially offered to sponsor the program, prevented this from happening. Despite the initial setback, Green Team co-president senior Sarah Jacobs was eventually able to convince Google to host the conference. The conference will be held on Saturday, November 9, at the Google campus in Mountain View. Twenty-two schools from around the Bay Area are expected to attend the conference.

Anything But Car Days

Last year, walk-to-school days were held throughout the school year. This year, the Green Team is trying to maintain a consistent “walk-to-school” schedule by designating one to two days of each month as Anything But Car (ABC) Days “[ABC days are] when we try to motivate LAHS students to walk or bike instead of driving,” junior Meredith Soward said. “We’re still working on ideas for how to actually change people’s habits and we’re thinking [of using] food [as] motivation i.e. the second period class with the most bikers gets a pizza party.”

The Green Team has been working with Safe Moves, a nonprofit organization from Mountain View, to educate people about traffic safety. Last year, Safe Moves not only paid for a majority of the ingredients for the smoothies that were distributed during the bike-to-school days, but also lent the Green Team a blender bike, which blends smoothies as the rider sits on the bike and pedals.

This year, the Green Team has decided to retain the raffle system where a green team member hands out tickets to environmentally friendly commuters. In order to counter the problem of participation, the team hopes to

parmis taidy

Top: Senior green team co-president Sarah Jacobs leads the discussion on the upcoming ABC “Anything But Car” days. Bottom: Administration has furnished the quad with new garbage containers that are clearly color-coded green for compost and blue for recycling. be able to entice more people into participating in ABC days by offering better rewards. In addition to receiving a free smoothie from one of Safe Moves’ blender bikes, students who were given a ticket

by Green Team are also registered in a raffle for a 15 dollar gift card.

The first ABC day will be tomorrow, October 30.

Sorting Trash

The Green Team introduced a new trash sorting system to the school last year. Trash cans were either labeled “Compost” for organic foodstuffs or “Recycling” for anything else that was inedible. Items that were stained with food, such as food wrappers and plates, were still classified as “recyclable.”

In the new sorting system, the Green Team has managed to eliminate waste bins entirely. Over the course of a year, the sticker-labels

on the school’s trash cans have become worn, some even peeling off. This has prompted the school’s administration to purchase a new set of trash cans earlier this month. These new domed trash bins are color-coded blue for recycling and green for composting, continuing the school’s efforts toward being green.

The lack of a garbage bin leaves the onus of coming up with a way to ensure that the student body puts its waste in the right bins on the Green Team. The team is currently brainstorming how to advertise the most efficient way to use the new trash cans and how best to develop a system that ensures that students sort their trash.

To see more updates about Green Team, visit lahstalon.org/news

n e ws b r i E F s Blood Drive to be held on November 8

The LAHS blood drive will be held on November 8 in the small gym from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The drive is organized by the Youth Engaged in Advancing Health (YEAH!) Club for the Stanford Blood Center. The club seeks at least 130 donations and has been actively involved in the process of recruiting donors. Donors can save up to four lives by donating.

Students can register either through a member of the club or online through the Facebook event page. Students between the age of 16 and 17 need to sign a waiver prior to the donation. Students 17 and older do not need parental permission to donate blood.

The YEAH! club will also be providing snacks for donors.

Participants will receive a free Chipotle gift card redeemable for a meal item.

Carranza joins district office to help district in Common Core transition

Former math teacher Shelley Carranza has moved from her previous role as an AP Calculus AB and Algebra II teacher at the high school to a more administrative role within the district.

Carranza is now working to help the district transition meet Common Core Standards. The school has made the Common Core Standards a priority during its WASC accreditation last year. Implementing the new standards remains a goal for the district as a whole.

Carranza has also been working on implementing new technology, e.g. laptops, into classes. As future Common Core exams will be proctored on the computer, the district has made technology a priority. Additionally, she has taken on the duties of observing and working with new teachers with the Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) program.

LSU to host LUCHA Parent Empowerment event

Latino Student Union (LSU) is hosting the LUCHA Parent Empowerment event on Thursday, November 14, to inform parents about ongoing events that occur on campus. Additionally, the club hopes to help inform parents about two or four-year colleges and financial aid.

“We have a lot of important people speak [at the LUCHA event] such as the vice principals, AVID teachers and the teachers that teach the enhanced classes.”

LSU co-president junior Oliva Olivares said.

LSU finds these events to be particularly important as they encourage parents to be informed about on and off-campus events that they otherwise would not be able to get. There are also potential guest speakers from Foothill College that may speak on a future issue.

—Compiled by Shiktij Dave

The Talon October 29, 2013

Please send letters to the editor to lahstalon.eic@gmail.com Los Altos High School

STEM Week provides unique opportunity This year, as always, Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) Week brought people who have been truly influential in their respective fields to school. From Adam Cheyer, co-founder of Siri, to Jocelyn Goldfein, Engineering Director at Facebook, students had the opportunity to hear from a variety of individuals who have made significant contributions to STEM fields.

STEM Week is a crucial opportunity for students to learn more about advancements in various science and math fields. The school has strong Science and Math Departments, which gives students the academic knowledge they need to pursue those subjects in college. Furthermore, hearing speakers who are leaders in their fields helps give student considering STEM majors and careers additional information about those paths.

But the beauty of STEM Week is the fact that it doesn’t just benefit students who are already interested in those areas. For the rest of the student body, these speakers often pique students’ interests in the possibilities presented in STEM fields and fur-

Editor-In-Chief Zoe Morgan Managing Editors Rebecca DeShetler (Print) Jared Eng (Print) Dhruv Madhok (Web) News Editor Tony Sun Opinions Editor Shiktij Dave Features Editor Casey Pao In-Depth Editor Carly Cohen Entertainment Editor Zach Cohen Sports Editor David Wu Media Editor Parmis Taidy Copy/Content Editors Maya Acharya, Steven Cui, Ariel Machell, Yuki Zaninovich

Above, Fidel Hernandez talks about concussions in athletes. Right: The da Vinci Surgical System is demonstrated during tutorial. STEM week, which brought a diverse group of speakers to the school, is a valuable resource for students. ther enrich science and math curriculums.

In-class education can only go so far. Listening to a speaker discuss current advances that he or she is making to, for example, stop concussions in sports shows students the importance and relevance of STEM more than a textbook ever could.

THUMBS UP to the MVLA foundation for funding the PSAT

The MVLA foundation began funding the PSAT in 2007 for all sophomores and juniors to take. Where as other schools often require students to pay a fee for the PSAT and only offer it on the weekend, MVLA provides the test free of charge and incorporates testing time into the school schedule.

MVLA’s support allows all students regardless of income and scheduling to experience a standardized testing environment, aiming to prepare students to score higher on an actual SAT or ACT.

Dear Editor, Last year there was a great increase in school spirit at basketball games in particular. Having attended football and volleyball games this year, the spirit is not where I wish it was. At games that are heavily attended, everyone has an awesome time getting into the ups and downs of the game with their friends. To those that say they’re too busy or feel too cool to go to games, I ask you to give it a try. The more people that go, the better experience it will be. That is where great high school memories are made. They are awesome experiences to be a part of and so please get your friends and go to games. Expand the blue crew and its mission and let’s upgrade this school’s spirit.

Steven Garverick Senior Dear Editor, I want to thank Carly Cohen for raising the issue of social-

201 Almond Ave., Los Altos, CA October 29, 2013 Volume XXIX, Issue 2

izing in the library. Last year, we were concerned that the noise level was making it difficult for some students to do their work. Our survey revealed that 89 percent (not 75 percent as I told Talon) of students are comfortable with the noise level. Part of that may be because students use the library for a variety of reasons: to study, to read, and to collaborate. Because our school does not have a separate facility for students to gather socially, many may use the library for that purpose(including Mr. Kuo, who complained about the noise in the article). For the 11 percent who find the noise level distracting, we are looking for creative solutions, but as the article states, there is limited space and a growing student body.

(Recently, we lost our student conference rooms to counselors, making the space smaller than in previous years.) I would love to meet with concerned students, parents, and faculty to look for solutions to this issue. All interested in discussing the issue further should contact me at Gordon.Jack@mvla.net.

Gordon Jack Librarian

Business Managers Perla Luna, Sitara Sriram Social Media Editor Emily Sims

Additionally, the diversity of speakers helped to showcase the wide range of industries that are influenced by STEM. With speakers like Danielle Feinberg, Director of Photography for Lighting at Pixar, students were able to see that STEM concepts aren’t just relevant for mathematicians and theoretical physicists, but for people across various fields. No matter what career students plan to pursue, having a background in science and math concepts is vital.

Furthermore, having a keynote speaker in the evening opens the benefits of STEM Week to the community. This evening presentation allows a wider range of people to take advantage of what the school has to offer, and showcases the school and its commitment to STEM learning.

This year’s tutorial presentations were so popular that advance tickets were necessary; a testament to how popular STEM Week has become. One of these presentations even involved a hands-on demonstration for students. Many students were able to try operating a cutting-edge surgical robot, an opportunity few would ordinarily get.

Few school districts offer students such a unique opportunity. The school’s location in the Silicon Valley provides a unique chance for students to have access to world-class professionals.

STEM Week provides a truly one-of-a-kind opportunity for students, expanding on one of the district’s main goals of improving STEM education for students.

Dear Editor, One of our responsibilities as people living on planet Earth, is to make sure we keep our planet clean. Earth is our home and the only home we have and its the home for over billions of other people as well. Though planet earth is very big, it seems we take it for granted at times by doing careless actions not realizing or taking the time to understand how much it really affects Earth in a negative way.

Something, I love about Los Altos High School is that our school does many things to keep our campus clean, green and environmentally friendly. We have some solar panels to power up some of our buildings and not only that but around almost every corner is a recycling and compost can right next to each other, to throw away trash.

Unfortunately... though we have over a dozen recycling and compost bins all around the campus, there is still so much trash on our campus. People are just littering their trash from brunch and lunch and no one is picking up the garbage on the ground. Littering is

one activity that is completely under our personal control. it’s really simple to just carry your garbage until you find a trash can. Litter moves and it doesn’t stay where it falls. Litter travels with wind, water, vehicles, people, and animals. It gets trapped in fences, drains, and planted areas. Support litter awareness and be the change you want to see in the world. If you see trash on the ground, pick it up. Even if the trash isn’t yours, if more people picked up trash, the difference of pollution would change dramatically! Be the better person!

Be a good person! Don’t litter and just throw your trash or just take a minute out of your day to pick up someone else’s! It’s so simple yet so significant!

Rosemary Poling Junior The Talon welcomes letters to the editor.

E-mail letters to lahstalon.eic@gmail.com, drop them off in room 409 or the box in the attendance office.

In the case of spelling or grammatical errors, obscenities, libel or personal attacks, a letter may be edited or not run. Letters must be signed, but a name may be withheld upon request. Letters may be published online, in print or both.

Senior Writers Robert Chin, Alex Cortinas, Cassidy Craford, Chase Eller, Sam Lisbonne, Joey Malgesini, John Naumovski, Jordan Stout Staff Writers Noy Anisman, Alex Barriera, Amelia Baum, Alice Dai, Salim Damerdji, Sofia Guo, Perla Luna, James Merrill, Yashar Parsie, Danny Rosenbaum, Johnny Scher, Riley Soward, Sitara Sriram, James Sun, William Jow, Maya Varghese, Katherine Yen, Kevin Yen Photographers Brandon Hong, Ian Mackey Graphic Artists Noy Anisman, Michael Zhu Webmasters Yuki Zaninovich, Michael Zhu Adviser Michael Moul

POLICIES Los Altos High School’s Compositional Journalism class is solely responsible for The 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 Cassidy Craford, Rebecca DeShetler, Sam Lisbonne, Dhruv Madhok, Jordan Stout and Tony Sun.

ADVERTISE & SUBSCRIBE Send advertisement and subscription inquiries to Perla Luna and Sitara Sriram at business.lahstalon@gmail.com.

Talon Supporters Honorary Pulitzers Ken and Debbie Munro, Emily Groto, David and Hadas Anisman, Kamal and Sharmila Acharya, Holly and Andy Cohen, Quyen Ngoc Nyguen and Chuyen Huu Do, Lisa Gordon and Sean Mackey

Silver Supporters The Falos, Elliott and Linda Dan, Kris Moore, the Kristian Family, Corrinne Arrouye and Bruce Cohen

THANK YOU TO ALL OUR GENEROUS DONORS

The Talon October 29, 2013

Read more opinions articles at lahstalon.org/opinions

Teachers should consider privatizing grading SOFIA GUO Staff Writer

High school students naturally like to compare grades, especially in competitive honors and AP classes where the bar is set high.

Students are just curious to know if they are the ones that scored the best (or the worst). This all comes at a heavy price. The major consequences of comparing grades are disappointment at underperforming, satisfaction at being “the best” or lack of motivation to fix any mistakes if students performed just as well as their peers.

None of these consequences support the fact that tests exist to evaluate a student’s understanding of a subject and give feedback on what a student needs to improve on. Instead, having the grade written on the test and visible for peers to see while the teacher hands it back only discourages students from trying to understand what they got wrong.

With control over their private SIS account, students are able to view their scores on their own and then choose to compare with classmates at their discretion.

Math teachers Carol Evans and Matt Chaffee began privatizing students’ test grades in their Algebra II Honors and regular classes halfway through last year. In the Algebra II Honors and regular classes, students’ final grades are not written on tests handed back; only “x” marks are written on the paper to indicate what the student needs to correct. After students make their corrections, they turn the test back in to receive any possible curve points. The only way to view their final score is to log into SIS. “The grade seems so much like

‘I’m done, this is over,’” Evans said.

“No, you’re not there yet. You’re working on it and making good progress, but you’re not there yet.

The problem is changing students’ attitudes. A good attitude is wanting to learn the material. A lot of students in honors classes do, but not everybody. Many students say, ‘I just want this A’, and [Chaffee and I] are trying to turn that around.”

Obviously, students can still compare their scores after viewing them on SIS and defeat the purpose of not handing grades back immediately.

“Certainly, people can ask you for your score, but then it’s your option whether to compare or not,” Evans said. “If [the score is] sitting on that desk and Joe is sitting next to you, and he says, ‘Whadya get?’ it’s hard not to say, ‘B+’ whereas if you get the scores online, you can make lots of reasons to say ‘I haven’t looked at it yet’ or “Oh you know I looked a week ago, and I forgot my grade.’ You have more control over whether you share or not.”

Without grades to compare in class, students can spend time used to compare grades on actually going back to figure out what they missed and why. Added to the fact that students only gain the curve if test corrections are completed, the motivation to seek out mistakes and straighten out concepts soars.

