Carlmont Highlander January 2015

the

HIGHLANDER Behind the mask: Carlmont’s walking DJ pg 3

Suicide and depression in our society pg 12&13

Carlmont by the numbers: the statistics and facts pg 24

January 2015 Vol VI Issue IV

www.scotscoop.com @scotscoopnews

Dealing with concussions head on Aria Frangos Junior Editor

There’s no such thing as a “little” concussion.

The U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention defines a concussion as “a type of traumatic brain injury (TBI) caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head that can change the way your brain normally works.”

The CDC also states that about 1.6 million to 3.8 million concussions happen every year, and that 5 to 10 percent of athletes of any given sport season will have concussions.

Concussions are the most common form of TBI. These are significant numbers. Minor concussions can cause headaches, confusion, dizziness, fatigue, and nausea among other symptoms. They can also lead to issues of concentration, sensitive sight or hearing, irritability and mood swings, depression, and in extreme cases, can even be fatal.

“It makes sense they’re so common because they can happen in really simple ways, like just banging your head on something too hard,” said freshman Marjan Moshiri.

“When I had a concussion I was really confused and sensitive for a long time. We had a school fire drill while I was still recovering and I actually fell down because the noise hurt so much.”

A fairly new method of diagnosis for concussions is a program called imPACT testing. The program is based at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, a leading center in concussion research and treatment worldwide. ImPACT Applications Inc. is private and for-profit, but still connected to UPMC. ImPACT testing runs a subject through a series of tests on standard computers. The process takes about thirty minutes and includes matching words, colors, and shapes in different contexts. It also contains tests of memory and cognition speed by requiring the subject to view some information, do another task, then remember the previous information.

The purpose of the test is to provide a baseline of normal brain activity. If an athlete is suspected to have gotten a concussion, the test can be readministered to use for comparison against their original data for brain activity and diagnose if the athlete has been affected.

Every time a soccer player goes in for a header they receive a minor concussion.

Carlmont is the second school in the Sequoia School District to require this concussion baseline testing for all athletes.

"It kind of seemed like a waste of time because the tests were really simple and time-consuming," said varsity soccer player and junior Amit Netanel, "but it will probably come in handy since concussions aren't that uncommon in soccer."

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In late January 2014, Woodside High School took on a pilot program for imPACT testing with 20 out of 35 of the boys on the lacrosse team. This was led by Sequoia District Wellness Director Karen Li and funded by the Sequoia Hospital.

"I think the tests are a good idea, but they could've been skewed if you were just having a really good day when you

Continued on pg 4

Concussions in female and male athletes Avery Adams Junior Editor

Society has already established that playing like a girl is not necessarily a bad thing.

But what about being a girl player?

While professional football and other male sports attract the majority of attention regarding the effects of brain injuries, the risk of concussions for female athletes is put on the back burner.

However, according to the recent study “Concussions Among United States High School and Collegiate Athletes,” published in the Journal of Athletic Training, high school females playing soccer are 68 percent more vulnerable to the effects of a concussion than males playing soccer. High school females playing basketball are three times more likely to receive a concussion than males playing basketball.

“Female soccer players are more susceptible than boy soccer players because of their body type and neck. Females don’t have as much stability in the neck,” said

Vicki Fukuhara, a speech pathologist who specializes in neurological injuries at Carlmont.

Another study published by the Journal of Athletic Training revealed that females have 26 percent less total mass in their heads and necks than males, and have less developed neck muscles. This prevents females from absorbing the shock of an im-

pact as well as males, resulting in a more significant impact on the brain.

“I do know that in soccer specifically, there are more concussions that happen in girls soccer. High school age girls especially, and also boys are more likely to have both more symptoms of concussions and are more likely to be out longer. It just has a greater impact on their brains because they

HEAD INJURIES

2:1

girls have less stability in their neck

concussion rates in female and male athletes

girls have more post concussion symptons than boys

are still developing,” said Arielle Carter, Carlmont’s certified athletic trainer.

High school football has the highest concussion rate of 47 cases in every 100,000 athletes, causing high risks of long term brain damage in football players. However, female soccer is second, at a rate of 36 cases in every 100,000 high school athletes, with male soccer and female basketball following, as noted by the previous study.

“Boys and girls, men and women, are all susceptible to concussions. There are clear and obvious risks for males playing football: heads colliding. But a female soccer player going aerial for a header who falls, is also susceptible to injury. And the soccer player isn't wearing pads or a helmet,” said Juventus Soccer Club Board Member and Coach Darrell Ringman.

Sixteen-year-old Lauren McDonnell suffered from a severe concussion after multiple hits to the head on Sept. 13. For several weeks, McDonnell woke up nearly every other day to a completely blank slate,

Continued on pg 4 ASHLEY KAWAKAMI

NEWS 2015 Propositions now in place

Page 2

The Highlander

January 2015

Claudia Leist Editor

In 2015, San Franciscans will be paid more and Californians punished less.

The people of San Francisco voted in favor of Proposition J to gradually raise the minimum wage from $10.74 per hour to $12.15 per hour by May 1, 2015, and eventually to $15 per hour in 2018.

Why, may you ask, would anybody oppose this proposal? Well, for employees earning minimum wage it is an improvement, but for small businesses who have to pay their employees minimum wage, it imposes more of a burden.

According to ballotpedia.org, opposers such as the Golden Gate Restaurant Association believe it will raise prices, slow hiring, and reduce the number of staff within businesses. Many businesses would have the threat of closing because of oncoming trouble with affordability. Small businesses tend to be more careful with their money and hiring because of the smaller amount of income and publicity.

The ballot count resulted in 77.43% in favor of raising the minimum wage, most of these supporters were receivers of mini-

Pass Rates

Pass Rates

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mum wage or those in close relation to others who get paid this way. While there are many pros and cons to the approved Proposition J, society will be affected both positively and negatively by its implementation in San Francisco.

Along with these votes in favor of raising the minimum wage, Californians were in favor of Proposition 47 to reduce the penalties for non-serious and non-violent crimes. It considers crimes such as shoplifting, fraud, and personal use of illegal drugs as misdemeanors instead of felonies.

This proposition applies to non-serious or non-violent crimes for people who have not had prior convictions for violent crime.

It provides eligibility for resentencing for those previously convicted of non-serious or non-violent crimes and it creates a Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Fund that receives appropriations for implementation in California communities. This fund is an annual amount delegated to reduce truancy, provide victim services, and support mental health and drug abuse treatment to keep individuals from incarceration.

Immigration reform changes lives Jocelyn Moran Staff Writer

America: the land of opportunity. For some.

This statement that the United States identifies itself with is a symbol of opportunity for prosperity and success.

James Truslow Adams, an American writer and historian, defined the American Dream as a "Iife that should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity according to ability or achievement" regardless of social class or circumstances of birth.

Immigrants come to the United States in search for jobs and a better life, in search of the American Dream.

However, Adams' definition of the American Dream does not apply to many immigrants because they do not have legal documents that allow them to seek jobs and education.

According to “American Progress,” there has been in foreign born population from 2000 to 2012. The immigrant population has also grown from 31.1 to 48 million in the past decade.

Of those millions of immigrants, more than 11 million are illegal.

The immigration system is broken because those people are living in the shadows, hurting the economy and country.

However, on Nov. 20, President Barack Obama announced his issuing of an immigration executive order in a step to fix the country’s broken immigration system.

Obama’s plan will allow illegal immigrants who have been in the U.S. for more than five years to stay temporarily without fear of deportation.

Immigration lawyer Luis Cortes said, “This is not amnesty. It is not letting people stay in the U.S.

permanently. They are not getting the benefits of being a citizen either. They can’t vote. It is just giving immigrants a work permit, and it is requiring them to pay taxes, which many immigrants already do. It is allowing them to stay here with their families and come out of the shadows.”

Obama’s plan will also allow immigrants to stay in the U.S. if they have at least one child who was born here.

Senior Zerena Silva said, “So many families have been separated just because the parents are illegal, and the kids aren’t. This executive order will stop this, and families will stay together.”

Obama’s executive order comes with many benefits for immigrants and the country.

1. It will reprioritize who Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is after by focusing on criminals who have committed crimes such as robbery and murder.

“ICE would just go down a list, and pick people randomly. An immigrant could go out grocery shopping, and ICE would pick them up there. They would put the same focus on an illegal immigrant to an illegal immigrant who is a gang member. This executive order will reprioritize, so that they’re going after criminals who are gang members and who have committed actual crimes,” said Cortes.

2. There will be less abuse of undocumented employees.

“Undocumented employees can’t stand up for themselves at their jobs because they don’t have papers, and can’t do anything about not getting paid enough.

This executive order will allow them to stand up for themselves,” said Cortes.

3. It will help the United States economy.

The U.S. is in very large debt, and with more people paying taxes, it will help relieve it, and will help the economy.

4. It resets the tone of the United States.

Cortes said, “It gives more of a welcoming inclusive culture because there are people who have been here for many years, who have grown up here, who have gone to school here, who have worked here, who have contributed to the country, and who consider themselves Americans even though they do not have papers. It is saying that we are going to keep people who are worth keeping.”

However, like many plans, there are negative aspects.

“There are two cons that I can think of. One, it politicizes the issue because it was made through the president. It makes people more pro or anti immigration.

People are either really happy about it or really angry about it,” said Cortes. “Second, it gives the message to other countries that if you stay in the U.S. long enough, you’ll get something, and it doesn’t promote legal immigration.”

Senior Sara Arredondo said, "Obama's plan isn't perfect, but it's a start to make the U.S. a better place."

Although there are negative aspects of immigration reform, the immigration system is broken, and needs to be fixed in order to help better our country and help the immigrants who are in search of the “American Dream.”

Cortes said, “This issue brings back the question about what makes someone American. Immigrants consider themselves American because they’ve contributed, they’ve worked hard, and they make America a better place. They’ve earned it.”

The Proposition passed by 59.27 percent.

Most of the supporters were social justice advocates and opposers were those afraid of lenient punishment and shorter sentence times for criminals of any sort.

According to ballotpedia.org, many supporters believe that punishment has too long been based on poverty and, the state has been wasting prison space and money that could be used as funding elsewhere, and that it protects public safety by providing more focus on serious crime.

On the other hand, many opposers believe that the proposition benefits criminals, gives undeserving prisoners the opportunity to be resentenced, releases dangerous inmates to the public, promotes the use of illegal drugs and possession of illegal firearms, burdens the criminal justice system and much more.

Proposition 47 will reinstate people’s faith or fear in the California justice system, and will serve to either benefit or pose harm to society. It is difficult to determine how each resentencing will affect each person accused and those around them.

Californians must keep their eyes open and minds alert when starting the new year with these newly passed Propositions.

NEWS

January 2015

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The Highlander

Behind the mask: Carlmont’s walking DJ Kelly Song Junior Editor

You hear him before you see him. A flash of blue and then he’s on the other side of the hallway. We’ve always seen him around, and yet we have never been formally introduced. And it’s about time.

Meet Arron, Carlmont High School’s walking DJ. Arron, who requested his last name remain anonymous, has been playing music around campus every Friday at lunch for the past two years, dressed in all blue with a scarf covering his face. He walks around, blasting music on speakers and dancing to the beat. But who is he really, under that blue mask?

Arron’s goal is simple: to spread some of his favorite music in the hallways during lunch and help energize students for their day at school. Arron says he skips lunch every Friday just so everyone can enjoy the music, rain or shine.

“I just want people to have a smile on their face,” said Arron, a junior at Carlmont. “I like the whole idea of having a sense of mystery. Nothing really happened during lunch, and I wanted to make it less boring.”

Arron’s appearances around campus have sparked positive remarks from students, who have taken notice of his Friday walks around Carlmont.

“It makes the hallways more interesting,” said junior Luke Moler. “Since his music is very beat oriented, I always find myself stepping to the beat. I imagine that it requires a whole lot of courage to do that, and I really respect that.”

Junior Blair Finlayson also expressed similar thoughts toward Arron’s music.

“It’s a good reminder that it’s Friday and that I’m almost done for the week,” said Finlayson. “I think it takes a lot of guts to go around and play his music like that, and it’s interesting to hear his remixes.”

Arron was inspired to play music after winter break during his sophomore year,

Arron, Carlmont’s walking DJ, poses in his recognizable attire. when he “just felt something was missing.”

Arron felt the need to help students become more excited about school, and serve as an inspiration for other shy students. He wanted to show that anyone could make a statement. With this newfound inspiration, Arron decided to transform from a simple student to a music icon at Carlmont.

“I felt that if I could do something to make someone feel better, life would be better,” said Arron. “I would do this by playing music, dancing, giving high fives and cookies, and doing nice things to make people feel happier.”

Arron focuses his song choices on specific styles of music, mainly playing electronic dance music. EDM, which is one of Arron’s favorite genres, is an upbeat style of music generally used by DJs at nightclubs and festivals.

“I mostly play [EDM] because it’s not only my favorite type of music, but it also brings up the hype to make people amped up about Friday,” said Arron.

But what Arron really strives for is a chance to transform into someone new each week, away from a shy guy or a quiet person. Underneath all of his blue lies a student just like the rest.

“There’s nothing special really, I’m just an ordinary person too,” said Arron. “I can dance and I play golf.”

Arron has been involved in dance since he was only two years old, when his parents would take him to dance at family parties and weddings. Arron enjoys dancing in a wide variety of different styles, including breakdance and shuffle.

“My family would all be proud whenever I would dance, especially when other fami-

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lies and cousins would compliment me,” said Arron.

Arron’s passion for dance earned him the nickname ‘Kool-Aid’ during freshman year, when several underclassmen saw him dancing and commented that they liked his shirt, a purple T-shirt with a Kool-Aid logo. From then on, Arron decided to officially adopt the name ‘Kool-Aid’ and still shares the title with others when asked for a nickname.

Arron hopes that other students will continue to enjoy his music on Fridays and stop by to talk with him the next time they see him around campus.

“I hope students can go with the flow and have something to talk about with me,” said Arron. “Rock out, be yourself, and just express how you want. If I make you want to dance, just go for it!”

The trick to avoid getting sick Lara Ostroff Staff Writer

Waking up to your alarm on a dreadful school morning, with a runny nose, high fever, and cold-sweats, you lay back down and pray to whatever you believe in that your mom will let you stay home.

Your mom sighs and says, “It was cold, I told you to wear a jacket.”

We, as teenagers, have heard this phrase countless times.

It could be the last day of finals, or the first day back from break. Winter sickness season doesn’t discriminate.

Throughout the winter months, students at Carlmont High School have noticed an increase in the amount of times they get sick during winter than other seasons of the year.

According to a recent poll at Carlmont High School conducted by the journalism department, 63 percent of the student body said that they get sick during the winter more often than other seasons of the year.

That is roughly two-thirds of the 2200 students attending Carlmont.

Students aren’t the only ones noticing the increase in sickness during winter months.

Irma Gomez, the office’s attendance clerk, commented on student absences during winter compared to any other time of the year.

“There is definitely a significant increase in absences from people being sick. Unfortunately, kids come to school sick, and then they spread their germs. A big part of that

increase is kids choosing to come to school sick,” said Gomez.

Gomez said, “Some good ways to prevent this are keeping your hands clean, using hand sanitizer, drinking a lot of liquids, but most of all, if you are sick to stay out of school for two days.”

Carlmont’s health aid, Samantha Gingher, talks about why she thought so many people get sick during the winter season.

“This time of year is when the flu circulates, and it’s colder out, but ultimately, people don’t practice proper hygiene; for instance not washing their hands, not covering their mouths when they cough, and not disposing their tissues correctly,” said Gingher.

Some recommendations Gingher gave to avoid getting sick during the germ-infested months included washing your hands, disinfecting, and covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze.

