Issue 4 by Sequoia High School Raven Report

Raven Report

Sequoia High School

Volume vii, Issue 4

1201 Brewster Ave. Redwood City, CA 94062

December 11, 2013

Common Core to be holiday spirit tested on computers

Drumming up

By XAVIER BOLUÑA and CLAIRE BUGOS Staff Reporter and Photo Editor

Photos by Lily Hartzell

Band, wind ensemble, choir, showchoir, jazz band and the drum line performed in the annual winter concerts on Dec. 4-5. 157 different students performed over the two nights.

No longer will students sit through STAR tests. No longer will teachers cater to standards that are stretched a mile wide but only an inch deep: the new nationwide Common Core encompasses fewer standards and focuses on quality over quantity. For the first time, all the standardized testing will be done solely on computers and will include short answer and multiple response questions. Aside from scratch paper, every component to the test—including calculators—is embedded into the test. To many this seems a welcome change, but others worry if it comes too fast and too soon. “I think we all grew up being taught how to work things out with pencil and paper,” junior Alex Croft said. “On a computer, this is taken away, but maybe with the new generation who have learned on a computer and you can do your work on a computer, that would be different.” The standards are much more writingoriented than the previous state standards. Questions on both math and English tests will require short answer, which is why Sequoia piloted an all-school numeracy activity last month.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) program at Sequoia focuses on many similar methods, thus putting Sequoia at an advantage in the transition period between CST and Common Core. “I think that the standards in California were already pretty high even before Common Core, and I think with the IB and ICAP programs at Sequoia, it’s already pretty solid,” junior Emma Elliott said. “I think that we might not have too harsh of an adjustment period here, just because there’s already pretty in-depth concepts taught in classes.” Based on the results of the pilot test juniors will take in May, teachers will further adapt their curricula in order to more accurately teach based on the content in the tests. “The standards are so new, we’re only realizing what’s possible,” English teacher Nick Muys said. “We’re living in a transitional time where it’s not clear how we can best prepare students.” “We’re trying to make this huge shift in instructional practices and how we measure a student’s abilities,” said Brandon Lee, Director of Research and Assessment for the Sequoia Union High School District (SUHSD). “[It’s] revolutionary in the delivery method, and that’s huge in and of itself.”

Happiness Club spreads joy through “Gratitude Wall” By EVAN ISENSTEIN-BRAND and ABIGAIL WANG Staff Reporters Giving thanks doesn’t stop after Thanksgiving. The Sequoia Happiness Club is helping students express gratitude throughout the holiday season. Recently they have organized a gratitude wall, a series of index cards posted near Room 38 on which students and staff can write the things that they are grateful for. The idea for the wall was sophomore Abby Hartzell’s, a member of the Happiness Club. “I was thinking we should bring to light the fact that we have a lot to be grateful for; we have a lot of thought provoking hall decorations, I thought the gratitude wall would be cool,” she said. “People can see what their classmates are thankful for and connect better

feature: Ms. Ignaitis

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[with them] to create a closer community at Sequoia,” said senior Cole Dunbar, President of Happiness Club. Posts on the wall varied from “I’m grateful for people who smile often and a lot” to “I am grateful for teachers who accept [...] late work.” Dunbar founded the club after he was inspired by a trip to Northwestern University. Meeting in English teacher Katie Karlin’s room at lunch on Fridays, the Happiness Club’s aim is to spread happiness at Sequoia through a variety of schoolwide events. “[The Happiness Club at Northwestern] was a group of four or five kids and they were just trying to do things that made people happier,” Dunbar said. “I thought it was really cool and I wanted to bring that to Sequoia.” Sequoia’s Happiness Club has done other work to decrease students’ stress and lighten their mood by giving out sweet treats during the week of IB exams and finals last year.

spread:

Immigration at Sequoia and beyond

Pages 4-5

Over 300 students have posted cards on the “Gratitude Wall,” which was organized by the Happiness Club. Photos by Simon Greenhill and Abigail Wang

By the Numbers

602

total number of cans collected in annual Thanksgiving can drive

With winter break just around the corner, we reviewed four recent movies to fulfill your holiday entertainment needs.

Last Vegas

Genres: comedy, bikinis, bikinis, bikinis, elderly, bikinis Comedy: 7/10 (many jokes, most of them not-so child-friendly) Acting: 8/10 (Morgan Freeman—‘nuff said) Life Lessons: 5/10 (just because it has all sorts of perverted themes doesn’t mean it can’t carry a message) Bikinis: 10/10 (more two-pieces than a swimsuit magazine) Overall: 7/10 If there was any movie that cut too close to R-rated material, it would be “Last Vegas.” After a multitude of cleavage shots, the movie left us with a sweet, albeit obscured message that even if you’re old and ill, you can still teach life lessons about alcohol and adultery.

Feature

Thor: The Dark World

Genres: action, sci-fi, fantasy, cheesy puns and sarcastic comments Special Effects: 8/10 (lots of dark lighting and lightning) Storyline: 7/10 (there are so many coincidental coincidences) Subplots: 4/10 (the number of plots is too dang high) Cheesy Jokes: 8/10 (Darcy hates dates) Plot Twists: 10/10 (Loki rocks!) Acting: 9/10 (I think they should have just called it Thor: Tom Hiddleston) Shirtless Muscular Men: 2/10 (for a Marvel movie, it’s disappointing to only have one shirtless guy the entire movie) Overall: 7.5/10 While this movie is a great continuation to the Marvel series, continuing its traditionally high special effects budget, cheesy quips and high-risk action, there are far too many subplots cluttering the main storyline, making it hard to follow.