“This [time] is your chance to interact with your peers,” Evans said. “That doesn’t happen as much outside of class time, so [students can] share grades outside of the classroom on your time, but I don’t want it done on my time, instructional time.”

Evans first learned about the technique from the book “Embedded Formative Assessment” by Dylan Wiliam. The book discusses several techniques for teachers, one which includes taking the grade off

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the paper to focus students on how to fix concepts.

Most teachers use the traditional method of handing back tests with grades on them. Math teacher Judy Strauss believes changing her traditional method is worth considering.

“I’m not tied to what I’m doing with [handing scores back] and I’m...considering what and if we should change,” Strauss said. “[The math teachers] are asking, ‘Does it make more sense to privatize grades? Is it better for students? Do students get more out of it? Do the benefits outweigh the pitfalls?’”

The issue with changing the

way teachers report grades is that all teachers must be aligned in their methods; because Evans and Chaffee are the only two teachers who teach Algebra II Honors, they have been able to integrate this technique into all their Algebra II Honors classes. Other teachers of the same classes must all agree to change reporting styles before one teacher begins.

Although the grading style requires teachers to record grades and points deducted on a separate sheet from the test, Evans has found no disadvantages to this. “[Even though] you’re writing

all the points down on a separate sheet, it takes about the same time [as traditional grading] and maybe a smidge more but not much more time,” Evans said. “It’s totally worth it.”

If adopted by all teachers, this grade-reporting style will benefit subjects other than math, which is traditionally graded with point-bypoint problems and sections. AP Literature and Composition teachers April Oliver and Caitlin Hannon already use grade reporting methods similar to that of Evans’.

In this class, students receive feedback on their written work and a separate sheet of typed comments from the teacher in class. That night, students take the feedback home to look over thoroughly and find areas to work on. The next day, the teacher hands back rubrics with grades to students in class, after students show that they have read and responded to the teacher’s comments.

“We really want students to take time to look through our feedback,” Hannon said. “I have gotten feedback from students saying that because the only thing I’m giving them that day is my feedback and not a grade, it really forces them to go through that feedback carefully, really think about areas of strength and also areas of growth in that piece [of writing].”

This method of reporting differs from the math department’s method in the sense that students can still compare grades in class, but the point of focusing students on correcting their mistakes or improving their work is still reached. Regardless of subject, reporting grades on SIS and returning pure feedback during class really benefits students’ motivation to strive for better work and better understanding of the subject.

School is all about learning; what is there to learn when students lose the motivation when they find out that peers did better or worse? The solution is clear, simple and has been hidden for far too long: get the grade off the paper.

The Talon October 29, 2013

Sunny Side Up

School should emphasize in-class technology use NOY ANISMAN Staff Writer

By Tony Sun

Changing Facebook name is a futile exercise As I lazily scroll through my Facebook newsfeed, the online lives of my friends and acquaintances play themselves out before my eyes. While a part of me wonders why everything seems to relate to cats, it’s undeniable that Facebook has become a tool for communicating ourselves.

Recently, however, my occasional scrolling has been stopped by a small change in the atmosphere. Online acquaintances have adopted pseudonyms and monikers alien to my eyes. It started with a small trickle: a few friends here, a few friends there, but it’s quickly grown into a steady stream of name-changers. As the college application season really begins to take off, I find myself surprised by the many students who’ve decided to change their names. While most wave this off as a trivial choice, it’s a wrong choice; changing our names on Facebook is a subconscious admission of guilt. We all make mistakes online, and changing our names doesn’t fix any of the problems we’re trying to solve.

After much pondering, I’ve decided that I don’t understand the rationale behind changing names on Facebook. We’ve been taught since day one to lead an honest life, and to bear the consequences of our actions. We’ve been taught to stick up for what we believe in, and to put our thoughts into our words. If we don’t agree with what we previously posted, the most reasonable response would be to delete the post. Changing our names is an evasion of the problem; if we think that something would be potentially harmful to an admissions officer, why would other people not be harmed by the content?

Hiding behind a pseudonym only temporarily relieves us of this problem of identity, and going forward into the future in our real lives, we won’t have an opportunity to just change our names to evade our problems.

We should learn from our mistakes and not get lured into a false sense of security by the idea that a different identity protects us from the fallout from our own actions. Admission into college is but a first step into a hectic rat race; we still have careers to pursue and opportunities to chase.

If we’re worried about our online lives now, we should try to change that fact now, as opposed to just hiding behind a different screen name.

It only takes a rational mind and a nostalgic trip through the past to wipe what we no longer agree with. It’s incredibly easy to delete publicly shared data, but we need to learn from our mistakes. While manymay argue it’s truly a harmless (and trivial) subtlety, changing our names online doesn’t bode well for what our rational minds are thinking.

The first Macintosh computer was introduced in 1984—nearly three decades ago and long before any current Los Altos High School student was born. Computers and the internet have existed for our entire lives and enough technological advances have been made that it is impossible to keep track of them all. Because the online world is such a fundamental part of students’ lives, it should not play such a small role in our education and there should not be such a lack of knowledge about basic technologies.

The school district should ensure that modern technology is implemented into Los Altos High School curriculums in any way for which budget constraints allow.

The school has been inching toward this—restrictions on the use of electronic devices on campus were recently loosened, extending students’ freedom to use these devices for educational and personal purposes. oh, you forgot to bring your iPad “The students…have grown up that you’re using for this class or with the Internet,” history teacher it’s dead, and they switch to paper Michael Messner said. “Although we and there’s a much lower level of did have some policies in the past engagement in the class that day,” about cell phones and computer use Downey said. in classes, we’re changing those so While sites like Google Drive that technologies like those can be prove to be extremely valuable used for almost instant learning and for educational purposes, the information capturing.” world of online tools spans By allowing stumuch further than dents to use elecjust sharing docutronic devices such as ments with one laptops, tablets and We’re changing another. smartphones on cam- [policies] so that “There’s this pus, the school has inwhole new app technologies... creased the potential world that we can for integration of tech- can be used for tap into by using nologies into classes, almost instant this digital technolultimately creating a learning and ogy and we can do more beneficial learna lot more projectinformation ing environment for based learning,” capturing. students.

Downey said. “It’s “Students say they —History teacher better preparation Michael Messner like to type; it’s more for 21st century efficient, it’s faster, workplace skills.” they love not having to carry a This brings up the main goal notebook to class,” history teacher of the Mountain View-Los Altos Stephanie Downey said. “They can School District, whose mission walk into class with nothing on statement says that “We are comthem except for a brain.” mitted to creating a community According to junior Maddie of learners with the knowledge, Klein, other benefits are that stu- skill and values necessary to dents “don’t have to worry about combine personal success with forgetting what the homework is or meaningful contributions to our having to print out the homework. multicultural and global society.”

There’s fewer papers to worry about The stated goal is to prepare losing and it’s neater because you each student for the requiredon’t have to write.” ments needed to pursue a career Because of these advantages, in today’s society, yet without many teachers on campus are now the implementation of modern using online sites in their class- technology in every classroom, rooms, receiving highly positive students are left without the feedback from students. Downey experience of using basic onhas her complete class curriculum line tools that are necessary to on Google Drive, a site that allows achieve the “personal success” users to share and edit documents, that the district envisions for presentations, spreadsheets and their graduates. more. This allows the teacher to Downey finds that “there is share in-class and homework doc- a lack of computer-user inforuments with her students. mation knowledge” in students “I think two-thirds to one-third that she works with, which is a [of my students] preferred using skill clearly needed to succeed this method to a paper notebook in the modern job market. method,” Downey said. “If I’m us“I don’t think that [the MVLA ing that utilitarian ethic of using the School District] should be gradgreatest good for the greatest num- uating students without basic ber, then I should use this method.” computer literacy,” Downey Not only do students prefer the says. use of online tools such as Google The existence of what Downey Drive, but their in-class perfor- calls “computer illiteracy” at the mance and engagement suffers school should not be tolerated, when they are not using technol- as it creates a disadvantage for ogy-based resources. students who do not participate “I have students where it’s like, in the classes that do imple-

ment online tools into their curriculum. This problem is not brought to light until technology has been incorporated into a course; only then do teachers begin to notice that there are students in their classes who lack basic computer skills.

“I see a really wide gap in students who are really comfortable with all the different ways to use something, and others who just really struggle even setting up some really basic features,” English teacher Joanne Miyahara said.

This is a problem and the solution is clear: the school should increase its emphasis on the use of online tools in each classroom.

“Whether there’s additional workshops outside of school, inside the class, or maybe teachers weaving in mini lessons, I think that’s an important step,” Miyahara said.

A change like this would not come without difficulties, yet it is imperative to the success of the students graduating from the school. According to Messner, a technological shift like this would pose possible challenges including providing staff with “rigorous, thorough training.”

Downey points out that a difficulty would be providing each student with the devices needed to participate, prompting her ideas of “digital textbooks” and

MICHAEL ZHU

issuing chromebook laptops to incoming freshmen.

While there are teachers at the school currently using online tools as part of their classes, the implementation should be expanded to teachers of both humanities and STEM subjects.

“It’s great that a science teacher, for example, can use an app in a classroom to teach science, but what about a social studies teacher like me?” said Messner. “I want to have a lot of examples and tools in my belt that I can put to work in the classroom almost from day one.”

The need for an on-campus increase in online tools is apparent, and the MVLA School District should take action towards this necessary upgrade. It is the district’s job to focus on creating the best educational environment possible for all teachers and students, and a school-wide shift towards the implementation of online tools into curriculums would have a very beneficial effect on students’ in-class mindset as well as having positive long-term impacts as graduates head off to further education and the work force. Most importantly, the use of technology in classrooms gives students the personal feeling that they are getting the most out of their education at Los Altos High School.

The Talon October 29, 2013

Student athletes must be more informed about training DANIEL ROSENBAUM Staff Writer

High school offers the last opportunity for students to play multiple sports with relatively less time investment than in college or the professional leagues.

But with this comes the issue of injuries that can be sustained from training for these exhaustive sports. Injuries to student athletes are a concern of an immense magnitude, and the severity of injuries ranges from minor to life-altering. Precautions should be taken to mitigate the frequency of these injuries.

“Many injuries I see involve the lack of proper mechanics, poor flexibility and muscle imbalances,” school trainer Brent Hatakeyama said.

Many students are too inexperienced to realize their personal limits and push their bodies to the limits without properly strengthening it, resulting in a higher risk of injury.

“I would recommend staying

very aware and conscious when pushing the body to its limits.” professional pilates instructor at PhysioFit Pilates V. Kimbell Shelton said. “We all want to perform to the best of our abilities—but the body has a wisdom of its own and if you do not listen to it, you’ll very likely injure yourself at some point, and recovery can be long, difficult and frustrating.”

The poor form that most student athletes show is caused by their inexperience. Athletes can be unaware of correct regimens despite the coaches setting basic guidelines in place for working out.

“Our coaches [are theoretically] supposed to go through routines when the athletes are lifting weights, making sure they use the proper amount [of weight],” athletic director Kim Cave said.

However, this sentiment isn’t always necessarily directly translated into the athletes adhering to limitations on training.

“Working out in the weight room during track season, I [sustained] a lot of fatigue and overexerted my body a bit more than normal due to peer pressure,”

junior Henry Kwock said. “I saw other people lifting more and I just felt compelled to do that myself. I don’t think it’s always a [great environment] for competitive athletes.”

Information is key to bettering students’ bodies instead of running the risk of injury. Many sports have practice at least two hours a day, five times a week.

This fosters an intense environment for the student athlete’s body. Yet coaches aren’t solely to blame for the training—it’s necessary for athletes to be competitive. Athletes, however, can fail to properly assess their need for rest because of inexperience.

“I could have taken more time off when [my herniated discs were] diagnosed,” senior water polo player Casey Vanneman said. “The double-days, multiple games during the week and the tournaments are really hard on my body. It’s constant pain throughout practices and games.”

Demanding high school sports provide an avenue for student athletes to make the mistake of putting themselves in risk of in-

jury. Due to this, students should take extra care to properly rest.

“Rest days are required for both mental and physical recovery,” Hatakeyama said. “It is recommended for almost all athletes to have one day of complete rest [each week].”

Along with proper amounts of rest, there are other things that the student athlete can do in order to reduce the risk of injury. “[Strengthening and stretching] your legs, back and core are important because they are the basis of almost every sport and help reduce fatigue during competition,” Hatakeyama said.

“Chest, arms and shoulders may make you throw, push or swing a little faster but they don’t help you support your body like the base of your legs, the bridge of your core and the trunk of

your back.”

Each sport comes with a common set of possible injuries; if the athlete strengthens these areas, he or she will be able to be stronger. However, strengthening your entire body is important as well, and one should not focus solely on a specific muscle group. Doing this will reduce one’s fatigue when it comes to gameplay and therefore one will not only be able to play better but will also reduce the risk of an injury.

Prior to participating in a sport, student athletes should meet with a trainer to create a routine specific to the athlete. The school provides a trainer and P.E. teachers qualified to provide safe and constructive exercises for athletes.

Athletes should see the value in the extra effort, not only to be stronger in their sport, but also to minimize injury.

AB 1266 represents positive change for transgender students SASHA SOBOL Guest Writer

Understanding AB 1266

On August 12, Governor Jerry Brown made history by signing the School Success and Opportunity Act, also known as AB 1266. When AB 1266 takes effect on January 1, it will give transgender students in public and publicly funded K-12 schools an opportunity to fully participate gender specific programs, activities and facilities.

To clarify, transgender and trans* are both adjectives used to describe people whose biological sex does not match their gender identity.

Transgender men are men who were born female (the trans* community would say “assigned female”) and transgender women are women who were assigned male at birth.

There are also non-binary trans* people, like myself, who do not label their gender as “male” or “female.”

Most would agree that it’s important to give all people basic respect and dignity. In the case of transgender people, this means recognizing our gender identities as valid instead of reducing us to a combination of our genetics and anatomy. Oftentimes, transgender students are forced to choose between participating in gender-segregated activities that do not align with their gender identities, or removing themselves from the situation altogether. Forcing people to choose between being themselves and being able to fully participate in school feels degrading.

Schools not recognizing trans* students’ gender identities hurts our well-being and health. Having to act like something we’re not can have negative mental health consequences. To illustrate that concept, the Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network’s (GLSEN) 2011 National School Climate Survey shows that students who were out at school reported higher self-esteem

and lower levels of depression.

Discrimination against trans* students can lead to physical health problems as well. For a lot of trans* students, their only option is using gender-specific bathrooms that are not consistent with their gender identities. As a result, many avoid going to the bathrooms at school. I know I was in that situation. Walking into a girls’ bathroom felt like screaming to the entire world, “I’m a girl!” And that made me uncomfortable.

