Issue 3 by Sequoia High School Raven Report

Raven Report Sequoia High School

Volume vii, Issue 3

1201 Brewster Ave. Redwood City, CA 94062

November 6, 2013

ASB efforts increase homecoming attendance By SIMON GREENHILL Editor-in-Chief ASB’s efforts to rejuvenate Sequoia’s historically bland homecoming dance succeeded, drawing 202 students to the Oct. 25 event. Homecoming, which at Sequoia is informal and until this year did not follow the homecoming football game, has not typically drawn many students. “Last year, [homecoming] was on a Saturday so people really had to go out of their way to go,” said senior ASB President Samantha Peyton. “Not a lot of people came.” Several ASB initiatives to increase attendance—including poster campaigns, low prices compared to formal and prom ($5 with a PAL; $15 without) and even a promise of free ice cream for attendees— encouraged a 30 percent jump in attendance, from about 150 last year to over 200 this year. Spurred on by rival Woodside’s successful homecoming and benefitting from the veteran leadership of juniors Emmalee Holmes and Sarah Gilbert, who headed the homecoming dance planning committee last year, ASB successfully increased homecoming attendance and raised awareness among the student body. “[In the past,] homecoming always seemed like a lost cause, but this year we really wanted to turn things around,”

Peyton said. “Even if everyone didn’t go, everyone knew about it. At least it was on everyone’s minds, and that’s a step towards getting everyone to go.” Though attendance increased this year, homecoming still failed to attract a large portion of the student body. Com-

pared to formal and prom, which attracted 350 and 525 attendees last school year, respectively, homecoming remains the least-frequented event. Peyton said this might change if the dance continues to be held after a Friday night football game and begins to attract

Photos by Claire Bugos

Seniors Win 8-7

Show choir starts on a high note By CLAIRE BUGOS Photo Editor Eight counts of jazz squares and grapevines accompany the melodic pounding of piano keys and a three-part harmony. The performance subsides into laughter and the choreographer’s frantic corrections. And so go the weekly rehearsals of the Sequoia Show Choir, a new club that puts a twist on the traditional choir. “It’s our own interpretation of what we thought ‘Glee’ was like. [It’s] something that works for Sequoia,” Show Choir adviser Othello Jefferson said. Show Choir retains many aspects of the typical glee club. Started last year, the Show Choir blends song and dance together to create the ultimate pop performance. The club focuses on

feature:

Sports on water and ice

Page 3

more upperclassmen. “Honestly, I can’t imagine going back to having [homecoming on a Saturday],” Peyton said. “It would be a really smart decision to keep it after the game because so many more people went.”

popular songs, and is currently preparing a piece to the “Glee” version of “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey. “I’d like to separate ourselves a little bit from ‘Glee’, because ‘Glee’ is a TV show and it’s perfect, and we’re not perfect although we’d love to be,” senior Show Choir president Jaret Snyder said. Similar to the TV show, the Show Choir attracts students from all different grades, backgrounds and interests. “It’s a pretty wide range. A lot of them are in choir, but there are also a lot of people that I’ve never seen before, so it’s nice to see them come out and just do something they enjoy and to meet other people who enjoy it,” junior Show Choir vice president Megan Campbell said. Because the Show Choir in-

volves both dancing and singing, students are constantly pushed to try something new. “Truth be told, I’m not a huge dancer yet. I think it’s fun, but I’m not very good at it. So I’m learning,” Snyder said. “There’s good support from everyone to make everybody comfortable with singing and dancing together.” The choreography is created and taught by Campbell along with the assistance of alumna Bian Jabari, and involves simple, “jazzy” steps. “A lot of people get it really easily, and for some people it takes a little more work, so it’s a good way to build patience, and just learn how to work with different people,” Campbell said. The Show Choir meets on Fridays in room M-20 at lunch.

feature:

Narrowing the gender gap

Pages 4-5

Senior Sesi Lauese’s interception in the final minute of regulation gave the seniors the victory. Camille Louie runs with Abby Mejia with defense by senior Kate Boudreau. See story on page 8. More photos at www.ravenreport.org/media

GLI club empowers women By SABRINA VILLANUEVA AVALOS Staff Reporter Girls Learn International (GLI) is a new club that has already attracted the attention of at least 60 students to learn about and contribute to the global movement for girls’ access to education. Sequoia is the first school in the district to form a GLI club, meeting on Tuesdays in room 19. Though their mission is similar to that of clubs like Africause, GSA and Students Stopping Slavery, GLI is specifically focused on universal education regardless of gender. “I wouldn’t care if we had 20 clubs [for this cause],” history teacher and GLI adviser Jenna Cestone said. “We still wouldn’t be able to cover everything there

is to learn.” If the club gains enough members, next year they will be assigned a sister school in a U.N.-member country, and all of their fundraising would go towards that school to improve the lives and education of girls and women in that community. “We need to get more people involved to see what GLI is all about and learn about what’s actually happening,” sophomore GLI secretary Marie Dayag said. They will soon start selling items at games and school events to raise awareness and eventually send two to three students to their sister school to experience what it’s like to live in another country. They hope to strengthen the relationship with their sister school to the point where a student from there can travel Go to GLI, page 2