December 11, 2013

Doctor Who: The Day of the Doctor

The Hunger Games: Catching Fire

This special was surprising in the best of ways, bringing back doctors and plot points from both the classic series and the revival, and even giving a special preview of the next doctor. The anniversary special used archive footage from all nine doctors who didn’t appear within the episode. Shockingly enough, it also had a happy ending, leaving viewers excited for the upcoming Christmas special.

“Hunger Games: Catching Fire” is also known as the one time we weren’t disappointed by the movie rendition of one of our favorite books. The screenwriters stayed very true to the books. However, the film went slightly overboard on the romance part of the story. I saw Katniss as fighting for her family and for the rights of the people, not a girl torn between love interests. — XAVIER BOLUÑA and CAM REBOSIO

Genres: action, sci-fi, drama Special effects: 8/10 Continuity: 9/10 (Bringing back plot points from the classic series and the revival, the continuity has remained) Sass: 9/10 (I thought that John Hurt was going to be wise and mysterious but he was really just a cranky, sassy old man) Plot twists: 10/10 (Weren’t they not able to save Gallifrey… ever?) Overall: 8/10

Genres: action, adventure, sci-fi, romance Special effects: 7/10 (most of the effects were well done, but some were a bit too exaggerated) Acting: 8/10 (I now like Johanna even more than I did when I read the books) Staying true to the book: 8/10 (Most of it was well-done, but they made Mags a bit too insignificant) Overall: 8.5/10

Sequoia Players’ production of ‘Millie’ thoroughly successful

Photos by Simon Greenhill

“Thoroughly Modern Millie” was performed on Nov. 22-24 in Carrington Hall. Senior Sarah Richards took the lead role of Millie.

The highlight of the entertaining show was art teacher Kate Sheehan’s last second appearance as the mother character. A full audience watched the comedic performances of Richards, freshman Bryce Stephens, junior Nicolette Norgaard, senior Jaret Snyder, senior Cassidy Thompson and senior Willa Gruver.

Concerned about your college applications? Peninsula Young Writers offers: • College consultation • Personal statement advising • Services for private and public university applications Call Beth at 650-743-1959 or email at penwritelitpro@gmail.com

Feature

December 11, 2013

College and Career Counselor ignites application success By DALIA JUDE and CLAIRE HARKOLA News Editor and Staff Reporter When she was 17, Terri Ignaitis wanted to be a pilot. Little did she know, she would still be in high school decades later. Now she spends every day helping seniors take steps towards attending college to achieve their own dream careers as the College and Career Counselor. A few years after she started teaching history at Sequoia in 1994, Ignaitis started to get involved with the budding AVID program. “When the principal offered me the position [of College and Career Counselor] I was like: ‘I’m not leaving my AVID kids, there’s no way, they are the reason I got my credential in the first place,’” Ignaitis said. AVID is a course for first generation students that guides them to college throughout their four years in high school. As her AVID freshmen moved onto become sophomores and conversations about college started, the notion that she would be responsible for getting 25 students into college became a reality. In preparation for this daunting task she went back to school to get a college counseling credential from UCLA. This led to a twist in Ignaitis’ career path when she officially took up the post of College and Career Counselor in 2008, the same year her first AVID class graduated. Through her involvement in AVID, Ignaitis found her passion for helping students who wouldn’t normally consider going to a fouryear college through the application process. “Someone asked me how we do it and we do it by having them every day and yelling at them like parents do to sign up for the SAT and ACT,” Ignaitis said. “We take those kids and we get them to go to a four-year college.” However, in addition to working with AVID, Ignaitis’ job entails much more than just sitting behind her desk and looking good. Half of her time is spent doing grade level presentations, which she thoroughly enjoys because it takes her back to her teaching roots standing in front of a classroom full of kids. The College and Career Center (Room 45), is also always open for appointments to go over

A Student’s Guide to SAFE: Aerobics

Tuesdays 4:00-5:00 p.m. Teacher: Claudia Meyer-Kispersky Location: Dance Studio Aerobics is not for the faint of heart. If you are looking for an up-beat, heart-pounding workout, then aerobics is the

Yoga

Thursday 4:00-5:15 p.m. Teacher: Lorraine Schulze Location: Dance Studio

Photo by Dalia Jude

Ignaitis spends half of her time delivering classroom presentations and guiding students through the intricacies of Naviance.

college applications and sign up for the SAT. On average, Ignaitis leaves school around 8 p.m. and starts working at 6:30 a.m. most mornings. “My job is weird because I’m not gonna pull kids out of class to work with them, so unless you’re willing to work outside hours you’re not gonna be very effective,” Ignaitis said. “It would be a whole different thing [if ] we pulled kids out of class.” Once the application season is over, Ignaitis will still have plenty to do as she is in charge of scholarships that go through the school such as the Sequoia Awards and the UC Berkeley Incentive Awards. She also meets with college representatives for college visits and also works with the English Learner Advisory Committee. Spending a lot of time working with seniors could get emotional for some when it comes time for them to leave the nest, but Ignaitis chooses to look at it as one of the many perks of her job, she gets to help students apply and get accepted to four-year universities. “My job is well done if I don’t see you again, if you go off and you’re successful,” Ignaitis said.

Lorraine Schulze, a teacher at Peacebank Yoga Studio downtown and Crunch Fitness, combines flexibility, strength and meditation into a class perfect for beginners. We were surprised by the

place for you. Involving jumping jacks, push-ups, squats, leg raises and a multitude of other exercises, aerobics works on strength and agility all to the tune of pop medleys. Grab your water bottle and sneakers and be prepared to get the ultimate six-pack. range of moves that were introduced and the relaxing atmosphere. Schulze offers a variety of levels when introducing each new position, creating a great space not only for beginners, but also more advanced yogis. If you have always wondered what it would be like to touch your toes, this is the place to find out.