Some people call AB 1266 the “bathroom bill.” While the intentions might be good, the nickname actually separates it from its meaning and significance. The School Success and Opportunity Act’s purpose is to give trans* students a chance to succeed in school. CNN quotes Ashton Lee, a transgender junior at Manteca High School: “I just want to be treated the same as all the other boys, but my school forces me to take P.E. in a class of all girls and live as someone I’m not...I can’t learn and succeed when every day in that class leaves me feeling isolated and alone.” Ashton’s experience is by no means isolated. According to GLSEN’s survey, 32.5 percent of LGBTQ youth avoided their P.E. classes at least once because

they felt unsafe or uncomfortable. For transgender students, this number is even higher because P.E. can be very nerve-wracking or even unsafe due to its gendered nature.

AB 1266 ensures that schools protect trans* students, a marginalized group that is disproportionately affected by discrimination and harassment. According to the previously mentioned National School Climate Survey, 80 percent of transgender students do not feel safe at school because of their gender expression.

Being able to use facilities that are consistent with their gender identities makes transgender students feel more welcome and safe at school.

For me, the California legislature’s support shows that my identity is acknowledged and understood. I can fully appreciate AB 1266 because in Russia, where I’m from, LGBTQ people are currently losing their rights and it would even be illegal for me to publish this article.

Responding to Opposition

There are a lot of fears and concerns associated with AB 1266, but most of them are based on misconceptions. Once people take the time to understand the law, they should be

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more likely to support it.

A common misconception is that transgender students are just “boys who want to be girls” and “girls who want to be boys.” This leads to worries about boys using the girls’ bathrooms and girls using the boys’ bathrooms.

This misconception comes from a misunderstanding of the difference between gender and biological sex, which do not always align. Biological sex refers to a combination of chromosomes, hormones and sex characteristics that are usually classified as male or female. Gender refers to how people see themselves in relation to societally defined gender roles. This means that transgender girls are girls just like any others. They just happened to be assigned male at birth.

AB 1266 allows them to finally use the right bathroom.

Another fear some people have is that when AB 1266 is implemented, it could allow cisgender (non-transgender) boys to access girls’ spaces and harass girls. However, we must use the anti-harassment policies already in place to combat this problem.

Also, if someone is dangerous, they have countless opportunities to harass others with or without AB 1266.

Some opponents point to the fact that most cisgender students will be uncomfortable sharing facilities with trans* students. But other people’s transphobia shouldn’t be our problem. We should not be denied our rights just because some people have a problem with who we are.

People’s fears about the implementation of AB 1266 are just that: fears.

Both the Los Angeles and San Francisco Unified School Districts, two of the largest in California, as well as many other districts, have already implemented a policy similar to AB 1266 and the world has not ended yet.

People who oppose AB 1266 are attacking transgender youth, be it consciously or subconsciously.

Right now, certain organizations are spreading misinformation, ignorance and hate about AB 1266. They need to gather 505,000 signatures by November 12 to repeal the School Success and Opportunity Act. If you are ever

approached by anti-trans* rights signature gatherers, please do not sign their petition and call the toll-free “Alert Hotline” at 1.866.377.0578 or email alert@eqca.org to alert the organizations working for transgender student rights.

Implementing AB 1266

Not all trans* people identify as men or women. When implementing AB 1266, schools should allow non-binary students to use facilities and access spaces that we identify more with. I, for example, identify more with being masculine than feminine. Although all gender specific spaces make me uncomfortable, I am by far more comfortable in male spaces. I recognize this may make some people uncomfortable, but keeping non-binary students like me out of gendered activities and facilities is discrimination based on gender identity.

Another way for schools to help non-binary students is to create gender neutral spaces, such as single-stall gender neutral bathrooms.

However, schools should not force trans* students to use gender neutral facilities separate from other students because this too would be discriminatory. Additionally, existing gender-neutral facilities are often inconveniently located. AB 1266 means schools have to give trans* students access to gendered spaces, but schools that have the desire and ability to further support their trans* students can work on making gender neutral facilities accessible for all students.

Los Altos High School should implement AB 1266 ahead of time to comply with California’s current laws prohibiting discrimination based on sex, gender identity and gender expression.

While AB 1266 expands the rights of transgender students, there is more to be done before trans* students, like myself, have all the rights we deserve.

Junior Sasha Sobol is the president of the Gay-Straight Alliance.

If you would like to write about your stance on an issue that’s affecting students at our school, email Opinions Editor Shiktij Dave at opinions.lahstalon@gmail.com with a summary of your idea.

The Talon October 29, 2013

Maya Acharya Copy-Content Editor Alex Cortinas Senior Writer Zach Cohen Entertainment Editor Riley Soward Senior Writer Sitara Sriram Business Manager

/’fem ,niz m/ e

e

noun 1. the advocacy of women’s rights on the grounds of political, social and economic equality to men.

FEMINISM THROUGH THE GENERATIONS The feminist movement began in the United States in the late 1800s, and has since developed into a diverse campaign spanning many different ages, cultures and locations. The Talon has interviewed individuals of different ages to discover what feminism meant to them growing up and how they view it today. For an extended version, please visit lahstalon.org.

70+ years old Born in the early 1900’s, people of this age witnessed the beginnings of the feminist movement.

“People lived a certain way, and that was the accepted way,” long-time Los Altos Resident Beth Rosso said. “You deferred to the man.”

When Rosso started working later in her life, she chose to work in a female dominated industry, nutrition.

“I wanted a career where I wouldn’t have to compete with men,” Rosso said. “I don’t think I would have made it in a male dominated area.”

Rosso was a unique case. In this time period, it was abnormal to work, as women were expected to stay at home.

“When I married in 1962 I thought I would never have to work,” Liz Nyberg, head of human resources at the Los Altos Town Crier, said. “And I didn’t want to work. I married a doctor, I shouldn’t have to work.”

As time passed, more and more women of this generation began to get jobs and start their own careers. Through the process of working, these women began to develop an understanding of the feminist movement. For some women of this generation, feminism is associated with loud protests. In their minds, to be a feminist is more about the actions you take, rather than the mindset you have.

“I appreciate the work that Gloria Steinem and Betty Friedan did with getting feminism put on the map, but I would never have done that,” Nyberg said. “I do not view myself as a feminist. They tend to have a bit of an angry reputation... and will use protesting to get their way.”

This same message is repeated by others when discussing the idea of indepedence.

“Feminism means being independent, and not letting men run all over you,” Rosso said. “You have to be in control of your own life and your own actions.”

In particular, some women of this generation see portrayal of women in the media as one of the biggest issues that still needs to be addressed.

“The women are really being portrayed in a sexist fashion,” Nyberg said. “[Models and actresses], the way they dress now with lots of cleavage, and then guys ogle them.

It’s all about one night stands.”

This sexist portrayal of women in the media has led, according to women like Nyberg, to an increase in the sexualization of our society as a whole.

“I mean on your first date women go to bed with men, and this is [shown] on eight o’clock television,” Nyberg said. “That’s a far cry from fifty years ago when I was dating. Oh no, you would not do that on your first date. I think there were a lot more virgins way back then then there are today.”

40-60 years old

25-35 years old

The 1970s were an important part the feminist movement, as momentous changes took place both socially and legislatively.

Assistant Principal Galen Rosenberg graduated as a women’s studies major at University of California at Berkeley in 1983. At this time, the some saw an important issue of the feminist movement as getting more women hired in the business sector. However, som say that at times it was unclear who the movement was targeting.

Rosenberg argues that the movement was generally led by white, upper middle class women as they had money, time and power to lead the movement. Although they made quite a bit of progress, many people born between 1950 and 1970 feel that underlying prejudices still exist, particularly in the workplace.

“There are many more women out there in every sphere of the economy but the quality of the experience is not necessarily as equal or as good as it should be [for women],” Professor of Anthropology at Santa Clara University Sangeeta Luthra said.

A anonymous woman who worked in the technology industry for over 25 years still feels that there is underlying discrimination in her company. She cites Sheryl Sandberg, C.O.O. of Facebook, as a feminist icon.

“It drove a point home that I may not be asking for what was due to me at work [like raises and promotions],” a source said.

Some see that women who are mothers are also inherently at a disadvantage in the workplace.

“I think women have been discriminated against because [generally people believe if a] situation arises you can always call on a man, but if you call on a woman, she [says things like] ‘Oh, I have kids I need to take care of, I can’t deal with that,’” Blach Intermediate School math teacher Marcia Chron said.

The issue of women not being taken seriously as professionals is also prevalent. Luthra has found at times that it is hard to get students to respect her because of the fact that she is a woman. She recounts an instance when a male student, not believing she had the knowledge to be teaching her class, asked to see her qualifications on the first day of class.

“I had to tell him that if you are concerned about that, talk to the chair of my department, and he didn’t come back to my class,” Luthra said. “That is a minority, one student out of many...but I do get a little bit of that -- it subtle, but it’s there.”

In addition, some argue that there are misconceptions about what feminism truly intends to accomplish.

“I think the one thing about feminism that people aren’t as focused on is that feminism...is good for men too,” Luthra said. “Feminism promotes a better and more equal society.”

Many women born in the ‘50s - ’70s share a common belief that women should not feel restricted by gender roles. “[We need to recognize] the value of what women do, and not devalue it,” Luthra said. “Thats the reason why we need feminism....Even if it is just something like cooking a meal, or washing the dishes...Even if it is simple and unglamorous it has great value for the family and for the society.”

For women born in the late 70s-80s, some have seen that feminism has come to be heavily associated with gender roles.

English teacher Carrie Abel grew up in a small town in the Santa Cruz mountains, which was generally quite conservative.

“Definitely it was weird [for people in my town] that I went to college, it was weird that I left, it’s weird that I have a job,” Abel said.

As a result, Abel is extremely aware of defined gender roles in society, and what is considered “socially acceptable” for women.

“Being a feminist to me is being aware of what is socially constructed, especially in the media, and how that has become so normalized that people don’t notice it anymore,” Abel said.

She often finds that gender perceptions play a role in stereotypes associated with women, particularly with female teachers.

“The perception is that because I am younger and I am nurturing as a female that automatically I’ll be good at my jobs as opposed to [being good because of] the skills that it takes,” Abel said. “It I’m not necessarily can be very frustrating.”

Despite all the progress pro-feminism, I’m that has been made repro-equality. Which garding women’s rights, can be different, desome younger women still pending on different feel that some individuals misunderstand the meanpeople’s interpretaing of feminism. tions.

“Some people have this — Lindsey Regoli weird view that feminism is all women who don’t shower or shave their legs or don’t wear bras...which isn’t [necessarily accurate],” English teacher Lindsey Regoli said.

Feminism has evolved significantly, chaning from combatting solely traditional causes such as voting and spreading focus to new issues within society.

“I feel like the current feminist movement doesn’t know what it is trying to do even,” Abel said. “I think that feminism gets a bad reputation because of the perception that men are pigs and woman need to be treated better, and it almost [stops] becoming [about] everyone being equal and finding a unity.”

This belief that feminism can at times deviate from the idea of equality is becoming increasingly more prevalent among some younger women.

“I’m not necessarily pro-feminism, I’m pro-equality.

Which can be different, depending on different people’s interpretations,” Regoli said. “There are many ways women are still not equal to men...but society has also blocked men into a certain role, and that needs to shift as well.”

The feminist movement is viewed by many as a push for equality, and some believe that there is room for improvement.

“We all fit on this gender spectrum somewhere. ...Everyone should be equal and find a unity,” Abel said.

The Talon October 29, 2013

fem· i· nism WOMEN’S H E A LT H In 1973, the Supreme Court deemed abortion a right for women during the first trimester of pregnancy, but left the second and third trimesters up for state regulation. This opened the door for new discussions on women’s health laws.

Abortion laws and other women’s health laws have been an important and divisive issue for feminists. Some modern feminists favor loosening or removing regulatory abortion laws.

MEN & FEMINISM Men’s affinity for labeling themselves as feminists is significantly lower than women’s. This may stem from varying understandings of what feminism is.

“I define feminism as the idea that women should be treated equally to men whether it be socially, economically [or] politically,” senior Steven Lee said.

Other students believe the feminist movement, while originally about equality, has mutated into something else.

“For me, feminism should be equality in

M E D I A’ S INFLUENCE Portrayal of women in the media has long consisted of tailoring females to fit into the same aesthetic. Whether it’s the innocent damsel or the rousing vixen, the perception of women has long revolved around the notion that women must align with some form of conventional beauty to be valued.

The dearth of women that are represented behind the scenes in mainstream media provides an apt explanation to this phenomenon in nearly every facet of popular culture.

According to the Women’s Media Center, women hold only 5 percent of influential positions in mainstream media. With such a high underrepresentation of women in this area, it is easy to understand how the depiction of women has remained tendentious.

“When it comes to media like MTV and Seventeen Magazine, [women] are more vapid and flaccid in personality,” senior Lillian Zhou said. “Of course, this is expected in media that is focused on ap-

Earlier this year, the Texas legislature voted on a bill that would have placed significant restrictions on abortions in the state. Democrat Wendy Davis performed a filibuster, preventing the bill from being passed on time and allowing for further discussion.

Davis’ filibuster speech epitomized modern feminism: “This legislating is being done and voted on...primarily by men...You can imagine, or maybe you can’t, how a woman feels to be told that...if she can’t fit into every one of these little square pegs, she is not going to be able to exercise her constitutional right, and what’s so disturbing is that we don’t seem to care.”

Pro-choice feminists argue that people should have the right to decide what happens to their bodies. Sophomore Neta Simon echoed this belief: “It’s a personal choice which should not have anything to do with politics.”

Senior Ali Young has similar sentiments on the issue.

“Abortion laws are tricky since I believe there is a blurred line between a woman’s rights to her body and the life of the unborn child,” Ali said.

“That being said, I think that the government has no place in telling a woman how to manage her body.”

social rights among genders, however, in the eyes of the public, I feel like it’s become more of a mindless empowerment,” junior Alex Mao said.

That is not to say, though, that men do not consider the feminist movement to be needed.

“I think feminism is necessary. We think about equality for everyone, but sometimes we forget how our treatment or perspective on women betrays that cause,” junior Sungmin Park said.

The absolute consensus forms when men are asked if they, themselves, are feminists.

“I do not consider myself a feminist,” Steven said. “This is not to say that I am against what feminists advocate for, but I

think that it is hard for me, being a male that has grown up in a family of three boys, to be emotionally invested in and fully understand what some women endure or go through.”

Others find a different barrier between themselves and feminists.

“I would not consider myself a feminist because I feel as if as of now, society is not yet ready for complete gender equality,” Alex said.