“It is just as important to protect others by practicing those things as it is to practice all of those things to avoid getting sick,” said Gingher.

Many students are still unaware as to whether or not there is a direct link from the cold weather to the increase in getting sick.

Senior Dakota Reagan thought that the reason for an increase in sickness during the winter season is directly linked to the cold weather of the winter months.

“I think I get more sick during the winter because of the cold weather, and I’m not sure why but I guess that does something to your body,” said Reagan.

One of the most popular health myths is that cold weather makes you sick.

Senior Ian Good said, “I think that when it is cold outside, you are more likely to get sick.”

However, almost all scientific evidence, as well as the opinions of medical professionals, points to the conclusion that there is no direct correlation between cold weather and colds.

According to Dr. Sorana Segal-Maurer, who specializes in internal medicine and is a member of the American Board of Infectious Diseases, the cold weather isn’t the actual cause of the common cold, it’s how people respond when it gets cold out.

“When the weather turns cold, we all run indoors, where air is recycled and we’re often in close quarters with other people and viruses. We all sneeze on top of each other,” said Segal-Maurer.

Doctor Thomas Tallman agrees, and believes that there is no correlation between cold weather and colds.

Tallman adds that people in close quarters are more readily exposed to carriers of the viruses that cause colds.

The strength of an individual’s immune system also has a significant role in how susceptible one is to a cold, however, a cold virus does not require a weak immune system.

“You can be healthy as an ox and still get a cold,” said Tallman.

Some tips on how to stay germ-free this winter season include: washing your hands frequently, using hand sanitizer, covering your mouth when you cough or sneeze, and most importantly, steer clear of other sick people.

NEWS

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The Highlander

January 2015

Dealing with concussions head on Continued from page 1

took it the first time, making it harder to match up with your score again on a retake even if you weren’t injured," said varsity soccer player and senior Johanna Hendricksen.

Much of the fear that lies behind concussions stems from the fact that there is much less certainly known about their identification, treatment, and effects than there is about more visible injuries like a torn ACL or broken bone.

"You can support an injured ankle or knee with braces and exercises, but you can't put a brace on your head to fix a concussion," said junior varsity basketball player and junior Caitlin Caslow. "All you can do is rest, and a lot of people go back too early and extend their recovery period."

The brain is a soft organ that is usually cushioned by the fluids around it and protected by the skull. However,

if twisted, impacted, or jolted with enough force, it can hit the skull and be injured.

The generally accepted treatment for concussions is just resting. It’s simple, but the most common remedy of a concussion is removal from exerting activities, shielding from too much stimulation of the senses, and reliance on the brain to heal itself without a lot of outside professional assistance in the process.

“Many of us believe the vast majority of concussions are self-recovered, with standard observation,” said New York University associate professor and NYU Langone Medical Center director of neuropsychology William Barr. “Ninety-five percent of athletes are recovered within seven to 10 days.”

Repeat concussions are the most concerning thing about returning to normal activity too early. Often, an initial concussion will not cause lasting damage to the brain.

However, if impacted again during the vulnerable healing stage, secondary damage to the already injured brain can be severe, much more long lasting or even permanent.

A study done in the neurology department at Boston University School of Medicine suggested that a coach’s behavior was a major factor in whether athletes would report concussion symptoms. College athletes in a study of 730 NCAA Football Championship Subdivision reported that they felt six suspected concussions for each officially diagnosed concussion.

“Athletes don’t want to stop playing,” said sophomore TJ Amigleo. “An ACL tear or sprained ankle or something like that physically forces you not to play, but if you have a concussion and can still manage to play, you don’t want to go off the field and risk being replaced by someone else.

Alex Smith had a concussion and got replaced by [Colin] Kaepernick, and he lost his spot as 49ers quarterback.”

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Professional players often suffer minor concussions from heading the ball. Varsity player, Veronica Pontis demonstrates a proper header.

Concussions in female and male athletes Continued from page 1

no recollection of her once familiar room or her own identity.

“Boys are boys, they’re always fighting or doing something with contact, while girls aren’t doing that as much, so nobody really expects it. I didn’t really think of [concussions] very much before. I wore [a head protector], so I thought I’d never get one,” said McDonnell.

Some professionals point towards the differences in anatomy as a possible explanation.

According to the same study published in the Journal of Athletic Training, female soccer and basketball players with concussions were more often symptomatic for longer periods of time than the corresponding

male sports players, and were symptomatic longer than football players.

“It has the worst effect on high school kids because of the stage of development their brains are at,” said Carter.

Carter has another theory for the greater concussion rate in females: “Girls, when they are teenagers, are not as aware of their space and their bodies moving in space.

There are studies that show that girls are not as good as that as boys, at least at this age. What I’ve seen with this sport is that girls play a little bit closer in soccer so they are more likely to collide. That doesn’t account for every soccer team, buts that’s what I’ve seen,” said Carter.

Another study originally published in the Journal of Athletic Training suggests A variety of handmade chokers crafted by your very own seniors Adrianna and Madi. Support your fellow students and check us out!

that the higher concussion rate of females than males may be cultural. This study states that society expects males to be tough and play through the pain, resulting in under-reported concussion cases.

“I think they just want to go out there and play. If they think they’re capable of playing, they’re going to do whatever they can.They’re trying to be macho. They’re not trying to look weak in front of their teammates,” said junior Jacob Segal, a goalkeeper for the Carlmont boys varsity soccer team.

Although the suggestion that females are simply more honest about injuries may be plausible, cases such as McDonnell, a female who continued to play even after getting hit several times in her last soccer game, contradicts that theory.

“I didn’t really know what was going on. I was really dizzy and out of it, until I was so dizzy that I collapsed. I kept playing because that’s what you do, right? If you’re hurt, you just keep playing,” said McDonnell.

According to Ringman, although concussions occur often in high school sports, that does not make them any less serious.

As Ringman puts it, “Concussion knowledge has grown substantially, but new studies and breakthroughs continue to be made. Neither [gender] is exempt and both need to play an active role in their own health and safety by playing in control and realizing that we play games for fun, and that these activities should never escalate to a level where our own livelihood is put at risk.”

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January 2015

NEWS

Page 5

The Highlander

The long term effects of concussions Kian Karamdashti Staff Writer

"Let's go to our sideline reporter with an injury update."

"Looks like he has received a concussion.

He should be back on the field in no time."

Until the 2013 version of the video game, the Madden football series met concussions with a very small amount of concern, with virtual players being inserted back onto the field a play after being taken off. However, this practice was not uncommon in the real-life version of the sport, as stories of players being thrown back into games after reciting the alphabet backwards reigned true throughout all professional sports.

Until the suicide of former NFL star Junior Seau, whose brain examination revealed he suffered from a concussioncaused degenerative brain disease called CTE, or Chronic traumatic encephalopathy, concussions were simply not a problem in the world of sports.

"A concussion is a serious thing, trust me,” said junior Lauren McDonnell After receiving a substantial knock to the head during a club soccer match on September 13, McDonnell had to be taken to the emergency room where she was diagnosed with a severe concussion.

"I've had one small concussion before but this one was way worse," said McDonnell. "For the first few days everything that involved the use of my brain hurt."

A concussion, by definition, is a minor traumatic brain injury that affects the brains ability to function. When a person

receives a concussion, their brain, essentially, bounces around their skull,.This can lead to bruising, a tearing of blood vessels, and injury to the nerves in the brain. Although, the injury is listed as “minor,” the list of long term consequences for receiving multiple concussions or returning too soon from a concussion include: memory loss, symptoms of Parkinson's disease, and a disruption in motor development skills in teenagers.

After missing about a month of school, McDonnell was forced to drop 4 of her 7 classes, and now is required to take classes this coming summer in order to meet the amount of credits required to graduate.

"It hurts to be around the sport and not being able to play. Yes, I know the consequences another bad concussion can have, but I'll take the risk,” said McDonnell According to a poll of 30 Carlmont student-athletes, 21 claimed they would lie about the seriousness of an injury to the head, if it meant returning to the field faster.

"In the long run, sitting out when you have a concussion is obviously the smart thing to do," said junior Brent Jang. "But in the heat of the moment, when you're out on the field with your teammates, you never want to come out. That's why almost all athletes will downplay the seriousness of their injury, even to their head."

Sophomore soccer player A.J. Lopacinski agrees with that statement.

“You don’t want to let your team down.

I’ve had multiple concussions, but I definitely tried to play down my first one,

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mainly because I didn't know how bad it really was. When you’re on the bench and are told you can’t play by someone that isn’t yourself, it’s frustrating," said Lopacinski.

Over the 2014 World Cup of last summer, former MLS star Taylor Twellman, whose career was cut short by multiple concussions, was outraged with the overruling of a substitution by Uruguay player Alvaro Pereira, who had been unconscious only a minute before.

“It’s disappointing. We’re in 2014 and the whole world saw this barbaric treatment of the player,” he said during ESPN’s “World Cup Tonight.” “There’s no protocol, a player should never have the capability to overrule a team doctor. FIFA (International Football Association Federation) need to make changes immediately, or else these same mistakes will continue to occur.”

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Although work still needs to be done to confront this issue, the culture surrounding concussions has changed for the better, even at Carlmont itself.

“I have played football since middle school and I have felt concussions have been treated a bit more seriously here at Carlmont,” said junior football player Shanil Patel. “With the concussion test we were all required to take at the beginning of the season and the overall higher knowledge we all have on the subject, I feel that our sports program is equipped to handle concussions the right way.

“It’s just good to see that everyone is aware that it’s a serious injury. Now, it’s not only coaches and doctors who understand the dangers of it, it’s the players and students as well. It keeps the players futures bright, and that's only a positive thing,” said Lopacinski.

FEATURES

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The Highlander

Technology in classrooms

How do you approach different learning styles?

Adriana Ramirez Staff Writer

Jim Kelly

ASB & Leadership Teacher I’m lucky enough to teach two project-based classes where the students “learn by doing.” In my other class, Leadership 1, the students are engaged in different ways including simply standing and moving.

“

“

David Talcott

Science Teacher

In physics, I can rely on labs to help students understand concepts without a lecture.

“

“

Jayson Waller

History Teacher

While I do use lectures and notes to structure my class, to reach a broader audience I try to include numerous instructional strategies that complement and build on my lectures, like pair & group work, presentations, and skits.

“

“

January 2015

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Luna, on the other hand, does not fully support turning in assignments through the Internet.

“Technology is good, but not for school because it’s just Think about how dependent one is on the Internet and too much work. It’s like five steps instead of one. Instead of technology at Carlmont. Now imagine not having either. turning in a paper you would have to set up an online acHow much does that affect you? count, find the assignment, the teacher has to post the asStudents at Carlmont use technology daily, such as com- signment and then explain all the instructions,” said Luna. puters, phones and the Internet. Technology has its ups According to the website Edudemic, 79 percent of stuand downs; whether it is to turn in an assignment, check dents have submitted assignments or papers online. HowSchoolloop, or waste time in class by browsing on Insta- ever, not everyone has the technology at their disposal to gram. do this.

“We are moving to the direction of using technology all “I think it is as effective as a piece of paper but there is the time, there is no question about it,” said Karyn Volds- more work with technology because I don’t have a smarttad, AP computer science teacher. phone or computer that I could bring to class. It is more According to the website EdTechReview, technology trouble than it is worth,” said Luna. captivates students and engages them with its technologiWhile students not having the technology is an issue, cal approaches.

Voldstad believes it could be “If you walk into any classa good thing because they room now [at Carlmont], I believe that a good teacher doesn’t can “go out of their ways to I think you mostly see all use it.” teachers, have a Smart Board ever have to touch anything technical, For Martin Turkis, English now,” said Oscar Vazquez. but I do believe it could be an amazing and Spanish teacher, technol“Now they are trying to get ogy used in classrooms does tool to engage students. every class to have a chromenot draw his attention. book cart.”

“Smartboards are helpful, Lisa Gleaton The SRI (Stanford Rethey are not necessary. I susPrincipal search Institute) Internationpect that iPod and iPad and al states that using technology as a tool to communicate Chromebooks are more often distractions than aids,” said with others plays a more active role than textbooks. As a Turkis. “It certainly won’t magically solve anything.” result, the role of teachers change since they are no longer Turkis also believes that it won’t improve the learning the center of attention. experience of students automatically.

However, according to the website synonym, technology “I’ve had a problem with the way in which there is a in today’s classrooms have negative effects such as taking cult of tech in the professional, educational world. A lot of away valuable learning time, being overused, and turning teachers and administrators get excited if the word “tech” educational experiences into games for students. is involved in anything and it is assumed that if you get The use of the Internet can be interpreted by: those who some gizmo into a classroom that it is automatically going are truthful and use it wisely and those who take advantage to create more learning happen, which is not always the of it. case,” said Turkis.

Junior Alison Luna said, “It gives ways of laziness and Principal Lisa Gleaton believes that technology is not cheating; especially because it is so easy to copy stuff off necessary, but it is useful. the Internet.”

“I believe that a good teacher doesn’t ever have to touch According to the website Technology and Education, it anything technical,” said Gleaton. “But I do believe it could is hard to say if technology is a good thing or a bad thing be an amazing tool to engage students.” in the future especially with the availability of the Internet.

Melissa Hero, an Instructional Technology Specialist, Technology can be helpful to some, but not to others. believes technology is important for students’ future.

Different factors affect students’ and teachers’ learning “Back when I was in highschool we had computer labs process, some positively while others negatively. but we hardly ever used them. But now since technology To sophomore Orli Feuchtwang, technology can be plays such a huge role in our society, in future careers and helpful, depending on the class. jobs, teachers should train their students how to use it,” “For example, online textbooks might be more conve- said Hero. nient for students. Also you have the Internet, infinite anWhile students use technology to text and check the swers as long as you use reliable sources and turning in latest posts on Facebook, that isn’t effective for education assignments to teachers; you won’t lose the assignment be- purposes. If you use it wisely, it will prepare you for the cause it is on the Internet,” said Feuchtwang. future.

“

Possibilities for future classrooms and office spaces Marco Sevilla Staff Writer

“I’m so bored.”

It’s a phrase that many students are familiar with.

They often find themselves falling asleep on their desks amidst an important lecture and trying to move around in order to maintain awareness, but often can’t pay attention. Recent trends have suggested that a solution to unengaged learning is a simple one: standing desks.

Recent studies have shown that the inhibition of movement is a natural signal for the body to go to rest. It is the reason why humans tend to fall asleep on beds, and a possible reason, as researchers have recently discovered, for why students tend to fall asleep and lose focus in classrooms.

Large corporations such as Google, Facebook, Twitter, and AOL have implemented standing desks to their work environment to promote employee-wellness and increased productivity. Many health reports have suggested that there is a large health risk for extended periods of time sitting.

Several teachers and students, like junior Kendall Kaufmann, have openly advocated

for optional standing classrooms and has any cause such as obesity. We are so used suggested it to Carlmont’s administration. to sitting because of TV and it has become Kaufmann said, "I think standing desks a bad habit. We’re so used to it, we feel the are a really good option. Most children need to sit all the time which is not good want move around and stand yet we're for us." made to sit down for many hours and it's The Texas A&M Psychology Center connot natural. Evolutionarily speaking, we're cluded after extensive testing that standing made to walk around." desks improve attentiveness opposed to According to Mark Benden, the Associ- the traditional sitting classroom. A study ate Professor which was of Environconducted on mental and students who Most children want move around Occupational have short atHealth at the and stand yet we’re made to sit down tention spans Texas A&M for many hours and it’s not natural. in classrooms Health Scithat Evolutionarily speaking, we’re made to found ence Center, they had sigwalk around. the prolonged nificantly amount of improved Kendall Kaufmann time students classroom Junior are required performance to sit at desks is a major cause for child- when using standing desks. hood obesity and attention disorders. BenAlthough, in a poll conducted by the den says that the amount students are made Highlander, 68 percent of students said to sit down on a daily basis is unhealthy for they would prefer to choose a traditional normal bodily functions and can lead to sitting desk over a standing desk. Students heart disease and blood clotting. have reasoned that the biggest factor in Kaufmann said, “I've read many articles lack of student engagement during class that sitting increases the chance of death by can range from sleep deprivation to lack of

“

interest in the subject which, according to some researchers, standing desks can remedy.