By the Numbers

average number of colleges that seniors apply to

$65

average price of each application

Feature

November 6, 2013

Gamers turn into teachers through YouTube Cyrus video, or feel better about yourself as you indulge in 100 top fails, has now become a new home for another shameless addiction: video gaming. Rather than playing video games, these are tutori-

By ABIGAIL WANG Staff Reporter YouTube: the site you visit when you need to cram last minute, watch the latest Miley

als on games, ranging from Black Ops to Just Dance, and they are online for gamers to learn a few tips. However, what makes these videos is the commentary. While they play the game, the players

have a running commentary ranging from personal stories to outright comedy. At Sequoia, there a few students who have hopped on this new trend, and taken their hobby to the next level.

Marie Dayag, Sophomore

Lutu has been on YouTube for 5 years

Channels: teamdmg and aBmarathon Games Played: Call of Duty: Black Ops, Modern Warfare 2 and 3 Sophomore Marie Dayag, the founder of a group channel that has over one thousand subscribers, and averages 600 to 2,000 views per video. Through YouTube, Dayag has made many international connections from Canada to the U.K. Every year she attends a video game convention in Anaheim, where she and her

team play other video gamers. Her team consists of all males and sometimes it can be challenging being in a male-dominated world. “In class we were learning about gender roles. [Online] they judge just because you’re a girl,” Dayag said. Despite the negative stereotypes, video games are a huge stress reliever for

Dayag. “By playing video games I get rid of my anger; I get rid of my sadness inside.” For other girls interested in starting a video gaming channel, Dayag says, “girls should do something new to get out of their comfort zone, you shouldn’t listen to what people say and just do whatever you want to do.”

Tyler Lutu, Senior

Channel: tylerlutu Games played: Minecraft, The Legend of Zelda, Pokemon Senior Tyler Lutu started his YouTube channel five years ago, when he took a video production class in eighth grade. A veteran of the site, Lutu has found his passion in video gaming and singing through YouTube. “My inspiration comes from YouTube,” Lutu said. Originally he made videos with no audio, and just played the game, but since then he has made a new channel including audio,

which can be key in attracting viewers. “When, you get to a complicated part and you start getting mad that’s where the fun comes in, and that’s why people start watching your videos,” he said. One of Lutu’s favorite games is Legends of Zelda Minish Cap, but he likes to try new games all the time. “Never try and focus on one game, go off and try other things.”

27, 991

views on a single video

GLI, from page 1

there can travel here and immerse herself in American society. When the club initially started, 12 Sequoia girls were sent to a GLI training in Palo Alto to learn about GLI’s goal and how to help. At the training, they were informed of GLI’s mission: to educate students about the movement to improve girls’ education, and how to go about organizing a club of their own. Sequoia hopes to expand GLI groups throughout the district so eventually all of the schools will have a club and join the cause. “Our goal is to educate Sequoia students about the importance of equality and human rights,” sophomore Lucia Abela said. “People aren’t as aware because of everything we have here.”

San Francisco inspires music You probably know what it feels like “to be where little cable cars climb halfway to the stars,” since Sequoia is a mere 26.6 miles from the city. One thing’s for sure, “if you’re going to San Francisco,” you must “be sure to wear flowers in your hair.”Obviously, many musicians find inspiration from the beautiful Bay Area.

—Compiled by Emily Ducker and Evan Isenstein-Brand

Photo By Emily Ducker

“I’m just sittin’ on the dock of the bay wastin’ time,” “Sittin’ On The Dock of the Bay” by Otis Redding

“The Bay and the Ferry Building are out of sight,” “The Cement Octopus” by Malvina Reynolds

Services available to students and school employees: Checking Accounts Savings Accounts Auto Loans Personal Loans VISA Credit and DebitCards On-Line Banking with Bill Pay

530 EL CAMINO REAL • P.O. BOX 5413 • REDWOOD CITY (650) 366-0748 • www. sequoiafcu.org

“I thought I’d never change or even rearrange ‘til I saw the city’s open arms at Coit Tower,” “Coit Tower” by Millionaire At Midnight

Feature

November 6, 2013

Unique sports push students’ limits

Senior Celeste Adler (far right) guides her teammates during one of her 4 a.m. practices. Photo Courtesy of Allison Frykman

Early rise for Norcal crew challenges Adler By LAUREL DEARBORN Managing Editor Senior Celeste Adler sees the sun rise every morning as she sits with her teammates in a boat on the water during their crew practice. It isn’t a sport for the faint of heart as practice starts by 4 a.m. most days. Because of her early morning rise, if she went straight to bed after arriving home in the eve-

nings without even touching her homework, she still wouldn’t get the recommended nine hours. “Crew requires time management and it really quickly weeds out the people that aren’t dedicated,” Adler said. “When I found that out, it was something that I definitely wanted to do.” In crew, there are eight people about 6-feet tall with an oar in hand who power the boat. Then there is the coxswain, the 5-foot-