Whether because of misunderstanding the feminist cause or because of personal doubts in social norms suddenly changing, some men are wary of calling themselves feminists, but do not deny the necessity of the feminist movement.

pearance of teenage girls and gossipy rumor material.”

But even in situations where beauty is not the intended focal point, the importance of allure reigns supreme. From Hillary Rodham Clinton being criticized for lack of vanity (i.e. wearing glasses opposed to contacts or putting her hair up) to Oprah Winfrey long being scrutinized for her history of fluctuating weight, the successes of women in the media are overshadowed by their perceived physical shortcomings.

In recent years however, efforts to reverse this inequity have been made. In 2006, the personal care brand, Dove, launched a campaign is committed to building positive selfesteem and inspiring all women and girls to reach their full potential. The project consists largely of short films and advertisements. The media veering away from the chauvinistic point of view has created a positive impact in altering the mindset of this generation.

“I think [the idea] really faded away from being that a girl, especially teens, needed to be almost perfect,” senior Carlos Rodriguez said. “There is a lot more rebellion and a lot more diversity.”

1844

1917

Led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott, this was the first ever women’s rights convention. Over 300 people attended, and ultimately the convention drafted the Declaration of Sentiments, a document calling for equality between men and women. Sixtyeight women and 32 men signed this document.

Millions of men left the United States to fight in the war in Europe, leaving behind their jobs. Women filled men’s spots in the workplace and helped contribute to the war effort by aiding with ammunition, transportation, food and nursing.

Seneca Falls Convention

World War I Opens Job Opportunities for Women

1920

Women Given Right to Vote Nationally On August 18th, the U.S. Congress passed the 19th Amendment, which made it legal for women to vote across the entire United States.

Turn t previou for the be of this s

FEMIN TOD

WAG E G A P Since the passage of the Equal Pay Act (EPA) 50 years ago, the situation has improved but not to the point where declaring equality on the subject is legitimately feasible.

“It’s unfair because women do the same amount of work so they deserve the same amount of money,” junior Rita Villanueva said. “The only thing that should be a factor in their wages is what they do, not who they are.”

At the time, the disparity between the earnings of a man and those of a woman was greater, with the 1970 census showing that women made on average 59 cents to a man’s dollar. Today that average has increased differently for various industries.

The EPA was signed into law to prohibit sex discrimination in regards to the payment of wages by employers.

But since the EPA has been instituted, the shortcoming of its effectiveness has been apparent. In 2005 Senator Hill-

ary Rodham Clinton proposed the Paycheck Fairness Act to expand the scope of the EPA only to be struck down, but in 2009 President Barack Obama signed into law the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, establishing an extended statute of limitations for filing equal pay lawsuits.

Signing this into law represented a huge step in working to eradicate the wage gap, with the government truly recognizing the issue.

“I think the inequity of wages between men and women is a byproduct of a bygone age,” junior Henry Kwock said. “It’s the remainder from a time that’s slowly diminishing thanks to our modern move toward equality.”

1941

1948

The US joined World War II and millions of men left the United States to fight. In an effort to convince women to take on the manual labor jobs left behind, the government put out a series of campaigns with “Rosie the Riveter,” a strong worker whose motto was “We can do it!”

A direct result of women’s active involvement in World War II, this act gave women the ability to serve in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force. However, Women were still not allowed to fight on enemy lines.

Rosie the Riveter Inspires Women Nationwide

Women’s Armed Services Integration Act of 1948 Is Passed

1963

Equal Pay Act Passed Passed by congress and John F. Kennedy, this act required that companies pay their workers solely based on their skill and output in the workplace, and not on their gender.

The Talon October 29, 2013

These polls were distributed to students without accompanying background information on the movement, nor was a definition provided.

Do you identify yourself as a feminist?

to the us page eginning spread

BOYS

no 79%

yes 21%

Do you believe in the feminist movement? yes 91%

GIRLS

yes 67%

GIRLS BOYS

AY

The definition of feminism commonly accepted by feminists is the advocacy of equal rights among all genders.

However, at times there is a disparity between the outlined goal and the actual outcome. Trans women are just that: women, but they are often left behind by the feminist movement. Trans* refers to people who do not identify as the biological sex they were born with.

“The modern feminist movement definitely tries to affect trans* rights,”

RAPE C U LT U R E While the definition of rape culture is subjective, it has been defined by the Marshall University Women’s Center as “an environment in which rape is prevalent and in which sexual violence against women is normalized and excused in the media and pop culture.”

It is important to note that rape culture not only includes a forgiving attitude towards the physical act of of rape, it also encompasses the culture that permits it.

“Rape culture is everything that’s connected to gender stereotypes, like needing to be strong and having sex, for guys, and the way you dress and act, for girls,” junior Niamh Mcloughlin said. “I think people don’t see rape culture as simple as that, because rape is such an intense word. [But] expecting people to be a certain way because of their gender would be promoting rape culture.”

Rape affects all genders, yet it affects women disproportionately. Often a taboo topic, rape is far more prevalent than some consider it to be. RAINN (Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network) is the largest anti-sexual violence organization in the U.S, and it has found that

1978

Pregnancy Discrimination Act Passed Congress passed a law that made it illegal for companies to discriminate against hiring women who are pregnant or who are expected to be pregnant during their time working for the company.

no 33%

yes 72%

TRANS* FEMINISM

In a 7- 2 ruling, the Supreme Court declared that all women have the right to a fair and safe abortion during their first trimester of pregnancy. The court gave the states the power to determine the regulations surrounding abortions during the second and third trimesters.

no 26%

Do you believe that there is more work to be done for women to have equal rights as men?

NISM

Roe vs. Wade

no 9%

yes 74%

BOYS

1973

no 29%

yes 71%

GIRLS

yes 28%

Club for Gender Equality President sophomore Julia Khan said. “Feminism is about gender equality, no matter what gender you are. Part of the reason our society is so transphobic is because we have these strict gender roles and f luidity is demonized.”

However, junior Sasha Sobol feels that the feminist movement could be doing more to advocate for transgender rights.

“The feminist movement oftentimes excludes transgender people,” Sasha said. “I think it would be great if they advocated for the rights of trans* people, especially trans women, because of the severe discrimination trans* people face. Trans* people are discriminated against and harassed

in many aspects of their lives, including their homes, schools, work, healthcare and the criminal justice system.”

In a response to the void of trans* action in the mainstream feminist movement, a new branch called transfeminism came into being around 2000. While the transfeminist movement is valid and has positively worked for trans* rights, many people, including Sasha, feel that mainstream feminism should live up to its claim of advocating equality and be more accepting of trans women.

“All oppression is connected and focusing on one group’s rights does not mean ignoring the rights of other groups,” Sasha said.

207,754 cases of rape occur in the U.S. every year. 54 percent of these assaults are not reported to police and 97 percent of rapists are not charged or imprisoned.

One in six women (14.8 percent) has been the victim of an attempted or completed rape. 2.8 percent has been a victim of attempted rape, while 1 in 33 men (3 percent) has experienced an attempted or completed rape.

Rape culture can be seen in many mediums through which ideas are exchanged and opinions are formed. Facebook and other social media are riddled with images that depict disparaging remarks on women, with comments sections filled with messages promoting rape. Songs played

on the radio glorify non-consensual sex, such as “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke, which promotes ignoring consent.

“One of the biggest issues in rape culture is that girls are taught to basically not get raped,“ Niamh said.

In the movement to eliminate rape culture, some people have labeled feminists as misandrists. Niamh regrets the false label that people associate with feminists.

“I don’t hate guys, but I think its wrong that they’ve been taught to be slobs, and how they’re expected to stare at women and see them as sex objects,” Niamh continued.

The feminist cause of equality is simple: rape should be condemned, regardless of the gender of the victim.

1986

2004

2009

In the national case Meritor Savings Bank v. Vinson, the Supreme Court ruled that employees could sue their employers for sexual harassment.

On April 24th, 1.15 million feminists came together to march for women’s reproductive rights. This demonstration was organized by NOW, and is estimated to be of the largest protests in history.

Another step towards wage equality, this law made it much easier for women to report an official complaint to the government against pay discrimination in their workplace.

Sexual Harassment Declared a Form of Illegal Job discrimination

March for Women’s Lives

Obama passes the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Restoration Act

2013

Women Can Fight in Combat Pentagon Chief Leon Panetta lifted the military ban which had prohibited women from serving in frontline combat positions. The system is now based purely off of merit, and the requirements are the same for both men and women.

The Talon October 29, 2013

Read more features articles at lahstalon.org/features

Bob Fonda still going strong after two decades of substituting they knew they were winning,’ so that I couldn’t do any damage.”

Staff Writers After exiting the military, Fonda It seems everyone knows, or at briefly attended the U.S. Coast least has heard, of the famous Bob Guard Academy, before leaving to Fonda. The substitute teacher’s go to San Jose State University for ubiquitous presence in the school pre-engineering. Next he attended district and in the community for Stanford for both his Bachelor’s the past two decades has made ex- and Master’s degrees in engineerperiencing one of his classes a rite ing, finishing his schooling in 1951. of passage among many students.

As Fonda matured, he developed So what is it an adventhat’s so special ture-seeking about Fonda? It’s attitude Fonda’s attitude that’s taken and approach him all across to interacting the globe. with students He’s worked that makes bea remarking in one of his able number classes a special of jobs in experience. even more Though Fonda remarkable has jokingly inplaces —a IAN MACKEY formed students civil engineer, he is 29 years old, Substitute teacher Bob Fonda park ranger, he grew up here has been substituting in the radio techin the Bay Area school district for the past two nician and during the Great decades, enriching student translator in D e p r e s s i o n . experiences and knowledge. addition to Born in Oakland substitute in the 1920’s, Fonda was a studi- teaching. While on business, he’s ous child. He was taught to read visited the USSR and many Eastern and write by the age of four, and Bloc countries: former communist would constantly help his class- states in Eastern Europe that were mates when in grade school. allied with the Soviet Union. He “I would help my neighbors, and was also one of the first Americans helping my neighbors meant doing in Shanghai, China, arriving in 1979 their homework for them,” Fonda when the country had just been said. “That would really irritate opened up to Western trade. He teachers, and I had about half a spent several years living in Thaidozen report cards during elemen- land and Japan, where he met his tary school...in which the teacher wife, with whom he currently lives wrote something like ‘Robert’s work here in Los Altos. is good but he really is a pest with “We met in 1953 but we didn’t marhis neighbors.’ I got it in writing.” ry until 1978,” Fonda said. “I was 52 Fonda attended San Jose High and a half to the exact day we marSchool and graduated in 1943. That ried. As somebody said, why didn’t same year, following a close cousin, Bob get married sooner… ‘Of course he enlisted in the Coast Guard, I had to get somebody outside the during the height of World War II. country to marry me because they “[I spent] three undistin- didn’t know me, they didn’t know guished years in the service.” what they were getting into.’”

Fonda said. “As somebody said, Over the course of his travels ‘They wouldn’t let me in until and studies, Fonda has grown

ALEX BARREIRA JAMES MERRILL

competent in nine languages: English, Japanese, Russian, French, Spanish, Chinese, Italian, Turkish and Indonesian.

But no matter where he’s been or what language he’s been speaking, Fonda has always found something to appreciate in what he was doing.

“Every job that I’ve had I’ve made to enjoy and every job that I got after that I enjoyed even more,” Fonda said. “So I’m very lucky – maybe there hasn’t been anything wrong with [them] but I was fortunate to have that.”

Here in Los Altos, Fonda continues to stay active and pursue his passions, whether he’s playing the harp, seeking out extra knowledge at the local community college or substitute teaching.

Fonda first took on substituting at the advice of his brother, who is a teacher. Initially he was unsure if it would be right for him, but his first class at Berryessa High School in 1994 was a success. He quickly grew to love his job, drawing on his vast wealth of experience and knowledge.

Though he had never been a teacher before, the position came naturally.

“I’ve probably almost been a teacher in all the jobs I’ve had,” Fonda said.

Fonda’s energy and drive for purpose originates in his world view.

As a Biblical Christian, he dedicates himself to adhering to the tenet of “love thy neighbor as you love thyself” as well as acting as a role model for his students.

“I would like [students] to not only pick good role models, but to become good role models themselves, to their younger brothers and sisters,” he said. “All of the students have value, and I want them to reach their highest potential.”

One of of Fonda’s favorite aspects of teaching is watching students progress and mature. He recalls a particular moment a few years ago when he met one of his former students working at Fry’s Electronics. Though Fonda remembered

COURTESY BOB FONDA

Substitute teacher Bob Fonda enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in 1943, during World War II; after he was discharged, he joined the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. Besides his military experiences, Fonda has traveled around the world and held a variety of different jobs.

him as a troublesome student, the teen’s composure and manners soon made it clear he’d become a responsible young adult.

“There’s hope for a lot of people,” Fonda said. “You just have to be patient.”

For this reason he loves teaching Special Education and younger grades, as he can watch the students grow. Though he stays lively with the joy he receives from teaching, Fonda’s ultimate goal is to enlighten students with his own experiences.

“Doing this brightens me up,”

he said. “I come in feeling very brightened up [with] a quick step...I feel I’m composting... recycling myself in a sense...My greatest desire is that after I have left the class, I hope and pray that students have been enriched by... my “composting”, [that it] is really helping provide good soil for them to grow and mature.”

But he also has a word of advice for those of us who are still young on the outside as well as the inside.

“Don’t grow up too fast,” Fonda said. “You grow old, and then you stay old.”

Sophomore participates in national debate tournament KEVIN YEN Staff Writer

For 15 minutes, silence hung in the air as the judges reviewed their notes.

Sophomore James Naumovski, who was ranked 32nd in the preliminary rounds, sat in silence next to his opponent , a senior. Both waited for the judges’ verdict.

When the decision came out that his opponent had won, one of the judges, Michael Harris, walked up to James and praised his performance.

“He held his own in the face of a much more experienced opponent,” Harris said. “Even though he was debating [against] the eventual champion, the round was close enough that the judges had to take a considerable amount of time to decide.”

Because one year of extra debate experience can mean the difference between being ranked number 1 and number 50, Harris recognized how extraordinarily close James had

come to defeating the nation’s number one Lincoln-Douglas debater.

On the school debate team, James is the top sophomore, trailing only his mentor, senior Salim Damerdji.

Despite having a passion for it now, James had not always been interested in debate. It was a chance opportunity when James’s mother wanted him to experience public speaking. Before joining the school debate team in the fall of 2012, his first taste of debate came when he was persuaded to attend the National Debate Forum during the summer in Davie, Florida.