Cooking

Wednesday and Thursday 4:00-5:15 p.m. Teacher: Chef Wilson Soto Location: Room 13

Photo by Abigail Wang

Chef Wilson Soto taught for 27 years at elementary schools before studying at Le Cordon Bleu College for Culinary Arts. The cooking class is great for beginners looking to learn how to cook a simple meal, rather than just picking

Photo by Claire Bugos

up the phone and ordering a Domino’s pizza. We learned new techniques for cutting vegetables and how to cook basic foods like rice and beans.

—CLAIRE BUGOS and ABIGAIL WANG See more at ravenreport.org

Immigrant students adapt to life in the United States By CARMEN VESCIA Feature Editor What used to be her school is now a pile of rubble. A bomb crater is all that’s left of her vacation home’s backyard. Former Sequoia student Sarah Younes, 16, left her home in Damascus, Syria in October 2012. Originally, she came to visit the United States for fun, but after violence escalated in Syria, her mother was afraid to return. A civil war is currently being fought there between the government and rebels who wish to otherthrow it. More than 100,000 people have been killed and millions have been forced to leave their homes and everything they know behind. Younes left her friends, older brother and father behind when she came; she hasn’t seen them in over a year, and she believes she may never be able to return home. “The hardest part is leaving your family and your friends and

Q & A with Gabriela Ramirez 17-year-old Gabriela Ramirez came from Mexico three years ago with her parents, leaving her siblings behind after waiting 15 years to get visas. She went to Sequoia until she moved to Denver four months ago. What was hard I remember some of the people thought I about learning was stupid because I didn’t know English. English? It really made me sad because I wanted to make new friends, but I couldn’t. Where do you After I left, I haven’t felt like I’ve been home consider home? again. Even though I have everything that I could need here, I don’t feel like it’s home. What advice would People at school that don’t want to talk about you give to immi- their countries should be proud of themselves grants at Sequoia? and of where they come from.

See more at ravenreport.org

all the memories. You left your life back there,” Younes said. “It was a huge change: the language, the people, the culture, so it was hard. It was very, very, very sad.” Although Younes moved from Sequoia to Chicago to live closer to her Syrian family friends and finish high school, there are still refugees at Sequoia. History teacher Jenna Cestone

personally knows of five others and believes there are more who have chosen not to share their stories. “If you’re an economic refugee, a political refugee, religious refugee, you’re running from fear. You can’t live in the place you’re from because of fear,” Cestone said. “You seek refuge in another place. My hope is that Sequoia is

that refuge.” Like any other teenager, Younes has dreams: she hopes to attend University of San Francisco and become a pediatrician. She prefers not to be labeled as a refugee and doesn’t want the current situation in Syria to define her or her country. “We are refugees, but it’s not because [we] don’t have food, don’t have money, don’t have a home anymore. You care about your children, and you care about your parents, so you’re scared. You want to go to a safer place,” Younes said. “People think of [refugees] as a bad thing. I’m a human being. I’m a normal person that just wants to live. The world is for everyone.” Although Younes already spoke English when she came to Sequoia, the language barrier can often be a significant challenge for immigrants. “If we’re lucky, they’re catching maybe 60 percent [of what’s being

said], and that extra [missing] 40 percent of understanding causes more fear in a student who’s already got fear from other issues. ‘Am I getting it right? Am I understanding the teacher? Do my classmates know more than me?’” Cestone said. “Maybe we just don’t realize they’re grappling with this level of fear everyday.” Cestone hopes to create an even safer environment at Sequoia where all students feel comfortable enough to share their stories. “I think for any kid, especially a teenager, you need to feel like you belong. You need to feel that comfort in order to grow and in order to bring out the best in yourself,” Cestone said. “The way to do that is doing what Sequoia does: create clubs, draw people in, encourage them, go up to the quiet ones in class, [and] reach out to those kids. I think that helps their confidence as students [and] helps break that barrier they have up.”

4 Creating a home: Junior dedicates herself to community By LILY HARTZELL Managing Editor Junior Alondra has lived in Redwood City for twelve years, and yet her family worries about driving to events too far away in case they get pulled over on the way. “You can’t do a lot of stuff because you’re afraid maybe you’ll get stopped by the police,” Alondra said. “You don’t ever really move past the fear, but you’re kind of learning to cope.” Originally from Michoacan, Mexico, Alondra moved here with her mom and two sisters to join her dad when she was four years old. “I always knew that maybe I wasn’t ‘documented.’ It wasn’t something like ‘oh I’m not going to be able to live my life,’ it was just there in the back of my mind and I didn’t really think about it,” Alondra said. She could not, however, get a driver’s license or work legally. This has changed with the implementation of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in 2012. Alondra and other undocumented youth are eligible for temporary Social Security numbers, although it is not a path to citizenship. Acts like DACA have major effects on undocumented students’ lives, yet these students have no vote in American politics. “You see all these undocumented students, and they keep going [even though] it’s been many years since they’ve been trying to pass that reform and it’s been killed by the Senate,” Alondra said. “And then you’re like OK, it’s demoralizing, and it may hurt me, but it’s not about me. All these people depend on it and kids who are still arriving depend on it. You may be scared, but you still kind of have to do it.” When her older sister, now a freshman at UC Santa Cruz, joined the Dream Club, Alondra began to take more action about her citizenship status. She joined the club as well, and for two years she has served as co-president. The club’s goal is to educate the community about undocumented students as well as the students themselves and to fundraise for scholarships the