2 commander who gives the other eight instructions for how to continue on in the race. This is Adler’s job. “The biggest misconceptions about crew are that the coxswain just yells ‘row’ every stroke,” she said. “That is not the case. We tell them technique stuff. We’re like another coach inside the boat.” To an observer, it might look like Adler is just on the boat

along for the ride. This can sometimes create tension in the team because she is the only one in the boat not in physical pain. “We’re sitting there telling you to row harder and you are in a huge amount of pain,” she said. “I’ve had girls snap at me before.” Adler’s team, Norcal, doning black and gold spandex, is in long distance season of five kilometer races. In the spring, they will switch

to sprints, but according to Adler, the word ‘sprint’ isn’t applicable because the race is still two kilometers long, lasting eight minutes. Crew isn’t a school sport, so people often don’t have any knowledge about it. “I would appreciate people have some idea what it is, but I wouldn’t want it to be ‘the football’,” she said. “It’s not like we have cheerleaders.”

Sophomore hockey players pursue passion on the ice By JARRETT CROWELL Sports Editor As if football wasn’t bone-rattling enough, many Sequoia students participate in hockey programs off Sequoia’s campus, using their time to crush opponents into the boards while partaking in one of the world’s most physically taxing sports. Sophomores Nate Bartoshuk and Sebastian Larsson play for the Golden State Elite Eagles, a competitive club team that practices ten hours a week. Two of those workouts are dreaded morning practices, for which the two wake up at 4 a.m. and head out to the practice in Dublin, Cupertino or Vacaville. After two hours of hockey, they head to school where Bartoshuk weight trains to try to earn his PE credits while Larsson heads to his morning classes. Though they put in hours of time each week to play hockey outside of Sequoia, Bartoshuk and Larsson still must earn the required credits to graduate. “I don’t think it [is about] the sports credit because if you really care about the sport then all of that stuff won’t really matter,” Larsson said. Rather than earning credits, their passion for hockey has pushed them to pursue excellence in their sport. “In the middle of it you almost quit, you want to stop, but you don’t, you push through it,” Bartoshuk said. “That feeling that you get when you come home and

Photo Courtesy of John Kottmeier

Over the past two months with GSE, Bartoshuk and Larsson have traveled to L.A., Phoenix and Chicago. Previously, Bartoshuk also traveled to Austria and the Czech Republic for tournaments. you lay down in bed and you smile and homework or socializing. know that you are doing “My biggest probmore than anyone else. I “My biggest problem is that lem is that it’s really take pride in that.” it’s really hard to get all of my hard to get all of my Along with being a homework done, go to school and homework done, go physically demanding play hockey and then also just to to school and play sport, hockey also re- maintain a social life, you really hockey and then also quires a huge time com- have to choose.” just to maintain a mitment. Bartoshuk — sophomore Nate Bartoshuk social life, you really and Larsson practice have to choose,” Barfour to five times a week toshuk said. on the ice and two to three times a week The Eagles coach has also taken the in the weight room, leaving little time for time to instill in his team values that can

be taken outside of the ice rink. “Our coach is big on how you should act off the ice like respecting people so you learn how to treat others right off the ice and on the ice,” Larsson said. While both players share a passion for the game, they were drawn to the sport for different reasons. Being unique is something that Bartoshuk has always enjoyed, and he found that he enjoyed hockey more than the traditional sports. “People call soccer the beautiful game but in my opinion hockey is really the best sport in the world,” Bartoshuk said. “It combines every aspect of athleticism into one game; speed, agility, physicality, balance and finesse all need to be fine tuned and perfected just in order to compete.” On the other hand, Larsson was inspired to play hockey because his father played in the Swedish Elite League and then went on to an Olympic Development Camp. “He is supportive of me and he understands the work that needs to be put in,” Larsson said. “He helps me balance hockey, school and my social life and motivates me to continuously better myself.” To them, hockey has become more than just a game played on a sheet of ice, but a lifestyle that consumes much of their time and energy. “One thing that my coach used to say is that you need to be more comfortable on skates than on your feet in your shoes, and that’s something that I could probably say right now,” Bartoshuk said.

Special

N arrowing

The Gender Gap

Feminism is not black and white

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I used to hate feminists. I thought that the whole equal rights thing was so 1920. It was stuff I learned in history class: becoming nurses in the army, fighting for the right to vote and the adoption of pants. It wasn’t that I didn’t appreciate what women in this country did for me in the past, I just didn’t think that it applied anymore. After all, we already had what we wanted. Then the issue was brought to the forefront of my attention last year when I was in a book club with Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg, author of the bestseller Lean In.” I read her book and throughout it, I tried to stiff arm all the points that she made. When I was younger, I was never the kid who announced that I wanted to run the world. A few weeks ago, I got to listen to Sandberg speak again. I don’t know if it was because of the fabulous salad in front of me or the nerves of spending an evening with Ms. Sandberg and Ms. Hansen, but I started to understand where she was coming from. One fact especially stood out to me: women represent more than 50 percent of the population and yet only 18.8 percent of Congress is female. True, no one is going to represent my views perfectly. They probably don’t care as much about Disney or Stanford football, but I would appreciate if more of the government had two X chromosomes because, generally, I like to believe this commonality somehow means we think alike, and my gender will be represented. A poster in my English class that discusses the social norms of our present day society reminds me of a dilemma: expectations are different for each of the genders. Sheryl Sandberg talked about the same thing. Women are expected to have children and then be the ones to take care of them. My mom is a stay-at-home mom. God willing, I would love to be one too. That’s another reason why I was distant from the feminist argument. Because of personal experience, I knew that having the opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom is truly awesome. So naturally, I wasn’t about to go and party with those who weren’t for that. I know that being a feminist and the idea of feminism is defined differently for everyone. For me now, being a feminist means that I am comfortable having a conversation about gender roles. I believe that being a girl is cool and so totally awesome. I believe that women and men should be paid the same amount for the same job. I mean, come on, it is the twenty-first century, people.