“I thought that I was going to hate it and I did for the first few days,” James said. “Then I ended up really enjoying it...the coaches were really good and they got me into it.”

It was also at the Na-

tional Debate Forum where James was introduced to Lincoln-Douglas debates. The philosophic aspect of those debates was one of the reasons why he was attracted to it. “[It] was interesting because it provided a different way to view each topic,” James said.

Lincoln-Douglas debates involve ethics, morals and philosophy; it is often considered to be a game of right or wrong. However, James specializes in something different.

“A lot of the times…it’s not a debate about the topic,” he said. “It’s more like a debate about the rules, and that’s what theory is”.

James consistently excels at theory, according to his other coach, Stanford student Ilya Gaidarov.

“He’s a great theory TALON FILE PHOTO

debater,” Gaidarov said.” And he can think creatively about tricky strategic situations, so he’s often a step or two ahead of his opponents in seeing how the round will play out.

Although theory should theoretically only be used when the opponent is being unfair, many debaters are beginning to use it for its strategic advantage. Despite favoring theory, there have been times when James debates by the books.

During one of the preliminary rounds at the Voices Invitational held from October 11-14, James argued for an affirmative case for the topic of whether or not compulsory voting should be in democracies.

James, using his opponent’s established set of beliefs and standards, demonstrated that his case applied under his opponent’s argument.

In a few moves, he effectively undermined the negative’s case while simultaneously demonstrating the

validity of his. It was quick thinking, alertness and coherent speech compressed into a 300 words per minute debate that ultimately convinced the judges to award James the win.

However, there have been struggles along the way. When James started out on the varsity debate team at school, it was not easy.

“I was a complete underdog because everyone else had two to three more years of experience,” James said.

In a year, James hopes to qualify for the Tournament of Champions in April where the top 80 LincolnDouglas debaters in the nation compete. Although it will be hard, James believes that if he works hard enough, he will make it. And Gaidarov has nothing but praise for James.

“He has a lot of potential,” Gaidarov said. “And his approach to debate should continue actualizing that potential as he matures as a [debater].”

Marching band prepares for show

This Side of Lunadise

JAMES SUN Staff Writer

Even before the school year started, the marching band has been hard at work polishing their musical pieces. This year’s show is named REM, which stands for the state of sleep rapid eye movement. This state of sleep is where a majority of dreaming occurs. Every day, the band is practicing to improve their ability to play their music.

Not only have the players been learning their songs, they have also been practicing the marching part of their performance. Although the band has put in much effort, there are some new members who require extra practice time to master their instruments.

“What we’re working on right now is [that] we have a lot of people playing instruments that they have never even touched before,” Drum Major senior Anna Poltrack said.

“So [we are] just building up that confidence and getting a nice full sound in there.”

During their practices, the marching band is on task.

“It really depends on the day some days are just focused on music, some days are completely focused on marching, but the majority of the days are a mixture of the two,” Anna said.

Their marching techniques are much more difficult than it seems. Every member of their horn and drumline has to roll each step, by stepping with their heel first then setting the ball of their foot down, while keeping their upper body straight.

Because the students practice nearly 17 hours a week with physical workouts such as running to keep the band in shape, last year the district decided to give marching band physical education credits. Although students spend these practices building stamina and marching, they still credit much of their musical training to their band camps.

The two different band camps, home and away, make the band what it is today. At the home band camp, held a week before school starts, senior members of the band

By Perla Luna

This is (not) Halloween

PHOTOS BY PARMIS TAIDY

The marching band (above and bottom right) spends over 17 hours a week practicing their music pieces and marching formations. They are undergoing preparation for their show, titled REM. teach the newer players marching techniques and all the members learn the beginning part of band show. After several weeks of vigorous practice, the band embarks on a second away band camp where they finish rehearsing the complete show. This year, the students visited Walden West Science Camp.

“We learned the drill for the fourth and fifth movements [of our music] and by the end [of the second band camp] we were able to complete a full run through of our nine-minute show,” sophomore Nick Biggerstaff said.

After returning from their away band camp, the players got a week of rest before their first public performance at the Mountain View Parent Thank You. Many senior marching band members consider this first performance as a marker to show how much was accomplished at the band camp.

“I think the band did an incredible job at Mountain View,” Assistant Drum Major junior Noah Rulison

said. “For a lot of the band, it was their first time performing in front of an audience, and I think they gave an amazing performance.“ Not only did the band perform at the Mountain View Community Thank You, it also competed at Chabot College on October 19 against Clovis High School. The band lost the competition by 10 points, making all the players have agreed that they still have a lot of work to do.

“We still have a lot to improve in terms of the musical and visual elements of our show,” Noah said. “In addition to fine tuning our music and drill, we plan to implement sound effects and props that add to the general effect of the production.”

A majority of these sound effects are planned to be narration pieces.

“The narration is just there to help the audience to understand what we are doing on the field,” Anna said. “It’s just basically to get the point of the show across so the common person can under-

stand what the heck we’re doing.”

With the band on a track to improvement, their next competition will be on November 2 at Dublin High School. Although it is still early in the year, the marching band is already looking forward to their final competition at Fresno at the end of November. While the final competition is far off in the future, the band is still practicing every day to improve for their final competition.

Sophomore ranks nationally in Taekwondo CARLY COHEN In-Depth Editor

Very few can associate their names with a national title. Junior Joseph Ong not only claims a second place victory at Nationals, but holds it in a unique sport: Taekwondo.

Starting at the age of eight, Joseph filled his time after school with Taekwondo. He became involved at such a young age with encouragement from his parents to find something to do with his time. However, it wasn’t until he was about 13 years-old that he really started to excel in the sport.

“Sometime in 2009, I went to this big tournament called the U.S. Open which is open to pretty much any country,” Joseph said. “I got pretty beat up and my dad wasn’t happy about that. I wasn’t happy about that either, so [my dad and I] went on this journey to a lot of tournaments locally and outside the state. Eventually I got a lot better and found myself competing outside the country too.”

With his gradual improvements through practice and ex-

perience, Joseph now competes in the 15 to 17 age group in the “fin weight” division, which is the subset for athletes under 45 kilograms or 99 pounds. After taking second place at Nationals in Chicago this July, Joseph has been able to travel across the globe for Taekwondo.

He was able to compete in Kothe PanAmerican championships in Mexico in September after qualifying by competing against others. In both Korea and Mexico, Joseph was overtaken by other fighters but mangaged to place third at both tournaments.

However, he maintains a positive attitude towards the events despite the defeats.

“I couldn’t have gotten to go to Korea and Mexico if I hadn’t had the determination and mindset to win my right to go to those

places,” Joseph said.

The process of developing skill in this sport was not as simple as just travelling to various tournaments. Joseph put a lot of time into mastering form, practicing not only at his Taekwondo studio but also at home; he also worked on gaining stamina to help him to compete.

When he first began, Joseph was a member of the school Kim’s Taekwondo. However, soon after, he decided to find a more competitive school and dedicate more time to the sport.

He found this at Manila Taekwondo in Union City where he trained much more competi-

tively. From there, he was able to secure many of the titles he currently holds, such as being nationally ranked and placing in many other tournaments.

The competing does not stop here for Joseph. He hopes to continue to compete in the sport throughout college. However, once he graduates from the junior division of 15 to 17, he will be competing with men from ages 18 to 32, making it much more challenging. For now, he has immediate goals to get even higher in the rankings for his current division.

“Next year, instead of second place [at Nationals], I aim to get first place,” Joseph said. “Next year is also World Championships for juniors in Asia, so I want to go there.”

Joseph’s skill level is high, however his goals are set even higher. Because of that, he will be required to put in more effort than before in order to reach that level of achievement.

“I had to put in a lot of hours, a lot of days of the week. It was a huge time sacrifice, but all worth it in the end,” Joseph said.

I love Halloween. There’s just something magical about the spirit of it. I know most people like it because of the candy but it’s my favorite holiday because of how it turns the ordinary into something extraordinary.

The terribly boring beige and white of neighborhoods turn into the mysterious black and orange. The supernatural can suddenly be found in people’s front lawns; cobwebs and tombstones become the must-have accessory of the season.

I have always loved seeing all the different Halloween specials and movies on TV and I have to admit that I squeal a little bit when I see the decorations and costumes go up in stores and houses. But this year is different. This year it feels like my last chance to partake in a coveted childhood tradition: trick-or-treating.

I know I’m too old for it but it doesn’t feel like it. I don’t feel like I’m past the stage in my life when I can’t go trick or treating without looking silly and going into the truly scary realities that I can’t hide from in a costume and candy craze. Can’t I hold on to the remnants of my childhood a little longer without everyone judging?

To be honest, I shouldn’t be able to go trick-or-treating this year either but if there was ever a time, a final curtain call, this would be it. It might still be lame to be a junior who goes trick-or-treating but at least it’s better than being a senior who goes trick-ortreating. At that point, even I wouldn’t feel comfortable asking strangers for candy.

Yet I’m going to be bitter about having to miss my last chance to go trick or treating forever. I can’t even tell you the pain I suffer when we drive past Halloween City and its aisles and aisles of costumes ranging from zombie cheerleaders to crayons. The envy I have when I see kids picking out their costumes is simply unexplainable.

It’s horrible no longer being able to walk through the streets at night and see the cobwebs on trees and the dim glow from jack-o-lanterns. I can’t even use my little brother as an excuse to haunt the streets because he is a betrayer to childkind and doesn’t like Halloween.

The bottom line is, I have unresolved Halloween issues.

On multiple occasions, I was denied trick or treating when it was actually socially acceptable to do it and now I just want one last hurrah before I must retire my witch’s hat.

Is that too much to ask for?

The Talon October 29, 2013

Go behind the scenes of Broken Box: fitting together all the pieces PERLA LUNA

Business Manager

When imagining princesses, people don’t typically picture a materialistic Cinderella, an exercise obsessed Sleeping Beauty or a Rapunzel trained in martial arts. But typical perceptions of everyone’s favorite fairy tales will be shattered in the upcoming Broken Box play, Chasing Charming. The play revolves around six princesses teaming up to save the prince from the clutches of Hagragard, the evil witch and her rag-tag team of minions.

As the play draws ever closer to the opening night on November 21, the members of Broken Box are hard at work polishing their performances.

It’s a process that is expected to take about eight weeks, consisting of staging, rehearsing lines and figuring out props and costumes.

The inception of the play started in May when Chasing Charming was chosen by Broken Box advisor and director Nancy Moran with the consent of the students in Broken Box. As per tradition, the first play was chosen in part for its comedic nature.

“I always like to open with a comedy because it brings the group

PHOTOS BY BRANDON HONG

Meredith Soward (left), Sam Sauerhaft and Maggie Kristian (right) practice blocking their scenes for Broken Box’s upcoming play, Chasing Charming, which begins on November 21. together,” Moran said. “I find that comedy just makes it easier for the kids to bond.”

Moran set about casting roles for the production late in September of this school year. The cast auditioned with a monologue of their choice or a scene featuring the character they wanted to be for that show.

“It’s all about making sure that everyone feels included,” senior Amanda Choy said.

Bonding among the members and adjusting to the new group dynamics is especially critical in the first play of the year as the Broken Box members move forward with rehearsals. As they practice for the show during their sixth period class, students use the moments they’re not on stage practicing to get to know and help each other.

“The first show you always just want to help the new people know ‘Hey, this is what happens’ and so from there on the second and third show is a fun time,” Amanda Choy said.

Cast members aren’t the only ones who take the time to bond and provide aid for one another.

Among the actors are the tech crew who do a variety of tasks like sound and music, makeup, props and costumes.

“We choose costumes from old ones or we’ll go out and rent them or we buy them,” Amanda Choy said. “We make sure that they’ll fit the actors properly.

When we bring the whole [costume] cart over to the theatre for our shows we have to make sure that everyone knows where and what their stuff is. Sometimes we’ll be standing backstage helping people with clothing for fast costume changes.”

In something like Broken Box where everything can quickly get out of hand, strong support from everyone is key. Part of this support system is the tradition of “crowning” a queen and king of Broken Box. The title of queen and king is passed down to two rising seniors that the previous year’s royalty thinks have shown an ability to connect to others easily and are able to handle a

three nights before the play when students do full dress rehearsals at the Eagle Theatre for five hours—descends upon them.

“We run through the show and through all the technical stuff,” junior Meredith Soward said.

“Who’s going to bring chairs on?

Who’s going to move set pieces?

It’s the point where all the show comes together and everyone is off book and we’re figuring things out. So it’s intense but it’s a really good bonding experience.”

It is during this intense part of the production process when tempers can start to flare and the stress begins to take its toll on everyone, not

Casey Vanneman, Patrick McColl, Matt Nero, Meredith Soward and Terence Rabuzzi rehearse scene from Chasing Charming. The play involves well-known characters, giving the fairy tales a twist. lot of responsibilities and stress.

This year’s queen and king are Amanda Choy and Terence Rabuzzi.

“I’m just making sure that we have order in the family of chaos,” Amanda Choy said.

The students of Broken Box appreciate having a good queen and king to keep them organized and productive.

“Basically without them we’d have no show,” senior Amanda Shantz said.

The support that the queen and king offer is especially appreciated as “Tech Week”—the

just the inexperienced newcomers.

Both Moran and the students are conscious of this and thus try to keep the atmosphere light.

“During Tech Week, especially, we always have a little bit of time where we can let loose,” Moran said. “We try to eat dinner together. They’re allowed to do their homework together when they’re not on stage...I try to make sure that they’re still getting their studies done.”

Despite the heightened emotions during this time period, members know that they must speak honestly about whatever issues they are having so that the

play can continue on smoothly.

“When it’s a small problem, solve it,” Amanda Shantz said. “Talk about it, make sure everyone knows how everyone else is feeling. Otherwise it’s clique-y and it’s not fun. [If we don’t stay positive,] people aren’t working together well and it’s more about talking behind people’s back than actually helping each other.”

It is once Tech Week evolves into the actual three performances that the members reap the benefits of their efforts. For Amanda Shantz, this reward is the love of the craft itself.

“It’s not all bad,” she said. “It’s really fun usually. I love doing it so I don’t mind the extra work that comes with it.”

For others, the moment that reminds them that the whole experience was well worth it comes when the curtains open for the first time and the cast and tech crew know they were able to come together to give an excellent performance.

“It’s just that feeling of pride [that motivates me],” Amanda Choy said.

“Especially after the shows when people are congratulating you and you hear compliments from other people to your fellow Broken Box members. It just feels so good to know that you were a part of making that come together.”

As the advisor to such a group, Moran views their accomplishments differently. She believes that the true reward is seeing everyone in Broken Box become much more like a family then they were at the beginning of their production process.