Special Feature

club gives out at the end of the year. “[I joined] to help myself and my family because I am undocumented and I wanted to learn more about how I could succeed and live up to other documented students,” Alondra said. “But then all these students who maybe don’t have things that I do like a really supportive school so it became more about trying to help other students and trying to educate people who maybe don’t understand and could understand or wt to support and don’t know how.” One of the most impressive things about Alondra is her selfless attitude. On top of being an IB Diploma candidate, she’s in the Latino Student Union, ECOS Club, and acts as a translator for events. Not only is she involved with fellow immigrants, but she is taking action on the environment and is willing to help out at basketball games. The U.S. certainly has not welcomed Alondra with open arms, yet she is committed to improving one small community here. All the hours Alondra spends at school can cause tension at home. Her mom has a high school diploma, but her dad only went to elementary school. “He knows that going to college is good for us and he wants us to go to college, but like my mom, they want us to do other stuff like ‘oh, if you can’t get to college, just get a job and you can live with us and we’ll all be together.’ They don’t understand why it’s so essential,” Alondra said. Although Alondra faces challenges like eligibility for scholarships and the uncertainty of what will happen when her Social Security Number expires, she still sees herself as lucky. “A lot of undocumented students go through a lot more than I did. Maybe they don’t have a parent living with them, I have both of my parents living with me. Maybe they don’t have a sibling, I have all my siblings here. My life is a lot less complicated than theirs, but we still go through the same struggle of maybe not fitting in,” Alondra said. This article does not fully identify the student for privacy reasons.

Fear and Hope

Estar en la clase me hizo sentir como si fuera el primer día de la escuela secundaria. No conocía a nadie y me senté en el asiento más lejos de la maestra. Empecé el kick-off y me di cuenta que se me había olvidado cómo nombrar las partes de oraciones aunque los uso todos los días. Yo supe que cosas iban a ser diferentes cuando fui al salón 208 en dónde enseña la maestra de recursos bilingües Joan Fiser durante el segundo periodo, pero solamente me tomó unos minutos para averiguar que los estudiantes de ELD y yo tenemos mucho en común. Mi padre era un inmigrante a este país y yo quise ver cómo podría haber sido su vida si hubiera tenido la oportunidad de ir a la escuela secundaria. Muchos inmigrantes adolescentes que están aprendiendo inglés cómo una segunda idioma tienen que tomar una clase llamada

Sequoia’s Dream Club works to help undocumented students apply to, enroll in and pay for college, sponsoring several scholarships for students each year. Tania García-Piña, who came to the United States at 13 and graduated from Sequoia in 2009, was involved in starting the Dream Club in her senior year. “[The Dream Club] turned everything around,” García-Piña said. “Knowing that I had support from other people who knew the system and had gone through college made me feel better, and made me realize, ‘Okay, I really want this. If I’m here, I’m just gonna take the opgled to gain the right to legally reside, work or drive here. portunity to get a good education, an education that my Every day, they run the risk of being deported. In 2012, mom couldn’t get.’” over 400,000 undocumented immigrants were sent back García-Piña, who graduated with a degree in Anthroto their countries of origin; many of these immigrants pology from UC Berkeley this year and plans to pursue had lived in the United States since they were children. a doctorate in hispanic literature, said that she felt lost Sequoia’s undocumented population is supported by a when she started at Sequoia but found a supportive comnetwork of allies, but for those with dreams of attending munity in the Dream Club. college, the odds can seem insurmountable. “There’s something holding me here,” García-Piña “Being undocumented really makes you think you said. “The community that saw me develop from a very don’t have the capability of going to college,” senior An- quiet, and really sad and really depressed student to drea said. “Being undocumented makes you think you’re someone who wanted to do a lot for the community.” below other people. And if you think you’re below othTo McCahon and other advocates, stopping undocuers, it makes you think that you can’t get into college be- mented students from pursuing their goals is countercause you’re not good enough.” productive and detrimental to society. The majority are first-generation applicants who don’t “If we have students who have the passion, the desire know how to approach the application process, let alone and the skillset to become, say, lawyers or teachers or figure out how to pay exorbitant tuition rates. nurses or businesspeople, and we don’t “Some [undocumented] kids come allow them to be that, then we lose out “If I didn’t end up going to in unready as freshmen and feel so as a society,” McCahon said. college, then moving my whole discouraged that they’re not keeping Roberto Pablo Pimienta moved life [to the United States] would their grades up,” Dream Club adviser to California from Jalisco, Mexico have been a waste [...] being Jane Slater said. in 2009, and was co-president of the undocumented has made me more Until 2012, when the California Dream Club during his junior and sedetermined. If you tell me I can’t Development, Relief and Educanior years at Sequoia. He emphasized do something, I’m going to go out tion of Alien Minors (DREAM) Act that getting undocumented students and do it.” was passed, undocumented students to college is more than a legislative pro—Carla, senior could not qualify for state financial cess. aid from California public universities. Even now, when “The issue is so much bigger and so much more comin-state tuition and state financial aid aren’t enough to plex,” he said. “There’s economics behind it; there’s poliget students through college, most third-party scholar- tics behind it. Immigration is always going to be an issue.” ships and federal aid programs are closed to undocuNow a Materials Science and Engineering major at mented students. Stanford, Pimienta dedicated himself to pushing for im“[Undocumented students] have nothing to fall back migration reform even though he is fully documented. on—they can’t get loans,” IB Coordinator Lisa McCa“[I was motivated by] seeing what could be done, and hon said. “It can be really overwhelming for students. how far forward we could go,” he said. “It was an issue They need support and guidance through the process.” that people were aware of, but they didn’t really talk Immigration reform has been slow; a federal DREAM about it; it was taboo.” Act that would provide a path to citizenship has been dePimienta, who befriended many undocumented stubated since 2001 but has yet to be passed by Congress. dents, said that he was amazed by their determination Many undocumented students, including senior Car- and felt a need to help them get to college. la, are determined to go to college regardless of legislative “A huge issue that [undocumented students] have is and financial barriers. uncertainty,” Pimienta said. “They’re taking IB classes, “If I didn’t end up going to college, then moving my they’re engaged in extracurricular activities, but they whole life [to the United States] would have been a never know, ‘will I get that scholarship?’ or ‘am I going to waste,” said Carla, who immigrated from Peru when she get enough financial aid?’ or ‘Is my family going to get in was seven years old. trouble with immigration?’” “Being undocumented has made me more deterDespite this uncertainty, Segura and others expressed mined. If you tell me I can’t do something, I’m going to hope for immigration reform and advocacy. go out and do it.” “[Undocumented students] understand that the imWith the support of advocacy groups like Bay Area- migration system is broken, and that there needs to be based Educators for Fair Consideration (E4FC), un- a system that acknowledges the contributions that they documented students can envision themselves as college and their families make to their country,” Segura said. students and successful professionals. “They are agents of change; there’s a lot of leadership in “Every person I’ve worked with is very goal-driven, them.” and they have a vision for their lives and for their famiThis article does not fully identify two students for prilies,” said Jazmin Segura, an E4FC spokesperson. vacy reasons.