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By LAUREL DEARBORN Managing Editor

I am Malala: The Girl who Stood up for Education and was Shot by the Taliban A story of success and inspiration For most teenagers, going to school isn’t the ideal way to spend a weekday. For Malala Yousafzai, going to school is a dream. This October, Yousafzai’s autobiography “I am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up For Education and Was Shot by the Taliban” was published. On Oct. 9, 2012, the world was shocked when the news came that a teenage girl was shot by the Taliban because she was standing up for education rights. She continued speaking out against the Taliban and their restrictions on girl’s education, and she was even nominated for the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize. When you think of what she’s already done, it’s easy to forget that Yousafzai is only 16, just like many Sequoia students. Yousafzai has a clear purpose with her book: “My goal in writing this book was to raise my voice on behalf of the millions of girls around the world who are being denied the right to go to school and realize their

potential,” she wrote. The novel gives readers a glimpse into the life of a young girl under Taliban rule. She set out to show why the way that they live is unacceptable, and she did it brilliantly. The novel opens with a recap of the day that shocked the world; the day that a young girl was shot by the Taliban for supporting education rights, and survived. She takes the reader on a journey beginning before she was even born, telling her life story through 20 chapters, all building up to the dreadful moment that was on every news screen. Yousafzai is not limited by her age, and lack of previous writing experience. The story flows with ease and the ideas that she has are beyond her years. It is a fantastic opportunity to be able to hear the story from a first hand perspective, not blurred by miscommunications or tall tales. Her writing skills don’t fail the reader either. Portray-

ing her ideas clearly and drawing the reader in with ease, she portrays her life under the rule of the Taliban vividly. She makes the reader want to act immediately, but not through violence. There are points that make the reader stop and recognize her age. When you see what she’s accomplished in such a short time, it makes you want to go out and do something to change the world, even if it’s just a small part of it. She even mentions what she thought she would do if she was to be attacked by a terrorist. “Maybe I’d take off my shoes and hit him, but then I’d think if I did that there would be no difference between me and the terrorist,” Yousafzai wrote, “It would be better to plead, ‘OK, shoot me, but first listen to me… I just want every girl to go to school.” “I am Malala,” is a brave statement, and with a title like that, you expect the book to be a strong one. Yousafzai does not fail to impress. —CAM REBOSIO

Feature

Girls challenge gender norms in IB Physics By XAVIER BOLUÑA and CARMEN VESCIA Staff Reporter and Feature Editor

The gender gap By the numbers

2/3 of adult illiterates worldwide are women 19

women are heads of state in a world comprised of 196 countries

Only of the 500 largest corporations in the world have a female Chief Executive Officer. Student Body: 50% male, 50% female

HLCalculus 73% male, 27% female

the

IB English

35% male, 65% female

Gender Breakdown OF Sequoia

IB Physics:

90% male, 10% female

Dance:

