The Talon | Issue 0 | August 19, 2013

Los Altos High School ■ August 19, 2013 ■ Volume XXIX, Issue 0

inside this issue

Construction of new buildings complete

Zoe Morgan

“What’s your story?”

Editor-in-Chief

Talon writers interview strangers at Rengstorff Park to learn about their lives.

In-Depth, 6-7

MVLA District and Teachers’ Union Reach Final Contract Topics discussed at the negotiations included pay raises, health benefits and retirement plans. News, 2

Big Brother is Watching (And Not Telling Us) One guest writer’s opinion on the NSA programs that came into focus this summer.

Opinions, 5

15 New Staff Members Join the School Learn all about the unfamiliar names that appeared on your schedule last week: LAHS welcomed 14 new teachers and a custodian this summer. Features, 8

How to Survive Your Freshman Year From classes and clubs to lunch and sports, we tell you everything you need to know about your new school.

Entertainment, 10

Junior Places in Badminton Junior Nationals Read about an exceptional athlete. Junior Timothy Lam ranks as one of the best junior badminton players in the U.S. Sports, 11

Football Hires New Coaching Staff The iconic high school sport gets a makeover at the school with four new coaches joining the athletics department. Sports, 12

UPCOMING EVENTS Aug. 21 @ 7:00 p.m.

Parking Permits Sold Aug. 23 @ 7:00 p,m.

Back to School Dance Aug. 29 @ 7:00 p,m.

Back to School Night Sept. 2

Labor Day (No School) Sept. 11

Club Day Sept. 16–21

Homecoming Week Sept. 24

Picture Make-Ups INDEX News Editorial Opinions

2 4 5

In-Depth 6-7 Features 8 Entertainment 9 Sports 11

see more at

lahstalon.org

District budget restores services

Rebecca Deshetler

A photo taken from the soccer field shows one of the two buildings that have been completed after a year of construction. The environmentally-friendly building will hold foreign language and art classrooms.

DAVID WU

Sports Editor

On August 1, the construction of the buildings at the back of the school finally came to a close. The 12-classroom project that was conceived three years ago and broke ground just over a year ago is finally complete.

The classrooms were built after the MVLA school district received $41.3 million from the 2010 Measure A bond to accommodate a projected growth of the student body of 25 percent over the next 10 years.

“These buildings go a long way in providing student capacity in our

schools into the 2020’s,” Associate Superintendent of Business Services Joe White said. $39.6 million of the $41.3 million has been allocated towards construction expenditures districtwide. 12 classrooms have been built at both Los Altos High School and Mountain View High School, with the cost of construction at Los Altos estimated to be around $8 million. Other recent construction projects include the installation of solar panels, upgrades for the public address and fire alarm systems and renovations.

In addition to accommodating

School welcomes 15 new faculty members compiled by talon staff Beginning this year, 15 new staff members will be joining the school, including one addition to the foreign language department, two additions to the science department, two additions to the English department, three additions to the math department and three additions to the social studies department.

Science Vivian Byun

New teacher Vivian Byun will be teaching three AP Biology classes and two Biology classes.

In past years, Byun worked at both a public school and a private school. After five years of employment at the private school, Byun began to miss the idea that anyone could get a free education.

She is excited to immerse herself back into that kind of school environment. In addition to getting to know her students, Byun is looking

greater numbers of students in the future and precluding larger classes, the building also has state-of-the-art green technology. The construction process of the building ref lects the district’s recent strides towards becoming more environmentally sustainable. Construction materials with “high recycled content” were used in order to be more sustainable.

The district also focused on maximizing sunlight in order to reduce the need for artificial lighting.

Continues on page 3

The school board approved the 2013-2014 district budget at their June 17 meeting. Due in large part to rising property tax revenue, this year the district was able to restore many of the services cut during the previous few years.

“What really says times are getting better is our property taxes growing,” Assistant Superintendent for Business Services Joe White said.

“Our property taxes growing at two and three percent make a budget a struggle. Growing at five and a half percent and higher allows us to take care of all expenditure growth or a lot of expenditure growth.”

When the economy improves, home values go up, which leads to an increase in the amount of property taxes collected. Each percent increase in property tax revenue is equivalent to about $400,000 in increased revenue for the district.

Additionally, the district was able to reach an agreement with the City of Mountain View about the Shoreline Joint Powers Association (JPA).

The Shoreline JPA is an area set up so that property tax revenue collected from it goes back into the same area. This means that property tax revenue from the Shoreline area (which includes many of the local tech companies) doesn’t get distributed as it normally would, instead it goes back into maintaining that area.

Continues on page 2

Cross country trains in Tahoe over summer break

forward to finding a balance between work and her three kids.

Christina Schramm

Christina Schramm will also be teaching additional AP Biology and Biology classes. Schramm previously taught in Los Angeles at a school similar in size and demographics to Los Altos. She likes the feel of smaller schools because she can get to know the students and teachers better. Schramm is looking forward to experiencing what life is like here on campus and attending school swim meets the most.

Social STUDIES Sarah Carlson

Sarah Carlson will be teaching World Studies and US History classes this year. Carlson first learned of LAHS through a recommendation from a mentor in her teaching preparation program.

Continues on page 8

Courtesy terrI tippeTt

The cross country team, after a successful 2012 season, took a summer trip for practice in South Lake Tahoe. Runners trained together in the hopes of defending their CCS title this upcoming school year.

carly cohen In-Depth Editor

After record-breaking success last year with the boys taking first and girls taking second place at CCS the cross country team is hungry for another great season.

Led once again by head coach Dan Oren, the runners have been practicing throughout the summer with hopes of retaining their CCS title.

Summer practices, held six days per week, had about 25 runners at any time. However, over the course of the summer,

as many as 60 faces showed up to at least one practice. The team’s workouts, although challenging, are successful, thus the high turn-out rate.

“Over the summer, we focus on building our aerobic base,” Oren said. “That basically means we try to do only long distance runs, and our mileage will increase more and more as the summer goes along. By building their aerobic base, they will be ready for all the hard workouts they need to do when the season begins in the fall.”

Continues on page 12

The Talon August 19, 2013

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

Budget stabilizes as property taxes rise Continued from the front page

Because of this, local schools get none of this money. The Shoreline JPA is one of only a few places in the state set up this way.

However, the district was able to reach a 10-year agreement with the city, ensuring that it would receive at least $1.8 million a year from the area.

Previously in 2005, there had been an agreement, but it only gave the school district what White described as a “very minimal amount.” In 2009 a deal was reached which resulted in more money going to the school ($2.1 million last year). However, this deal was only temporary and expired at the end of last year. Because of this, the district wasn’t guaranteed any money from the JPA from this year forward.

While the deal is giving the school less money than before—$1.8 million as opposed to $2.1 million—it is more permanent, as this new deal guarantees the district money for another ten years. According to White, this agreement involves, “very appropriate levels of funding.”

Another source of revenue was the Castro Redevelopment Agency (RDA), which was created to divert property tax revenue to help revitalize downtown Mountain View. However, unlike the Shoreline JPA, which has no expiration date, the Castro RDA ended in 2011.

According to the budget, “The dissolution process for the Mountain View Castro RDA is becoming financially stable; therefore, we are

District Expenditures

District Revenue

Total: $54.3 Million

Total: $55.2 Million

State 2%

Federal 2% Other Local 10%

Books & Supplies 4%

Services & Other 11%

Certificated Salaries 47%

Local Property Tax 10% 86%

Classified Salaries 16%

Benefits 22%

Services Restored by District Budget

Services Funded by the MVLA Foundation’s $1.3M Pledge

Instructional Materials $250,000 Computer Refreshment Program $100,000 Reserve for Economic Uncertainty $500,000

Science Equipment $150,000 | Extended Library Hours Reduced Class Sizes for Freshman English and Entry-Level Math Tutorial Center Coordinators $170,000

$60,000 $360,000

Rebecca Deshetler

incorporating $0.3 million as ongoing revenue.”

The combination of these monies, along with others, allowed the district to restore some of what they have had to cut over the last few years. However, many of the cuts stayed in place.

“We’ve kept...a lot of our cuts into place,” White said. “We did add back in this budget a num-

ber...of things...that we hadn’t had before, but we still only did it very conservatively.”

Nonetheless, the restored items included $250,000 for instructional materials and $100,000 for a computer refreshment program.

The district’s reserve for economic uncertainty was also raised from 4 percent to 5 percent, which, according to White, cost the district

approximately $500,000.

“The General Fund balance shows an increase to 5 percent in the reserves for economic uncertainty which was the level we maintained prior to our 2009-2010 budget reductions,” the budget stated.

In addition to the items the district was able to add back, the MVLA High School Foundation

has pledged $1.3 million to the district, which will allow the school to continue funding a number of programs. According to the MVLA High School Foundation’s website ,these include $150,000 for science equipment, $360,00 for “reduced class sizes for freshman English and entry-level math,” $170,000 for the Tutorial Centers’ coordinators and $60,000 for extended library hours.