In 2012, over 400,000 undocumented immigrants Editor-in-Chief and Staff Reporter Every student’s life is stressful. From challenging class were sent back to their countries of origin; many of these es to a looming breakup, there’s always something to be about. immigrants had lived in the United States since they were worried Yet for as many as 30 percent Sequoia’s population— that’s 600 students—such concerns pale in the face of a children. For those who stay and attend school here, greater challenge: being undocumented. Undocumented immigrants—people who live in the applying to college is daunting, yet more and more possible. United States without legal authorization—have strugBy SIMON GREENHILL and EMMA PEYTON

En el año escolar 2010-2011 hubo 4.7 millón de estudiantes en ELD.

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En la última decada, el numero de estudiantes en escuelas públicas que no hablan inglés ha crecido por más de un millón.

1 3 s t a t e s have passed their own versions of the DREAM Act, which Congress has not yet passed.

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The California DREAM Act allows undocumented students to obtain state allocated financial aid at California public universities.

En la vida de estudiantes que han inmigrado de otros países Por ARACELI EFIGENIO Feature Editor

Undocumented students face daunting application process

English Language Development que ayuda mejorar habilidades de inglés con escribiendo y hablando y mejoran la comprensión y las capacidades de escuchar. En el año escolar 2010-2011 en los Estados Unidos, hubo 4.7 millones de estudiantes aprendiendo inglés en escuelas públicas. Después del kick-off, la clase continuó a trabajar en las actividades nombradas en el horario en el pizarrón. Mientras empezaron a dictar oraciones y copiándolos en sus pizarrones blancos, yo vi a los estudiantes ayudando uno a otro con deletrear y la gramática. Ellos leyeron el dictado más despacio si su compañero lo necesitaba y no se burlaban de la otra persona. Cuando los estudiantes tuvieron que responder preguntas de la maestra, respondieron sin temor o vergüenza. Ellos entienden que cometiendo errores es parte del proceso de aprendizaje. Lo que me sorprendió más era la actividad de escritura

en cual escribieron sobre lo que agradecen de sus vidas. Algunos expresaron fidelidad a sus religiones mientras otros compartieron el amor que tienen por sus familias. Un estudiante dijo que estuvo agradecido por Sequoia porque hay “gente simpática”. Algunos estudiantes solamente habían llegado a los E.E.U.U. tres meses anteriormente y ya han aprendido como hablar otro idioma. No se quejaron de su tarea que me hizo respectarles porque yo entiendo que hay otras problemas que enfrentan estudiantes inmigrantes departe de aprendiendo inglés. Hay estudiantes que están separados de sus familias mientras otros tienen que trabajar para mantener sus hermanos y hermanas. Yo aprecio todo de su trabajo y me da motivación a ser la mejor estudiante que puedo ser sin reclamar. Como un estudiante escribió, “Yo agradezco mi educación.”

English translation at ravenreport.org

Estudiantes de ELL constituyen 29 por ciento de las escuelas públicas en California.

Approximately 6 0 0 Sequoia students are undocumented.

My visa expired, not my dreams.

Opinion

December 11, 2013

Be grateful, not grouchy By LILY HARTZELL Managing Editor

Morayma Quezadas

Staff Editorial

Test scores should not define students The day that tests and projects are given back are either the best or worst days of our lives. When the bell rings to leave class, we all wait for the question: “What score did you get?” It’s annoying that everyone wants to know each others’ scores—it’s personal, they shouldn’t get to know. We all hate being asked, but that doesn’t stop us from asking the same question of our peers. We feel guilty, but we also want to feel superior. Curiosity takes over and we quickly forget how personal a test score can be. People should stop asking and worrying about what everyone else around them is getting, and focus on making sure they are putting out their best work. Test results are for teachers’ and students’ benefits only; they are one of the things that allow us to communicate. Knowing what our friends got doesn’t help anyone. It just makes us all more insecure. If a student doesn’t take the initiative to ask for help, the main way a teacher will judge the student’s performance in class is based off of test results.