95% male, 5% female

Looking over the shoulders of her peers, the student counts the number of girls in the room. One, two, three... including herself. IB Physics, a class of 28 students, harbors only three females in the entire course. “I think the way science is traditionally done, especially the physical sciences, [it’s] traditionally a male-heavy field,” IB Physics teacher Ben Canning said. “Therefore, a lot of the traditional practices cater towards ways of interacting, being and communicating that are often more associated with males.” Of the students in IB Physics, seniors Rachel Reisman, Rachael Cairati and Erika Fabre are the only females. “The biggest deterrent is people saying that it’s difficult,” Cairati said. “There’s always something difficult, but there’s always help.” In order to assist students in their endeavors, Canning offers a tutorial every week and is usually available every day after school. “My personal goal as a teacher is that students are finding a passion and able to pursue their passion,” Canning said. “Whether it’s physics or not, I would love students to find something they’re interested in.” This is the first year Canning has noted such a large gender imbalance, and despite the discrepancy, Reisman and Cairati have felt comfortable in the class. “It doesn’t really come up often,” Reisman said. “I think the boys share more, but the girls get represented when they want to share.” At Sequoia, boys outnumber girls in many higher level mathematics and technology classes, as well; the Electronic Arts Academy (EAA) has 87 juniors and seniors, and out of these, only 22 are girls. In Terri Bittner’s IB Higher Level (HL) Math Year 2 class, there are 40 students, 15 of which are female. “Girls are obviously underrepresented,” Bittner said. “For whatever reason, girls haven’t historically felt that they were as good at math as boys.” Self-confidence often plays a major role in possible classes and career paths people opt to pursue. This can make students feel as if they aren’t capable of achieving standards established for them. “I think that it’s kind of a subconscious thing where girls are just generally less confident in their abilities,” said senior Kate Elliott, who is in IB HL Math Year 2. “I’m that person who will sometimes walk out of a test and say ‘Oh my God. I did horrible,’ and the guy next to me will be like ‘ Oh. I did great,’ and I’ll end up doing just as well as he does.” Gender imbalances in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education and careers is a nationwide problem. According to the Economics and Statistics Administration of the United States Department of Commerce, although women hold around half the jobs in the U.S. economy, they occupy less than 25 percent of STEM careers. “I think, as a society, we need to be less concerned with what has happened in the past and what is traditional. I think we have to realize that it’s a new age,” Elliott said. “We have to accept that. Everyone can have different interests regardless of whether we’re male or female.” According to the MIT Women’s Initiative, females make up around 13.4 percent of the field of engineering, one that Bittner used to be a part of. “In a room of 50 people, I was the only woman,” Bittner said. “They wouldn’t ask me the hard questions they asked men,… [but] I just didn’t let it bother me. I haven’t really worried about being a woman in a man’s world.” However, some women are fazed by the underrepresentation of females in STEM and the difficulty of many STEM classes. Multiple girls, when faced with the choice of entering either IB HL Math Year 2 or AP Statistics opted for statistics. “We need to make it safe for girls to take risks,” Bittner said. “We want them to succeed, but they won’t if they run away.”

—Compiled by ANNA DAGUM, cartoon by MORAYMA QUEZADAS

Opinion Staff Editorial

Smash the stereotype

here are three girls in a class of 28 in IB Physics. There are 13 boys out of 225 in the dance program. Why? What is pushing the boys and girls into different classes? Maybe it has to do with the gender of the teachers in these fields nationwide, or with students’ individual interests. According to USA Today, the number of women earning bachelor’s degrees in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) in the U.S. decreased or remained the same from 2005 to 2011. Sequoia’s staff is an exception to the trend: out of 37 STEM teachers on campus, 20 are female. Simply being taught by both genders in quantitative fields is seemingly not enough to create gender equality among students in those same classes. Societal pressure is likely the biggest factor in gender inequalities in classes like IB HL Math Year 2 and Woodshop I and II. Gender and sexuality stereotypes exist whether we intend them to or not. One is that girls should be passive, and reaching for upper-level classes is perceived as “pushy.” It seems archaic, but there’s an underlying idea that girls are delicate. Or that they’re good at writing: we assume girls are good at English or history. The male stereotype is the opposite: guys should be tough. Men are more logical; they don’t belong in art. But over the past few years, we’ve seen several males break the stereotype that men don’t belong in dance. We haven’t seen the same breakthrough for women in the hard sciences. These ideas all rest on the assumption that peoples’ capabilities are determined by their gender. It has been proven time and time again that this is not true, and yet people still act as though it is. Don’t let it influence you. Most immediately, peer pressure is a large aspect of students’ course decisions. “Don’t take physics, it’s all boys. Take Envi-

ronmental Science; it’s easier.” Girls can be intimidated by the convention that boys dominate STEM classes. So, what do we do about it? The simple answer is if you’re interested, do it. Sign up for classes whether or not your gender is in the majority. More importantly, challenge yourself. If you took Conceptual Physics and excelled, go for IB Physics. If your worry is that you would be one of the only girls in it, then convince a friend to come along. If you think it’s too hard, rise to the challenge instead of making an excuse. Stereotypes and peer pressure are tricky. They often influence our actions subconsciously, so the key is to be aware. If you hesitate to sign up for or speak out in a class where your gender is the minority, push yourself to defy the stereotype. Part of the responsibility rests with teachers and counselors. It would be beneficial if they encouraged hesitant but qualified students to remove gender as a factor from their decisions. If students feel encouraged by their mentors, they will be more motivated to excel in their classes. The push for gender equality is a nationwide trend. With programs such as STEM at Sequoia and greater attention to creating more balanced academic environments in higher education, society is fully aware of the gender gap. Students should accelerate the trend by taking advantage of opportunities like higher level physics classes and dance programs. It’s not enough to cheer from the sidelines for your brave classmates, your involvement is vital in moving us towards true gender equality.