Final contract reached with district teachers’ union steven cui

Copy/Content Editor

Last spring, the District Teachers’ Association (DTA) and the MVLA District came to an agreement over the changes being made to the DTA union contract. The agreement was originally planned for June 2012, which is when the old contract expired. However, difficulties in reaching an agreement prompted both parties to halt negotiations for a time in order

to take into account the financial situation of the district.

“We talked, we negotiated for almost two years without getting an agreement,” Chairperson of the Board of Trustees Negotiating Team at the time Steve Hope said. “Once it became clear what the financial situation in the district was, what was going on with the state, we could come to a mutually acceptable agreement this last year.”

The negotiations maintained

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the district’s use of a negotiation method called interest-based bargaining. This form of negotiation involves both parties explicitly stating their interests and working together to find solutions and options that would best address these interests.

“So you get all these options and hopefully...[satisfy] both parties’ interests and it’s a good agreement solution,” Hope said. “It’s much more working together to arrive at something that meets everybody’s interests.”

Topics discussed at the negotiations included a pay raise for teachers, a change in health benefits for the 2014-2015 year in order to accommodate for the new Affordable Care Act and adjustments to the language of the contract in order to address problems with outdated laws and issues. In addition, a reduction in the amount of options teachers have for their district retirement plans has been implemented, as there are now only two retirement plans in comparison to the previous few. Teacher workload is also a topic that was discussed during these negotiations. A joint study committee consisting of five members from each party was formed to analyze changes to teacher workload.

“The major changes that I recall was that there was a raise for the teachers, a change in the retirement

plan, a change in health benefits, not for 2013-2014 but for 2014-2015,” Hope said. “There was cleanup of some language...Some things were outdated, and because it was three years old, laws changed, and so we had to update the contract.”

A major step in maintaining the good relationship between the DTA and the school board was made in the form of the pay raise. The district increased the teachers’ pay by 4.3 percent, 1.3 percent of which is designated for increased health benefits premiums, to be paid by the district. Hope believes that it is a valid solution to years of negotiation without result on compensation.

“The teachers have not had a pay raise since 2009-2010, and in the contract there was lots of discussion about compensation and health care and we negotiated for a year or two and couldn’t come to any agreement. Last spring, we finally were able to come to an agreement without disrupting the good relationship between the teachers and the school board,” Hope said.

“That’s what I was most happy about: that we could come to an agreement that was acceptable to everybody that didn’t disrupt the positive relations that we had between the school board.”

Due to the murky financial state the district was in resulting from new laws and changes to government spending on education, a solution had not been clear before

now. Even now, when the financial situation of the district has cleared up, there was difficulty in negotiating the topic.

“There was a lot of uncertainty up until last year about funding that would allow the school board to feel comfortable about making decisions about compensation,” Hope said. “That and healthcare were probably the two most difficult topics to talk about.”

In the upcoming negotiations between the DTA and the school board, health care will be a critical point being discussed. With the implementation of the new Affordable Care Act, the district is going to have to review its new contract and make further changes to accommodate the demands of the law. In fact, a joint study committee has been planned and is scheduled to give recommendations to the negotiating teams no later than January 15, 2014.

“One thing that will be a focus for this coming school year will be what changes are going to be required in our health insurance because of the health care law taking effect,” Hope said. “And that’s going to be a big topic of discussion, figuring out what’s the impact, what does it mean for us as a district and what does it mean for the employees.”

At press time, members of the DTA were not available for comment.

The Talon August 19, 2013

Year-long construction project finishes on time Continued from the front page

photos by rebecca deshetler

Above: A view from between the two buildings of the new 900 wing. Top right: Room 911 is slated to serve as a foreign language classroom. Bottom right: The outside of the building as seen from the weight room on August 14 as the building neared completion by construction crews. as expected.

“There [were] actually three [final steps in construction],” White said.

“Cleaning the buildings, moving in the new furniture and a completion of a construction punch list.

The punch list is prepared to identify construction related items (i.e. spot painting, construction imperfections, etc.).”

With construction finally complete, the back of the school will be navigable once again, and classrooms less densely packed.

To see more photographs of the new construction visit lahstalon.org

Map of the New 900 Wing 913 An

914 Lee

915

Undecided

RESTROOMS

“[The buildings] all have teacher learning walls that have sliding whiteboards with loads of storage space behind the walls,” White said.

“The rooms all have the latest projection systems. The buildings are... spacious... [and] green.”

Plans as to how the new classrooms will be used have not been changed by the administration since construction began last year; the school will still be using 9 of the 12 new classrooms to house all of the world language classes. Two classrooms will be devoted to art and one will serve as a computer lab.

The transfer of the art rooms from the 700 building to the new 900 building means that the 700 building’s classrooms are now exclusively math and science.

The last steps of the construction process were completed on schedule,

Hughes

911

Salsman De Rodriguex

Tsai

924

925

Luskin

Barquissau

UPPER LEVEL 920

Murillo/ Karow

GROUND LEVEL 910

923

921 Allen

922

Hanley

TO SOCCER FIELD & TENNIS COURTS

912

Greksouk

TO FOOTBALL FIELD WEIGHT ROOM

TO QUAD

LARGE GYM information accurate at time of publication Rebecca Deshetler

n e w s br i E F s Ribbon cutting for new buildings

Both Los Altos High School and Mountain View High School have added 12 new LEED certified classrooms to each of their campuses which are scheduled to be ready in-time for the first day of school.

A dedication ceremony for the new buildings occurred on August 14 at Los Altos High School and Mountain View High School

New classes added

The MVLA district added new courses to its curriculum at each of its two high schools. New classes at Los Altos High School include: Multivariate Analysis Honors, AP Psychology, Mandarin IV, Statistics, Advanced French, Introduction to Computer Programming, Health Sciences II and Introduction to Biotechnology.

New courses available at Mountain View High School include: AP Environmental Science, AP Psychology, Introduction to Computer Programming, Robotics and Mandarin IV.

Adding and dropping AP/honors classes

The school will continue its policy of having students wait one week prior to adding/dropping AP

or honors classes. This policy was instituted last year, whereas previously students would have to wait for two weeks before being able to consider dropping or adding AP or honors classes.

This policy was added due to increased registration for AP/honors classes by a growing pool of students and to accommodate the many schedule changes that otherwise would have been difficult to conduct.

Students will still have six weeks to add or drop any class prior to it appearing as either a “WP” or a “WF” (withdraw pass/fail) on their official transcript.

Homecoming week to come earlier this year

Homecoming is right around the corner once again. This year, it will be held on September 21, making it an early celebration. Like last year, the football game will be held Friday night, September 20, at Foothill College. There, the king and queen will be crowned after a week of homecoming activities.

The dance itself will be held that Saturday night.

This year’s theme is “bedtime stories.” This includes anything from nursery rhymes to fairy tales and dragons. Clubs will still be decorating halls based on this

theme and class floats will be built for the parade on Friday that will commence after a minimum day.

The t-shirt design for this years “bedtime stories” has not yet been decided. Anyone interested is asked to submit their design ideas to Assistant Principal Cristy Dawson. If your design is chosen, you will win a gift certificate and the design will be used on homecoming shirts.

Movie night held by Class Council

On Friday, September 6, at 7:30 p.m., the school will hold a movie night. Located on the baseball field, the movie, “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off,” will be playing for the entire student body. Tickets will be sold for 10 dollars, including not only the movie itself, but also a barbeque dinner. In addition to this, popcorn and candy will be sold. All profits made will be split among the four classes to put towards senior activities. Unlike dances, this movie night will be casual, allowing even those with overdue books to attend.

“We’re hoping for a good turnout,” ASB President Ramiel Petros said.

—Compiled by Shiktij Dave and Carly Cohen

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The Talon August 19, 2013

Send letters to the editor to lahstalon@gmail.com Los Altos High School

School must improve support for upperclassmen English Language Learners At the end of the last school year, the state announced that the school wasn’t meeting requirements for supporting English Language Learners (ELL) students. The school’s solution to the state’s concern, while sufficient for freshmen, isn’t comprehensive enough yet to truly support sophomores, juniors and seniors.

For the past few years, the ELL program at Los Altos has been phased out and students have been moved to Mountain View High School (MVHS). There are multiple reasons why the district chose to do this. Among them: the fact that it is cheaper to host one large program than two smaller ones and that a greater variety of classes can be offered when there are more students in one place.

Theoretically, this solution has merit; however, practically, this solution has done more harm than good. The biggest among them being that many students have chosen not to move, and the school can’t make them. Many students live farther from MVHS and lack the transportation to get there, and many have older siblings who went to Los Altos and choose to stay at the school their family is familiar with.

These students can’t be forced to move and the district is required to offer them support at whichever school they choose to attend. For the past few years, the school has offered these students support classes, namely skills classes, which, while not ELL classes, provide them more individualized help than they would receive in mainstream classes.

However, when the school reported this to the state, they labeled these classes as being “other services” which led the state to believe that the school isn’t providing proper support for ELL students.

The school’s solution has been to label these skills classes, which are double periods of English, math and science, as being Specially Designed Academic Instruction in English (SDAIE), a designation the state recognizes. All teachers have their Crosscultural Language and Academic Development (CLAD) Certificates, meaning that they are trained in SDAIE strategies.