“I think once they see how they all fit together, that’s the beauty of it,” Moran said. “I just hope that they all experience that realization that they are all just as strong and just as good as previous Broken Box years.”

Opening night for Chasing Charming is on Thursday, November 21 with two more performances on the following Friday and Saturday.

The Talon October 29, 2013

Catch reviews of new movies, music and more, plus read the entertainment archives at lahstalon.org/entertainment

Emeli Sandé

INFOGIBRALTAR / FLICKR

Emeli Sandé delivers a thrilling performance, promoting her new album “Our Version of Events,” which is in stores now.

Using unique voice, Emeli Sandé electrifies her audiences with music that transcends genre

CASEY PAO

Features Editor

Contrary to popular opinion, Simon Cowell, judge of the British “X Factor,” does in fact like some people. Take singer and songwriter Emeli Sandé as an example. With a talent for penning songs of popular artists such as Rihanna and Alicia Keys, she’s known as Cowell’s “favorite songwriter at the minute” (which is impressive in itself, because Cowell seems to have a hard time refraining from insulting most people he hears).

But that’s not the only thing Sandé has to offer.

Besides that label tucked in her belt, she maintains a powerhouse set of vocals and a repertoire of varied songs to appeal to any music taste. Sandé is about to take the music industry by storm.

Originally from Sunderland in England, the singer-songwriter initially eased into the music scene by providing guest vocals on various songs, one of which (“Diamond Rings” by Chipmunk) she wrote. Sandé then signed deals with EMI Music Publishing in 2010 and Virgin Records in 2011, launching her solo career the same year.

But that’s not to say music was the only option on her plate; Sandé studied medicine for four and a half years in college as a back-up plan just in case her music career fell through. She continued to try and balance the two interests until she came to the point where she had to chose one or the other.

“I really missed being creative,” Sandé said in an interview with Seventeen Magazine. “I was giv-

ing 50 percent to medicine and 50 percent to music and I wasn’t being the best I could be in either of them.”

Since then, Sandé’s songs have consistently ranked high on music charts around Europe and in the United States. Her debut single, “Heaven,” reached number two on UK charts. A later single, titled “Next to Me” and released in 2012, ranked number one in Ireland/ Scotland and number two in the UK. “Next to Me” was also Sandé’s first US release, placing at number 25 on Billboard’s Hot 100.

The true representation of Sandé’s talent remains within her debut album, “Our Version of Events.” Released in February 2012, the tracklist impressed music audiences and critics alike, maintaining a music integrity true to her style.

In an interview with Complex Magazine, Sandé similarly noted that “I’m proud that I got to say… exactly what I wanted to say and be truthful and honest…

I really stood my ground and was able to create something that was true.”

“Our Version of Events” displayed not only Sandé’s notable songwriting skills, as she took part in the making of each song, but also her impressive voice control and versatility.

With an album like this, all music lovers will be able to find a song

they can enjoy.

“Heaven” maintains a steady funky drummer section paired with dramatic vocals and almost gives off a ‘90s club feeling. Along similar lines, “My Kind of Law” is one of the songs on the album that showcases Sandé’s vocal power in an R&B and soul package with a slower but strong beat.

In the middle ground is “Mountains,” a record that keeps a simple, softer beat but makes things interesting by throwing in instrumental backings, predominantly strings.

Sandé then connects with listeners through songs like “Read All About It (Pt. III),” “Hope” and “River,” all of which showcase raw vocals that convey an emotional appeal. These songs are also similar in the sense that the background music is quieter and instrumentalbased in order to emphasize her voice; “Hope,” in particular, utilizes this contrast to allow Sandé’s control, shown by riffs, to shine through as well.

When asked by Seventeen Magazine about the best time to listen to her music, Sandé said, “I’d listen to it at night when there are no distractions. That way, you can just sit down and take it all in.”

But no matter what type of music or what listening time one prefers, Emeli Sandé is an artist to keep an eye on. Another album like this and she’ll be known around the world.

Gravity’s visuals impress, but plot falls flat ALICE DAI Staff Writer

“Gravity”

Oct. 4 2013 (PG-13) Directed by Alfonso Cuarón Starring Sandra Bullock, George Clooney

★★★☆☆

Warning: spoilers

Since the 1950s, space travel has been mankind’s enigmatic endeavor into discovering the final frontier. In “Gravity,” directed by Alfonso Cuarón, space travel is considered in a dark and chilling depiction of the reasons why man has not yet dominated space.

“Gravity” opens with a scene of Dr. Stone (played by Sandra Bull-

ock) and Matt Kowalski (played by George Clooney) on the Explorer.

Within minutes, the Explorer is blasted to bits and Stone is sent hurtling into space.

“Gravity” may be one of the most highly anticipated and hypedup movies of the year. And why wouldn’t it be? This multi-million dollar film was featured in the Toronto Film Festival, stars high- profile actors Bullock and Clooney and was predicted to be in line for a few prestigious film awards even before its October 4 release date.

And yet, with a predictable plot line, the strong point of “Gravity” lies not in the finesse of storytelling, but rather in the mechanical effects of visual and auditory enhancement.

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Critics see “Gravity” as a great survival story. Stone goes through hardship after hardship—she faces fuel malfunctions, gets trapped in various debris showers, escapes a burning space station and frequently gets stuck drifting in zero gravity space—but eventually survives these ordeals when she lands in an unknown body of water on earth. The buildup of these melodramatic scenes and the sequence of events that takes place throughout the movie makes the story slightly implausible. Frankly, the fact that Stone survives every catastrophic obstacle in the movie while everyone else in her space shuttle dies within minutes of the opening scene just seems too perfectly calculated.

On the other hand, the 3D visuals and unique soundtrack were definitely the most flawlessly executed aspects in “Gravity.” Every scene entrances the viewer with a startling shot of Earth in all its mysterious glory. Behind the stark contrast of the blackness in space, watching the sunrise behind the horizon line of the earth provided an especially spectacular viewing experience.

Steven Price, the composer of the movie’s exceptional soundtrack, managed to heighten the already phenomenal visuals with his unforgettable score. Price accentuates every scene with rumbling crescendos and gentle rests that keep the viewer attentive despite faults in the plotline.

WARNER BROS PICTURES

Dr. Stone (Sandra Bullock) and Matt Kowalski (George Clooney) plan what to do when crisis strikes. “Gravity” was released on October 4 and is now in theaters.

Even though “Gravity”’s astounding visuals and the soundtrack perfectly complement the dramatic ups and downs that Stone faces, the imperfections in the plot line only detract from the movie’s overall effect. Having Stone go through every malfunction, road-block and obstacle imaginable all while trying to decide if she even wants to live becomes a breathtaking survival story in space that falls slightly short of the incredible amount of anticipation it was given.

On a brighter note, George Clooney, who plays the witty veteran astronaut Matt Kowalski, commands his role with the finesse of a seasoned actor. However, shortly after the movie starts, he sacrifices himself to space in order to save Stone. Kowalski’s humor lifted

the opening scenes of the movie and made the banter between him and Stone more interesting. He is mostly absent for the rest of the movie, which only leaves the viewer to watch the remaining hour and a half of the movie in slight disappointment.

Although Bullock and Clooney seem like a pairing that would inevitably create a blockbuster hit, the formulaic plot and the absence of Clooney throughout the movie prevents the viewer from truly appreciating the magic “Gravity” was supposed to emanate, especially in 3D. Watch this movie, but just remember that although “Gravity” may be slightly tarnished by a lackluster plot, it is brilliant on the big screen because of the stunning visuals and thrilling soundtrack.

The Talon October 29, 2013

She Can’t Stop

(and has no plans to)

HOW MILEY CYRUS TOOK THE WORLD BY STORM, WHY SHE’S A FEMINIST ICON AND MORE.

BY EMILY SIMS | Social Media Editor

RCA RECORDS

If you have opened a newspaper, a magazine, turned on the radio or even flipped through channels on the television in the past few months, you’re likely to have seen, or at least heard about Miley Cyrus’ recent escapades.

If Miley chopping off her lucious brown locks and trading them in for a blonde pixie cut wasn’t shocking enough, her recent actions in the spotlight sure have been. Her single, “We Can’t Stop,” a dance anthem filled with multiple drug references, which was released in early June, set off the whispers about Miley. But it was her performance at the MTV Video Music Awards (VMAs) on August 25, where she “twerked” on live television in front of millions of viewers, that sparked the controversy that is still buzzing throughout the media. Now, with Miley’s new album “Bangerz” out and her most recent single music video “Wrecking Ball,” which came out on September 9, where she swings on a wrecking ball naked and makes out with a hammer, Miley has pushed her limits and left the rest of the world with a lot to say about her latest endeavors.

But is what Miley is doing all that wrong? ̇ ̇ ̇ ̇ Let’s go back to the start of Miley’s, or better yet, Hannah’s, career. Miley’s first major role began in 2006,

when she landed the role of Miley Stewart on Disney Channel’s television series “Hannah Montana.” The plot focused around Miley Stewart, a 12 year-old girl with a secret double life: average girl by day, famous pop star, Hannah Montana, by night.

Miley’s sweet southern charm, her catchy pop songs and her relatable and usually humorous issues with boys, best friends and both her oncamera and off-camera father, Billy Ray Cyrus, made Hannah Montana soar to the top of the charts. Hannah Montana became not only a fan favorite, but also an emmy-nominated TV show that aired 98 episodes and eventually lead to a movie. In a blink of an eye, Miley became a sensation, an icon and a teen idol.

Miley first auditioned for Hannah Montana when she was 11 years old, landed the role and began filming at age 12 and after four seasons which lasted a total of six years, when the last episode finally aired, Miley was a matured and angsty 18 year-old. By then, the target age, or “tween” age, that Hannah Montana was intended for, had also grown up. Miley’s fans, just like her, were ready to move on. The only difference was that Miley, unlike most other teenagers, was growing up under the harsh and constant judging eye of the world.

Being a teenager is about trying new things, experiencing freedom and living life. But being a teenager is also awkward and full of

the timeline 1992: Born as Destiney Hope Cyrus to country singer Billy Ray Cyrus and his wife Tish Cyrus in Nashville, Tennessee.

1990

mistakes. Think about your own life as a teenager. Now imagine trying to live your teenage years with the entire world watching your every move, ready to write a breaking article about you or put you in the latest TMZ headline. No wonder Miley Stewart wanted to keep her secret pop star identity a secret.

For example, when a video of Miley Cyrus surfaced of her smoking salvia, not only was every bone in her body criticized, but her parent’s parenting skills were criticized, and it was the buzz for months. Miley clearly wanted to individualize herself and her career and after being constantly criticized in the public eye for every mistake she made, it was only natural for her to rebel against the norms of society and go out of her way to stir things up.

In reality, Miley doesn’t get enough credit for all of her success.

At just twenty years old, Miley has been named the “Most Charted Teenager” in the 2011 Guinness World Records, been ranked number 13 on Forbes’ 2010 Celebrity 100, starred in multiple movies and has had nine top-ten hits and a popular TV show. She hasn’t, however, gone to rehab like Lindsay Lohan or relatively disappeared like Aaron Carter.

It’s true: Miley shouldn’t feel the need to sexualize herself in order to fight back against society. But, she does have the right to and

2007: Miley began a 54-concert tour after her second album “Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus.”

2005

2005: Miley lands a leading role on “Hannah Montana” and begins filming the popular TV show.

should stand up for her sensuality, especially considering she has been taking lots of heat lately for being “too provocative.” Meanwhile, other artists (mostly men) like Robin Thicke are exhibiting equal, if not even more promiscuity. The Canadian-American artist recently came out with the song “Blurred Lines” and performed with Miley at the VMAs. The song seems to be about the blurred lines of consent in regards to rape, where Thicke explicitly uses lyrics such as “I know you want it,” and “But you’re a good girl/The way you grab me/Must wanna get nasty,” making it clear that he believes that regardless of whether women say they “want it” or not, it’s going to happen. More importantly, the song makes it seem as if his desires as a male are more important than a woman’s right to her own body. So as people of the world criticized Miley for wearing a provocative outfit and grinding her body on Robin Thicke at the VMA’s, few seemed to account for the fact that Thicke was taking part in the dancing as well, and that unlike Miley’s song that talks about partying and references some drugs, Thicke’s song promotes the message that rape is okay, and ultimately something that girls want. The point is, if Miley and other female artists are going to get criticized for being too provocative, Thicke and other

2012: Miley cuts off her long locks for a blonde pixie cut.

2010: Leaked video of Miley taking a hit from a bong filled with salvia sparks controversey and angers parents.

2009 2008: Miley has a photo scandal where she is scantily dressed on the cover of Vanity Fair.

male artists should be too.

Miley, just like everyone else, should be able to express herself, to experiment with new things, styles and people. In her latest interview with the Rolling Stone magazine, Miley explains her take on beauty and individuality: “Every other girl is so serious—like, this is my moment on the red carpet, I’m in my ball gown, looking pretty. There’s something empowering about what I’m doing right now. Especially having ‘short hair, don’t care.’

I think it’s empowering for girls.

Because there’s not one thing that defines what beauty is.”

From an avid Hannah Montana fan who’s grown up with Miley, the girl needs to be cut some slack. People should understand that Miley may technically be out of her teenage years, but she’s still young and needs freedom and acceptance to be able to find herself. But most importantly, Miley should not be considered a bad role model because her target audience has grown up, too, and it is okay for them to be exposed to more “adult” things.

As Miley makes very clear from her most recent adventures, she’s not planning on pulling back any time soon. In fact, with a recent performance on Saturday Night Live, and her new album “Bangerz” that dropped on October 4, it seems as if this fierce phenomenon “Can’t Be Tamed.”

2013: Miley twerks on stage at the VMAs while performing “Blurred Lines” and “We Can’t Stop” with Robin Thicke.

2013 2012: Liam Hemsworth proposes to Miley with a 3.5 carat diamond. The two had previously worked together on “The Last Song.”

2013: Miley confirms that she and Liam Hemsworth have broken off their engagement.

The Talon October 29, 2013

Fall TV shows impress with some unfortunate exceptions AMELIA BAUM Staff Writer

While September may have brought the inevitable start of another dreaded school year, fall has also brought the return of several beloved television shows. The last months have been filled with season premieres of some of the hottest sitcoms and comedies, such as “Modern Family” and “New Girl.” With a few exceptions, all of these shows’ premieres live up to their previous glory, and predict a promising upcoming season.

1

New Girl

FOX’s hit comedy “New Girl” made its debut in 2011. The show began its third season this fall, starring singer and actress Zooey Deschanel (Jess), as well as the talented Lamorne Morris (Winston), Max Greenfield (Schmidt) and Jake Johnson (Nick). The show centers around four people in their 20s who share a loft in Southern California.