Senior Anna Shutovska said, "I would preferably remain in a sitting desk because I don't like standing for long periods of time but I would understand if people would prefer to stand instead because of attention issues."

Some students view standing desks as a necessary solution to increase productivity and engagement in classrooms. Others do not see the need to change the classroom setting and view it as an unnecessary use of public school funds.

Sophomore Elsa Carreras said, "I think it would be a bad use of school funds. I already walk to school and I know it would be an inconvenience for a lot of people. For example, I know a kid who has back problems and would hate having to stand."

In recent years, schools have been implementing more standing-optional learning environments across the nation.

As more research is conducted on the subject, more school systems are becoming aware of the potential issue and see standing classrooms as a resolution to the decline in student attentiveness and productivity.

January 2015

FEATURES

Page 7

The Highlander

Private schools: worth the price?

Alyssa Fagel Editor

“You missed my class, now you pay the price.”

While these aren’t the exact words a student will hear, nearly 60 percent of Carlmont students answered in a poll of 200 people conducted by the journalism program that they have had a teacher tell them they can’t make up an assignment from when they were absent.

But are private schools really more accommodating to their students, or are public schools just more rigorous in their dedication to meeting their standards?

According to Our Kids, parents of private school students spend up to $50,000 every year for their kid’s tuition, so it may be logical for them to receive extra help.

But not everybody can afford these schools, so the fact that public school students are unusually prone to falling behind may not be all that constitutional.

Students miss school for a variety of reasons, some more acceptable than others.

But no matter what the excuse, some public school teachers have these absent students to pay price by not being allowed to make up tests or assignments.

Sacred Heart Preparatory junior Tierna Davidson has experienced this firsthand. A student as well as soccer player, Davidson has been invited to and attended two U18 Women’s National Team training camps in the last four months, leading to her absence from ten school days.

But according to Davidson, missing this much school was not nearly as difficult as she expected.

“My teachers are very supportive of me pursuing soccer, and they are very willing to help reschedule tests or review lesson concepts with me after I get back,” said Davidson.

On the other hand, sophomore Sarah Preston has missed over a week from Woodside, a public high school, to go on college visits and play in soccer showcases around the country.

Preston said, “I had one teacher that was especially rude about me leaving. But even with the teachers that tried to help me,

PUBLIC

SALARY

PRIVATE PUBLIC

IN CALIFORNIA, THE AVERAGE BASE SALARY IS $40,200

IN CALIFORNIA, THE AVERAGE BASE SALARY IS $53,070

PRIVATE

TUITION

RATIO

IN CALIFORNIA, THE

ON AVERAGE, THE RATIO OF STUDENTS TO TEACHERS IS 13:1

24:1

IS $15,902

PUBLIC HIGH SCHOOLS

ON AVERAGE, THE RATIO OF STUDENTS TO TEACHERS IS

AVERAGE TUITION

ARE FREE TO TAX-PAYING CITIZENS

SOURCES: CDE.CA.GOV, NCES.ED.GOV

I had trouble catching up because the resources just aren’t there when it comes to after school help and tutors.”

Carlmont Principal Lisa Gleaton said, “Teachers work very hard to prepare, teach, and reflect upon the lessons they teach. The assumption is that students will be there to be taught. [However,] it’s not really incumbent on teachers to hunt down absent kids to give them the lessons they missed. Teachers help as much as they can, but it’s not really up to them to completely re-teach every lesson a student has missed, no matter what the reason. When students aren’t there, the system doesn’t work as well as intended.”

The New York City Private Schools Blog found that on average, public schools have 24 students per every one teacher. Private schools, on the other hand, have just 13.

KKIMIKO OKUMURA

Despite a full Carlmont high school class, the students can still give their full attention to History teacher Karen Ramroth and learn from her helpful powerpoint presentation.

With public school teachers being responsible for the education of so many students at once, one cannot blame them for having slightly harsher responses to absent students.

Kailee Gifford, a sophomore at Harker, a private high school in San Jose, said, “Smaller classes guarantee a lot more individual attention to all the students, which I think is really good for learning.”

Gleaton has a similar view.

“I believe class size has a strong correlation with student learning, the frequency of essays assigned and graded by teachers, the types of activities classes can do in a room of 27 students versus a room of 37, etc.,” said Gleaton.

Kamrin Choye, a junior at Carlmont, has experienced overfilled classes firsthand; in one of her classes, she even sits in a normal chair rather than a desk.

Choye said, “I definitely think it’s a problem that classes are so crowded. It’s hard to get individual help when the teacher is busy teaching 30 to 40 other students.”

In private schools, where there is more focus on each individual, it makes sense that there would also be a more encouraging approach towards absences.

Davidson said, “Anyone can be organized, whether they go to a public or private school, but a teacher’s willingness to get involved in your schedule outside of school is a big advantage that I think private schools have over public schools.”

Private schools may be more lenient because they are more attracted to the potential visibility for their school brought on by these absent students.

Davidson’s presence in the national women’s soccer pool, for example, can help Sacred Heart recruit more soccer players

IVY NYGUYEN

because they find her success appealing.

They have the ability to offer scholarships to these student athletes, and therefore want to make sure these individuals are successful.

Since public high school is free to all taxpaying citizens, there is no such thing as an athletic scholarship. Thus, there is not as much of an advantage for the school when this same type of person is successful.

However, in a country filled with different types of scholarships and financial aid, the opportunity to attend a private school is becoming much more attainable for kids of all different backgrounds than it used to be. If a student desires the small classes and extra help of private schools, then maybe a private school is a better environment for them.

But this isn’t to say that a public high school doesn’t provide just as good of an education as a private one. Why else has the class size at Carlmont continued to grow over the past decade?

Rather, public high schools are just forced to overcome certain obstacles that private schools don’t have to face. With free tuition, these schools have to find other ways to pay for staff and supplies, such as through taxes. But once done, the administration is able to hire a well-trained staff to provide students with a strong, not to mention free, education.

In the class of 2014 alone, five Carlmont students were accepted to Stanford, and five others into an Ivy League university. This is an impressive number for any school, whether public or private.

Gifford said, “It’s really up to personal preference. The atmosphere and policies at the two types of schools is really different; it all just depends what you’re looking for.”

FEATURES

Page 8

The Highlander

January 2015

Team 100 breaks up, Robotics comes to Carlmont Tori Shanefelter Staff Writer

Carlmont will soon be taken over by robots.

Senior Matthew Allen has been a part of robotics since his sophomore year and is now mechanics lead. Through his experience he has learned how to effectively teach and guide others.

“My favorite part of robotics is being able to do hands-on projects and lead people. It’s fun teaching the new members,” said Allen.

Carlmont is expecting drastic changes for the 2015-2016 school year. Along with the new building that will include several new classrooms, Carlmont will have its own robotics team.

“Even though I personally don’t like the split, I believe it’s necessary because it’s becoming such an endeavor for Woodside, especially when the majority of the team are Carlmont students,” said three-year team member and junior Skylar Stratton.

FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) is an international high school robotics competition organized by For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology (FIRST).

Currently, the FIRST Robotics Competition consists of students from Woodside, Carlmont and Sequoia. Woodside High School

is the meeting place for Team 100, as the school has the necessary materials such as a fully stocked workshop and designated work spaces.

Team 100 Wildhats started in 1995 as a Woodside only high school team until 2002, when they took in a couple of Carlmont students. Sequoia was integrated into the team in 2008 but in recent years the Sequoia membership has declined.

Due to the increased membership of Team 100, the team has decided to split. Team 100 Wildhats will only be for Woodside students, leaving Carlmont and Sequoia to create their own separate teams.

In order to ensure Carlmont’s rookie team succeeds, team leaders are working with Carlmont administration to create a workshop and secure teacher volunteers for its weekend work sessions.

Carlmont Principal Lisa Gleaton said, “It’s important for Carlmont to have its own team that has everything it needs to succeed because of how passionate the students are and all the support that it has been given. So, starting in the fall of the 2016 school year the new building will have a larger classroom that will be built as the robotics workshop.”

However, despite the support Carlmont’s robotics team has been receiving, current Carlmont

MINH-HAN VU

Seniors Douglas Muller and Shimpei Koike work on Team 100’s robot. robotic members will be faced “I’m split on how I feel about with some obstacles as there will the team splitting up. I’m in favor not be an established workshop of it because our team has gotuntil the fall of 2016. ten so big that it’s hard to manage Director of Community Re- and there are so many people that lations and three-year member want to do different things but Matthew Trost said, “It’s unfortu- there’s a limited number of jobs. nate that junior members like me Since the experience is also being won’t be able to use the shop, but split, both Woodside’s and CarlI think it’s important to recognize mont’s team will be starting out as that there is going to be one that rookies,” said Allen. will benefit future robotic generaThe game changes every year to tions.” keep things exciting and challengEach year, teams of high school ing for teams as they must comstudents from 15 different coun- plete new and unfamiliar tasks. tries compete to build robots “I see nothing but good things weighing 120 pounds that can for starting a robotics team. It play a in game that requires the teaches students to think critically robot to complete specific tasks and work together to turn given such as scoring a ball into goals, parts into a successful machine. placing inner tubes on racks and The real-life and authentic opthrowing frisbees in goals, as well portunity robotics gives students as other tasks. to experience a unique, hands-on

experience that also expands their STEM knowledge is just amazing,” said Gleaton.

While teams are given a standard set of parts, they are also allowed a budget and encouraged to buy or make specialized parts as long as they conform to FIRST rules.

Stratton said, “My favorite part about robotics is the people because everyone is so nice and if you never need help they’re always there to teach because they want to see you succeed. It’s a place where you can just be yourself without any judgement.”

Game details were revealed at the beginning of January. The teams are given six weeks to construct a competitive robot that can operate autonomously, as well as when guided by wireless controls, to accomplish the game’s tasks.

The skills students learn from robotics can inspire interest for future careers.

“I think engineering is a very important part in the science and technological fields that can be applied to a lot of different advances in our society, so the fact that there is a robotics team that exposes younger people to this is very important to me and I feel that it’s a way to introduce them to possible careers that are similar,” said first year member and senior Melanie Hamaguchi.

The evolution of social media over the years Angelina Castillo Staff Writer

also in 2003, Linkedin started as a business site for professionals.

Facebook was then launched in 2004 as a social network site for college students but soon became user-friendly for high school students.

In 2006, Myspace was the most popular social networking site in the United States. However, based on monthly unique visitors, Facebook would take away that lead later, in 2008. Twitter was also launched in 2008 as a social networking and micro blogging site, enabling members to send and receive 140-character messages called tweets.

Year by year the sites became more competitive with launches of Tumblr, Myspace, Wikia, Pinterest, Google+ and Blogger.

With a variety of sites, depending on the generation, different sites become popular or more useful for the time.

In the current generation, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr are the popular sites for teenagers.

Senior Brittany Zelnik said, “I have let go of Facebook a lot recently. I use Twitter and Instagram for my main source of social media.”

With such variety there are sites preferred over others, depending on how the generation has changed.

What is next though?

Senior Zach Andriella said, “I’m not exactly sure what’s next for social media. We already have blogging, Twitter, sharing pictures and videos. I think if they combine it all, that could be new, although it’s just like Facebook but in reality Facebook is just a different version of Myspace. With these sites, a lot of it has to do with what's trending with the people in their social circles.”

Senior Alex Pennes said, “There is going to be something else that comes out that catches a teenager’s attention — you can't really expect it, but it will happen; smart phones’ first intentions were not just for media but now they are used as a main source for all those applications.”

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From Myspace to Facebook, social media is evolving every year with new updates and new sites to take over old ones.

As soon as the Internet began to grow, social media sites began to develop and evolve, creating a new, competitive industry on the internet.

According to uncpd.edu, in 1999, Friends Reunited was named the first online social network. The Internet was new around the ‘90s and not many people knew how to work it. Year by year, it grew.

In 2002, Friendster, a site that is just like another version of Friends Reunited, opened to the U.S. public. It surpassed the amount of users on Friendster by three thousand.

In 2003, Myspace was released as a copy of Friendster.

Social media was not only used in daily casual lives, but

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FEATURES

January 2015

Shoplifting Ivy Nguyen Art Staff

Many teenagers aren’t innocent kids, and some might say that there is a thrill in doing something illegal.

When considering these two things, it’s not hard to see that shoplifting is a common occurrence among high school students.

According to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP), about 6.75 million people of the United States’ 27 million shoplifters this year were under 18 years old.

According to a poll of 198 students conducted by Carlmont Journalism, 25 percent of the respondents answered that they have shoplifted before.

A common reason for shoplifting is a combination of peer pressure and the fact that doing something illegal can give people a rush. These crimes are often not premeditated. Rather than planning a theft, someone might discreetly steal an item if he or she sees an opportunity. These thefts often range from $2 to $200 per visit, according to the NASP. “I used to take little things sometimes, but now that I have a job I just go ahead and buy them. But I don’t really think that it’s that bad if you take small stuff from big corporations. A lot of them hold a majority of America’s wealth, and they overprice items made by underpaid people in sweatshops.

I would never steal from a small business,” said a senior who asked to remain anonymous.

However, there are people who don’t take this for an excuse.

Senior Nathan Rosenthal said, “Shoplifting is petty. Teenagers who do it are acting scummy, and aren’t ‘cool’ for doing it.”

Although most people who shoplift do so casually, there are people who do it out of necessity. According to the poll, 27 percent of the students who said that they have shoplifted did so because they could not afford the item.

Shoplifting has many effects that do have an impact on the economy and society. It can overburden police and the courts, add to a store’s security expenses, cost consumers more for goods and cost communities lost dollars in sales taxes.

Yet these effects are the result of a distal cause-and-effect relationship, not a proximal one. It’s the high-ranking executives who choose to lower wages or raise prices, not the act of shoplifting itself. It could be said that if America were not so deep-

Editor in Chief Ashley Kawakami Business Manager Kristen Friis Online Shira Stein

ly rooted in capitalism, these effects and shoplifting itself may not even be present.

Karen Ramroth, a Government/Economy teacher, said, “My perception is that businesses worry about shoplifting a lot more than is necessary. I don’t think that the amount of teenagers who do it has a significant effect on the economy. There are people who shoplift for fun, but there are also cases in which it’s important to note the economic factors that led someone to feel that they need to shoplift.”

In our capitalist economy, theft is clearly labeled and treated as a crime. Although the negative effects of it are clear in the case of small businesses, the ethics of it can get hazy in the case of corporate stores. Of course, theft has its legal repercussions, but the law is no perfect standard for ethics either.

Among the teenagers who shoplift, it may not seem like such a big deal, and it may not even be one. Although it is true that it doesn’t bring intense ruin to the economy, stealing undoubtedly is a question of ethics.

Editors Michael Bastaki Sarah Boro Alyssa Fagel Dominic Gialdini Claudia Leist Kimiko Okumura Karissa Tom Zoe Wildman

Faculty Advisor Justin Raisner

Copy Editor Jessica Adair

The Highlander

When your friend steals How employees respond when familiar faces steal while they are on the clock Becca Fradkin Staff Writer

You really need this job.