Other students in skills classes who aren’t ELL will simply have the class designated as a skills class. Essentially, while both groups will be sharing a class, the class will have

201 Almond Ave., Los Altos, CA August 19, 2013 Volume XXIX, Issue 0 Editor-In-Chief Zoe Morgan Managing Editors Rebecca DeShetler (Print) Jared Eng (Print) Dhruv Madhok (Web) News Editor Tony Sun Opinions Editor Shiktij Dave 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 Business Managers Unknown Social Media Manager Emily Sims Senior Writers Robert Chin, Alex Cortinas, Cassidy Craford, Chase Eller, Sam Lisbonne, Joey Malgesini, John Naumovski, Jordan Stout

different titles for each.

While this may initially seem as though it is simply a way to evade the state requirements by changing the name but not making any substantive content changes, the fact that SDAIE strategies were already being taken into account for skills classes makes this decision more reasonable. All the teachers are CLAD certified, and according to Principal Wynne Satterwhite, about 80 percent of the material in skills classes was based on SDAIE strategies.

Essentially, the school already had a support structure in place and is now labeling it in a way that the state will approve of. While this isn’t a full ELL program, it is a fairly good way of meeting the needs of these students. According to Assistant Principal Perla Pasallo, most of the ELL students at the school already speak the language at a high level, but don’t have academic reading and writing skills. For this reason, skills classes do make sense as a solution. The students are able to have double periods of classes they need help in, allowing them to have more individualized attention to learn the academic skills they lack.

However, not all ELL students are able to take these skills classes.

Currently, the school plans to offer them in English and social studies to freshmen and in English to sophomores. All students will be able to take math support classes through Algebra II. However, juniors and

Staff Writers Noy Anisman, Alex Barreira, 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, Naomi Palmer

seniors are offered no other skills classes, though they are able to enroll in a class which is mixed grade and where they can ask questions.

One period of mixed grade, mixed subject support simply isn’t adequate. Just because these students are older, doesn’t mean they don’t need help. They are still designated as ELL students, meaning they haven’t been able to test out of the ELL program. Pasallo says that the district was trying to test students out over the summer and hoped that all of the juniors and seniors would succeed, eliminating the need for skills classes for upperclassmen. As of press time, the number of students who were able to test out was not available.

However, if some students don’t succeed in testing out, which is a possibility given that they have had this designation for years, more support is necessary. Some may argue that by junior or senior year in high school students need to begin

transitioning to having less constant support, but this doesn’t make sense. To the extent that they are still designated ELL, this means that they do still need extra attention.

Just because a student isn’t improving at the fastest rate, doesn’t mean the school should stop supporting them entirely, rather, it means that if anything, they should be provided more and better support.

It is the school’s responsibility to consolidate and agree on its priorities. The school should focus more on providing a rich and full education for all at-risk students, not just those who are underclassmen.

ELL students represent one of the most at-risk populations and should be a priority for the school. These are the students who need help the most and who have the most to lose if they don’t recieve it.

While the school has made significant efforts to support students who choose to stay, these efforts need to be expanded to cover all grades.

THUMBS UP to the district for finishing the new buildings Thumbs up to the constuction of the new 900 wing being done on time. The building offers a remedy for the continuous influx of new students. Additionally, the buildings are spacious and built to be green. Not only this, but the the district also met their budget meaning they stayed well within the money allocated by the Measure A bond. The new buildings also create the opportunity for the institution of new classes, like Intro to BioTechnology.

THUMBS UP to the MVLA Foundation for pledging $1.3 million Thumbs up to the MVLA High School Foundation for pledging $1.3 million to the district. This money will help to fund crucial services. It will be giving $170,000 for tutorial center coordinators, $60,000 for extended library hours, $250,000 for instructional materials, $100,000 for a computer refreshment program and $360,000 for reduced class sizes for freshman English and entry-level math. This money is very important because students use many of these programs on a daily basis.

Graphic Artists Noy Anisman, 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 Rebecca DeShetler, Jared Eng, Tony Sun, Shiktij Dave, Casey Pao, Carly Cohen, Zach Cohen and David Wu.

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The Talon August 19, 2013

See more opinions articles at lahstalon.org/opinions

Are summer classes worth the time?

It’s a sight commonly associated with the beginning of a new school year: a line wrapped around the counselors’ offices, with weary students and even wearier administrators shuffling through the masses trying to keep order. It seems to be the question on everyone’s lips, especially around this time of year; “What did you do over the summer, and was it academically worth it?” While many may see taking classes over the summer as a valid use of time, there are many important factors to keep in mind before deciding to do them.

carly cohen In-Depth Editor

Expanded Learning

Summer courses give students an opportunity to get ahead and stay academically productive throughout the entire year. For those interested in taking higher level classes, the summer offers a quick escape from the required basics. Particularly for underclassmen who are offered lower numbers of AP and honors classes, summer school is the perfect way to take classes such as AP Biology earlier in their high school careers either via community college or through online providers.

Staying ahead of the curve and continuing to be academically productive throughout the school year is beneficial.

In addition to this, summer courses allow students to avoid spending entire years or semesters in classes or with teachers they do not enjoy.

For example, many students discover their freshman year that they want to opt for higher-level science classes sooner. Thus, they take basic

Parmis Taidy

chemistry over the summer so that they are able to enter into their sophomore years in AP Biology or AP Chemistry. These summer courses allow students to challenge themselves in classes that they find interesting and avoid the pain of having to deal with classes they don’t enjoy.

No matter what angle you take when you look at summer courses, they comprise a large part of student activity over break and their practicality definitely merits a serious discussion.

tony sun News Editor

Pursue Other Interests

Classes taken over the summer are simply not a suitable substitute for their full-year counterparts. These crash course classes are compressed to fit an entire academic year’s curriculum into

a two-and-a-half month time frame. Summer classes spend significantly less time on all topics, sometimes choosing to completely ignore “less important” topics to accelerate the pacing. For example, underclassmen who choose to take classes such as Chemistry over the summer in order to “get ahead in academics” may actually be putting themselves at a disadvantage. While they may be able to squeeze themselves into an AP science class, their shaky foundation in the field will leave them at a disadvantage in the AP classes.

While some may argue that taking classes for the “sake of knowledge”, or just to fill the time are valid, it’s important to remember that time spent on classes could easily be spent elsewhere. Students who choose to take academic courses over the summer lose out on valuable time to pursue other extracurriculars and hobbies. Over the course of a normal school year, many activities that define us must compete with our academic work; it would seem counterintuitive to spend our longest break doing the same things we do during the school year. For example, it would be harder to work extensively in the science field doing field research or volunteer at a hospital when one is

so bogged down with the coursework that must be crammed into the small two month window.

While it may seem logical to take a plethora of courses in areas that interest you, there are certainly other ways to express that interest. Since the competition to enter a highly-selective college seems so fierce, it might actually be better to spend your summer immersing yourself with experiences as opposed to more curriculum. What students do over the summer tends to be a better indicator of their true passions, and while taking more classes might show dedication to academia and a particular field, it also might indicate to an admissions officer that the student is focused solely on studying itself, with no other hobbies to pursue.

Spending time over the summer engaging in hands on research, making music videos or writing books are among a few of the many reasonable methods to show dedicated interest in a field. There doesn’t have to be a textbook and a teacher for you to get “credit” for your interest; it just takes some patience and ingenuity.

NSA must make surveillance programs public is being handled appropriately?

On June 5, The Guardian, a British newspaper, published an excluSarah Jacobs sive article based on a leak by EdGuest Writer ward Snowden and a secret court order that required Verizon to give the government the phone records For all I know, the government of their American customers. On has already read this article. Af- June 6, The Guardian broke a second ter all, this article has been stored story that revealed the existence of on Google Drive, a subsidiary of PRISM, which NSA documents say Google, which is one of the internet gave the government access to data giants affected by the NSA program from major tech companies includPRISM. The government could also ing Google and Facebook.

Edward Snowden, the 29-yeartrack my phone calls — not necessarily the contents of them — but old government contractor who they can log the time, location and leaked the information about the NSA, was both hailed as a hero duration of the calls.

This summer, the extent to which and demonized as a traitor. But whether his actions were moral, personal privacy treasonous or has been comproheroic is not as mised in the name important as of national secuNational security what he revealed rity was exposed. is something all to the nation.

While many have Americans value.

I can tell you found the privacy with almost comGovernment prolaws invasive to plete certainty the point of being grams should not that the NSA does disturbing, the have extensive not care about most distressing access to personal this article —they part of the scancare about what dal was the lack of information if they happened on a awareness of the are neither acTuesday mornprograms themcountable nor open ing nearly twelve selves, by memwith their policy. years ago. 9/11 bers of the govprompted a masernment and the sive evaluation American people.