It’s arguable that exams don’t fairly represent students’ intelligence. Some students are naturally good at test taking and develop strategies that help them get a high score. Others grip the material right away and don’t have to study. But for many, tests are difficult. We have to study, and even after hours of trying to understand curriculum, the scores we get back don’t seem to match up with the work we put in. It gets harder as the years progress. Results get more personal as we make our way to college. Each college is looking for a particular score, and if the applicant doesn’t have it, it’s hard to get accepted. Many may not realize that these questions are hard to respond to, not because we don’t know the answers, but because we don’t want to share them. The same applies to college applications and commitments. So don’t ask what we got on the test. At the end of the day, it’s just a number. Nobody needs to be defined by a number.

Physically fit? More like emotionally drained By GLENN BILLMAN Staff Reporter With 32 percent of American children obese, it’s no surprise that the U.S. Surgeon General recommend that schools require 150 minutes of physical education every week. What is a surprise, however, is how much students must sacrifice to fill this requirement. Aimless running around a track brutally destroys our sanity. An extra class bashes our ability to enroll in electives and required courses alike. And, at the end of a year of body odor, cramps and the same monotonous laps, my mile time was slower, not faster. The routine crunches and pushups didn’t make me stronger, they made me angrier. And not a single person in my class looked more fit. The ultimate goal of physical education is to force high schoolers to find the time to work out, and thus establish a more physi-

cally fit generation of Americans. a student to possess, but every year Hiding behind the bleachers, fak- money is spent attempting to do ing laps and memorizing every so. disgusting inch of the track were Obtaining physical fitness is common in my class, but lower extremely important in buildbody mass indexes? Not even. ing a healthy society, but students If you choose to escape the who are already in shape should second year of PE through three be allowed to test out of PE. Fitseasons of sports, make sure you ness testing could happen in the are only interested in one of the first week of school, and any stu15 sports Sequoia offers, and dent who passes should be able have no obligation to club teams, to pursue other electives. And, if homework or extracurriculars. a student doesn’t meet California Beyond that, standards, a year The routine crunches and pushups many sports of PE to work todidn’t make me stronger, they require stresswards improving made me angrier. ful, sometimes fitness would be humiliating tryouts. Hoping to beneficial to their health. In adcasually play soccer or volleyball? dition, full time PE teachers, who In PE, you only play for 15 min- can currently teach up to 231 stuutes. dents, would be able to focus more PE isn’t about physical ex- on personalized fitness regimes if cellence, trying your hardest classes were smaller. or becoming more fit over the I’m not saying there aren’t peocourse of the year. It’s about laps ple who enjoy PE, or that it isn’t and boredom. It’s about public a good way to get more credits embarrassment when you have towards graduation. If taking PE take fitness tests like completing for more than the required time push-ups in front of the whole interests you, go for it. But, it’s class. time to acknowledge that many Fit students shouldn’t have to students have other needs as well sacrifice their schedule and san- as interests, and PE shouldn’t be ity because of obesity figures they about being embarrassed, avoiding don’t fit into. Physical fitness isn’t real exercise and rearranging your something that a school can force schedule.

Most Sequoia students don’t have time to sleep, let alone do a thorough job on our homework. How is it, then, that we have so much time to complain? I hear, and admittedly participate in rants about homework, due dates, teachers, parents, friends, traffic, schedules, siblings, sleep, college and more. I understand how frustrating it is to have a bottom locker or to have to be at school at 7:30 every morning. I feel your pain when you were out of your favorite cereal this morning and the bathroom line was so long you were late to class. Believe me, I sympathize with the insane volume of homework you were assigned for the weekend. My condolences run out, however, when that’s all you talk about. The act of moaning and groaning never changes the work that needs to be done. Sure, it makes you feel better about yourself and it allows you to put off your mountain of math, but it doesn’t make it disappear. If you truly can’t do an assignment, use your energy to talk to the teacher about it in private and understand what is being asked. The teacher will respect you much more than if they hear you complaining about it before class. Complaining is cathartic, but instead of texting for an hour about all the things you need to do, figure out a plan to do them. I understand that we often feel so overwhelmed that it’s hard to start, and so we resort to blaming our workload on someone else or simply ignoring it. I’m not saying we should all be homework machines, but I’m urging you to evaluate the added stress you are causing yourself by going over and over the things you have to do without starting them. I am in five different Facebook groups for classes this year, and every other post is a rant. Sure, it’s useful to have people to answer a question long after the teacher has gone to bed, but it only serves to stress us out more if our news feeds are clogged with complaints. I go on the morning something is due to see self-pity posts from 3 a.m. I have sympathy the first time, but you need to re-evaluate the hours you’re spending on Facebook if your posts are as long as the essay you should be writing. I think one of the simplest solutions is to turn your laundry list of whines into a collection of gratitudes. Last week, a different friend mentioned that her father never had access to the kind of education she gets for free. The opportunity to live and learn in the way we do is a privilege. It’s easy to launch into a complaint fest of huge proportions, but we should remind ourselves of our good fortune. This is not a guilt trip, just a reality check. Next time you find yourself or those around you on the brink of a rant, pause. What do you have to be grateful for? Is there someone you haven’t appreciated lately? Is there an assignment you found interesting instead of frustrating? Try to balance getting things off your chest with things that make you smile. Trust me, it will make you and everyone else more relaxed, and it will stop you sounding like a broken record. Who has time for twenty complaint sessions every day anyway? Sequoia High School