Sequoia High School Raven Report 2013-2014

Editor-in-Chief Simon Greenhill Managing Editors Laurel Dearborn Lily Hartzell News Editor Dalia Jude Feature Editors Araceli Efigenio Carmen Vescia Opinion Editor Matvari Maharaj Sports Editor Jarrett Crowell Photo Editor Claire Bugos Layout Editor Anna Dagum Online Editor Caroline Lempert Staff Reporters Glenn Billman Xavier Boluña Julio Cortez Emily Ducker Anthony Dufour Lily Friebel Carlos Garcia Claire Harkola Evan Isenstein-Brand Emma Peyton Cam Rebosio Sabrina Villanueva Avalos Abigail Wang Adviser Kim Vinh

November 6, 2013

Throwing out the labels:

Stigma for IB and mainstream classes needs to change By SABRINA VILLANUEVA AVALOS Staff Reporter Even though I have always excelled in school, I, like m a n y others, ran into those classes that I just couldn’t grasp. This created a fine line between staying in honors classes and dropping down to mainstream. This, to me, was sad. I didn’t want to take the chance of taking a somewhat easier class because of what it’s labeled. Spanish was definitely not my best class, so naturally, that was the class I decided would be the best to drop. That was a huge decision to make, because once I dropped out, there was no turning back. Is it better to

get a C in an IB class, or an A is so wide, that it’s nearly imposin a mainstream class? I didn’t sible to make the transition. want to fall under the category Our views towards each other of “mainstream.” I didn’t want should depend on who we are, to drop to mainstream because not on what classes you take I knew it wouldn’t give me the or what you know. We give too challenge that I wanted. I just much praise to those in IB classdidn’t want to face the fact that es, and not enough to those who I couldn’t handle the more ad- excel in non-IB classes. vanced classes. We have created a negative When I hear the word “main- view towards the “mainstream” stream,” I don’t necessarily think students, just because of their of straight title. If you “I didn’t want to take the chance A’s and hard must name of taking a somewhat easier class workers. The them, why not because of what it’s labeled.” dictionary defcall them colinition is, “the principal or domi- lege prep and honors classes? nant course tendency or trend.” We should give all classes equal How is it that a word so neutral praise, regardless of level. creates such a negative connotaDon’t just discuss the success tion? of IB students, but also the sucLet’s be honest, the word cess of those not in IB. We’re all doesn’t do students justice. Tak- students. We all struggle in some ing “mainstream” classes doesn’t areas where others may thrive. mean you’re not smart or not We’re all learning in the same capable of doing more difficult place at the same time. There is tasks. Unfortunately, the span no need for us to classify what between mainstream and honors level we're learning at.

Embrace your inner purple pride

took my ears off for most of the day. I want Sequoia to stand out and be known for its great spirit, but it’s not. During a typical homeSequoia is the most diverse school in the district coming spirit week at a with 72 percent students of color. Through Buildhigh school you would ex- ing Bonds, we try to teach students from differpect to see something out ent cultures that it’s ok to dress up silly. ASB and of the ordinary, like a herd Leadership consider how students will be affected of zebras running towards by edgy spirit days; for example, Casino Night me on jungle day. But may promote gambling whereas Tropical Tuesday walking down the halls at would be more appropriate. Sequoia during spirit week Spirit points typically vary from year to year. feels like just another normal week. Last year the freshmen won the hall competition, When I first started high school, I attended this year it was the seniors. Carlmont. For their spirit week most of the stuSequoia used to have one rally in the new gym, dents and even teachers dressed up. It was socially but since our student population increased, we acceptable to be dressed in a onesie pajama walking have to have it on the football field. down the halls on pajama day. Rather than sitting out in the sun watching, When my friends don’t dress it would be better to have two up for spirit days and say the “If I don’t have a prop for the separate rallies, both in the new themes are lame, I feel frustrated spirit day, I pop some tags at gym. It would create a more enthrift shops and buy it.” because I know how hard ASB ticed and connected audience, and Leadership work for spirit since everyone is in a closed gym week. rather than an open football field. It’s not embarrassing to dress wacky for Wacky Powderpuff is also a fun activity for the juWednesday, or to wear a hawaiian shirt for tropical niors and seniors. To have it more interactive for Tuesday. You’re just showing your spirit. all grade levels, we should have freshmen compete To me, spirit is coming to school dressed up against juniors, and sophomores against seniors. silly and acting funky. If I don’t have a prop for the Then, whichever classes win those two games go spirit day, I pop some tags at thrift shops and buy head-to-head in a championship game. it. It makes me excited to be decked out with my Interacting with our rival schools during homefriends, walking into school looking completely coming week could also attract more students’ out of the ordinary. I get excited in the morning attention, by possibly having a powderpuff game having my outfit planned out for spirit days, but where the Sequoia girls play against the girls from when I get to school and see I’m one of few that that school. participate, I feel lonely. Sequoia does have spirit. No matter how deeply I’ve dressed up for every spirit day so far, and the buried it is, we do have spirit. only day I didn’t feel comfortable was on Thursday. We just need to step out of our comfort zone a I wore leopard ears because it was a part of my hall little, and show that spirit. We can do it. After all, theme, and not a lot of juniors went all out, so I we are a place of friends. By LILY FRIEBEL Staff Reporter