If government programs are so se- of United States national security cretive to the point that even mem- and intelligence programs and the bers of the Senate are not aware of passing of arguably the most invathem, how are citizens supposed sive piece of legislation ever created: to know that the goals of the pro- the Patriot Act (the Uniting (and) grams are being reached and that Strengthening America (by) Providthe private information discovered ing Appropriate Tools Required (to)

Intercept (and) Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001). The Patriot Act was the genesis of increased surveillance in the nation, all in the name of protecting the nation from terrorism.

These NSA programs stemmed from the Patriot Act and the need for national security. As stated by a White House spokesperson, these programs are “a critical tool in protecting the nation from terrorist threats to the United States.” According to the director of the NSA, information discovered through phone records already stopped a terrorist attack aimed at the New York Stock Exchange.

Opponents of PRISM and similar programs are obviously not in favor of terrorism. They are concerned that the government is unduly interfering with people’s privacy. In response to a statement by the NSA Director Keith Alexander, Senators Udall and Wyden released a joint statement, writing “Gen Alexander’s testimony yesterday suggested that the NSA’s bulk phone records collection program helped thwart ‘dozens’ of terrorist attacks, but all of the plots that he mentioned appear to have been identified using other collection methods.”

It is still unclear as to whether the NSA’s invasion of privacy has actually thwarted terrorism in the United States. Much of the information is still classified and what is available is convoluted at best, as seen in exchange between Alexander, Udall and Wyden. However, the main question after the exposé is not even if the United States will continue its extensive surveillance—spying and data

Parmis Taidy

gathering has always been a role of the government. What caught the nation and world off guard was that no one was aware of the programs and that no one was held accountable.

One week following the statement, Alexander said that the PRISM surveillance program had contributed in preventing over 90 percent of 50 potential terrorist attacks between 2001 and 2013. The government should not have to restrict its surveillance programs if they are actually contributing to the protection of our country.

National security is something all Americans value. Small government programs should not have extensive access to personal information if they are neither accountable nor open with their policy.

Without Edward Snowden committing multiple felonies and becoming a fugitive, the nation would still be unaware of the programs, which could have been further expanded in the future, as they have been in the past. However, if the public is aware of such programs, lawmakers and government officials alike are forced to be accountable for their actions, ensuring that there is a balance between protecting our country and protecting the rights of its citizens. That balance is what defines our country and keeps the government in check. I don’t really care if the NSA reads this article, so long as they are actively protecting the nation in their massive scans. But I want to know that they can.

6

in-de

The Talon August 19, 2013

People in Rengstorff park: “What’s your story?”

By Maya Acharya | Alex Cortinas | Yuki Zaninovich

We started with a simple question: “What’s your story?” In a community as diverse as the Bay Area, the answers are endless, and yet so many stories are left untold. This time, we took this question, “What’s your story?” to Rengstorff Park and did nothing but listen.

Below are some of the stories we heard.

Dana

“The cost of living here is ridiculous,” Dana proclaims, relaxing beside her two dogs, Stardust and Charlie (a.k.a. Chili Weenie), as she surveys the park from a bench. The cost of living around here is drastically higher than of many parts of the country, particularly in Dana’s hometown of Princeton, Illinois, where her childhood home is on the market for $55,000.

“I was so tempted to buy it and run out of this area,” Dana said. “You have no idea.”

What initially brought Dana to Mountain View was her mother’s request for her daughter to live with her. Dana agreed and has been living here and working for the Veterans Affairs (VA) hospital for the past 35 years. She currently works as an assistant for the Psychology Training Program.

Dana acquired the job with ease, having served in the United States Air Force for four years. Her decision to enlist in the military was influenced by student debt that she had accumulated in the process of obtaining her degree in elementary education from Illinois State University. During her service, Dana was stationed in Texas, Mississippi, Alaska and Florida. Afterwards, she had a brief teaching stint in Texas before moving to California. Unfortunately, her credential to teach was no longer valid upon moving and she would have needed an additional year of college to be certified. Dana opted to take a job with the VA Hospital instead.

While living in the area, Dana met her husband, Dan. After some convincing by a friend who made no bones about looking for a man, Dana went out dancing at a now defunct club in Sunnyvale.

“I’m standing there and all of a sudden this guy comes up and asks me to dance,” Dana said. “I couldn’t even get the words out of my mouth before [my friend] said yes. I looked at her, I looked at him and he was still looking at me. So then I said yes.”

After dancing, the two began to talk for hours and discovered how much they had in common, such as serving in the Air Force and having the same methods for folding underwear. A month after their first meeting, Dan presented Dana with a friendship ring and soon after, he proposed. Ten months after they met, they married. This November they will celebrate 23 years of marriage.

Dan had two sons from a previous relationship, and he and Dana also had a son together. A large part of Dana’s incentive to remain in the area rather than retiring to Illinois is her children and her imminent grandchildren, as her eldest son intends on adopting two sons with his husband.

Dana

Enreque

Enreque

For someone who claims to speak broken English, Enreque Guerrero did not allow language to slow him down as he told his story. But more importantly, he did not allow language to get in the way when he moved from Mexico to California at the age of 35.

Such a substantial change in environment causes an obvious culture shock; however, the difference Enreque remembers most vividly is the contrast in transportation systems between the two countries. As he first described this, it seemed odd that transportation could have such an impact on someone. He said that, in Mexico, the buses do not come to a complete stop, whereas in California, they wait for elderly people and take their time while boarding passengers. This seems like a simple change, but upon listening more intently, his description of transportation changed into a much larger part of why this country is so special to him: the friendliness of those around him.

As someone trying to learn the customs of this area, Enreque was amazed by how helpful his co-workers were. As a former Los Altos High School parent, Enreque spoke of how the school is similar to his work-place and his use of transportation in that it is surrounded by friendly and helpful hands. He and his small dog enjoy the welcoming and relaxing aura of the park often, as he now feels like a part of his community.

epth

The Talon August 19, 2013

7

Kristine

Angela Umberto

Angela

For most individuals, there is a certain atmosphere that they prefer to live in. Some like rural communities while others like to be surrounded by skyscrapers; some demand to live in the best mansion while others don’t mind sharing an apartment room. But for Angela Vidergar, all she needs is one big family to make it through her everyday life.

Angela was born in Colombia and grew up there until she moved to Fort Worth, Texas when she was 6. One of the things Angela enjoyed the most as a child was spending time with her family in Texas. Her family was quite large, as both her immediate and extended family members decided to tag along when she moved to the United States. Most of them lived within a few blocks of her house, allowing her to see them on a daily basis. Angela’s fondest memories with her family mostly come from doing outdoor activities together, such as camping and water skiing.

“I’m an only child but I feel like I grew up with a lot of siblings because I had so many cousins nearby,” Angela said. “They’re just like your best friends. You go to each other’s birthday parties and graduations and you basically do everything together.”

But because she grew up with so many family members, it was especially hard for her to leave them and move to California. Even though she lived with her husband and son, Angela found it hard to get used to living without family around.

“It was such a big change to be here by ourselves,” Angela said. “Becoming independent for the first time in my life was neat at first but it’s so hard to not have their support.”

However, Angela believes that outdoor parks such as Rengstorff Park are her perfect remedy. One of the things she misses most about Texas is all the open space. To compensate for this, she comes to Rengstorff Park regularly to unwind from her crowded lifestyle in the Bay Area and breathe some fresh air.

“Taking walks at Rengstorff Park helps keep [my husband and me] happy and connected to the outdoors because we are so used to a spacious environment,” Angela said. “I’m glad our son enjoys it out here because we want him to have that same sense of openness.”

Angela hopes to get used to living in the Bay Area while raising her son and studying for her Ph.D. in Comparative Literature at Stanford.

The tattoo of flowers on Kristine Scott’s ankle represents not just a pretty picture, but instead a significant chapter of her life as she moved around the world serving in the United States Army.

After graduating high school Kristine enlisted into the United States Army in an effort to find some direction in her life as well as to use the G.I. Bill to her advantage and earn her degree. She served for three years as a missile crew member, but later transitioned to communications. While in Germany, she met her husband, Jason. After three years, Kristine’s service was completed but her husband’s was not. As a result, Kristine moved around frequently, living across the globe in Germany, Georgia and Texas before settling in Mountain View, where she has been living for the past six years. The flowers along her ankle represent something important to her: the places she has lived in, including Saudi Arabia, where she was stationed for six months.

For such an adventurous lifestyle in the military, Kristine’s childhood seems rather simple. Born and raised in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, she was raised primarily by her mother and paternal grandmother. A regular part of her weekly routine as a child was attending church.

“We weren’t very devout,” Kristine said. “We’re not very linked to our heritage or our culture. It’s more like this American culture. Part of my family is from Czechoslovakia but my great-grandparents would have been the ones with the culture to pass on and they were all gone by the time I was older. We were raised with American culture, whatever that is. I still struggle to figure that one out sometimes.”

Now, she has returned to this more relaxed lifestyle by working for an Asset Management Company in Palo Alto as an executive assistant. Her days in the army are over but forever stay with her on her ankle.

Umberto

Umberto’s love of computer science seems to fit perfectly into the Silicon Valley image. However, he did not always find programming to be the exciting challenge that he does now. Growing up in El Paso, Texas, Umberto’s passion had not yet formed. It wasn’t until he studied computer science in college that Umberto decided to move to the nation’s technological hub and pursue a career in the computer science field.