You look across the store floor and see a group of teenage girls conspiring around the “two for $20 T-shirt” deal.

One quickly slips a blue V-neck into her purse and they all swiftly scurry away.

How do you deal with a shoplifter?

According to California State Law, shoplifting is defined as “petty theft” that can result in a minimum of a $250 fine. Or to be more severe, grand theft can result in years of jail time.

Consequences can be obvious to the shoplifter, but how do different businesses deal with shoplifting problems?

Senior Jared Gutierrez, a former Gap employee, said, “I was told that the store would lose about $500 a day because of shoplifting.”

While Gutierrez never personally encountered a shoplifter, the enforced policy

The Highlander

Junior Editors Avery Adams Aria Frangos Megan Tao Sophie Haddad Kelly Song

Page 9

MINH-HAN VU

said, “Look for people that were looking up as if they were checking to see if workers were looking instead of browsing the clothes.”

“If you see someone shoplifting, the goal is to get the item back into the possession of an employee without ever actually accusing a customer of stealing. You never want a customer to become defensive,” said senior and Hollister employee Anna Shutovska.

That might be easier said than done.

Senior Daryush Shahid, while working at Vans, followed the same protocol as he saw a shoplifter in the act.

“My manager also saw the shoplifter and went over to ask if he wanted a shirt to go with the hat, so to not accuse him of stealing but let him know he was caught. He said no then walked out,” recalled Shahid.

To maintain safety and security, “They tell us not to chase shoplifters out of the store,” said Shahid.

Like the honor code in school, employees have a moral obligation to stop shoplifting.

For senior Sal Garcia, morals conflicted when he was faced between exposing a classmate and staying a loyal employee.

In contrast to mall stores where shoplifters are not allowed to be followed, Diddams in San Carlos has a strict and assertive policy.

Diddams employee Garcia said, “Once we catch a shoplifter, he or she is banned from the store and never allowed back.”

However, one day as Garcia was on the job he saw a classmate from school in the store attempting to shoplift.

“It was so awkward when they saw me,” said Garcia, “and it was even more awkward when they tried to avoid me.”

With store policy in the back of his mind, “I walked straight up to my classmate and told them to follow the rules.”

When faced between a friend and an obligation, where do employee allegiances lie?

“I couldn't risk to lose my job and it is my responsibility no matter if the shoplifter is a friend or a family member that they respect the rules,” said Garcia.

It’s the employee’s job to spot shoplifters and stop them in their tracks.

“If someone looks suspicious, I simply go up to them and starting talking about the brand. The last thing a thief wants is attention,” said Shutovska.

By keeping a watchful eye for potential shoplifters and maintaining their morals, employees can ethically carry out their responsibilities.

Staff Writers

Ayesha Abbasi Arianna Bayangos Brooke Buckley Angelina Castillo Holly Chen Andrew Cross Evan Davies Becca Fradkin Karen Gao Becca Garner Ravina Gujral

Danielle Hamer Mia Hogan Miranda Irwin Kian Karamdashti Bijan Khalili Victor Li Colley Loum Elena Mateus Anya Meredith Jocelyn Moran Mateen Nozzari

Lara Ostroff Taran Sun Sonia Paulo Alisa Takahashi Kiera Pendleton Lauren Tierney Justine Phipps Stuart Vickery Adriana Ramirez Ethan Wong Kat Savin Hana Wong Sarah Schisla Connie Yi Lila Schulman Hannah Young Gianna Schuster Marco Sevilla Victoria Shanefelter

Art and Graphics Ivy Nguyen Alyssa Espiritu The mission of The Highlander is to accurately and honestly cover community and school events. As Art Director Veronika Dvorakova Minh-Han Vu a student run open forum newspaper, we strive to incorporate multiple views and represent the diverse community at Carlmont.

Page 10

The Highlander

FEATURES

January 2015

Students prepare for careers during high school

By choosing specific classes and extra curriculars they tailor themselves for college and beyond Taran Sun Staff Writer

“What do you want to do when you grow up?”

“I’m not entirely sure, but I want to make money.”

Students have been told since elementary school that they have plenty of time to choose a career, to decide for themselves what their futures hold. High school stu-

dents, however, are nearing pivotal points in their lives when they can take steps to determine what their future occupations will be like.

Junior Cameron Kuo said, “I would like to go into the medical field. I have looked at UCLA and UCI because they have good medical programs. I know that my grades right now in high school are important to my goal, and so I’m studying really hard for exams.”

VERONIKA DVORAKOVA

Junior Kelly Olivier works on her yearly AP Biology project. She aspires to become a doctor.

High school students have the opportunity to choose specific classes that are tailored to various professional fields. Science, for instance, offers multiple paths for teens who are interested in different subjects like physics, chemistry, or biology.

Junior Alexa Zaino said, “One of my top choices is to be a veterinarian. I enrolled in human bio this year because we do animal dissections. Essentially, I am trying to figure out if I can handle cutting animals open. If I decide to be a vet, I'll go to undergrad at whatever school I can and then apply to veterinary school at UC Davis hopefully.”

In addition, plans for the future have morphed over the years for the students of Carlmont. The popular childhood dreams of being a princess, a rockstar, or a secret agent often fade away and are replaced by more practical goals such as becoming a doctor or an engineer.

Senior Sydney Carlier said, “I have an interest in achieving something in medicine, but I also have an interest in international relations, so if I could find a combination of the two that would be ideal. I applied to universities as an international relations major so I'm just going to see what happens.”

Sophomore Brett Fitzpatrick said, “I am thinking about going into finance and being an accountant when I grow up. I am going to look further into this career over the break. For example, I am going to see what schools have good financial classes. I am hoping to work with my uncle in San

Diego; he's the one that influenced me to take this path.”

Popular careers that students pursue in America often fall underneath the STEM acronym. This represents the academic fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, and includes jobs such as being a doctor, chemist, or mechanical engineer.

Junior Lukas Kelly, however, does not fall into one of these categories. Kelly said, “Not many people know what this is, but my dream job is to be an expedition leader.

You basically lead groups of people on long journeys. Like if a group of photographers wanted to go somewhere crazy, I would be the expert on the trip, and they would do the photographing.”

Some students do not have a decisive plan for their futures. All that they know is that they would like a job that pays well.

The majority of seniors around America face this dilemma. Eighty percent of college-bound students have yet to choose a major, according to Dr. Fritz Grupe, founder of the website MyMajors.com.

Senior Adrian Chan said, “I’m planning to become either a commercial airline pilot or a high school math teacher. I haven't decided yet, and I need to decide soon. The choice I make is what is going to determine what college I attend, if I attend college at all. I’ve applied to a few state colleges because I’ve heard that there are good opportunities for people who want to become teachers. If not, I am going to try to get into the Cathay Pacific Cadet Program.”

College pressure forces students to take on too much Hannah Young Staff Writer

The pressure is on. Turn it off.

Teenagers feel the pressure to get perfect grades and participate in elite extracurriculars in order to improve their chances of acceptance to their dream college. But there is much more to life than a college acceptance letter.

Many students attest that education is important, and that is where the confusion begins. Many students worry more about where they will go to school in the future than they do about what they are learning now. This change in students’ mentalities has affected suicide rates and academic integrity in students across the country.

According to Stanford University's polls, 98 percent of its students admitted to cheating in high school. Data analysts consider increase in competition a possible cause for the pressure to cheat.

Kevin Shu, a junior at Carlmont, takes four AP classes and is very committed to NorCal crew. Balancing his hectic schedule is no easy task, especially when he doesn’t enjoy two out of his four AP classes. Now, at the halfway point of the school year, Shu is wondering if his workload is a worthwhile challenge or a stupid mistake.

“College is becoming a lot harder to get into now. Honestly, anyone can get straight A’s and score 2400 on the SAT now; we want to stand out. We're scared that we won't make it so we try all these things as a buffer in our chances of getting admitted,” said Shu. According to Emory University, one in every ten college students make a suicide plan. More than 1,000 college students take their own lives every year. UC Berkeley researchers claim that although acute stress actually improves cognitive function, excessive or chronic stress is detrimental to mental and physical health. Academic stress is a known leading factor in teenage and young adult suicides.

Private college admissions counselor Eva Holtz, who also worked as an aide in the Harvard admissions office as an undergrad, shared her thoughts on the increase in college pressure over the last few decades.

“Far more people are attending college, yet few of the top-ranked universities have expanded the number of students they admit. It’s more common for students to apply to universities all around the country, so star students who might have simply attended their local colleges a generation or two ago are now flooding the application pools for top-ranked universities,” said

Holtz. mya Chandrasekaran, are self-driven to Students are often too busy finishing the succeed because they love what they do, next day’s homework, studying for next not because they are trying to impress colweek’s test, planning next year’s classes, lege admissions officers. and trying to impress college admissions “I sing, dance, speak two languages, officers to live in the moment. Nobody play an instrument, and volunteer for enwill ever be joyment. I as young mean it’s as they UC Berkeley researchers claim that, great to put are right on a although acute stress actually improves them now. While college app, learning is cognitive function, excessive or chronic but I have one of the been dostress is detrimental to mental and few activiing these ties that can physical health. Academic stress is a t h i n g s be done at elevknown leading factor in teenage and for any age, en years. some peoyoung adult suicides.

There is a ple’s paslot of pressions are sure to do time sensitive. That's why it is important to well in school and keep up with the extrafind the right fit when looking at colleges. curricular stuff, not necessarily from my “A more competitive college doesn’t nec- family, but mostly from me. I really love essarily equate with a better college expe- these things,” said Chandrasekaran. rience. My husband attended a college you Students who find themselves being probably haven’t heard of which is not very bribed into taking up another club or AP competitive, but because the school was a class just because it will look good on their great fit for him he had a fantastic experi- college applications should keep musician ence. I wish I’d had such a great experience Marc Anthony’s words of wisdom in mind: at Harvard!” said Holtz.

“If you do what you love, you’ll never Some students, such as sophomore Sow- work a day in your life.”

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Page 11

The Highlander

High college tuition deters capable students Brooke Buckley Staff Writer

Some Carlmont students find that funding college is much harder than getting accepted.

After getting into the college of their dreams some students must opt out due to lack of financial support.

Senior Elise Dimick said, “Since I have eight siblings who aspire to go to college, paying for a four year college places a big burden on my family. I am not financially independent now, but I have to pay for my education on my own. I’ve worked really hard throughout high school, so it’s a bit discouraging to know that my lack of money might determine my college decision.”

According to the College Board, the average cost of tuition and fees for the 2013– 2014 school year was $30,094 at private colleges, $8,893 for state residents at public colleges, and $22,203 for out-of-state residents attending public universities.

US News said that this average did not seem to include some of the priciest private schools that are paying twice as much for tuition.

Listed below are the 10 most expensive colleges in America, according to The Chronicle Of Higher Education. All of these prices include tuition, room and board, and other fees. All data is from The College Board's "Annual Survey of Colleges 2014."

Sarah Lawrence College, Bronxville, N.Y.—$65,480 Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, Calif.—$64,427 Columbia University, New York, N.Y.—

$63,440 University of Chicago, Chicago, Ill.— $62,458 Claremont McKenna College, Claremont, Calif.—$62,215 Bard College, Annandale on Hudson, N.Y.—$62,012 Scripps College, Claremont, Calif.—$61,940 Dartmouth College, Hanover, N.H.— $61,927 Landmark College, Putney, Vt.—$61,898 Franklin W. Olin College of Engineering, Needham, Mass.—$61,881 On average, the top 10 out of state private school tuition comes to about $60,000 annually.

In a poll conducted by the Highlander 50 percent of 200 students said that the cost of tuition has stopped them from applying/attending a certain college.

Some students can afford tuition, but this changes with added housing, food, and travel costs.

Senior Sarah Anderson, “My mom is a single parent, and going out of state isn’t even an option for me because even if she could afford tuition I would not have money for flights home or living costs.”

Other students have families who can handle the costs but choose to avoid the burden.

Senior Erica Aldanese said, “I have the grades to attend different universities, but paying for those would be hard on my mom. I’d rather go to a cheaper CSU than a private or out of state school because I don't want my mom to spend the next four years struggling to pay. It’s a sacrifice I made for my mom, but I would rather her be happy

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and not in debt.”

While many people worry about plunging themselves and their families into debt to attend an elite school, the effects of college choice on future earnings is not clear.

Some companies place high importance on where a student graduates from, while others don’t.

University of California Berkeley graduate Luanne Tierney works as the senior vice president of marketing for the company Fortinet. Fortinet is a multinational corporation that provides network security appliances.

Tierney said, “It’s all about how strong the alumni program is, and how well you reach out to your network to get jobs. Some schools have a stronger placement program. Some schools have stronger brand name, but I never hire based on where someone graduates from.”

Haley Trap graduated from the University of California Berkeley last year, and is currently working for the company Box to hire workers. Box is a company that uses cloud platforms to help you securely store, share and manage all your company's files online.

“Going to Cal definitely helped me get my job. For entry level positions my company looks very heavily into what school you went to also at what internships you have had, and overall culture fit/skills,” said Trap.

To some students lack of financial support appears as a setback for their future.

“It’s hard to see all my friends applying for schools knowing I can’t have the same opportunity,” said Anderson.

Despite financial setbacks, Carlmont counselors are available to familiarize students with scholarship opportunities.

You have the sports skills, now what about the grades?

Megan Tao

Junior Editor

Academics play a bigger role in sports scholarships than students tend to think.

According to the National Collegiate Scouting Association (NCSA), students must first meet a series of academic requirements to even be eligible for a sport scholarship in Division I schools.

A Division I school, which is part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), is the highest level of college sports one can participate in.

Students must have an average GPA of 2.0 and have a minimum score of 400 on the SAT or a 37 for the sum score of the ACT. For high schoolers graduating in 2016 or later, the GPA requirement for a sport scholarship rises to a 2.3.

However, Division I schools in the NCAA use a sliding scale that balances out GPA, SAT, and ACT. Therefore, if a student only reaches a 2.0 GPA they can try to score high on the SAT or ACT to make up for it and still meet the requirements.

Students must also have completed 16 core courses: four years of English, three years of math (algebra one or higher), two years of natural or physical science, two

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Cori Sidell was recruited for tennis by Carnegie-Mellon University. years of social science, one extra year of English, math or science and four years of religion, philosophy, foreign language or additional years of any of the categories above.

“I think it’s a combination of both athletic talent and strong academics,” said Carlmont guidance counselor Kimberly Miller.

“The students that I’ve seen get sport scholarships were both strong academically and athletically.”

Carlmont has a strong athletic department, but it is first and foremost a place for education. Even the students who are ac-

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tively involved in Carlmont sports still see school as their primary focus.

Junior Kayla Fong, who committed to University of California, Berkeley on a soccer scholarship last year, said, “After I committed there was definitely more academic pressure and less pressure on my soccer because I needed keep my grades up in order to keep my scholarship.”

Attending a college with higher academic standards also means students who want a sport scholarship should try to shoot beyond the minimum academic requirements for sport eligibility. If the school is well known and respected for its educational program, they might have different academic standards than the regular NCAA requirements that are more fitted to the education the school provides.

Fong said, “If you’re going to a well ranked school on a sport scholarship, then I think academics should weigh more than just the average GPA, so you can be successful in your classes too.”

Senior Kirra Loucks, who committed to California Polytechnic Univeristy on a softball scholarship, said, “Academics plays a huge role especially if you’re going to a good college. The coaches won’t even consider you if you don’t have a 3.5 GPA.”

The rising academic standard also helps ensure that athletes’ educational skills are good enough to pursue a career other than sports.

Miller said, “Long term, having a strong academic background is important, especially since sport careers are so fleeting, so having strong academics to fall back on is a good thing.”