Raven Report

2013-2014 The Abominable Snowman Simon Greenhill Donner and Blitzen Laurel Dearborn Lily Hartzell Dreidel Master Dalia Jude The Elves Araceli Efigenio Carmen Vescia Cindy Loo Hoo Matvari Maharaj Gingerbread Man Jarrett Crowell Olive the Other Reindeer Claire Bugos Fa-la-la-layout Editor Anna Dagum Frosty the Snowman Caroline Lempert Reindeer Glenn Billman Xavier Boluña Julio Cortez Emily Ducker Lily Friebel Carlos Garcia Claire Harkola Evan Isenstein-Brand Emma Peyton Cam Rebosio Sabrina Villanueva Avalos Abigail Wang Mama Claus Kim Vinh

Opinion

December 11, 2013

Put down your wallets and be thankful... gunning each other down at a Toys R Us, or an elderly woman getting trampled on by a pack of shopping wolves. “South Park” even did a satire episode t’s strange how people go crazy over in which they exaggerated the way people the holidays. Black Friday especially. go nuts on Black Friday. It showed scenes Black Friday isn’t even a holiday, yet peo- where the main lobby of the mall was covered in blood and many security guards ple go nuts. People buy things they don’t need on were killed. That is really exaggerated, but are we so far from that? this day. For Sure, things are a lot example: I Why spend more money on something once knew you don’t need? Besides from that point, why cheaper, but aren’t they a dude who do people get so angry and so violent when it also every other day? Check out Macy’s, they had a nice comes to this day? It’s like a shopping demon S a m s u n g possessed their soul and they will attack any- have big sales like every plasma TV one who takes the last Elmo doll for their kid. weekend. Why spend hours out in the cold that was like for something that 32 inches. Then he went shopping on Black Friday, would most likely have another sale in the suffered the long hours of waiting, and future? Yes the near future. Like maybe a bought another TV similar to the one week or two after Black Friday. Thanksgiving is supposed he had that’s just a couple of inches bigto be a day to be thankful ger. There’s no need for that. Why spend for what you have. You more money on something you don’t spend a nice time need? Besides from that point, why do with your famand people get so angry and so violent when ily it comes to this day? It’s like a shopping eat a demon possessed their soul and they will attack anyone who takes the last Elmo doll for their kid. Many accounts have occurred in which people have died. That’s right, died. These deaths can range from two dudes violently

By CARLOS GARCIA Staff Reporter

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...Now pick them back up and shop By SABRINA VILLANUEVA AVALOS Staff Reporter

Taste: Smell: Holiday Spirit: Easiness: Total:

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The holidays are more than just an overbearing presence of festive decorations and cheery music; the holidays bring those seasonal Starbucks drinks that you have been waiting all year for. But why drag yourself to Starbucks and pay $4.65 for a pumpkin spice latte? We put Starbucks to the test by creating four of our own classic holiday beverages. We measured each drink’s taste, smell, holiday spirit, ease to prepare and the overall product. The warmth and spirit that we would normally buy can now come from the comfort of our own kitchen. —CLAIRE HARKOLA and EMMA PEYTON

Eggnog Latte

Taste: Smell: Holiday Spirit: Easiness: Total:

Recipe : Pumpkin Spice Latte

Peppermint Mocha

Gingerbread Latte

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you love them and be thankful for the things you have. At least most of us aren’t starving. If I were you, I would stick to Cyber Monday. It’s not that complicated, you guys. $200 for a TV regularly priced at $599.99 at Target, 52 percent off the new Kindle Fire. There’s something available for all interests, so I refuse to hear any excuses. Additionally, once Thanksgiving ends, Christmas is right around the corner. We all want to go holiday shopping for our families. Why spend $50 per person when you could shop on Black Friday and spend $50 for your whole family, total? You may even have some money left over so Santa can leave you a surprise under the tree. Yes, I’m aware that stores open as early as 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving night, and no, I’m not crazy. If you’re on a break from school and have no obligations for the rest of the day, there is absolutely no excuse to not to wake up a couple hours earlier and get your blood flowing. I’m not asking you to join the 23 percent of people who camp out the night before, but c’mon. We already wake up around 6-7 a.m. for school, so what’s three hours less of sleep? We can easily come home, take a nap, and wake up completely refreshed, and we’ll even have some stylish new clothes and Christmas gifts for our families under the tree. That is what I would call a productive day.

Festive homemade drinks quench holiday thirst

Pumpkin Spice Latte

Taste: Smell: Holiday Spirit: Easiness: Total:

nice dinner, but what do we get instead? People punching each other in the face over the last One Direction CD that they want to give to their daughter. I wouldn’t want to spend hours in the cold for some thing I probably don’t need. Say I wanted a new Xbox One. I waited in line at Best Buy or any other electronic store. The line moves and when I enter and get inside, guess what’s not there? That’s right, the Xbox One. Things you probably want badly would most likely not be there. So for the love of God, stay indoors with your family. Show them here’s nothing like kicking off your holiday shopping on the cheapest day of the year: Black Friday. It’s a shopaholics’s dream. Stores pack their shelves and racks with a countless amount of items. The best part? Everything is cheap. Who wouldn’t want to spend a couple hours on a day full of discounts? Besides, of course, those who think shoppers are materialistic lunatics. Yes, I’m talking to you, Scrooges of the shopping world. You can say you’re against the beloved day all you want, but I know that deep down, even you would fall under the spell that Black Friday casts on its’ consumers. Let’s be real, everything goes on sale, and I do mean everything. Save up to 90 percent on home appliances, 40 percent off of your entire purchase at Express,

Directions: Combine milk, sugar and pumpkin Ingredients: in a pot and stir over medium heat until steamed. 2 cups milk Remove from heat, stir in vanilla and 2 tablespoons canned pumpkin pumpkin spice. 2 tablespoons vanilla extract Transfer the mixture into a blender 2 tablespoons sugar and process of 10 seconds (or until foamy) 1/2 teaspoons pumpkin pie spice or whisk the mixture until foam appears. 1 /4 -1/2 cup espresso Pour into mug, add espresso and serve.