“I actually own my own business,” Umberto said. “It’s a startup, and I can’t tell you exactly what it is we’re doing yet. But it’s going to be cool.”

From the smile on Umberto’s face as he talks about his business, it’s easy to tell that he loves what he does. Umberto proves to be the quintessential Silicon Valley innovator, working with technology and loving every minute of it.

“Don’t work that hard in college,” Umberto said. “ Just find something you like doing and do that, always. That’s the only thing that’s worth doing.”

The Talon August 19, 2013

See more features articles at lahstalon.org/features

School welcomes new staff members CONTINUED FROM THE FRONT PAGE

She talked to a couple of teachers here and loved the way they spoke about their students and their job.

Carlson is excited to begin her first teaching career here at Los Altos High School.

Carson Rosenberg

Carson Rosenberg, Assistant Principal Galen Rosenberg’s daughter, will be teaching two Co n te m p o ra r y World Issues classes, two Civics classes and one Psychology class. Rosenberg is excited to a be a part of a campus that she feels is committed to creating a positive place for everyone.

Jeff Patrick

Jeff Patrick will be teaching AP Government/Politics, Economics and World History classes. Patrick worked at Willow Glen High School in San Jose before gaining employment at the school and is looking forward to making a shorter commute to work. He is ready for a great year.

Geometry 9 class and one Geometry Alternate Path class. Marshall moved up from San Diego in January and filled in for math teacher Susan Friedeberg last semester. She loved working at the school as a longtime sub, so when she learned of the opening for year-long employment, she jumped at the opportunity. Marshall is looking forward to starting the year with her students rather than coming in halfway.

Lily Xu

Lily Xu will be teaching Algebra II and Statistics.

Xu taught at Woodside High School last year, and she came to Los Altos High School because of the stimulating and collaborative environment. She found that the school was special in its ability to have students, teachers and administrators come together to make the learning process more successful and meaningful. Xu is looking forward to meeting her students the most, this year.

ENGLISH Alise Miller

MATH Megan Marshall

Megan Marshall will be teaching three Algebra II classes, one

Alise Miller will be teaching Survey Comprehension and Literature classes and American Literature classes. Last year, Miller was able to sit in on a couple of classes

and talk to some students.

She was impressed with the school environment and the high achievements of the students. Miller previously taught at a school in Santa Cruz where she grew up and still lives.

Lizzie Tompkins

Lizzie Tompkins will be teaching World Lit Honors classes and Survey Skills for freshmen. She taught last at Hillsdale High School in San Mateo. Tompkins heard about the school from friends who spoke about it in high regards. She wants to work in a school environment where students are eager to learn and teachers are supportive. Tompkins also thinks the campus is beautiful and is looking forward to meeting and getting to know her students.

CUSTODIAL Joey Fuentes

Joey Fuentes will be joining the custodial staff this year. Fuentes saw online that the school was hiring and decided to apply. He previously worked for a private school.

Fuentes is looking forward to making an improvement on campus.

SPECIAL ED Jim Neredostek

Jim Neredostek will be teaching Special Education next year.

Neredostek has been working for the school district for six to seven years and has decided to work at the school because of its solid infrastructure in Special Education. Neredostek hopes to make a welcome community in his class where students will feel comfortable asking for help.

Neredostek will be looking forward to “being part of a fantastic, dynamic teaching team.”

P.E. Rick Esparza

Rick Esparza will be teaching P.E. next year.

Esparza has worked before with Mountain View High School’s special education department. He is looking forward to helping students understand the importance of fitness as it pertains to improving lifestyles and longevity.

At the time of publication Nicole Tsai, Mandarin teacher, and Tomas Lopez-Ibarra, ROP/ Masonry teacher, were not available to speak with The Talon.

Senior establishes BioInnovate interview series ZACH COHEN

Entertainment Editor

Senior Katherine Liu has been working to make the field of biotechnology and synthetic biology more accessible for students.

For many students, it’s hard to find time in busy schedules and packed agendas for a quiet moment to update themselves on new developments in science.

“I started a project back in spring called BioInnovate — it’s essentially an interview series with some of the leaders in the field of biotechnology,” Katherine said. “I’ve talked with founders and CEO’s of different biotech businesses, as well as other [high school and university] students who are doing really great things in areas like synthetic biology and bioengineering.”

Katherine recently started a Tumblr blog for BioInnovate, at bioinnovate.tumblr.com, where she has posted all of her interviews so far.

Katherine found that taking information from its primary source and publishing it in an open medium is an easy way to bring scientific developments into the hands of students.

She launched this project because of her own passion concerning synthetic biology

Senior Katherine Liu makes learning about biotechnology easier by compiling all of her interviews with leaders in the industry on a Tumblr page. She hopes to help students understand this industry. and biotechnology. Synthetic biology involves the creation of makeshift organs and biotic systems using inorganic compounds, and creates a bridge between inorganic chemistry and biotechnology.

Biotechnology concerns the employment of functional assays and machines in the field of biology, such as disease tests and vi-

sual diagnostics (fMRI, CT scan, X-ray imaging, etc.).

“Science has always been my passion — but it wasn’t until recently that I heard about synthetic biology and its applications,” Katherine said. “Synthetic biology overlaps with fields like bioengineering, and it’s a big part of biotechnology.”

As for the future of BioInnovate,

Katherine has her hopes high.

“BioInnovate could have a huge impact,” Katherine said.

“Some of the interviewees are pretty well known in their field, but BioInnovate makes it possible for all of this advice to be found in a single place, in a way that provides the most value to students who are trying to learn more.”

Senior interns with Jimmy Choo ALEX CORTINAS Senior Writer

Senior Hannah Snee rolled work, experience and travel into one this summer as she interned for Jimmy Choo, a British fashion house known for its handmade women’s shoes. Hannah stayed in London for a little over two weeks, where she worked in the merchandising department.

She came across this opportunity after speaking with her family friend, Michelle Ryan, Jimmy Choo’s London-based vice president of commercial development. After an informal interview, she was offered the internship.

“It came up that I had an interest in fashion and in where she was working,” Hannah said. “She offered me this amazing internship for the summer.”

Her responsibilities consisted of unpacking shipments containing new designs for the spring and summer 2014 seasons as well as preparing them for display in a showroom.

Unpacking the shipments became a highlight of the trip because the merchandising department is first to see the new designs.

“One thing that happened was that, last minute, a particular shoe was canceled from the final collection,” Hannah said. “No matter how perfect the design was, the shoe couldn’t be presented because the sample was made wrong.”

Hannah was also exposed to the business side by sitting in during meetings and observing how they make decisions as a team.

“I got to see how they priced things and decided what should stay in the collection.” Hannah said.

From start to finish, Hannah took part in seeing how a product began in the minds of a designer to finally ending up in showrooms and stores around the world.

“It was really cool to learn more about...how things go from the start of being designed to the production of things to the designers and the CEO and all of the heads of the different departments working to figure what the final product is going to be,” Hannah said. “I felt lucky to be in that environment.”

But that didn’t mean that there weren’t difficult moments. Besides dealing with fellow interns who weren’t always cooperative, Hannah realized the job “wasn’t as glamorous as people might think it is,” as she continually packed, unpacked and broke apart boxes.

However, Hannah did develop a stronger sense of self-assurance through her internship.

“The things I learned from this internship have made me more confident in applying for jobs in the future,” Hannah said. “I learned to hold my own and not take criticism too personally, because there were definitely some ‘Devil Wears Prada’ moments.”

While the overall experience was positive and educational, Hannah remains unsure about what she wants her future career to be.

However, Ryan invited Hannah back to intern next summer, an offer Hannah gladly accepted.

“I definitely look forward to going back,” Hannah said.

The Talon August 19, 2013

See more entertainment articles at lahstalon.org/entertainment

Indie-rock group Bastille impresses casey pao

Features Editor

The name “Bastille” no longer just refers to the storming of the armament in Paris on July 14, 1789.Rather, it’s also the name of a London-based quartet formed in 2010. Created by lead singer Dan Smith (whose birthday coincides with Bastille Day), Bastille has been putting out alternative rock and indie music for the public to enjoy, from popular singles like “Pompeii” to more under-the-radar tunes like “Things We Lost in the Fire.”

Although Bastille originally started out as a solo project

by Smith, it expanded into a band of four when members Chris Wood, Will Farquarson and Kyle Simmons joined in. The band released singles such as “Flaws” and “Icarus” under the independent label Young and Lost Club in June 2010, as well as an Extended Play “Laura Palmer” in 2011. With internet exposure and extensive touring in major UK festivals such

as the Glastonbury Festival, Bastille was noticed and then signed

by Virgin Records in late 2011.

Bastille is currently gaining traction in the music world, as a few of their singles ranked on music charts around the world. “Pompeii” in particular came in first in Ireland and Scotland and second on UK charts; it also ranked in top 20 positions on three different US charts and top 25 positions on weekly charts in 16 other countries. Including “Pompeii,” the band released a total of six singles throughout the year, finally releasing a debut album titled “Bad Blood” in March 2013.