According to the NCAA, the rise in GPA requirements will have the most impact on football and men’s basketball. Hopefully, the motivation to work harder in school in order to play sports will increase their success in passing classes and graduating.

The goal for the students who are struggling in academics is for them to eventually reach and surpass the GPA requirement, not due to the academic requirements decreasing, but because the students will become more efficient in their schoolwork to meet the rising academic standards.

The academic requirements might not seem like such a pressing issue, especially since Carlmont’s average GPA is a 3.15, but most colleges that are strong in athletics are strong in academics as well and will look beyond the minimal requirements.

“Academics is what drives a college, but sports is what brings the student body together,” said Athletic Director and PE

Page 12

MENTAL

The Highlander

January 2015

More than meets the eye Dealing with depression and commiting to life Jessica Adair Copy Editor

if she did something differently then none of it would have happened,” said Jackson.

According to Jackson, the definition of depression is “Nobody else can possibly be thinking like this,” thought misconstrued and romanticized often.

Jane Jackson.

“Depression is not a choice. It’s not something where, 40 million Americans suffer from an illness that is out of if I try hard enough, I can get over it. It has nothing to do their control: depression. Depression is a state of low mood with what I want. It’s a chemical imbalance,” said Jackson. that can affect a person’s thoughts and behaviors. People Avila also said, “Depression is anger turned inwards. It with depressed mood can feel sad, anxious, empty, hope- is focus on the past instead of the present.” less, or worthless.

As a Marriage and Family therapist, Avila counsels Jackson, a Carlmont student whose name is named is many patients who are living with depression and potenchanged to protect her anotial thoughts of suicide. nymity, began cutting fresh“I always try to validate man year and was diagnosed Depression is anger turned inwards. my patient’s feelings first, with depression. During that and let them know that what time, she was regularly see- It is focus on the past instead of the they’re feeling is okay. Then I ing a therapist. try to change their negative present.

“I didn’t like that first inner thoughts into positive therapist I went to. She nevthoughts,” said Avila.

Lianne Avila er asked me questions and Turning negative Marriage and Family Therapist it seemed like I was a job to thoughts into positive her, not someone she wanted thoughts is very important to help,” said Jackson. as the tenth leading cause of death in the United States is Shortly after, Jackson began seeing a psychiatrist, who suicide, according to the Anxiety and Depression gave her antidepressants. Her dosage was lifted to 450 mg Association of America. after she attempted suicide her sophomore year.

Late last year, Gunn high school ex“I just thought that I couldn’t do it anymore. I didn’t perienced this tragedy. On Nov. 4, think I could trust anyone. I found some pills underneath 2014, a 16-year-old student was my parent’s bed and took out a few. I thought to myself, fatally struck by a Caltrain in ‘Do I really want to do this?’ Then I started taking more,” an apparent suicide. In resaid Jackson. sponse, students at both During the attempt, Jackson’s friend called her mom to Gunn High School and tell her what was happening. Jackson’s mom then came Palo Alto school joined into the room and called the police. together to commemoWhen they arrived, Jackson could no longer feel her rate the student and to fingers and she was asked to drink charcoal. She was im- raise awareness about mediately taken in an ambulance to the hospital where she suicide. would remain for nine hours until she went to an adoles“After it all hapcent health facility for one week. pened, a lot of Paly “I don’t regret the attempt, but I am very happy I sur- students changed their vived. The relationship with my parents was probably the profile pictures to a most significant change because they realized that I wasn’t ‘we’re all in this together’ just going through a phase,” said Jackson. picture to show anyone According to helpguide.org, those who are dealing with else who might be hurting depression or considering suicide should talk to somebody that there are people who they can trust. care,” said Casey Glassford, “I tell my patients that they’re not alone, and to not listen a senior at Palo Alto High to what they keep telling themselves. I encourage them to School. keep reaching out until they get the help they need,” said “We also had a day where evMarriage and Family Therapist Lianne Avila. eryone at school wore red to show In Jackson’s case, reaching out was a very difficult thing support for Gunn. A lot of people to do. wrote posts on social media talking “Opening up to my mom was hard. She really wanted to about their own stories with mental help me, but she always thought that it was her fault. That illness. It was really cool seeing everyone be so supportive of one another,” said Glassford.

If you are having thoughts of suicide or depression, please let Suicide is not something to someone know. You are not alone and it gets better. be talked about lightly. If you or anyone you know has been National Suicide Prevention Lifeline 1-800-273-TALK struggling with depression and National Hopeline Network 1-800-SUICIDE thoughts of suicide, do not be Alameda County 24 Hour Crisis Line 1-800-309-2131 afraid to ask for help.

“

ILLNESS

2015 TheJanuary Highlander

January 2015

Changing the mentality Alisa Takahashi Staff Writer

Robin William’s suicide struck this nation hard.

First, because he was so beloved. Second, that his suffering from depression, to the extent that he would take his own live, was unimaginable.

The latter reason is not a reflection on Robin Williams, but on our society.

When it comes to mental illness, things like depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and bi-polar disorder, we have maintained a national stupidity bordering on disgr ace.

Robin Williams suffered from his own private demons.

The fact that we cannot grasp the concept of having a constant internal battle blind to the public eye is simply because we suffer from ignorance.

Dr. John Goldin, a doctor at Great Ormond Street Hospital said, “This ignorance is probably one of the reasons why for too long now there has been a stigma attached to living with a mental health condition .”

Contemporary times have led us to persist in this inexplicable image of people who suffer from mental illness balled up in a corner, shaking, maybe drooling, with wild unkempt hair and crazy eyes, until they finally drop dead.

We do this because it gives us a visual image of how those people look, to distinguish them from the rest of us who aren’t “crazy.”

It comforts us to know that we are not drooling, and our hair is combed, so that we can believe we aren’t these so-called “crazy” ones and grasp as tightly as possible to this image born of ignorance so we can sleep at night.

Stigma is when someone views you in a negative way because you have a distinguishing characteristic or personal trait that’s thought to be, or actually is, a disadvantage (a negative stereotype).

Un f o r t u n a t e l y, negative attitudes and beliefs toward people who have a mental health condition are common.

“With so many people with mental illness ‘in the closet,’ the dominant image of people with mental illness has often been negative – the homeless person on the street, the deranged young man with a gun,” said Patrick Corrigan, a professor of psychology at Illinois Institute of Technology.

If you suffered immobilizing back pain, you probably would seek medical attention. If someone you know regularly cried out in physical agony, you would encourage them to see a doctor.

But what if a person begins to withdraw, cry a lot,

Page 13

have dramatic mood swings or even show signs of paranoia?

Would shame, embarrassment or fear win out over getting help?

Too often the answer is yes, mental health experts say.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), people with mental illness wait nearly a decade to get treatment after symptoms first appear.

Despite the staggering evidence and rhetoric aimed at helping people understand, many people still don’t get that being diagnosed with a mental illness isn’t something that’s in their control - just like having the flu, or food poisoning, or cancer is not in their control.

Researchers at the Institute of Psychiatry (IoP) at King’s College London examined data from 144 studies, which included over 90,000 participants from across the globe. They found that the stigma of mental illness remains one of the top reasons people choose to forgo care.

“We now have clear evidence that stigma has a toxic effect by preventing people seeking help for mental health problems,” senior author Prof. Graham Thornicroft said. “The profound reluctance to be ‘a mental health patient’ means people will put off seeing a doctor for months, years, or even at all, which in turn delays their recovery.”

According to the latest statistics from the NIMH, 40 to 50 percent of all people with bipolar disorder or schizophrenia go untreated each year. The number of untreated people suffering from some other disorders, such as anxiety or depression, is even greater.

The unseen illnesses such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Depression, Heart Disease, and Mental Illness have visual effects on your body often unnoticed but the psychological impact is destructive on the soul.

We all have problems, but that does not mean we suffer from depression, turning problems into a debilitating, soulkilling, unseen illness. You may not be able to see it, but it’s all around us- people who do suffer from mental illness.

Some function fine. Some don’t. Some can’t. Some can manage the façade, at least some of the time, while others cannot continue to fight the battle.

When they lose the battle, they can end up like Robin Williams. Is that what has to happen to someone before one can grasp the reality of mental illness?

People who suffer from mental illness hide behind the façade so you don’t despise them for being “defective” and make them ball up in the corner and drool.

Instead of basking in our ignorance about mental illness, society should strive to understand them and work to end the sigma. Jennifer Lawrence used her 2013 Oscar win for Silver Linings Playbook to champion this very cause, “I don’t think we’re going to stop until we get rid of the stigma for mental illness. It’s so bizarre how, in this world, if you have asthma, you take asthma medicine; if you have diabetes, you take diabetes medicine. But, as soon as you have to take medication for your mind, there’s such a stigma behind it.”

As the topic becomes more mainstream, it begs the question, what can we be doing as everyday citizens to make things better?

At President Barack Obama’s White House conference on mental illness, Obama said, “We whisper about mental health issues and avoid asking too many questions. The brain is a body part, too. We just know less about it. And there should be no shame in discussing or seeking help for treatable illnesses that affect too many people that we love.”

LIFESTYLE

Page 14

The Highlander

January 2015

Getting over your insecurities Arianna Bayangos Staff Writer

As a teenager walks through the hallways of her high school, endless thoughts occupy her mind.

Does my outfit look okay?

Oh my gosh, did I put on too much makeup?

She feels that everyone is staring at her and picking out all of her imperfections and flaws.

This is a common issue among teenagers. Many feel self-conscious and insecure about themselves.

According to Dr. Gerald Stein, some causes of insecurity are temperament, overly critical parenting, bullying, body image, and life failures.

Carlmont Guidance Counselor Shelley Bustamante said, “Mostly I see kids insecure about not being in a relationship,

about having body issues like weight issues or not getting the material in the classroom; they’re too embarrassed to ask for help or not feeling like they’re up to par with the rest of the class.”

According to Stage of Life, 40 percent of teenagers are afraid of not fitting in with other people at school.

Junior Melissa Chee said, “Teenagers are also insecure because they feel like they should be smart like their friends, pretty like their friends, athletic like their friends.

They feel that they are not good enough and put down themselves because of that.”

As an incoming freshman at Carlmont, Soraya Raji felt insecure about fitting into the Carlmont student body.

Raji said, “The insecurity I most relate to is not fitting in. When I came to Carlmont, I didn’t know I was going to be coming here. I didn’t have any friends; I knew my sister and sometimes I feel left out. I feel

How I see myself

like a lot of people relate to that.”

From this experience, Raji realized how critical first impressions are especially with the issue of self consciousness. She said that since people judge on the surface, there is a pressure to leave a perfect first impression.

Raji said, “You don’t want to do something that will make them think something about you that’s negative. So I feel like if people were to be more open minded when they talk or meet someone that would make someone feel so much more comfortable and just able to feel more confident.”

Another source of insecurity among teenagers is the media and social networking sites. Some sites like Tumblr and images of women or men in magazines, TV shows, and movies sometimes promote an image of how one should look like.

Junior Ashley Kawasaki said, “I used to be a Tumblr blogger, but I deleted it because on my feed, there were a lot of pic-

How my parents see me

Many people view themselves as less than they actually are.

tures of pretty girls and I would always compare myself to them. And that’s where I felt really insecure because social media really shows that you need to look a certain way and comparing myself to those pretty girls wasn’t fair to me.”

To get over insecurity, Bustamante advises students that, “The best way to build your self esteem is to take on an activity that you’ve never done and learn something new, do your best, and get that sense of accomplishment. I tell a lot of students that connecting with others and helping others takes the focus of them and their problems and they feel empowered.”

Senior Lia Eldridge said, “If you tell yourself enough ‘Hey, look at yourself.

You’re super awesome and good looking and talented and most of all just uniquely yourself,’ you’ll start to believe it. And once you start owning that small bit of confidence, it can grow pretty quickly.”

How I really am

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The importance of creating your own identity Lila Schulman Staff Writer

“Who are you?”

“I am a feminist, liberal, and African-American,” said Principal Lisa Gleaton, asserting the three groups with which she self-identifies.

Gleaton, like many other people at Carlmont High School, believe that there are many factors which make up who we are as an individual. Personal identity, how you view yourself, is vital to better understanding yourself and how you interact with the rest of the world.

From a very young age, we are told to identify ourselves as one thing, when in fact we are multiple things.

Many elements impact how we self-identify; these include appearance, race, social status and gender. These elements influence how we navigate the world.

Gleaton said, “I very much enjoy being bi-racial.” Gleaton is half white, and half black, though she identifies herself as primarily African-American.

Gleaton, however, is very connected with her mother’s French-Canadian side, and feels very tied to that culture.

Issues such as race and culture are big contributors to how we see ourselves. However, factors such as these are not the only way to describe one’s individual identity.

At a very young age, we begin to constantly identify people. Without even noticing, we naturally come up with assumptions about someone before we even get to know them. Nonetheless, we rarely have time to look in the mirror and see who we are for ourselves.

Personal identity can go beyond the surface. It is a reflection of how a person truly feels on the inside.

Sophomore Chesirae Barbano said, “I identify myself as American, Italian, and a bit of Asian. I am strong-willed, and I go with my beliefs.”

Barbano was adopted from China as an infant. She conveyed the idea that bonds are created from family and people who are close to you. When it comes to race, Barbano mixes the different cultures she was raised with and uses those to self-identify.

“When it comes to race, I don’t truly identify as one thing; at times, I feel disconnected from my race; I feel weird in it,” said Barbano. Others, however, might look at Barbano and just see her as an Asian female.

Contributing factors that help influence a person’s identity include belief systems. Just because you are “something,” doesn’t mean you have to agree with it all.

You can pick and choose parts of those facets that you like to express, similar to what Barbano does.

Sophomore Hazel Calderon doesn’t just identify herself as her race, which is Salvadoran, but by the qualities she likes about herself. An individual’s characteristics also can contribute to her self-identity.

Calderon feels that she faces assumptions because she is Latina.

Calderon said, “I am so far from what people might see me as because I’m Latina. People expect Latinos to drop out, but I’m already looking into colleges.”

Many have to handle people’s preconceived-ideas about themselves based on their race.

Calderon said, “Sometimes I wish I wasn’t my race, [so as] not to have judgment, but then I realize I’m happy about who I am, and I push all the comments away.”

Feminism, like race, can be a difficult subject to discuss when it comes to personal identity. It can be controversial, but it doesn’t mean people don’t self-identify as feminist.

Gleaton said, “I am more interested in women’s issues; I see more through a feminist viewpoint than AfricanAmerican.”

Gleaton feels she is a part of the female community; her ideas towards that focus affect her mindset.

It’s important to know who you are. Everything one goes through will be founded on personal identity. Individual identity can go beyond what people see; it is who a person is as a whole, including the good and bad.

Many of us have undergone, and will again undergo, self-identity questions which we might not even pay attention to at the time, but individual identity plays a big role.

We all have a growing story about what makes us us.

Personal identity gives us stability in our lives; other people and situations can come and go. Having an internal sense of belonging and fulfillment makes a person content with who they are. Being happy starts from within.

Shakespeare wrote in Hamlet, “This above all: to thine own self be true.” Self-identity is crucial to personal growth and well-being.

Understanding personal identity may seem challenging, but is important. Our self-identity will continue to affect our own lives and others’ as well.

So ask yourself every once in a while, “Who am I?”

January 2015

LIFESTYLE

Page 15

The Highlander

Arranged marriages: who are we to judge?

Sophie Haddad Junior Editor

Imagine walking down the wedding aisle to marry a person who you have never met.

Your blood is pumping. You begin to ask yourself why you trusted your family to make the biggest decision of your life.

The wedding will last a day, but the marriage will last your whole life.