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Opinión

November 6, 2013

Los medios proponen estereotipos negativos de latinos a sus audiencias estadounidenses Por ARACELI EFIGENIO Feature Editor Se supone que los Estados Unidos ha eliminado la discriminación y que todos somos iguales, pero los papeles latinos en los medios de comunicación no siempre lo reflejan. Las noticias influyen en cómo los latinos son percibidos por la población. Los estereotipos se forman a partir de las imágenes, la manera que hablan y las historias que escogen para mostrar al público. En una encuesta de la Coalición Nacional Hispana de Medios (NHMC) publicada en El Espectador encontraron que el 48 por ciento de los espectadores del canal conservador Fox estima

que los latinos se niegan a aprender inglés. Además, el 56 por ciento de los encuestados supone que los latinos están bajo programas de asistencia social y el 42 por ciento cree que tienen demasiados hijos. La misma encuesta reveló que las películas y la televisión también impactan negativamente la imagen que se proyecta de los latinos. De los que ven escenas de películas, el 56 por ciento respondieron que la mayoría de los inmigrantes latinoamericanos son indocumentados. Mientras tanto, el 59 por ciento de los que ven televisión dijeron que son pandilleros y más del 55 por ciento de los que fueron expuestos a todos los medios los considera a los latinos “menos educados.” Estas estadísticas muestran

cómo los medios impactan el comportamiento de los adolescentes a como estos se ven a sí mismos. Los jóvenes hoy en día están rodeados incesantemente por estereotipos negativos. Esto causa un sentimiento que los latinos tienden a caer en los mismos papeles estereotipados que existen en los medios y el entretenimiento. Frecuentemente hay actores latinos que actúan como narcotraficantes; por ejemplo, las programas de televisión “Breaking Bad” y “Weeds” que tienen millones de espectadores estadounidenses. Por el otro lado, las actrices latinas toman los papeles de criadas como Lupe Ontiveros que hizo eso mismo 150 veces, según un video del Huffington Post. Una de las actrices más controversiales es Sofía Vergara por su papel de una mamá latina llamada Gloria en “Modern

Family”. Hay mucha gente que piensa que su papel facilita el estereotipo de que mamás latinas son fastidiosas, ruidosas y locas. Al mismo tiempo otros piensan que su personaje está demasiado basado en su sexualidad. Aun así, Vergara quiere que su personaje sea un saludo a sus hermanas latinas según una entrevista con ella en el Huffington Post. “Va más para ver nosotros como queremos nuestras familias, trabajando duro, defendiéndose, muy protector de nuestros hijos y que ponemos más atención en nuestra belleza que otros porque muchos de nosotros nos ponemos perfume cuando nos vamos a llevar los niños a la escuela en la mañana,” dijo Vergara. Sin embargo, los medios de comunicación en español han cautivado una audiencia más grande cada año comparada a

Latinos en los Estados Unidos son... 50.5

millones de gente

otras compañías de los Estados Unidos. La cadena televisiva Univisión es la única compañía del sector estadounidense que aumentó su audiencia entre los adultos (1849 años) por un ocho por ciento con 1.9 millones de espectadores en el horario de máxima audiencia en 2010, según un artículo de Dinero Univisión. El aumento de los medios en español, y con ello el incremento de la audiencia, ayuda a disminuir los estereotipos de los latinos porque muestran a los hispanoamericanos prosperando en sus propias comunidades. Es tiempo que nos demos cuenta que tenemos que representarnos como buenos ciudadanos para eliminar los estereotipos negativos y presentarnos como verdaderamente somos: gente que aporta a nuestra sociedad con ideas y trabajo.

$1 billón 1 de cada 6 individuos

16.3% de la

de poder

adquisitivo

población

1 de cada 4 niños

English translation at ravenreport.org

—Por Araceli Efigenio

Sequoia says: What is your favorite Halloween costume or memory? “Dressing up as a dragon in second grade. It had a threefoot-tail and it was big, green and sparkly.” —Freshman Jackson Peyton “I was a cow for my first Halloween because my bedroom was farm themed.” —Junior Taylor Madsen

“The best part of Halloween was after [the kids] fell asleep. We would go through their candy.” —Treasurer Linda Gordon

“A red M&M. I was five, the costume was round and I fell. I was rolling around.” —Junior Oscar Amaya

“I was peas in a pod. My head was one of the peas.” —Sophomore Maggie Holmes —ARACELI EFIGENIO

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Sports

November 6, 2013

Football prepares for South San Francisco By CARMEN VESCIA Feature Editor Last time Sequoia went up against the South San Francisco Warriors, the game ended with a disappointing loss of 36-28. It was the undefeated Cherokees’ first loss of the season—a loss to a team with a record of 1-3. At home on Nov. 8, they’ll get their chance for revenge. In last year’s upset, the Cherokees gained the upperhand twice, only to lose their leads. “It was pretty hard. It was a bad loss,” senior linebacker Hunter Mitchell said. “We all knew we could have defeated them.” This season, the team has struggled with consistency; they came out of the preseason strong, having won three of their four games but have yet to secure a Bay Division victory. “We’ve been up and down,” head coach Rob Poulos said. “We haven’t played four quarters of great football against anybody.” Despite the challenges the Cherokees have experienced so far, they have high hopes for both the South San Francisco game and remainder of the season. “I think this year we have a pretty good chance in that game. It’s a win that

Photos by Claire Harkola

After South San Francisco, which is Sequoia’s last guaranteed league game, Sequoia is set to play at Carlmont Nov. 15 for the Terremere Trophy. Sequoia looks to defend last year’s victory and keep the trophy for the second year in a row. we need to have,” senior center Rylan Ducker said. “I think that if we play our

best game, we can beat any of the teams this year.”