From catchy tunes and foottapping beats to slower, melodic instrumental backings, Bastille plays music that appeals to many tastes. There are songs that are meant to be blasted at full volume in the car, coasting down streets with best friends: “Icarus” or the popular “Pompeii.” But

WIKIMEDIA USER CECIL

The British band Bastille plays at Provinssirock 2013 in Finland on June 14. The indie-rock band has recorded singles that are ranked on music charts all over the world. then there are smoother and more soothing kinds of tunes, for those who like to take it slower: “Oblivion” or “Get Home.”

Want something in the middle?

Something with a nice beat but has some instrumentals like piano and strings to even it out or is just a calmer song to listen to in the early hours of the morning?

Check out “Daniel in the Den” or “Overjoyed.”

Another aspect worth mentioning is Smith’s vocals, the common aspect between all the songs.

They’re unique, low and almost slightly raspy, making you want to listen even more. He conveys sad and meaningful lyrics with emotion in contrast to the upbeat and sing-along worthy tunes the band puts them to.

Akin to Imagine Dragons’ Dan Reynolds and The Neighbour-

hood’s Jesse Rutherford, Smith’s distinctive vocals are a definite selling point when it comes to Bastille’s repertoire of music. Combine that with a variety as good as OneRepublic’s, and it completes the whole package.

So bottom line, if you like bands like Imagine Dragons, The Neighbourhood and OneRepublic, give Bastille a chance and you may just like them.

Cream: Are the desserts worth the long lines?

photos by rebecca deshetler

Above: A long line stretches out in front of Cream as the famed snack shop attracts many dedicated customers. Below: A white chocolate macadamia nut cookie with rocky road ice cream. people, creating a line no matter what time of the day it is.

However, the wait is not as long Take one look at a line stretching around the block, and turn the as it seems. Once customers make other direction. That seems like a it into the store, the workers are natural instinct, but the new ar- friendly and efficient. The experirival of Cream to downtown Palo ence as a whole is vastly improved by the speed and Alto has persuadskill in which the ed many people to stand by just for a Cream offers a new sandwich creations are made. chance to try this and improved ice While the staff new sensation. cream sandwich makes the expeCream is an ice rience agreeable, cream sandwich with delightfully the sandwiches shop that allows warm cookies and themselves are buyers to mix and creamy ice cream. the stars of the match freshly show. The simmade cookies and ice creams. What seems like plicity of the sandwiches is shockan extraordinarily simple idea ing, yet that is why they are so pophas taken off in Berkeley, Walnut ular. The fact that the treat could Creek, Davis and now Palo Alto. It easily be made at home gives it a has attracted a constant stream of familiar touch, yet people are still

Carly cohen In-Depth Editor

pulled to Cream as it offers a new and improved ice cream sandwich with delightfully warm cookies and creamy ice cream.

Customers also enjoy Cream’s large menu and available variety. For instance, people are not only able to pick their ice cream flavors, but are also allowed to pick two different types of cookies, leaving creativity in the hands of the customer. While no one can say for certain that there is a ‘best’ combination, personal favorites are quickly formed.

For only $2.50 per sandwich, these desserts are not only tasty, but they are also more affordable than other recent popular desserts such as cupcakes and frozen yogurt. The price and quality of Cream makes it the next destination dessert place, so don’t be the one to miss out.

The Talon August 19, 2013

LAHS 101: Freshman Survival Guide Welcome to Los Altos High School, Class of 2017! In this guide, we’ll lay out for you tons of useful information about your new school, including a summary of the most active student organizations, a list of sports the school offers, the best places to eat lunch and advice about the most common freshman classes. By Rebecca DeShetler

» A Guide to Your Classes

English: Survey Comp-Lit

Freshman English classes are intended to introduce you to high school writing. Unlike in other grades, writers and readers of many skill levels are all in one class. In Survey, you’ll analyze works like “Of Mice and Men,” “To Kill a Mockingbird,” “Martian Chronicles” and “Romeo and Juliet,” as well as master persuasive essays, literary analysis papers and Socratic seminars (a style of group discussion).

History: World Studies

In this comprehensive history class, you learn about human civilization from the ancient Greek democracies and Roman Republics, through revolution, industrialization and imperialism, to World War I and II. The class certainly covers things that you’ve studied before, but it also helps put many events into historical perspective.

cinating science options: Forensics, AP Biology, AP Chemistry, Physics, AP Physics B and C, BioTech, AP Environmental Science and more.

Physical Education

In high school, P.E. means dressing out and playing sports. Yup—it’s the same as middle school. However, P.E. definitely starts to involve new activities. Freshman year, P.E. emphasizes individual and partner sports (not team sports), meaning using the weight room and playing pickleball, swimming, golf, dancing and more. P.E. is mandatory in ninth grade for everyone, but if you pass five of the six end-of-year fitness tests, you can opt out of sophomore P.E. by playing two seasons of sports or taking a year of jazz dance, cheer/rally or dance team. Keep in mind that sports played freshman year do not count toward P.E. credit.

Math: Varies

Freshman often come in with math skills that range widely because local middle schools teach math in varying orders. Many take Geometry, but there are a substantial amount of students in Alternative Pathways Geometry, Geometry Honors, Algebra, Algebra II and other math classes that the school offers. But whatever level you start at, to graduate you must take 20 credits of math (two years) which must include Algebra I. However, both the UC and CSU college systems require three and recommend four years, which must go up to at least Algebra II.

Science: Varies

Most freshmen take either Earth Science, Biology or Biology Honors. The majority of sophomores take either Chemistry or Chemistry Honors. After that, there are many fas-

»

Foreign Language

If you listened to your counselor, you hopefully are learning a foreign language this year. Maybe you even skipped the first level by taking two years of the language at your middle school. Even though learning a language is often frustrating (just wait for the subjunctive!), keep it up. The UC and CSU systems both require two years of the same foreign language, and the UCs prefer three years.

Fine Art

To graduate, you must take a year of fine art. Many people take Drawing I, Photo I or Painting. More advanced artists can also take Drawing II, Photo II, Digital Photo, AP Studio Art and Crafts/3D Design. You can also get the credits through music classes, like band and orchestra. Skilled players can audition for other groups, such as jazz band, wind ensemble and more.

»

Playing Sports

Whether you’ve been pitching baseballs since before you could walk or you want to start playing volleyball for the first time outside of P.E., there’s a team at Los Altos for you. While Los Altos does not have a shortage of dedicated athletes, there’s an unfortunate shortage of school support for our teams: if you go to a football game on a Friday night, you’re going to have a lot of space on the bleachers to yourself. However, some students have made efforts to change that and hopefully your class will, too.

■■ Tryouts for fall sports are coming up, so listen to the daily second period announcements for more information.

Fall Sports Cross Country FroshSoph (FS), JV & Varsity Field Hockey JV & V Football FS & V Girls Tennis JV & V Girls Volleyball JV & V Boys Water Polo FS & V Girls Water Polo JV & V Winter Sports Boys Basketball FS & V Girls Basketball JV & V Boys Soccer FS & V Girls Soccer JV & V Wrestling JV & V

talon file photo

Spring Sports Badminton JV & V Baseball FS & V Golf Gymnastics JV & V Boys Lacrosse V Softball JV & V Boys & Girls Swimming & Diving JV & V Boys Tennis FS & V Track & Field FS, JV, & V Boys Volleyball V year long Cheer Team Dance Team

Getting Involved

When it comes to lunch, you have a couple choices: bringing your lunch, buying it at one of the few on-campus locations or eating at one of the many options off-campus (we’ve narrowed them down to the best).

Baggin’ Lunch

If you think bag lunches are limited to PB&J and sliced apples, you are sorely mistaken. Try leftovers from family dinners in thermoses (fantastic during the winter at our outdoor school), snacks like pretzels, Goldfish, trail mix, your favorite yogurt or a delicious sandwich. Then laugh at your friends spending $5 on lunch every day.

(An alternative to this for the lucky few who live close enough is to walk home and get lunch there.)

Buyin’ Lunch

■■ Pizza cart ★★ This conveniently located cart serves snacks like trail mix, Gatorade and $2 pizza (which tastes just like you think it would).

■■ Cafeteria ★★ The options in the cafeteria are a safe bet, featuring curly fries, cinnamon rolls during brunch,

sandwiches and fruit as well as discounted meal plans for those who qualify.

■■ Taco truck ★★★★ Be prepared to walk to the very back of the school then fight your way to the front of the crowd to order if you’re craving a burrito, quesadilla or chicken-and-rice with Tapatío. However, it’s completely worth it: it’s the best (if not quite aligned with state nutritional guidelines) hot food just barely off campus.

Goin’ Out To Lunch

Walk or drive with an upperclassman to these six lunch locations: ■■ Posh Bagel ★★ / $3-6 ■■ Chipotle ★★★★★ / $7-9 ■■ Le Boulanger ★★★ / $8-10 ■■ Panera Bread ★★★★ / $8-10 ■■ The Italian Deli ★★★★ / $7-9 ■■ Spot A Pizza Place ★★★ / $5

» Academic Resources

■■ The Tutorial Center, which is next to the library, provides a place to get help with a subject or study alone.