Across the eastern world, in countries including India, Pakistan, China, Japan, and Israel, arranged marriages are standard.

In America, it has become common to idealize marriage for love. The romantic art of courting appears everywhere: movies, literature, and music.

Americans begin to think that choosing who they marry is one of the best things about being free. So often, the cultures who continue to practice arranged marriages are viewed as antiquated and backward.

But Westerners only see the world through one set of eyes-- they are limited by their own individualistic bias.

In an arranged marriage, the parents of two families coordinate to form a union between their children.

Arranged marriages occur in certain cultures where the mindset is family or community oriented. Each person is responsible to his or her association and each person has something to gain from it.

The practice of arranged marriage originated in India around 200 B.C. when the Manu Samhita, a Hindu holy book cataloguing the duties of worshipers, was written. Around the same time, arranged marriages became the norm in China. The tradition has withstood the test of time in

both countries and continues to this day.

There is also the issue of early and forced marriages in non-Western societies. In these cultures, girls are forced to marry at an early age. According to UNICEF, one in three girls is married before the age of 18.

Since their bodies are not ready for labor at such a young age, 70,000 girls die every year in childbirth.

While certain students at Carlmont embrace their parents’ marriages, they themselves shy away from arranged marriages.

“Everyone says that, in arranged marriages, your parents aren’t really in love. But I feel like [they] do work because, after my parents got together, they realized that the marriage could work out,” said a junior student who asked to have her name withheld.

Whereas divorce rates in America, where most marriages are for love, range from 40 to 50 percent, the average divorce rate for arranged marriages all over the world is 4 percent, according to UNICEF and the Human Rights Council.

Kate Bryan, another junior, alerts people of the possible impacts of hasty marriage.

“With divorce becoming more and more prevalent in society today, I think we need to focus on dating with the mindset that you could be with that person for the rest of your life,” said Bryan. “I think when people get married now they don’t view it as that kind of commitment. When you get divorced, it doesn’t just hurt the two people that were married, [but] the whole family.”

Mitchell Chang, a senior whose parents are from Taiwan and had an arranged marriage, claims that the cons of arranged marriages outweigh the pros.

“The good thing about arranged mar-

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riages is that you are ensured family wealth,” said Chang. “There are a lot of detriments, though. You don’t really know that person very well. You don’t know if you love them or not. You’re probably marrying because [the future spouse] has a great future.”

The anonymous junior whose parents had an arranged marriage sheds a positive light on the ordeal.

“Getting an arranged marriage doesn’t really mean that it’s doomed. It still works out in a way, and sometimes I think that it can be even stronger because it’s not initially just based on love. It’s based on a mutual cooperation within the marriage that you have to get used to before you can actually love them. So I feel like, in some ways, it’s more of a stronger bond,” said the junior, whose parents are from India.

In Western culture, many people think love is instantaneous and should be solidified before marriage. In arranged marriages, love is something that grows after and throughout the marriage.

“A study in Jaipur, India a few decades ago found that people in love marriages were more in love for the first five years, while those in arranged marriages were more in love for the next 30 years,” said Jefferson M. Fish, Ph.D. Although arranged marriages seem to last, Chang would decline to have one.

“I would never do that to myself. That’s like missing out on the whole point of life.

You can’t spend your time finding the one that you truly want [if] it’s arranged by some other people,” said Chang.

The anonymous junior also shares Chang’s sentiment.

“I know it worked out for my parents, but I don’t think it would work for me. I’ve grown up here, so I’m used to thinking that I can choose my own husband,” she said.

The type of marriage an adult has depends on their culture. To many of us who live in America, an arranged marriage is out of the question. But to those in India or Taiwan, it may be the default option.

Modern slang demonstrates that sexism persists Becca Garner Staff Writer

“One nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”

Today, it is commonly assumed that debates over civil rights have been settled fairly and justly. As a society, America has transversed many contorted policies saturated with discrimination over the past 100 years.

And yet, even with a black president, the work for equal protection under law is not finished.

Despite promising progress made since the Middle Ages, there has been a tradition of sexism in America since its founding. The 19th and 20th centuries were permeated with domesticity norms and specific gender expectations.

“People say that women can’t do what men can do, but I think women can do whatever they want,” said sophomore Enzo Llorach.

While Supreme Court decisions have blazed a trail toward balancing the rights of men and women through a series of progressive legislation, vestiges of our historically sexist culture still persist today.

One of the places in which these remnants manifest themselves is in our vernacular, or common language.

Phrases such as “grow a pair” and “man up” contribute to a modern era of hatred against women and feminine characteristics.

By advertising male traits as superior to female characteristics, our slang demonstrates that American vocabulary implies women are inferior to men. “[Sexism in our vernacular] makes women feel bad just because they’re born a certain gender,” said junior Garbiele Cocco.

Not only is misogyny visible in our language, but in our society as well.

“Women get paid way less and get harassed in the workplace all the time. They’re also a lot more vulnerable to men. Men can attack us, but we can’t attack men,” said Yi. There has been a history of this double standard all over the world.

“If you look at older cultures, everyone was supposed to be living chastely and for women who were caught being unchaste, everything would just come down on them like a hammer, but with the men who were caught, it would

The Connotation

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Some of the words we use have connotations that distort the original intent.

just be a nod and a wink,” said Spanish and English teacher Martin Turkis, recapping an article on double standards from Atlantic Monthly.

There is, however, evidence of an exception to the set of contrasting ideas which governed sexuality in the past.

According to Turkis, insulting terms related to sexuality are “connected but distinct,” from misogyny.

It is unclear what causes this disagreement between social norms for men, homosexual men, and women.

Whatever the reason, choices in vocabulary can have a varying effect on different listeners.

“Because offensive language is used so much, people have kind of grown apathetic toward it… it’s not like anyone gets offended,” said Cocco.

On the other hand, Yi commented that the underlying meaning behind offensive sayings is crystal clear.

“Those sayings do show that everyone thinks [women are] weak,” Yi added.

According to Cocco, when derogatory language is used, it is not always intended to demean women.

Instead, he suggested that sometimes the intent is more innocent than people may think.

“If someone sleeps with someone, I’m gonna call them a whore regardless of their gender, but I only say it as a joke,”

Cocco said.

Other students were more assertive about how unfair it is to discriminate against anyone.

Llorach said that he never uses language that might be offensive to any group of people.

“When someone doesnt wanna do something, it doesn’t mean that they’re inferior to anyone, its just a personal decision,” added Llorach.

Adults at Carlmont High School are similarly concerned about hearing discrimination in our language and the implications of how our generation speaks to each other.

“When girls call each other whores and bitches, it makes me wonder about how much females these days like and respect themselves. If you like and respect who you are, then I don’t think you’ll use that language on yourself or others,” said McKee. Turkis warned that the solution to the misogyny should not be to compensate for the double standard by stooping to the same level as people who make the double standards.

“The women should be able to be just like the men! The men are pigs, but make the women like them!” Turkis exclaimed in mockery.

McKee has adopted one method of defending herself from verbal discrimination.

“I try to be a model for the behavior I want to come back to me,” said Mckee.

Double standards and discrimination still exist in America despite everyone knowing better.

“It’s called cognitive dissonance,” said McKee. McKee explained that cognitive dissonance is the theory that there is mental stress caused when your behaviors do not match your thoughts.

Or, when people know better, but incidentally do worse.

If this is the case, the theory of cognitive dissonance says that the discomfort caused by a disagreement of belief and action will lead to an alteration in attitudes or beliefs.

Modernly, many people have grown flippant about their vocabulary.

Words that used to be reserved for outrage against someone or hatred based on outward characteristics are now exchanged as terms of endearment.

Nature allows that as dissent against this vocabulary grows, people will grow more and more uneasy about using it, and misogynistic phrases will come to extinction.

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January 2015

Exploring the impact of classroom cameras Naomi Asrir Staff Writer

You stare down at your history test, racking your brain for the answer to the final question. As you contemplate glancing at your neighbor’s sheet, you think twice.

Someone is watching.

Looking around the room, your eyes find the propped video camera in the corner, its red light glaring.

Surveillance cameras have been used to protect the public for years, but few have considered their use in the classroom. While some may be in favor of the idea, others fear the recording devices would create a hostile, uncomfortable learning environment for both students and teachers alike.

Following the Harvard University cheating scandal of 2012, universities across the nation have introduced classrooms to video surveillance.

According to Katherine Bindley of the Huffington Post, “[Indiana University] has opted to install cameras in classrooms to film students while they take

their most important exams… in response to growing enrollment and a lack of exam proctors.”

While the installation of classroom cameras would minimize cheating on examinations, one questions whether students and teachers could possibly learn honest behavior through the negative reinforcement a game of “Big Brother” offers.

“Though I see how implementing video cameras could be helpful in monitoring cheating, they would create a more hostile environment and make students more defensive,” said junior Tara Shahrvini. “Surveillance would make students feel like they are untrustworthy. Administration shouldn’t have to keep students or staff under their watch.”

Throughout the years leading up to college, teachers preach academic integrity. However, students question the benefit of installing pricey video equipment.

“Implementing video cameras would be an invasion of privacy and a waste of money. The idea that it will stop cheating is great, but the school shouldn’t have to

install cameras to prevent students from cheating,” said junior Alyssa Arredondo.

Districts are not only watching students, but also staff.

“The use of video camera surveillance technology is being increasingly adopted in public schools to assist in the evaluation of teacher and school staff job performance,” said Kevin P. Brady in “Big Brother is Watching, But Can He Hear, Too?: Legal Issues Surrounding Video Camera Surveillance and Electronic Eavesdropping in Public Schools.”

In a TED Talk on the concept of classroom cameras, Johnston High School English teacher Sarah Brown Wessling said, “I think what video offers for us is a certain degree of reality. You can’t really dispute what you see on the video, and there is a lot to be learned from that. There are a lot of ways that we can grow as a profession when we actually get to see [our performance].”

However, Carlmont staff predicts cameras would create a feeling of uneasiness and tensity in the classrooms.

Associated Student Body (ASB) and Leadership teacher Jim Kelly said, “Knowing they could be observed at any time, teachers would feel pressured to never make mistakes. We should not fear failure.

Having cameras in the classroom would make the [teaching] atmosphere more hostile.”

Principal Lisa Gleaton distinguishes between the use of video surveillance for campus safety reasons and in evaluating staff performance.

“We do have video cameras on campus for safety, but not in classrooms. I don’t believe teachers unions would approve classroom surveillance and I don’t think they should,” said principal Lisa Gleaton.

Despite the many oppositions, some students are in favor of classroom surveillance.

“Using video surveillance to assess teacher performance would prove to be beneficial for both students and teachers, as it would result in less mistreatment of students,” said sophomore Matthew Irwin.

Though students may disagree on the usage of video cameras in classrooms, the subject remains up for discussion. VERONIKA DVORAKOVA

Living in a post-terrorism society Victor Li Staff Writer

The horrific event of 9/11 shook Americans and the world, and the America our parents grew up in may be gone forever.

The plan for 9/11 was to crush America’s economy, military, and government.

The first two airliners collapsed the Twin Towers and took down much of Lower Manhattan along with it. A third flew into the Pentagon, damaging its western side.

Thankfully, the fourth hijacked plane didn’t get to the White House. The passengers heard of the previous two attacks, and in an attempt to regain the aircraft, fought the hijackers and crash landed the plane.

“I remember becoming very angry at the people responsible for these terrible acts, and sorrowful for the many lives lost. There was literally an eerie of silence because the government grounded all the planes in America the next day,” said AP European History teacher Jayson Waller.

Being over a decade later, the effects of 9/11 still linger, and are apparent in everyday routines.

One of the most significant changes in America is air travel. Extra security protocols and surveillance were made in the wake of terrorist attacks.

The amount of liquid allowed past security is more restricted. In a report by ABC News, terrorist affiliates can use a new generation of liquid explosives that are currently undetectable through screening.

9/11 also caused a psychological impact on America, and some Americans respond

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with fear, anger, and intolerance to Muslims and Middle Eastern culture.

“My parents were afraid of leaving the house and being wrongly accused,” said sophomore Naser Abdelrahman.

According to Reader’s Digest, 30 percent of Americans hold a favorable view on the Islam religion.

“You can’t dictate someone’s intellect simply based on how they look. Last years’ heritage fair, I wore my Arabic cultural clothing and received comments associating me with violent behavior. Someone told me to leave America, forgetting the fact that I was an American myself with Palestinian descent,” said Abdelrahman.

Carlmont is relatively more cultur-

ally mixed than other high schools, which some believe also reflects on its culturally accepting environment.

“Sometimes my friends joke about me being a terrorist, but I still think that in Carlmont, we are taught that it’s not cool to be prejudiced” said junior Venus Alaee.

Sept. 11, 2001 was a day of confusion, grief, and loss, but even 9/11 has brought America positive outcomes as well.

According to Reader’s Digest, the amount of volunteer work rose from 20 to 29 percent by 2005. This could be a sign that Americans have become more resilient and brought closer together.

The attack also heightened awareness regarding terrorism. The creation of the

Department of Homeland Security in 2002 was meant to prepare for future attacks and to generate understanding of terrorism that would minimize it in the future.

America also strengthened border protection, and reported deporting nearly 48,000 illegal immigrants in California alone by 2012.

Before 9/11, America’s surveillance state was only mere fractions of its size today.

The U.S. Patriot Act was signed into a law after 9/11, and prioritized counterterrorism and security at the expense of privacy.

“I knew some people who changed their profession to the military because of 9/11.

My cousin decided to join the marines to fight in Afghanistan, and wanted to take responsibility for this nation,” said sophomore Daniel Austin.

Thirteen years after the attack, America has revived in many ways, including the rebuilding of the World Trade complex.

The new One World Trade Center rose from its ashes in Lower Manhattan on Nov. 3, 2014, and is now open for business. It is a symbol of emotional rebirth, American greatness, and the countries resurgence after the 9/11 attack 13 years ago.

Despite the many ways 9/11 has altered America, it is also important to understand what has not changed.

“Our character as a nation, our faith in each other, and our belief in America that all people are created equal and deserve freedom, justice, and the pursuit of happiness has not changed,” said president Barack Obama in a speech commemorating America’s revival from 9/11.

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Seeing Carlmont from a different perspective Ethan Wong Staff Writer

Freshman Miles Bernstein turns on his Go-Go Elite Traveler electric scooter, looks up at the long twisting ramp in front of the school and begins the long ride up the ramp to start his day.

Students like Bernstein, who is physically disabled, have to navigate Carlmont differently, and school is completely different for them than other students.

A disabled student, according to Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act by definition is an individual with a physical or mental condition that substantially restricts one or more major life activities.

“I have a condition called Arthrogryposis. It means I have contracted joints, making it hard for me to walk long distances. It definitely affects me because it’s hard for me to write quickly and I need to type a bunch,” said Bernstein.

Navigating Carlmont’s large campus within the allotted seven-minute passing period has been a challenge for students who have classes on different sides of the school.

It is especially difficult for those with physical disabilities who cannot climb the stairs and have to use the longer ramps, which makes going around school take even longer.

Bernstein said, “Having a scooter is one more thing to think about, it’s easier because I get to use the elevator, but you have to have your whole route planned for you, getting from class to class and depending if it is raining or not.”

Transitioning to a new school can be a nerve-racking experience for any student, especially for a disabled student.

However, Carlmont has implemented support for students with disabilities to adapt to their new environment.

Special Education Department Chair Jason Selli said, “The school would maybe give them a pass so that they leave class to get to their next class and excuse tardies. If it’s helpful for a student to have his or her classes, if we can do it, within the schedule that they want and if we can somehow formulate a schedule for the student to have his or her

Carlmont is equipped with ramps to assist those who cannot take the stairs. classes closer to each other then it’s done all the time.”