A talented cast, phenomenal writers and a heavy dose of sophomoric humor make it the perfect way to relax after a stressed school week.

The end of season two brought to a close the awkward, secret chemistry between Jess and Nick, but season three poses new challenges as the two try to maintain some semblance of an actual, adult relationship. The first four episodes were great appetizers for fans still hungry from last season’s excitement, but were a little light on the humor compared to the show’s previous legacy. Hopefully, some plot twists and some more clever one-liners can put the show on a path to maintaining its glory as one of the funniest comedies on TV. No matter what the rest of the sea-

son is like, there’s no way I’m taking my eyes off “New Girl” anytime soon.

2

The Good Wife

“The Good Wife” deserves to be acknowledged as a consistently high-quality television choice.

The show follows Alicia Florrick— lawyer, mother and recently elected First Lady of Illinois. Following a scandal surrounding her husband’s campaign, she is thrust into the spotlight of the Illinois political landscape. In addition to following her personal life, the show also features a legal plotline, resembling other legal shows such as “Law and Order” and “Suits.” The last few seasons have been filled with exciting plot twists and relationships between characters. Perhaps the most significant shift in the storyline came at the end of season four, with Alicia deciding whether or not to leave her existing firm, Lockhart-Gardner, and start her own with some colleagues. Her complex decision continues into sea-

son five, creating some of the most thrilling confrontations the show has offered yet. The season five premiere was undoubtedly phenomenal, perhaps one of the most exciting and well-written episodes in the show’s history. With legal, political action and even romantic aspects, the show has the potential to appeal to a wide range of audiences, and is a refreshing change from some of the more juvenile television choices of the fall.

3

Super Fun Night

Unlikely to follow in these shows’ success is “Super Fun Night,” which premiered October 2 on ABC. The first two episodes of the season do not suggest a promising road ahead, starring Lauren Ash (Marika), Liza Lapira (Helen-Alice) and the recently renowned Rebel Wilson (Kimmie) as three socially awkward roommates. Made famous by her hilarious roles in 2011’s “Bridesmaids” and 2012’s “Pitch Perfect,” Wilson has made her mark on the

FOX

Jess, the main character of “New Girl”, cooks in the kitchen of her shared apartment. “New Girl” has recently started its third season.

comedy industry in just a few years since her entrance. It seems implausible that her first starring role could be such a disaster, but the horrendous script, score and supporting acting in “Super Fun Night” make a mess even Rebel Wilson can’t fix. The first indication of the show’s disappointment is the theme song, which resembles one of a teenage drama made famous

by Disney Channel. If one can get past that initial affront to the senses, even deeper issues with the show are revealed. The primary concern is a thoroughly juvenile script, which combined with a simplistic storyline come together to make each halfhour episode a chore to sit through.

The overall message of the premiere seems to revolve around “being yourself” or something related, but its so trapped in a burrito of childish one liners and awful fake Russian accents that its hard to perceive. Despite Wilson’s comedic fame, the show’s humor sounds like it was taken from a conversation among seven year-olds in the back seat of a soccer mom’s minivan. The show asks viewers to laugh at Wilson—her weight, her awkwardness, her sad love life—over and over again. However, it doesn’t provide anything in return. The script is pre-packaged, the comebacks are obvious and the proportion of butt jokes is way too high. Ratings from professional critics of the show are universally terrible, highlighting the general lack of of plotline and cringeworthy moments. Overall, “Super Fun Night” is neither super nor fun, despite high hopes for Rebel Wilson’s participation. Whether or not she will be able to save the show remains to be seen, but if the show stays on this course it seems unlikely it will even make it through the first season.

End of an era: Hayao Miyazaki steps down YUKI ZANINOVICH ALEX BARREIRA Copy/Content Editor Staff Writer

Last month at the Venice Film Festival, world-renowned film director and co-founder of Studio Ghibli, Hayao Miyazaki, announced his retirement from feature-length films.

This ends more than half a century of his involvement with animated movies. Though Miyazaki has made similar statements in the past, he told reporters that this time he is “quite serious.”

Miyazaki, at age 72, stated he is getting “too old for the business” and would like to make room for new animators. He also cited the strain of meeting deadlines and drawing out thousands of frames required for large-scale projects.

Such fatigue is certainly inevitable, as Miyazaki has directed more than 20 feature-length anime films, many of which have received universal acclaim. His 2001 film “Spirited Away” won an Oscar for Best Animated Feature and famously outsold blockbuster “Titanic” in the Japanese box office, while “My Neighbor Totoro” and “Nausicaa: Valley of the Wind” have frequently appeared on critics’ lists of the top animated films of all time.

Miyazaki’s career in the animation industry began in 1963 when he began work at Toei Animation. He then left in 1971 to begin co-producing an anime series with Isao Takahata.

However, Miyazaki’s breakthrough in the field did not come until he cofounded Studio Ghibli with Takahata and directed its third film, “Kiki’s

Delivery Service,” which became the company’s first box office success and the highest grossing Japanese film of 1989.

His retirement was announced at the premiere of his latest work, “The Wind Rises,” a fictionalized account of the life of Jiro Horikoshi, an engineer who designed the fighter planes used by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor.

The sympathetic portrayal of Horikoshi generated minor controversy from conservative Asian newspapers, though Miyazaki sees the engineer as an artist whose creation was exploited for militaristic aims rather than a cynical architect of death. Despite the controversy, the film has received very positive reviews.

Like his previous films, Miyazaki’s final effort explores themes such as war, nature and the transition to adulthood. The animation follows the characteristic Studio Ghibli style of hand-drawn characters over lush watercolor backgrounds, evoking the whimsy of childhood and the epic feeling of flight through wide, beautiful skies. Also notable in “The Wind Rises” is the absence of traditional villains. Many of Miyazaki’s previous works revolve around the struggle of thoughtful, independent young girls against the unsympathetic forces of time or the challenges of adolescence.

The great animator’s retirement is sad news for fans the world over.

Despite the maestro of a renowned anime franchise deciding to step down, it does not preface an end to all things Ghibli or Miyazaki. The director’s announcement left open the possibility of future short films,

and he has mentioned plans to keep himself busy with other projects, like the Studio Ghibli museum.

Fans across the globe and Miyazaki himself still look forward to the bright future of Ghibli as he passes the torch to his son Goro Miyazaki.

Goro is no pushover in the film business, as he has already directed two movies for the company, “Tales from

Earthsea” and “From up on Poppy Hill,” with the latter winning the Japanese Academy Prize for Animation of the Year in 2012 and receiving exclusively positive reviews from the fanbase. With a new director inheriting the blood and will of his predecessor, Studio Ghibli will continue to be a potent wind in the anime industry and rise to new heights.

FICG.MX / FLICKR

Hayao Miyazaki smiles for the camera at the premiere of one of his many films. Miyazaki’s retirement marks the end of an era, but not the end of his studio.

Beats by Barreira

By Alex Barreira

Spotlight: The Avalanches’ “Since I Left You” Who doesn’t love to party? It’s a necessary part of being human to let loose once in awhile and stop taking the world seriously, if only for a moment. Just ask Ke$ha. But as much as we’d like to imagine that “the party don’t stop,” life really does move on, and sometimes the moments that stick with us best aren’t those when careening wildly across the dancefloor, but quietly cleaning up afterwards.

The Avalanches’ “Since I Left You” demonstrates the joy in spontaneity and sobriety, as the concept album of the party and the period of introspection that follows.

The first and only LP by the group of Australian DJs from over a decade ago, “Since I Left You” brilliantly mixes a collection of found sounds, old movies and pop culture debris to create an hour of celebration covering the full spectrum of human emotion.

The album begins on a note of discovery and optimism: “Since I’ve left you/I’ve found the world so new.” On “Electricity,” danceable grooves give way to an uplifting opera sample and the twinkle of retro synthesizers. The two-word chorus and cooing vocalizations mimic the endorphin rush you’re likely get from hearing this song. Their samples explore a diverse range of feelings, from buoyed expectancy (“Two Hearts in ¾ Time”) to cathartic joy (“Electricity”) to mortal sadness (“Tonight May Have to Last Me All My Life”).

Along the way the Avalanches never forget to have fun. “Frontier Psychiatrist” combines 41 different spoken word snippets to form a weirdly hilarious dialogue. In the same track a rearing stallion is turned into a baseline and a parrot squawk (two squawks, mind you) is remixed for an incredible 20 seconds.

The final track, “Extra Kings,” returns to the beginning rhythm with the warmth of cracked vinyl and the nostalgic swoon of a string quartet.

But it’s not over quite yet. The same chipmunk voice rings through the atmosphere, reversing the title sentiment: “Tried but I just can’t get you/ Ever since the day I left you.” In the subsequent ignition of flute and string orchestra, one won’t struggle to imagine themselves on the balcony of the Titanic, progressing through the fluid passage of humanity in a grand, encompassing circle.

How lovely it is to celebrate, to find ecstasy and misery and every shade in between. Records like “Since I Left You” strike a beautiful balance, and serve as reminders of how wonderful it is to be human.

The Talon October 29, 2013

Get daily updates on Eagle athletics and read the sports archives at lahstalon.org/sports

School adds frosh/soph lacrosse team KATHERINE YEN

them for games.

“Usually, the coaches would After accommodating nearly work through...the first two lines 40 players on the varsity team of starting players before everyone last year, the school lacrosse else, so a lot of people ended up not program will be expanding to being able to play,” defensive player include a frosh/soph team this sophomore Simon Leak said. spring season.

But in trying to compensate for The lacrosse team began in the imbalance of practice and exspring of 2010 when a group perience in favor of older players, of LAHS parents and Head the coaches attempted to have Lacrosse Coach Greg Mengis senior players help newer players, teamed up to charter a lacrosse adversely affecting experienced club, receive approval players as well. for the sport and raise “We spent a lot of $15,000. At its start, time working with the varsity lacrosse It will open up... the new kids so...the more leaderteam had 24 players. more experienced At the time, Men- ship and growth players [didn’t get] gis also petitioned opportunities much practice,” rightAthletic Director Kim wing attacker junior Cave for a frosh/soph for our younger Riley Kahan said. team. However, the players.

This school year, obstacles of fundthe school man— Lacrosse Head Coach Greg Mengis ing and space availaged to overcome ability prevented this previous obstacles from happening, as the program and finally approved Mengis’ earlacked money for a frosh/soph lier request. Additional funding coach and a field to practice on. from the district office provided Since 2010, the number of play- a stipend for a frosh/soph coach, ers in the lacrosse program has giving the team the monetary grown to about 40, which has be- support it needed. come an issue during practices, as The Athletic Department was there is not enough time to focus able to resolve the other issue on every player. The coaches were of having nowhere to practice forced to give more attention to as well. In years past, the frosh/ experienced players to prepare soph baseball team practiced on Staff Writer

the same field that lacrosse did, which forestalled the formation of a frosh/soph lacrosse team, as there was no space for another sports team. But due to construction of the two-story building in the back of the school last year, frosh/soph baseball was moved back to the baseball field, which the school had upgraded to accommodate two teams instead of just one.

“Now baseball is only subject to the baseball area,” Cave said. “It created some more room for [lacrosse]...so we can actually have a frosh/soph and a varsity [lacrosse] team out there at the same time.

The resolving of these two problems—funding and space availability—cleared the way for the announcement of a frosh/soph lacrosse team in late September. It has since generated positive reactions from the school’s lacrosse community.

“The addition of a JV team is a lot better because a ton more kids will be able to play, a lot more kids will be able to come out [onto the field],” Simon said.

As a result of more playing time, Mengis and players alike hope that each player will be able to further improve his skills and thereby elevate the level of the lacrosse program as a whole.

COURTESY KIAN AYAT

The lacrosse team shakes hands with another team. Last year, the varsity team’s ranks swelled to nearly 40 players, preventing both experienced and younger players from getting adequate game and practice time. “[The frosh/soph team] will definitely make the varsity better and it’ll kind of develop lacrosse here at this school because...the varsity kids will get more practice and then we’ll get to work with more basic stuff with developing players so they get more practice, too, and they get better,” Riley said.

Mengis also believes that the frosh/soph team will improve the lacrosse program, citing the expansion as an opportunity for lacrosse players to develop their

skills and grow as leaders.

“It will open up more opportunities for more players to participate…[and] it will provide more games, as well as more leadership and growth opportunities for our younger players,” Mengis said.

“The JV [frosh/soph] program will definitely help accelerate the growth the lacrosse program has seen over the past few years.”

The Athletic Department is currently looking for a coach for the new team.

Horseriding: there’s more to it than you might think AMELIA BAUM SITARA SRIRAM Staff Writer Business Manager

For horseback riders at the school, getting ready for practice means putting on leather boots, a velveteen helmet and mounting a massive four-legged animal.

Equestrianism, or “ horseback riding” as it is more often known, is one of the oldest sports in the world still practiced today. Originating mostly from Western European countries, the sport has a variety of components, such as jumping and vaulting.

Competitions, called “eventing”, take place over one to four days, and involve three stages: dressage, cross country and show jumping. Riders must execute a precise series of movements, and are judged based on smoothness, rhythm and obedience of the horse, and many other factors.

“Competing is very overwhelming, but awesome,” sophomore Kyra Kilman said. “The atmosphere is super crazy...To prepare myself before I go into the arena, I try to picture myself back at the barn where I’m just riding for fun and have no stress.”

Horseback riding made its debut at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris, France. There are also several professional horseback riding teams worldwide.

However, equestrianism can be enjoyed by people of all ages and abilities. According to many riders at the school, the essence of the sport lies in the unique relationship riders have with their horses, and is what entices many athletes to start riding.

“My grandmother would always

PHOTOS COURTESY ELISE JACOBSEN, ANDREA LUCIA

Left: Junior Elise Jacobsen rides during practice. Right: Junior Andrea Lucia and her horse jump a hurdle in competition. Horseback riding is one of the oldest sports in the world practiced today and has since become a sport enjoyed by people of all ages. take me to the Stanford barn and show me all the horses they had there,” senior Casey Charlton said. “I remember not wanting to leave that place, which seemed so odd considering it reeked of horse manure and dry hay, but I loved it anyway. I wholeheartedly fell in love with horses because they seemed so likeable and genuinely compassionate.”

Executing tasks with the animal requires riders to build trusting relationships with their horses, which can be challenging at times.

“The horse has a mind of its own, so you have to control it,” junior Andrea Lucia said. “It’s difficult because it can do whatever it wants, ignore you and not cooperate.”

However, coordination between a rider and their horse is essential.