New coaches revitalize basketball program

program at Sequoia for so long, By DALIA JUDE Steve Picchi stepped aside this News Editor year to let Taimani take the The girls’ basketball teams reigns. have an entirely new coaching She has big shoes to fill: 25 staff this year composed of four years ago at Burlingame High fresh faces who hope to bring School, Picchi became the first new drills and skills while ramp- coach to lead a CCS public ing up Sequoia’s competitiveness school girls’ basketball team to in their effort to take the PAL- win a California InterscholasSouth division. tic Federation (CIF) title in the New Varsity Head Coach 1988 state Division III champiOfa Taimani has been coaching onship. for five years af“This year ter graduating “I’ll lead them on the right track we have comfrom Sequoia but it’s up to them to pick it up pletely new in 2007 where and take charge.” coaches, so — Coach Ofa Taimani no one knows she played for four years on how we’re the basketball team. gonna play. It’s like we get to deTwo years ago, she coached fine what Sequoia basketball is the freshman boys’ team, and now,” junior Jasmine Simmons this year, Taimani recruited said. the coaching expertise of Will About 20 players have been Crowder, Kim Woo and Sharissa attending optional conditioning McDaniel to help her with the practices this fall including many girls’ program. of the players who opted to play “I think basketball should be over the summer, providing opfun. It should be just positive,” portunities to bond as a team Taimani said. “Mistakes will be and with the new coaches well made, but I don’t need a coach to before the winter season starts. get onto players and bring them “Over the last couple of weeks down, but instead encourage I’ve kinda started looking up to them to be better, and I think [our coaches] as older siblings or [the new coaches] are a great fit.” like parent figures in some way,” After being a staple of the freshman Emily Hutchison said.

Woo, the new assistant coach, has been a familiar face around Sequoia basketball for the past few years when his kids Alaina and Jerod were playing, who both graduated last year. Taimani felt like Woo’s experience helping his daughter’s teams, his positive attitude and his willingness to help the Sequoia girls improve made him the best fit to assist her with coaching the varsity team. After Crowder approached Taimani about the position of coaching the JV team, they first sat down together and just talked good ol’ basketball. In doing this, they realized they have a lot in common in their coaching strategies, and they currently plan on combining their efforts to take the freshman team under their wings. Tryouts begin Nov. 4 and the first scrimmage of the season will be against Hillsdale on Nov. 25 before league games start Jan. 8. “I’m looking forward to seeing where these girls want to go. We can sit here and talk about wanting to win league and wanting to go to CCS but it’s not up to me, it’s up to the girls,” Taimani said. “I’ll lead them on the right track, but it’s up to them to pick it up and take charge.”

Since last year, the roster has grown from 42 to 66 players, and the team had to adjust to the changes in team dynamic. Major playmakers such as former quarterback Mikey Taylor graduated last year, but others have been stepping up, including senior fullback Aaron Burns, who finished the homecoming game against Menlo-Atherton with 39 rushing yards and nine carries. “Last season we really came together at the end. This season, there are some challenges starting a new team,” Mitchell said, “[but] we’ve grown as a team. We added some great athletes.” Moving up to the Bay Division has required mental adjustment by both players and coaches, and CCS playoffs are on everyone’s minds going into Friday’s game. “Your first year up, your concern is: do you belong? Until we beat someone in the Bay, there’s going to be that doubt,” Poulos said. “That’s one of the critical games to qualify us for playoffs.” The upcoming game against South San Francisco is the Cherokees’ last guaranteed league game, which will be followed by the Terremere Trophy Game at Carlmont Nov. 15. “We need to improve every week,” Ducker said. “We’ve gotten better, but we need to keep improving.”

Senior girls win powderpuff 8-7 By LAUREL DEARBORN and MATVARI MAHARAJ Managing Editor and Opinion Editor

Seniors kept tradition alive and won this year’s powderpuff game against the juniors with a score of 8-7. But this matchup, loaded with bragging rights, almost went the other way. The juniors looked to upset with the ball on the 3-yard line on second down late in the fourth but an unexpected interception by senior Sesi Lauese snatched away any lingering junior hopes. “It was a matter of execution and believing in ourselves,” senior offensive coach Ben Sehl said. “I wasn’t surprised [by the interception]. They knew what to do.” Both scores came in the first quarter. Junior Abby Mejia intercepted the ball on the 5-yard line just as the seniors were about to score. Mejia ran the ball the 95 yards back to the endzone to give the juniors the first points of the game. Junior Makayla Arvin kicked in the point after to put the juniors up by seven. The seniors answered late in the first as quarterback Amanda Weir connected with Giannina Cadenas for the 45-yard touchdown pass. The seniors went for two, giving them the one point lead which gave them the win in the end. “It felt great to win,” senior Lisette Espinoza said. “You wish you were a senior.” Issue 2 Corrections: In “Two-sport athlete wins scholarship”, senior Jackie Hutchison’s name was misspelled. On page 5, Staff Reporter Abigail Wang was not credited for the Bubble Tea spread.

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