Yet there are still things that Carlmont can’t do, such as particular classroom accommodations that aren’t possible.

“If a student though wants a Bio-tech class and a specific art class, we can’t accommodate the closeness of it, but maybe we can accommodate when they leave, so that they don’t get penalized,” said Selli.

Despite the obstacles that these students have to face, they’re no different than any other student. “[Miles] is really nice to everyone, I’ve never heard him say anything mean. He doesn’t really act differently, he just has needs physical help sometimes because of his disability.

He’s also a fantastic singer,” said sophomore Emily Wong.

“Their physical condition doesn’t define them as people and they shouldn’t be seen as less because of it.”

Aside from the staff, students also help disabled stu-

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dents. A group of students in Leadership 2 has taken action to try and involve such students more in Carlmont.

Sophomore Abby Khouri, a member of Leadership 2, said, “We are called the Reach Out Commission, and we try to get the [disabled] kids more involved in the campus and make them feel like a part of our school. We also help teach them how to properly interact and be friendly.”

“It’s really rewarding and I love doing it,” said Khouri.

It’s important to have a supportive environment, because in the hustle and bustle of a busy school day, people tend to overlook the difficulties that these students face each and every day.

Disabled students have to endure many more difficulties in their daily life than the average student, which some people do not recognize.

“I just try to be like everyone else,” said Bernstein.

Mourning our misplaced objects Placing blame on a heavy workload Connie Yi Staff Writer

One moment it’s there; then you turn your head for a split second, and when you look back...it’s gone.

Ever since elementary school, students have been taught to be morally good citizens in the classroom; however they simultaneously hear the phrase “Finders keepers, losers weepers” justifies the excuse to steal.

As a student grows older they get influenced by their surroundings. This changes the students’ behavior and thoughts.

Teachers and administration try to do their best to keep the students under control and lead them to what they think is the right direction.

According to the National Center for Educational Statistics, in 2012, students ages 12 to 18 were victims of about 1,364,900 nonfatal victimizations at school, including 615,600 thefts.

Carlmont administration does their best to get on the theft case quickly.

Administrative Vice Principal Jennifer Cho said, “The best case scenario is if an item is lost and we get the report that exact same period and in that exact same class that it occurs. That’s when we can do the most. The worst case scenario is when it is the end of the day when the students have left. Once students leave the campus with the item they are probably selling the item or passing it off to someone else.”

Carlmont security also tries to help the students find their their stolen items.

Carlmont security officer Mike Peni, said, “If there is a camera view of [the] area that they supposedly lost it at, then we also check the camera to see if anybody picked it up. Usually we try to have an honor system, if not then we usually search the whole classroom. We do our best to find it, but we can only go as far as the tools we are given.”

The most common place to have items stolen is a place where there is a big crowd

like malls and locker rooms.

Stuart Vickery Junior Sierra Segal is one of the many Staff Writer students who got her phone stolen during To the average Carlmont student, the her class period.

“I got to my locker, it was open and I stress that comes with having too much couldn’t find my phone. I filed a report. homework is a normal part of life.

Whether it is because the of the six tests The police and school got on it, but nothing happened. No one was doing anything on Friday or a project that hasn’t been startthen my mom called Principal Gleaton and ed, every student has felt the panic of havasked her about the issue. I think that girl ing a large amount of work and not enough is expelled now because she gave back my time to complete it.

Many parents worry about the amount phone with no sim card,” Segal said. of homework given to their kids and wonAccording der if students to the website may be receiving Technique, most assignments that stolen items on add stress rather campuses are than help them electronic delearn. vices. The Geor“There is gia Tech Police homework that Department makes sense like (GTPD) stastudying contistics, say 236 cepts and diving instances of lardeep into content, ceny occurred but then there is at Tech from homework such January to June ALYSSA FAGEL as annotating of 2012. This was more than Students feel stressed when they lose textbooks, which takes a lot of time the number of things or feel overworked. but doesn’t allow all other crimes for real learning,” committed in the said an G. Luke, Carlmont parent. last three years combined.

Parents have been working with their “If someone stole something from me, I would honestly want to snap their neck students to find a solution to their large because that is something I worked for and workloads. A survey was sent out by the I got whether or not I stole it in the first Governance Council on October 21 that place, and I deserve to have it in a way so if was designed to find out if students are besomeone else steals it from me I’m going to ing assigned too much by teachers.

What parents don’t realize is that stube pissed,” said senior Jade Bouchard.

According National Crime Preven- dents often overextend as a result of choostion Council, by the age of 17, 43 percent ing to take too many challenging classes, of youth in the United States have stolen such as advanced placement (AP) classes.

“A lot of times [students] may be caproperty worth up to $50.

Personal items are bound to go missing, pable of taking any one of those challengso next time be sure to check your space ing classes, but when they try to take them all at the same time it becomes too much,” before you leave.

said Kristin Vernon, a guidance counselor at Carlmont.

There are several resources available that enable students to balance their workload when choosing classes.

“We have a time management sheet that was created from teachers surveying their students to get an estimate of how much homework their classes have,” said Vernon.

The course fair is another resource that students have. The fair has a table for each course with information such as the class curriculum and the amount of work that will be assigned throughout the year.

“The course fair allows students to see what they would be doing in the class if they ended up taking it, which is really helpful. Students can know what to expect before they sign up for [the course],” said sophomore Jason Khun.

Despite the usefulness of the course fair it is never very well-attended.

“Students should utilize the course fair so they can be prepared for what they are going be doing next year,” said Khun.

Students’ lack of preparation causes students to be stressed out about their abundant workload.and parents then question the amount of homework being assigned.

While parents have their kids best interests in mind, many challenging classes can’t be taught without a large amount of work.

“Any AP class is a college level class that Carlmont students have the opportunity to take. As an AP, there is a defined amount of content (determined by the College Board) that needs to be covered so that the student has the knowledge necessary to succeed on the test,” said Jayson Waller, a Carlmont AP European history teacher.

While searching for a solution to large homework loads, parents need to look to their kids to make smarter and more educated class choices.

In order to avoid stress students need to reevaluate their reasoning behind picking a class.

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January 2015

Students’ attention spans are gradually shrinking Kristen Friis Business Manager

There is simply too much going on in the brain of a teenager.

It seems teens are constantly bombarded with countless things to remember such as assignments, exams, responsibilities, priorities and so on.

How the average teenager reacts to these is different in many cases, but how these affect their performance in school are pretty similar.

According to a study done by The National Center for Biotechnology Information, the average attention span of a human as of 2013 is eight seconds, compared to 12 seconds in 2000.

This dramatic change doesn’t surprise Carlmont students, as many have different opinions on the issue.

“One word: technology,” said senior Jacob Gioffre.

Because our society today is mainly based on technology (smart phones, tablets, television), students’ constant focus on screens can highly affect their ability to pay attention in class.

Technology isn’t the only issue though.

The lack of ability for some students to pay attention can be caused by the classes they have to take that they’re not very interested in.

This happens especially at Carlmont,

where many academic classes are lecture based.

Lecture is defined as an educational talk to an audience, usually in high school or at a university.

In a poll conducted with 200 students by the Carlmont Highlander, 42 percent do not believe lecture-based learning is effective.

“I think everyone has a different learn-

ing style so it can be difficult for students to learn in a lecture-based environment,” said senior Madison Norman. “For me personally, I find that I learn better in classes that are more interactive because it helps me remember the material better.”

According to a research study done at Stanford University, only 21 percent of students believed that their classes are highly interactive. Meaning, 79 percent believe

ALYSSA ESPIRITU

Teachers must constantly confront students who are caught using their phones during classtime. Many teachers have various different consequences, from warnings to detentions.

that their class consists of hands-off learning, such as lectures.

“I wouldn’t necessarily want to learn only through lectures,” said senior Raffi Samurkashian. “Just sitting there and taking notes makes it really easy for your mind to wander, which is why I like AP Biology; a lot of learning is lab-based in which you are actively learning through experiments.

I feel like I learn a lot more by doing things hands on.”

Certain classes and teachers provide different teaching styles so their students are able to attain information better, rather than occupying them for 50 minutes on a lesson they may not remember after the bell rings.

For example, math teacher Amber Mills uses the “flipped classroom” style of teaching for her Calculus classes. This means the students watch videos of the lecture on YouTube at home and do their assigned homework problems in class.

“My students say it helps them gauge how long their work at home will take,” said Mills. “The switch not only helps students be more attentive while watching lecture videos at home, but lets them discuss and work through problems at their own pace in class.”

Lecture-based learning has been around for centuries and if the ability of our brains to attain information is changing, maybe our teaching styles will too.

Technology is making teens have high expectations for efficiency Kat Savin Staff Writer

“Are you even listening to me?”

“Sorry, I wasn't paying attention. Can you say that again?"

With the growing technology industry, the demand for the next best phone, tablet, or computer is increasing rapidly while decreasing the ability to pay attention.

“I think there is always a want for new technology when it comes out, which has caused attention spans to decrease,” said freshman Isabel Mayoss.

According to Statistics Brain, the average attention span for a teen lasts for about eight seconds, one second shorter than a goldfish’s attention span.

“I feel like a lot of social media apps like Snapchat and Vine have caused our attention spans to decrease because they have really short intervals of time,” said senior Nico Camerino. “You get used to paying attention to images and videos that are seven

seconds long.”

Technology is not only drastically changing our lifestyles, but our brains as well. Brains have to work extra hard to adapt to technology, which is the reason older people have a longer attention span than younger people because they did not grow up adapting to technology.

Some believe technology affects a person’s ability to succeed in school and work.

Others argue that technology is increasing our ability to work at a faster rate and to be able to multitask.

“With the use of cellular devices in the classroom, students can quickly define words and get information much quicker,” said sophomore Chad Davies. “Students learn faster this way.”

Phones, tablets and computers have evolved into becoming a need more than a want. Many people cannot live without their devices at hand.

“During school I have the tendency to look at my phone all the time,” said senior

Natalia Fonseca. “I’m always on my phone during class and outside of school because I use my phone for everything.”

The urgency of having to always be upto-date on the latest events is lurking in the back of one’s mind. Checking phones over and over for a new text, Twitter update, Snapchat or news story becomes addictive.

“I definitely have a short attention span,” said Fonseca. “If I get a message or something I always have to read it immediately, no matter what.”

These urges take over people’s lives not only in school but in everyday activities.

“Technology takes a lot of my attention away from what’s going on around me,” said Camerino. “For example, when I'm on my phone walking down the street I’m not paying attention to my surroundings, or if I'm on my phone at home I’m not really engaging with my family.”

This constant need to attend to technology, according to Pew Research, ultimately affects our ability to pay attention. Our

DECA inspires future entrepreneurs Connie Yi Staff Writer

Finding a passion to pursue is a difficult decision for most, but not for sophomore River Manochio.

Manochio joined a club called DECA in the beginning of his sophomore year, which is a business club where future entrepreneurs and businesspeople come together and compete against each other to win awards and get recognition on their knowledge and application of business skills.

There are four conferences per year, leadership, district, states, and international.

“My first conference was LACE which is the first leadership conference where you go and learn about what the rest of the DECA conferences are really about. You don’t compete in this conference but you get to meet a lot of new people and alumni who succeeded by being in DECA,” said Manochio.

Manochio has inspired his friends to join DECA and partake in the experiences that DECA brings to him. Soph-

omore Hayden Clark joined DECA after Manochio told him about his own experiences. Clark attended the Silicon Valley District Conference with Manochio from Jan. 2 to Jan. 4. Clark said, “It was such a fun experience even though [River and I] missed our events, but the judge was nice enough to let us reschedule our event times.”

Manochio is already looking into the future to prepare for his next conferences coming next month and has high aspirations for his DECA career.

Manochio said, “I started out by getting involved in a Stock Market Game with Hayden and we were 26th place out of 8,000 other participants. We were one place away from getting into ICDC. It was such a shame that stocks change so suddenly. I really thought my chances in getting into ICDC was slim but now I am participating in a Learn & Earn project with Grace and Connie Yi and I am confident that we can make it to ICDC.”

Article originally featured on scotscoop.com

brains are responsible for being able to pay attention throughout a lecture or a novel and being able to concentrate and think about concepts. This ability has begun to waste away in adults and possibly diminish within young people.

“Teenagers nowadays are on their cell phones too much,” said sophomore Ari Farantos. “Eventually they will lose the ability to talk to each other in person and become addicted to technology which would ultimately hurt their grades and social life.”

“

“I feel like social media apps like Snapchat and Vine have caused our attention spans to decrease because they have short intervals of time.”

Nico Camerino Senior

CONNIE YI

Liam Jocson, Spencer Enriquez, River Manochio, and Ethan Wong pose at the DECA LACE conference in their business attire.

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The Highlander

What goes into the perfect Winter Formal?

Lauren Tierney Staff Writer

“I didn’t like the DJ.” “My shoes were so uncomfortable!”

“The venues are always the same.”

“My date was too clingy!”

These are all common complaints heard year after year

by Carlmont students about the Winter Formal dance.

Winter Formal is made up of many different elements, from extreme preparation by the Carlmont Dance Committee to the attendees constant agony over all the details that go into making their night what they expect it to be.

Senior and Dance Committee member Andrew Wach said, “Formal last year was absolutely amazing so we plan on building on that trend again this year.”

This years’ theme for the dance will be Winter Wonderland.

This year, as in years past, Winter Formal will be held at the Fox Theater in downtown Redwood City on the night of Jan. 24.

Senior and Dance Committee member Jen Anthony said, “The hotel we used to have it at was not as good and the first year we did it at the Fox Theater everyone loved it so much more. Unfortunately, the classes now haven’t had the chance to experience it at a hotel so they have nothing to compare it to.”

Before the Winter Formal dance was held at Fox theater it was held at the San Mateo Marriott. This location was less convenient for attendees and the location wasn’t as nice and didn’t provide the convenient layout the Fox Theater does.

Junior Gabriella Lehr said, “I like formal at the Fox Theater because it’s small enough where people don’t feel like there’s too much open space so they can be comfortable dancing, there are seats to sit down if you are tired, and the location is very convenient because it is not too far away.”

The music makes up a major part of Winter Formal, and in years past people have complained about the redundancy of the DJ’s songs. The dance committee worked last year to solve the problem by creating an online song request form for students.

Senior Erica Aldanese said, “I have never been a fan of

the DJs at Carlmont dances. I think they should play more “throwbacks” and actual dance music. Ed Sheeran and Taylor Swift music are not artists I want to dance to.”

The Dance Committee has taken action in accommodating everyone's music wants this year, but with the large number of attendees it is tough to please everyone.

Senior and Dance Committee member Megan Guillermo said, “The DJ this year will not be the same as years past. We will have the DJ that we had for Homecoming and we will accommodate requests by creating a song list where students can go online and request songs they want to hear played at the dance.”

Anthony said, “In general, it is impossible to please everyone so we just do the best we can.”

Junior and Dance Committee member Amelia Armstrong said, “This year one of our goals is to have just as many people attend as last year, if not more, so we can keep the school spirit up.”

Last year, there were a total of 807 attendees at the dance, so the dance committee is hoping to keep those numbers on the rise.

The scene is set, you’ve bought your ticket and you know the theme, but you’re not done preparing for the dance.

Senior Vinka Radich said, “In years past, I have attended Winter Formal with a date, but if I am to attend this year I will probably just go with a group of friends.”

Anthony said, “I think most people go to Formal with a date, but we really encourage people to go with friends because I find that it is actually more fun that way. I went last year without a date, and I had so much fun!”

Many people attend Winter Formal with a group of friends and many also attend with a date. Whatever your preference may be, the next step is to find the perfect attire.