Peer and adult volunteer tutors, computers, printers and reference materials are all available.

■■ AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) is a program that prepares students for success at fouryear universities. Its target students are “typically historically underserved students in four-year colleges (ethnic minority and/or low income and/or first generation college students and/

or special circumstances) who have academic potential for a four-year college, average to high standardized test scores, a 2.0 - 4.0 GPA, good citizenship and attendance, commit to two hours (or more) of daily homework/study and get involved in at least one co-curricular activity.”

» Other academic resources on campus include Homework Club, skills classes, other support classes, the College/Career Center, teachers and older students and more

At Los Altos, you will discover an incredible number of clubs and student organizations filled with people who share your interests. But be wary that many of the exciting clubs you’ll see at Club Day aren’t quite as active as they might seem: some well-meaning students create clubs that will only ever meet once or twice. Below, we’ve listed some of the most active and popular clubs on campus.

Lead

Student Leadership If you were a class representative or member of student government in your middle or elementary school, you’ll find ASB (Associated Student Body) and class council to be fantastic ways to continue pursuing those interests. ASB is a class that meets during sixth period, and up to three freshmen can join by applying during the first few weeks of school.

On the other hand, class council meetings are open to everyone on Tuesdays at lunch. Each class has a separate class council where they coordinate prom fundraising and other spirit efforts (like float building for Homecoming).

Volunteer

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Service & Advocacy Clubs For those who want to donate their time to others, there are many options. One Dollar for Life (ODFL) and Haiti Solidarity are two of the biggest aid-focused clubs. The Green Team is active in orchestrating efforts to make the school greener. Other volunteer-focused clubs include Key Club, Interact Club and YEAH! Club.

Join Together

Diversity Clubs The Latino Student Union (LSU) is famous for its incredibly choreographed Latin dances at the Diversity Assembly as well as extremely passionate members. The Black Student Union (BSU), the Asian Student Union (ASU), and Jew Crew are also big on campus. Plus, the Gay-Straight Alliance (GSA) is a wonderfully inclusive community for students of all sexual orientations as well as allies.

Get Creative

Art, Theatre & Publications Whether you find yourself drawn to writing, photography or drawing, you’ll find people on campus with similar interests. Art Club includes all kinds of artists, while Yearbook is great for photographers and designers. Fashionistas flock to FIDM and Debut Fashion Club.

Our theatre group, Broken Box, puts on several fantastic performances every year. LitMag is a great fit for those interested in poetry, prose and design. Writers, photographers and artists should join the newspaper The Talon — and I can tell you as a neutral third party that it’s the best group of people on campus.

Geek Out

STEM Groups The school puts a strong emphasis on science, technology, engineering and math (STEM), which is reflected in its student organizations. Robotics designs and builds robots that do specific tasks for competitions. They used to just be a club, but became a seventh period class last year. Ladies (and men) interested in STEM fields should look into WiSTEM (Women in STEM), which works to increase the presence of science on campus as well as the number of women in science. Finally, those with a penchant for numbers should join Math Club, which participates in math competitions and works on problems.

Learn

Pre-Professional Clubs If you can’t stop arguing—I mean having lively discussions—then Speech and Debate is perfect for you. Model UN caters to current events fanatics and diplomacy lovers, while Mock Trial combines public speaking and law. FBLA and DECA, although insistent that they are wildly different, are both focused on teaching students business skills.

PHOTOS BY REBECCA DESHETLER and from wikimedia and flickr users ToastyKen and JeffreyBeall

The Talon August 19, 2013

See more sports articles and daily updates at lahstalon.org/sports

Junior wins triple-crown at USA Badminton Junior Nationals Steven Cui

Copy/Content Editor

At the age of six, junior Timothy Lam began building the foundations for a badminton career. Now, 10 years after he began playing, Timothy has earned a spot among the United States’ best badminton players.

In the recent USA Junior Nationals Tournament, which was held in the Bay Area from July 3-7, Timothy won first place in all three of the disciplines of the U-17 division: boys singles, doubles and mixed doubles.

This is especially impressive, as the USA Junior Nationals is one of the most prestigious tournaments in the nation. With over 350 of the best under-19 shuttlers competing, the competition was fierce and requires a player’s complete focus.

Timothy’s accomplishments in badminton have called for a strict training regimen: he trains at least two hours a day three to five days a week at California Badminton Academy in Fremont.

Although he’s put in these hours of work, Timothy says that his success has been a collaborative effort. Only with the help of his boys doubles partner Justin Ma and his mixed doubles partner Angela Zhang, was Timothy able to win the triple-crown.

“I felt grateful to my team because I couldn’t have done it without them,” Timothy said.

Timothy’s path to success has not only called for the presence of peers, but mentors as well. He credits his coaches of almost two

Courtesy Synergy Badminton

Timothy Lam goes for a smash at a local tournament. He came out on top at USA Badminton Junior Nationals in July, winning all three U-17 titles. years, Raju Rai and Bob Malaythong, with his success. Both competed for the US in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

With the support of those around him, Timothy has been able to compete and excel internationally as well as locally. He has played in tournaments in Jamaica, Davis,

Canada, Seattle and Puerto Rico, including the recent 2013 Pan Ams held in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico in late July this, where Timothy placed third in U-17 mixed doubles.

“My greatest accomplishment in badminton would have to be meeting new people across the world and learning from them not only about badminton but life experiences as well,” Timothy said. “I felt that being around them built me up.”

Timothy’s success in badminton is not comprised solely of his victory at US junior nationals and Pan Ams. In fact, he recently defeated fellow junior Albert Li in the USA Badminton International Trials in early 2013 to claim the U-17 boys singles title. According to USA Badminton, as of the end of July 2013, he is ranked third in the nation in U-17 boys singles, fifth in the nation in U-17 boys doubles and 18th in the nation in U-17 mixed doubles. He has maintained his high position in the national ranking for some time, and was even ranked third, second and fourth in U-15 boys singles, boys doubles and mixed doubles respectively in 2011.

Timothy says the part of badminton he enjoys the most is the tension between rallies, and that it requires a lot of concentration and focus to be a good badminton player. However, he has expressed no interest in badminton as a career.

“After high school I’ll be focusing on school,” Timothy said. “I’ll definitely play for fun if I have the time.”

MLB announces suspensions for 14 players in Biogenesis scandal Shiktij Dave Opinions Editor

In a move that represented Major League Baseball’s firmest action against performance-enhancing drug (PED) users in the game, the MLB issued suspensions for 13 players, including three-time MVP Alex Rodriguez, for at least 50 games due to their connection with Biogenesis of America, a now-defunct anti-aging clinic in Miami that allegedly supplied the players with PEDs (specifically, human growth hormone).

“As a social institution with enormous social responsibilities, baseball must do everything it can to maintain integrity, fairness and a level playing field... performanceenhancing drugs will not be tolerated in our game,” MLB Commissioner Bud Selig said in an official statement.

MLB began its investigation of Biogenesis last summer and had over a dozen investigators involved by January of this year. Antho-

Suspended Players Player Alex Rodriguez

Team

NY Yankees Milwaukee Ryan Braun Brewers Texas Nelson Cruz Rangers San Diego Everth Cabrera Padres Jhonny Peralta Detroit Tigers Philadelphia Antonio Bastardo Phillies Francisco Cervelli NY Yankees Jordany Valdespin NY Mets Seattle Jesús Montero Mariners César Puello NY Mets Houston Sergio Escalona Astros Fernando Martínez NY Yankees Fautino de los Santos Free agent Jordan Norberto Free agent

# of games 211 65 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 50

ny Bosch, the founder of Biogenesis, reportedly established the existence of records that listed transactions, with accounts of drugs and dosages, some of which attached names of baseball players to them.

In March, MLB sued Biogenesis, Bosch and various associates for providing banned drugs to MLB players which amounted to a violation in their contracts. The MLB would have the ability to subpoena witnesses in its investigation through a lawsuit. Bosch, however, agreed to cooperate with the MLB’s investigation in exchange for his removal from the lawsuit and assistance from the MLB with his legal bills.

Most of the suspended players traded their union-appointed rights to appeal for a smaller suspension as the suspensions were based on “non-analytic” findings, seeing as none of the players had tested positive for PEDs but, rather, were tied to the substances via other evidence.

Flickr User Keith Allison Three other players who appeared in the comIf upheld, New York Yankee third baseman pany’s records — Toronto’s Melky Cabrera, Oak- Alex Rodriguez’s 211-game suspension land’s Bartolo Colon and San Diego’s Yasmani will represent the longest non-lifetime ban Grandal — have already served suspensions af- in baseball history. ter they tested positive for PEDs last year.