Taste: Smell: Holiday Spirit: Easiness: Total:

Find these recipes to try them for yourslef at http://www.thedallassocials.com/blog/starbucks-holiday-drink-recipes/ Find us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram www.facebook.com/ravenreport @ravenreport

Sports

December 11, 2013

Day in the life: Wrestling with a new sport By GLENN BILLMAN Staff Reporter I used to think that I knew what a hard practice was. Then I went to one day of wrestling. The day after, my jugular was sore, walking up stairs took several minutes and I needed multiple doses of Advil. I wasn’t sure that my arms would ever regain full function. When practice began with ten minutes of running, I was sure that I could do this, no problem. But when everyone started doing round-offs and cartwheels and flips and bending all the way backwards and walking in a bridge, I knew I had met my match. Apparently, wrestlers exist in a world this: where they can do four sets of 25 pushSmack. Glenn is forced to the mat. ups in their sleep. Smack. Glenn has been flipped over The warm up alone nearly killed me, the girl’s shoulder, directly onto the mat. and that was before I even started wresSmack. Glenn is, yet again, down. tling. Wrestling a 115-pound, 4-foot-11 Smack. Plot twist! The girl has let girl not trying as hard as she can should Glenn attempt a wrestling move on her translate to an easy fight. However, the without fighting back, but Glenn trips aching of my over herself and is on bruised ribs for I’ll admit, I was once skeptical to be near the mat. days after prac- anyone who dressed in a tight, synthetic By the end, all of the rubber version of overalls to partake in a tice very clearly real wrestlers who had proved other- bloodthirsty battle. But after spending a been actually able to wise. I knew I day in the life of a wrestler, I’m converted. practice were drenched was hopelessly in sweat. out of my league when the photographer Apparently losing takes a lot out of who was supposed to capture my attempt someone, because I could barely hobble at wrestling was too busy laughing to take out of the gym. My face was raw from hita photo of my obvious fail. ting the mat so many times, my head was A brief summary of the second half of throbbing from landing incorrectly and I practice would go a little something like had a staggering record of approximately

Photos by Dalia Jude and Lily Friebel

It’s not possible to fully comprehend a sport by just sitting on the sidelines. After some bashing into the wrestling mat, I think I have a general idea. 0-56. Despite the difficult workout, if I didn’t value my safety, I would now strongly consider joining the team. I’ll admit, I was once skeptical to be near anyone who dressed in a tight, synthetic rubber version of overalls to partake in a bloodthirsty battle with anyone who dared oppose them. After spending a day in the life of a wrestler, I’m converted. Wrestling is a balance of speed, strength and agility that most athletes will never possess. But beyond that, it’s strategy, ruthlessness and dedication. All that in addition to the satisfaction of forcing other people’s faces into a sweatsaturated mat, of course. The hard-core wrestling team practices for two hours every day to perfect their smashing, crashing and thrashing skills. They proudly don fierce expressions to

face off in strategic physical battles, without expecting adoring fans or cheerleaders. Even though I never had to, it seems that the most difficult part about wrestling is maintaining your weight class. You have to calculate how much weight you float (lose) per night, how much you burn during practice, and struggle all season to stay the same weight. Countless calories are cut or binged, miles are run. Walking the hallways, watching students eat chips, candy and any type of nourishment. Your daily ration? Half a bell pepper. It’s easy to judge a hard-core, highly dedicated collection of people that can easily rip the flesh from your bones. But to join this elite force? Expect pain, diets and exposure to fabulous, incredibly flexible, people.

Sequoia Scarves: ‘tis the season to be cozy

Teacher David Weyant Freshman Emily Hutchison Photo by Claire Bugos

The varsity girls team and Charlie Utecht finished strong at the CCS meet at Crystal Springs, Belmont.

Cross Country team races to CCS By EMILY DUCKER and LILY FRIEBEL Staff Reporters

Seven females and one male represented Sequoia at the Central Coast Section (CCS) meet Saturday, Nov. 16 at Crystal Springs. Although the cross country team got off to a rocky start, they improved throughout the season. CCS was not guaranteed at the beginning of the season, but the team worked hard, implementing new training techniques and difficult workouts in order to get there. They also had to adjust to new coaches Bruce Wer-

nick, Mesha Spivey and Thomas Bastis. Wernick was on the coaching staff before, but this was Bastis’ and Spivey’s first year co-coaching the team. The coaches came up with new ideas including workouts that worked on the runners’ cores and upper bodies, as opposed to strictly running. “Our first meets were a lot slower; we got better throughout the season,” sophomore Sophie Walton said. “I wouldn’t be as committed if there wasn’t a good team dynamic.” Junior Charlie Utecht was the only boy that qualified for CCS.

“I was happy I got to run,” Utecht said. “I practiced as much as I could. I ran with the team, I stayed after practice and tried to work with the coaches.” One thing that is clear is these runners’ love for the sport. You have to be committed and like to run. There is no slacking in this sport, or you won’t cut it. As for next year, the team hopes to continue improving and build up its reputation. “It’s the feeling of success and accomplishment that makes cross country really fun,” sophomore Rebekah Westerlind said.

Junior Isabella Schreiber Junior Richard Molina

Junior Dominic Clark —EMMA PEYTON

Senior Kim Stewart