“To be a truly successful rider

you and your horse need to work as a team,” junior Emma Perry said. “This is important because it teaches you that no matter who is in the superior position you should never abuse your power to get what you want.”

Although the sport is enjoyed by a wide range of people, equestrianism has a number of demanding requirements.

“It’s not really something you can just go and do in your free time, like go running, or play some soccer in the park. You need equipment and space and a large animal, which also has needs,” junior Elise Jacobsen said.

Nor does it appeal to the general public in the same way that some other sports may.

“I think that it isn’t as popular as some other sports because it does

not supply to viewers the same animalistic instincts that games such as soccer, football and hockey do,” Emma said. “Those games are fun to watch because the people playing are so heated and guided by their need to get the ball or puck and the need to hinder the other team at the same time.”

Equestrianism is also one of the most costly sports to play. The expense associated with the sport limits the number of people who can participate, making it less common than other sports.

“It’s expensive to maintain [a horse], buy all the stuff for it, like food, saddles and bridles,” Andrea said. “The shows are expensive, the clothes you wear to ride your horse are expensive, everything [is expensive].”

In spite of the difficulty of be-

ing a rider, a common misconception that persists in surrounding equestrianism is that it is not truly a sport. Andrea recounts an incident where she was talking to a man she had just met, and they started discussing horseback riding in the Olympics. “[The man said] they shouldn’t have horseback riding in the Olympics, that’s not a sport,” Andrea said. “He didn’t know I rode... my dad [told him] it’s actually a lot harder than it looks.”

Contrary to this widespread misconception, hours of practicing tricks requires much more athleticism than many would assume.

“I would say that I get just as much of a physical and mental workout during an hour of riding as I do playing an hour of soccer,” Emma said.

Physical exhaustion isn’t the only challenge that riders are forced to deal with. Equestrianism also necessitates an unrivaled mental intensity that comes in the form of working with one’s horse.

“The hardest thing is learning to work together with the horse,” Kyra said. “Because there are two different brains involved, sometimes the horse and I will have different ideas on what to do.”

Even for those who don’t compete, many equestrians claim that riding is an experience that provides a sense of fulfillment and contentment.

“When one is around a horse, on some insane level, they feel as though they have someone by their side who weirdly understands them,”Casey said. “Whenever I have a rough day at school, I know I can go to the barn and ride off my steam.”

The Talon October 29, 2013

The fall of the Giants: What happened?

JOHNNY SCHER Staff Writer

Last year, the Giants run had some truly remarkable moments.

The Giants were able to win every crucial game and staved offf playoff elimination in both the National League Divisional and National League Championship Series. This season, nothing seemed to go San Francisco’s way.

The Giants clearly did not have the same luck and have not performed nearly as well compared to last year’s run. One of the reasons for the struggles can be accredited to subpar pitching.

Pitching is one of the most significant aspects of a team’s success. A team’s offense and its ability to produce runs are also necessary, but without a quality pitching staff and bullpen, a team

STEVE PALUCH / WIKIMEDIA

Matt Cain pitches at a game in Miller Park. Cain has pitched significantly worse than in years past, with an ERA of 4.39.

is at a serious disadvantage.

Although pitching may be boring for the fans at times, the Giants have utilized their dominant pitching rotation successfully over the course of their two championship runs.

The Giants have proven consistently in the past three seasons that the saying “pitching wins championships” is accurate as their flawless pitching has earned them two championship titles.

They stunned baseball fans in 2010 by leading the MLB in earned run average, saves, batting average against and strikeouts.

Two years later, the Giants won yet another World Series. Unlike their previous championship year, the 2012 Giants featured productive hitting and pitching. As a whole, they were not outstanding in only one specific area, but reliable in most aspects of the game.

They were third in their league in batting average, fourth in on-base percentage, third in hits and second in saves. Despite being dead last in home runs, the 2012 Giants won with good team morale and character, dominant stretches of pitching and clutch hitting.

Despite these successes, the Giants have, rather notably, struggled this past season. Although they performed much better towards the end of the season, their late season surge amounted to nothing more than a string of garbage time wins and moral victories.

So, how is it that the Giants have performed so much worse than in previous years?

Last year, Matt Cain contributed greatly towards the Giants success.

He went 16-5 with an unbelievable 2.79 Earned Run Average (ERA).

His amazing consistency and extremely low ERA helped the Giants reach the postseason and continue on to win the world series. This season, however, Cain pitched significantly worse than past seasons with the Giants. With an ERA of 4.39, and a lower win-to-loss ratio, the Giants’ star pitcher is putting up disappointing numbers. With Cain struggling, the Giants are losing more games.

Like Cain, four of the five initial starters (Bumgarner, Cain, Zito, Vogelsong and Lincecum) struggled. Despite having an amazing 2012 season, in which three of the five starters had an ERA less than 4.00, this season four of the five starters had an ERA of at least 4.00 and have negative win to loss ratios.

This season, the Giants had one of the highest accumulated ERAs. One of the starters that stands out is Barry Zito. In 2012, Zito went 15-8 with an ERA of 4.03.

Although these stats are good, they were perceived as great by many because Zito had not had a win-to-loss ratio over 500 percent since 2002. This season, however, Zito has pitched an all time career high 5.91 ERA with a career low winning percentage of .313. Zito has produced one of the worst pitching performances of his entire career of 13 years, which is saying something given the lacksluster nature of the beginning of his Giants’ career. In 25 games started, he has only managed to produce 6 quality starts.

Next season, the Giants likely

BUCKWYLD43 / WIKIMEDIA

Barry Zito pitches during a Giants warmup. Despite a strong 2012 season, Zito had one of the worst pitching performances of his entire 13 year career this season. will be without Zito and Vogelsong who are progressively getting worse due to their old pitching age and deteriorating arms. In place of Zito and Vogelsong, the Giants might look to starting younger arms in the Giants’ organization who have more raw potential. Once the Giants have a pitching rotation of Lincecum, Bumgarner, Cain, Gaudin and other younger starters, they will be able to win more games and will only improve in the future.

The reason behind the Giants’ los-

ing season is simply due to a lack of support from any of the pitchers. Teams like the Giants, who rely on pitching to win games, need to improve their pitching or else they will continue to be cellar dwellers.

Giants Season Stats Season Record Team ERA SP Win-Loss

76-86 4.00 40-50

Small roster, stiff competition complicate field hockey season NOY ANISMAN Staff Writer

This year’s girls field hockey team consists of players with significant experience in the sport, but a small roster has created challenges in the new season. Among the team’s goals is to focus on furthering their already strong teamwork and solid individual backgrounds in order to win games in the new league.

“In many ways the teams are stronger this year because many of our players are playing club field hockey in the off-season,” Head Coach Mary Donahue said. “We have a number of players with a much better grasp of the game.”

Despite the increase in skill and hard work, the team has been unable to gain a victory, mainly due to their small roster of only 14 players and 1 goalkeeper, 3 players less than a typical team.

“Since there are often a couple people absent or injured, our subs are very minimal and we often start to get tired toward the end of games,” junior Anneliese Gallagher said. “Our coach has tried to work with us on quick passes rather than dribbling down the field, because that way no one has to do too much running, and we don’t get as tired.”

Many of the team’s losses have been a one-point difference, which has only encouraged the players to push for an improvement in their performance levels.

“We are not finishing, we are not scoring goals,” Donahue said.

“That’s what we need to work on now. We have lost at least four onegoal games that we should have

NEED HELP? IAN MACKEY

Senior Emma Orner attempts to steal the ball from a Lynbrook player.

Despite changing divisions, a small roster and tough competition have still made the team’s season thus far more difficult. won. The team and I are frustrated by that and hope to turn it around… by scoring early and often.”

Still, the Lady Eagles have been enthusiastic. They remain hopeful for the remainder of the season as they look forward to victories in future games.

“Obviously it’s a little bit discouraging to lose, but we use every game as a learning experience,” junior Anneliese Gallagher said. “If we mess up any particular skill in a game, we spend the next practice just working on reinforcing that skill. I think losses have helped us to grow and get better as a team, although we do sometimes feel discouraged.”

This far into the season, Donahue is focusing on the development of the team’s field hockey

knowledge and experience. She hasn’t made any changes in its training or playing techniques, instead choosing to focus on the basics of the game.

“She’s targeting each of the skills that we need to work on during practice, so we’ll have an offensive practice or a defensive practice, but she always throws in the skills that people want to work on and what she sees,” junior Emily Webb said.

In spite of these setbacks, the field hockey team is looking forward to making improvements in games and claiming some victories.

“We definitely have the potential to win more games,” Anneliese said. “It’s just a matter of coming together as a team to make it happen.”

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The Talon October 29, 2013

Cross country: the road to CCS

COURTESY ANDREW ZAESKE

Sophomore Ben Zaeske leads the pack at the Lowell Invitational in Golden Gate Park. This year, cross country’s depth, along with its work ethic, have allowed it to take all of its races by storm. The boys team is currently ranked 5th in CCS and the girls team is ranked 15th.

CHASE ELLER Senior Writer

Cross country has maintained the level of dedication to training that it had over the summer, and the results have been showing. The team is currently on track to repeat last season’s success at CCS and the State Championships.

The team took the early season by storm, consistently finishing in the top three spots in meets such as Crystal Springs, the Lowell Invitational and the Earlybird Invitational at Toro Park. The team has since add-

ed to its impressive results, winning two of the five races that it entered at the Monterey Bay Invite at Toro Park in Salinas on October 19 and having nearly every runner on the team running a 5k personal record at the Clovis Invitational on October 12.

“Recent meets have gone very well,” Head Coach Dan Oren said.

Both teams have achieved high rankings in CCS, putting themselves in good positions to achieve their overall goals.

“The girls are certainly on pace to break other school records for dif-

ferent courses this season, and the boys varsity team is also on pace to break school records as well,” Oren said. “The boys team is currently ranked 5th in all of CCS (for all five divisions combined), and the girls team is ranked 15th in all of CCS out of approximately 125 schools total in CCS that have a cross country team.”

As in previous seasons, these successes have been made possible by vigorous training. Consistent, tough workouts have characterized the team’s training throughout the season.

“We have a track workout, where the difficulty will be determined by the mileage goal of the runner,” senior Tyler Machell said. “If we’re not having a track workout, we will have a hill workout or something else to help us train. Workouts are really intense…they really get us in shape and help us have success in the meets,” Tyler said.

The team looks to continue its hard work and keep up its season momentum.

“The team’s success can be attributed to how hard the entire team

Football: re-energized and reborn SAM LISBONNE RILEY SOWARD Senior Writer Staff Writer

Many students have less than positive memories of the football season last year, when the team lost every single league game.

Things have changed—this year the school’s varsity football team is looking the best it has in years. Between the new coaching staff, more focused practices and returning veteran players, the varsity football team has posted an impressive record of 6-1 thus far—among these, a win over rival Mountain View. The team is currently chasing a CCS playoff spot, its 0-10 overall record from last year left in the dust.

What propelled this drastic turnaround?

Changes in the program can be attributed to the man at the head of it all: Head Coach Trevor Pruitt. Pruitt, who worked with Mountain View’s football program for six years, was looking to take on a head coach

position when the position at Los Altos opened up. Pruitt applied, presented the school with a detailed plan for turning the program around and was accepted. Along with Pruitt came a new coaching staff that has brought more intensity to the program.

“The coaching staff brings a lot of great energy and good vibes to the team,” quarterback senior Lambie Lanman said. “It has been encouraging for everyone to work harder, to build to something.”

But it’s not just the coaching staff themselves that have made a difference; it’s also the new approach to coaching that the staff have adopted. The coaches’ attention has been on promoting consistency and focus across all aspects of the team.

“As far as the focus goes, we really like to talk to the team before we even go out, we sit them down and we like to make sure the message is spread around,” Pruitt said. “[For example], we tell them we need to block and tackle better. We have to send it every day,

Football plays against Burton High School in its first game of the season. Los Altos shut Burton out 61-0 and has since brought its overall record to 6-1, with its only loss against Homestead, 42-24. The Eagles play Lynbrook next on Friday, November 8.

PHOTOS BY IAN MACKEY

Head Coach Trevor Pruitt explains a play to his players. Pruitt has been key to Los Altos’ six victories this season. before practice, before we even walk outside.”

The focus the coaches bring to the locker room and field has made the practices much more efficient and productive this year.

“Our practices are more individually focused, so everyone is getting better instead of people standing around,” junior Patrick McColl said. “You are always working, which is great.”

Pruitt has ensured that all the coaches are on the same page, maintaining clear expectations and rules for the team.

“All of the assistant coaches are huge to what we’re doing,” Pruitt said. “As a coaching staff, we’ve been working to make sure we’re sending no mixed messages to the kids...everyone is on the same playing field.”

This kind of consistency from the coaching staff, combined with the increased energy in the program, has brought the team together and eliminated all distractions from winning.

“The coaches want to win really badly, and you can tell they are working their hardest—it really shows and motivates the team,” Patrick said.

The team is looking to take the season game by game, and has high hopes for the rest of the year.

“We want to stay concentrated on this year, hopefully make the playoffs and fight for a CCS championship,” Pruitt said.

works every day,” Oren said. “They are extremely motivated and all have set goals of being as successful as possible. There is a lot of depth on the team, and the team’s depth is helpful because everyone is pushing everyone else harder and harder in practice every day.”

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This is not to say the season has not been without a lack of adversity.

Los Altos faced and fell to Palo Alto High School, another league championship contender in the Dig Pink game on October 10. The team had just beaten out Homestead and was expecting similar results in its game against PALY. The results of the Dig Pink game show that although the team’s CCS prospects are looking up, the players still need to maintain their level of drive and hard work in order to do well in SCVAL and CCS. “The loss against PALY motivates us to do better throughout the rest of leagues,” senior Meghan McDermott said.

The sole league loss against PALY serves to show just how strong this year’s team is. The team has relied heavily on the level of coaching dedication this year. Kim devotes his coaching not only to drilling and conditioning, but also to helping the girls maintain a positive mental attitude.

“I try not to put pressure on them,” Kim said. “I don’t talk about their record... I just want them to feel loose and be ready to play. [I want to] keep them calm, level headed, not too many ups and downs, because that will reflect in our play.”

This year’s senior leadership has also encouraged the team to perform at its optimal level. Kim said that seniors Hanna Koehler, Michelle Albright and Meghan have contributed tremendously to the positivity and confidence in the team’s spirit. “[The seniors make] sure that they’re focused for matches,” Kim said. “[They] encourage [the team] and they do things to just keep them together as a group.”

With the season nearing it’s second half, girls volleyball has a lot of work to do.

“We do have a long season ahead of us and we do need some more wins,” Meghan said. “It just depends on how consistent we are and how much we want it.”