Some of the more notable names on the was lighter than the reported speculation list include New York Yankees third baseman that MLB commissioner Bud Selig sought Alex Rodriguez, Milwaukee Brewers out- a lifetime ban. However, he will appeal and, thus, continue to play for fielder Ryan Braun, and 2013 the New York Yankees until All-Stars Texas Rangers outan independent arbitrator fielder Nelson Cruz, San DiBaseball must do hears his case which will ego Padres shortstop Everth everything it can likely occur within the next Cabrera and Detroit Tigers to maintain integtwo to three weeks. shortstop Jhonny Peralta.

The MLB will continue Some of the players exrity, fairness and a to crack down vigorously pressed regret over the level playing field... on PED abusers. way that they handled performance-en“Those players who have their use of PEDs. violated the program have “I should have handled the hancing drugs will created scrutiny for the situation differently, and my not be tolerated. vast majority of our playillness was no excuse,” Cruz — MLB Comissioner Bud Selig ers, who play the game the said in a statement, speaking right way,” Selig said. “We of a gastrointestinal infection that he sustained over a period of three months continue to attack this issue on every front — from science and research, to education from November 2011 to January 2012.

MLB suspended Rodriguez through the and awareness, to fact-finding and investi2014 season, for a duration of 211 games which gative skills.”

sports briEFs Girls water polo enters fall season with high hopes

This year three strong incoming seniors are returning to girls water polo: Casey Vanneman, Kimberly Tilley and Jenna Gavenman, as well as powerful goalie junior Romy Aboudarham. Romy was the league goalie of the year last year and is expected to be a vital part of the team this year, while Casey is predicted to be a major player on the defensive end. Together, they are expected to push the team to the top.

Head coach Seth Tasman’s plans for the new season include revamping the team’s offense.

“We’re going to have a whole new offensive system that we’re going to work on once the school year starts,” Tasman said. “The girls are going to have to take a little bit of time to work on it, but they have enough experience...that they’re going to pick it up very quickly.”

With the strong returning players on defense combined with a new offensive strategy, Tasman expects the team to perform well during the fall season.

“I expect us to be in the top two teams in our league,” Tasman said. “[We will be] right up there with Gunn which is the top team.”

Boys water polo looks to replicate last season’s success with younger team

Coming off of a solid second place finish in CCS last year, boys water polo is entering this fall with a number of younger faces in its roster. The team was heavy on older players last year, as 11 of its 20 players were seniors. This year, the incoming junior class will be the backbone of the team. Junior Dane Grosvenor will be starting goalie since the team lacks a senior goalie.

“We have a small senior class, with six returning,” senior Ryan Seltzer said, “so we have to lean heavily on the incoming juniors.”

Despite a large graduating class, the team will have skilled players in all positions.

“Our team this year is more wellrounded than in years past,” Ryan said.

“We have the players to be a consistent threat from anywhere in the pool.”

Field hockey expects a more manageable season

Last year, field hockey played through a tough season: they were still stuck in the competitive Mt. Hamilton division of the Blossom Valley Athletic League (BVAL) and had lost 13 seniors. The young team had a difficult season, but made it to the CCS playoffs where it was beaten by Lynbrook. This year, SCVAL will have enough field hockey teams for the Eagles to join, so the team will be up against teams closer to their own size. “[The league change is] a big huge difference for our team,” head coach Mary Donahue said. “As one of the bottom teams in the top [division] we never had an opportunity to make it into CCS… I’m really looking forward to the expanded opportunity with the fact that we are back in our own league.”

Major players this year include returning captain and goalkeeper senior Audrey Miller-Foreman as well as seniors Naomi Palmer and Kira Winner. Donahue expects both leadership and great plays out of the three.

With a more experienced team and a position in a better league, the team has higher hopes about this coming season.

“I’m looking forward to every day coming to the hockey field with a chance of coming away with a win,” Donahue said.

— Compiled by Rebecca DeShetler

The Talon August 19, 2013

New coaching lineup prepares football team for upcoming season Dhruv Madhok

Managing Editor (Web)

Since it was announced that Trevor Pruitt would assume the role of Head Coach and Offensive Coordinator, Shonte Jiz de Ortega would take over as Defensive Coordinator, and Joel Cordero and Glen Fries would be joining the coaching staff, the four former Mountain View coaches have been hard at work preparing this year’s football team for the coming season.

With Rudy Alcala, Eddie Sumpter and Randy Jimenez not rehired as Head Coach, Offensive Coordinator and Defensive Coordinator, respectively, this year, the new coaches are looking to improve last year’s 0-10 season.

So far, the team has had a solid summer of training. Toward the beginning of summer, the coaches put a greater emphasis on building

strength: players lifted weights, conditioned and took part in corerelated workouts, three aspects central to the game of football.

“You’re getting hit a lot in your lower torso,” Pruitt said. “If you’re getting hit a lot, you need to be strong there... you need to be ready to play in the fourth quarter. That’s when games are won and lost.”

In addition to strength training, Pruitt has been working closely with athletic trainer Brant Hatakeyama on injury prevention to ensure there are less injuries than in years’ past. Last season, Los Altos was forced to forfeit a game due to a lack of healthy players. This year, Pruitt is keen on preventing this from recurring.

“Brant and I have talked and we both agree that stretching is key as well as lifting,” Pruitt said. “With both of those, you’re strengthening up all the muscles

and that’s going to be absolutely key to making sure our guys stay healthy.”

To ensure the team is as equally balanced in the weight room as it is on the field, coaches break the team into smaller groups, and work closely with players on both giving and implementing feedback.

“I think that’s great with having so many coaches like we do, that we can break down the details with everybody, especially on a one-on-one basis,” Pruitt said.

With a large pool of football players to work with, Ortega and other coaches have personalized their teaching style for each player.

Each coach of the football team is prepared to instruct outside of his assigned position.

“You just got to read the kid and see what works best for them,” Or-

Talon File Photo

Football played through a tough season last fall, battling through injury and finishing the season with a 0-10 record. This year, head coach Trevor Pruitt and other coaching staff have put an emphasis on injury prevention and skill development over the course of summer training.

tega said. “If he needs someone to get on him and he works better that way, then you got to get on him. If he doesn’t like that all, and he needs someone to explain it a little slower, then you got to explain it a little better.”

These smaller groups, in addition to the focus on personalized coaching, are the sites of competition over the team’s positions. No position is finalized as of now, other than quarterback, which will be played by senior Lambie Lanman.

“The best thing for a football team is to create competition and by not naming starters right now, I think that’s going to help with the competition,” Pruitt said.

“Everyone’s going to be on a level playing field, everyone’s going to be able to fight and work for the same position.”

Amidst the competition, Pruitt still wants to ensure that players are well bonded.

“Along with those, we’re making sure that guys are working with each other,” Pruitt said. “We know we’re on the same team, but we’re making sure that they know they’re competing with the guy next to them for the same position.”

But beyond each coach’s effort and expertise, the success of the team will

photo of pruitt: courtesy los altos patch photo of fries: courtesy glen fries photo of cordero: courtesy joel cordero

be largely dependent on the players’ commitment to the game.

“It works with a lot of commitment,” Pruitt said. “It works with guys showing up on an everyday basis and also going home and studying their playbook and making sure they’re making the proper steps at home.”

With effort from both ends, Pruitt believes that the team could very well finish first in the El Camino Division.

“I feel like our team is the best team in the [El Camino] division, and if we work hard and finish every day our record at the end of the season should show that,” Pruitt said.

Cross country trains relentlessly over break Continued from the front page

In South Lake Tahoe, runners reached their highest point of the summer in terms of mileage.

At the end of the camp, runners participated in the Echo Summit Trail Challenge, a race located in the New Almadens Haciendas Hills and ran either a 5k or 10 mile race. Oren placed second in the ten mile race, followed by senior Dane Tippet who took third. In the 5k race, the Los Altos team took all nine slots, the boys being led by sophomore Alex Frache and the girls by junior Anneliese Gallagher.

“Race times tend to be slower at high altitude due to the low oxygen, so none of us ran as fast as our usual times,” Anneliese said. “Also, the 5k course was extremely difficult, since it went up the side of a mountain on rocky trails.”

Despite the rigor of the training camp, the true purpose was to bond the team together. The team participated in activities such as paintballing, kayaking, paddleboarding and frisbee golfing during the six-day camp.

“The true purpose of the week is to have some team bonding experi-

Courtesy David Klein

Senior Will Scheetz and sophomore Tom Wyckmans train on one of South Lake Tahoe’s trails. Cross country runners reached the peak of summer training at camp. ences at a fun location so that they can get really pumped up for their upcoming season,” Oren said.

With a hard season of training under its belt, the team is looking to repeat last year’s success.

This season, the team will be without some of its more experienced and now graduated runners, giving new runners the op-

portunity to step up to the plate and succeed. Runners such as sophomore Lauren Jacobs, senior Terence Rabuzzi and sophomore Ben Zaeske are expected to help lead the team to new victories.

“The team is looking really good,” Lauren said. “It looks like there are some promising new teammates coming out.”

Courtesy Terri Tippett

Cross country runners go on a run in South Lake Tahoe. 12 runners on the team attended the high altitude camp from August 5 to 10 and ran either the Echo Summit Trail Challenge at either a 5k or 10 mile distance.