Girls constantly complain of their shoes being uncomfortable and their dress too tight as they struggle to find an outfit they feel comfortable in.

Senior Sarah Anderson said, “I usually find my dress first and then look for shoes and accessories that match.

When it comes to the type of dress, I prefer wearing a form fitting cocktail dress, but I have seen girls wear all types of short dresses.”

Boys have more outfit options than girls as they can choose from wearing a suit, a vest and tie, a button up and

ALYSSA ESPIRITU

Fox Theater is the destination of this year’s Winter Formal dance.

tie, a bow tie and more.

Senior Joe Rodriguez said, “The last two times I went to formal I wore a dress shirt, tie and vest with dress pants.

The preparation is usually just going to shop for clothes and make sure the tie I wear coordinates with my date’s dress.”

Okay so you have your ticket, you know who you’re going with and you finally figured out what to wear. But now you have to figure out what you are going to do before the dance.

Are you going to take pictures with all your friends or just the person your going with? Where are you going to take the pictures? How are you going to get to the dance?

Junior Brooke Miller said, “I usually take pictures with all my friends and their dates at someone’s house and then we all carpool to the dance.”

The excitement of Winter Formal may seem overwhelming, but all the preparation by the Dance Committee and the attendees is worthwhile in the end.

Whether by parents or by law, curfew rules are the norm Danielle Hamer Staff Writer

”Midnight is pretty much the same thing as 11:30.”

“Stay 20 minutes later, it won’t make a difference.”

“Come on, does your curfew even matter?”

No matter how many ways there are to justify leaving that party just the teensiest bit later, breaking curfew will come with consequences.

Or will it?

According to the Belmont Police Department, it is unlawful for any person under the age of 18 to loiter or wander on public streets, parks, playgrounds or other public grounds, vacant lots or any unsupervised place within the city limit after 11 p.m.

Students who have had their driver’s license for less than a year, like many Carlmont attendees, are not permitted to drive after 11 p.m.

And then there’s the scariest curfew of all- that which is instituted by a teenager’s parents. Some teens have one, and some do not. However, those who do have a curfew know that unless they want to face punishment, they should be home right at the time their parents asked.

Senior Erin Lucett said, “My parents have set a 12 p.m. curfew for me, and I feel that it is the most important curfew that I need to follow. I don’t think police measures for violating curfew are as harsh.”

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Juniors Erin Alonso and Haley Reeder send a Snapchat while out past curfew to document their late-night adventures.

However, different teens are tied down by different duties.

“My parents don’t mind how late I come home on the weekends, but I am sure that if I got in trouble with the police for being out too late on the street or in my car, my parents wouldn’t be too happy,” said senior Madi Hubbell.

A teenager’s first curfew violation usually results in a verbal warning. Offenders may have their license suspended or be required to pay a fine after they violate curfew multiple times.

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Math teacher and parent Kimberley Callan said, “I think it is reasonable to not establish a curfew, but set a certain time for my kids each time they go out with friends for the night.”

Nowadays, many teens have less strict curfews. Parents may tend to become less harsh as time goes on.

According to a recent Carlmont Highlander poll, 52 percent of students must follow a parental-enforced curfew.

Callan said, “When I was a teenager, I remember there were many of my friends who had a non-negotiable, strict curfew.”

The police-enforced curfew is newer to the area. Callan, who grew up in San Bruno, did not need to keep in mind legal issues that would arise as a result of being out later in the night when she was a teenager.

“When my friends and I got our licenses, we immediately starting driving each other. We never considered or learned about any laws against driving or other kind of legal curfew,” Callan said.

Some students disregard the curfew laws in place today because of their lack of prevalence and teens’ little knowledge on the fines and punishments imposed.

Belmont Police officer Brian Vogel said, “Curfew laws are designed to keep kids safe. Like many juvenile laws, curfew laws are written for safety and not for punishment.”

Page 20

The Highlander

SPORTS

January 2015

Carlmont athletics’ impact on students Colley Loum Staff Writer

Every athlete dreams of going to the big leagues.

Many of these dreams are brought to the surface in high school. The majority of Carlmont athletes strive every day to make their dreams come true and get recruited to their dream school.

Yet, recruitment is not the only answer to be accepted into the school of their dreams.

Over the years, Carlmont coaches have molded many students into great athletes.

Some of these athletes get the opportunity to be recruited. Many other athletes use their athletic talents to aid themselves in being accepted into the college of their dreams. Either way, students benefits greatly from his or her participation in Carlmont athletics, and has a much higher opportunity of getting into a prestigious college.

The real question is, is this really the case?

Athletic director Patrick Smith states, “This year we have had three softball players (seniors) sign letters of intent to play in college and one baseball player.”

Many believe that these students recruitment is due to Carlmont Athletics yet, Carlmont athletes beg to differ.

Senior Kirra Loucks who was recruited to Cal Poly, said that Carlmont Athletics did not play a role in her recruitment and that her club team (Cal Nuggets) played the largest role instead.

“Mainly it’s on the person that is trying to get recruited, I went to a lot of camps, sent emails, and called coaches.”

Students say Loucks is one of the top ath-

IVY NGUYEN

Senior Mariko Kondo commits to Syracuse University Class of 2019. letes on the women’s varsity softball team.

For someone of her caliber one would think that she would not have to do a lot of work on her own and that Carlmont softball would open many doors for her. This is not the case. To be recruited students must take the initiative and do most of the leg work on their own.

Softball is one of Carlmont’s most prestigious sports. Yet, the team was not able to help Loucks in her recruitment. Loucks had to take on the college recruitment process on her own.

Junior Kayla Fong has verbally committed to the UC Berkeley. When asked what aided her recruitment Fong stated “All of my recruiting process was done through club soccer, ECNL showcases, and nationals.”

Fong is on Carlmont’s varsity women’s soccer team. Though Fong starts for Carlmont, she was not able to get any attention from college coaches through her Carlmont performances.

Fong relied on her club team, De Anza Force, for recruitment. Fong was only seen by college coaches when she played in showcases (tournaments) with her team.

In Fong’s opinion the majority of the recruitment process is talking to the coach on your own. “Individually calling and emailing college coaches to set up unofficial visits is a large part of the process.”

Though the women’s Carlmont soccer team may be good, they are not getting any attention from college coaches.

Despite the fact that Carlmont athletics did not help Loucks and Fong in their col-

lege recruitment, it was not the same for senior Aaron Pleschner, who was recruited to San Jose State University. Pleschner is the starting shortstop for the Carlmont varsity men’s baseball team.

Pleschner said, “Carlmont baseball helped in my recruitment. Without Valero’s good word, I am not sure if I would have received my scholarship.”

In Pleschner’s case, Carlmont athletics were a key reason for his recruitment.

Yet, Carlmont baseball has a history of winning CCS championships. This gave Pleschner the chance to be looked at through school.

Pleschner later states “I did a lot of my own research and spent time and money playing in front of college coaches.” Though Carlmont had a large role in Pleschner’s recruitment, it was not all of it. Pleschner plays for Trosky baseball team. This team enabled him to play more games in front of recruiters.

Contrary to popular belief, many recruited Carlmont athletes did not get recruited through Carlmont athletics. Though Carlmont may have a good athletic program as a whole, it is not yet to the level at which its sports are highly respected.

If one is looking to get a scholarship or be recruited to college for a specific sport, it is in their best interest to be on a competitive club team, and contact coaches on their own as well as playing for Carlmont.

This combination is a good recipe for recruitment. Though the athletic coaches at Carlmont are helpful and are able to lead students to victory, the Carlmont athletics program is unable to completely aid its athletes in the recruitment process.

Free agency grants players new opportunites Sarah Boro Editor

Flashback a few months to the heat of the pennant race. It’s September in San Francisco. Thousands of San Francisco Giants fans arrive at AT&T Park sporting their “panda” jerseys and classic Giants hat as their beloved hero comes up to bat and the crowd goes wild, cheering for what seems minutes.

They cheer, “Let’s go Panda, let’s go! Let’s go Panda, let’s go!”

They told him to go and then he went.

Senior Zach Andriella said, “I think that there are players who are still trying to find their identity on a team, trying to find their best fit. And therefore, I understand why some players would want to experiment with other teams. For a player like Pablo Sandoval, however, who has had such a long career with the Giants and has made a name for himself, for him to just leave, especially after a very successful season and receiving a great accolade, makes me question his loyalty and intentions.”

Free agency is the term that defines baseball. In professional sports, a free agent is a player who is eligible to sign with any club or franchise, and isn’t under contract to any specific team. The term is also used in ref-

erence to a player who is under contract at present, but who is allowed to solicit contract offers from other teams.

The complexity of free agency is what paved the way for Pablo Sandoval’s decision to leave the San Francisco Giants and start a new career with the Boston Red Sox. For those who are generally unfamiliar with baseball and its workings, Sandoval’s contract was up at the end of the 2014 World Series.

Sandoval won three World Series titles in his seven years as a Giant, and was offered a five year contract worth $90 million to stay in San Francisco, $5 million less than what the Boston Red Sox offered, said Major League Baseball.

“I want a new challenge. I need a new challenge,” Sandoval said during a Fenway Park news conference. “I know that I had a great career in San Francisco. But I’m going to have a new one here.”

Free agency allowed him that opportunity.

Senior Alex Pennes added, “I understand Sandoval’s thought process. When Panda wasn’t performing well, the Giants fans gave up on him; when he started hitting, we cared about him again. But I think he wants to try to get more money because he can. At the same time the Red Sox allow

him to build a new fan base. In some ways losing Panda is going to have a big effect on the Giants, but I am fairly certain that they can find someone to replace him.”

The nature of free agency arose with the baseball legend, Curt Flood. Flood played professional baseball for 15 years from 1956 to 1971, but the following circumstances led him to take 1970 off.

Flood had a career batting average of .293, was a three-time All-Star, and, while playing centerfield for the St. Louis Cardinals, won Gold Glove seven consecutive seasons, from 1963-1969. He won two World Series rings and was on three pennant-winning teams with the Cardinals.

But it’s what Curt Flood didn’t do in 1969 that helped change the game forever.

He did not accept a trade.

At the end of the 1969 season, Flood and three teammates were part of a potential trade to the Phillies.

Not only did Flood refuse to go, but he convinced his lawyer and the Executive Director of the Players Association that he needed to sure Major League Baseball, a decision that shook the waters not only in baseball, but in all professional sports.

At the time, players were bound to a team for life by the so-called “reserve clause.” Allen Barra, a writer for The Atlantic said,

“Simply, a player was a team’s property. Unless the team chose to trade him or release him, his first big-league team would be his only big-league team for his entire career. A player’s only option was retirement.”

However, the language of the reserve clause was ambiguous. It merely said that if you played for a team, you must play for that team the next season as well.

“I do not regard myself as a piece of property to be bought or sold,” Flood famously told the Commissioner of Baseball in a letter in which he requested the right to be a free agent.

Flood continued to sue Major League Baseball.

The court agreed with Flood and ruled that he should have the right be a free agent, but that free agency for players should be attained through collective bargaining.

Overnight, the system that had ruled baseball collapsed.

The Players Association sorted things out with management, and salaries skyrocketed—along with profits, it turned out, as fans liked the exciting new era of free agency and the players it brought to their teams.

The Giants are going to have to find a new “mascot,” because the “Kung Fu Panda” is going...going...gone.

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January 2015

ENTERTAINMENT

Page 21

The Highlander

Rap and hip-hop’s climb to the pop Ravina Gujral Staff Writer

Throughout the various conformities and trends people in our world follow, music similarly affects the types and styles of music that have gained popularity throughout the years.

Of the many different genres of music, society has declared multiple genres of music as the “popular” and “in” music of their era. Nowadays, rap and hip hop seem to be dominating the speakers of many listeners of today.

Senior Nathan Rosenthal said, “I think rap and hip hop have gained popularity within our generation because a lot of people are putting their rap lyrics over pop instrumentals, so pop listeners as well as rap listeners listen to a lot of the music that’s classified as rap or hip hop.”

According to a poll taken by themcreport.com, the average person assumes the hip hop listener is a black male in between the ages of 19 to 25 years old. However, when a focus group composed of three black males, two black females, one white male, two white females, and two Asian males, everyone agreed that hip hop has become more universal since it’s emergence.

“I think that there are stereotypes to every genre of music, but there will always be people beating them and listening to unexpected genres. In rap and hip hop, I especially think there are people beating the stereotypes because of how different it is compared to other types of music,” said senior Victoria Poslavsky.

The generation of today has also utilized international music and music from other genres to rap over further broadening the perspective of rap and hip hop music.

Senior Yunus Evsen said, “I think that a

lot of people within our generation listen to rap and hip hop because there are many different types of artists within the genre.

Each artist has a different spin on the classic rap and hip hop ways which makes it interesting and appealing to listen to.”

Additionally, the website soundcloud. com has made a large impact to the type of music played on the radio. Popular hits such as “Tuesday,” mainly discovered by Soundcloud users, along with remixes and mashups of original favorites have made their way to people’s iPods.

“I definitely think that Soundcloud has an influence on the kind of music people listen to because it’s similar to other applications like Spotify which helps people have access to free music. Since it’s legal now and many people have the app on their phone, I think it’s huge,” said Rosenthal.

In January 2014, Soundcloud announced the fact that they were partnering with large music companies which helped to jumpstart the great year for the company.

Evsen said, “Since so many people around our age have a Soundcloud nowadays, I think it’s made an impact on what our generation listens to as a whole. A lot of people are able to upload original tracks which give them bigger chances to advertise their music. Since so much of the music is hip hop and rap, it’s basically become easier to have access to.”

According to trends.buildwith.com, Soundcloud has continued to grow as an entertainment source reaching about 105 top one million sites, as well as a news source reaching about 22 top one million sites.

In our generation today, a large amount of hip hop and rap music has essentially been present for most young people because of the easier accessibility for this genre, impacting what the more “popular, trendy or in” music of today is.

MIRANDA IRWIN

Upcoming rapper known as “Wallpaper.” performs on Nov. 24, 2013 at the Fillmore in San Francisco, dancing and getting the crowd involved.

OPINION

Page 22

The Highlander

January 2015

Domi-Nation Editorial: Finals make or break your grade Dominic Gialdini Editor

“Blessed is he that can laugh at himself, he will never cease to be amused.”- Anonymous

School is prison

Hello fellow convicts.

For the past few months, we high schoolers have been getting reacquainted with the old slammer. We have all recently indulged in our temporary releases during the holiday season only to be forced back into our place to serve our sentences (with the excitement of a prison break courtesy of a broken water main); some of us will get out on good behavior come June, and others have up to three more years until their parole eligibilities.

In many aspects, Carlmont High School is no different from a jail.

Urban legend holds that the architect of the school also designed San Quentin. Since Carlmont was made nearly a century after the notorious penitentiary, it’s safe to say that this is not true. However, that does not take away from the fact that Carlmont, in the eyes of many, looks like a jail.

The boxy facade and the outside basketball courts, which are reminiscent of a jail yard and are sunken into the hill, surrounded on three sides by walls and gated off on the fourth, can attest to that. Despite this, I must say that the modern, curvy, bold-colored awnings added in the not so distant past almost made forget about the originally dismal shell of the school -- almost. Nice try, architects.

Aside from the superficial implications that Carlmont is a jail, there are more serious matters that must be noted.

We are constantly being monitored, whether it be by the wardens or the mean guards who keep us in mass groups for the sake of surveillance. Our whereabouts are known at all times. When staff members are not watching us, we can be sure that there are surveillance cameras nearby, patiently waiting for us to walk into view. Notable cameras include, but are not limited to, those in the hallway of the gym, the one near the ramp by E hall and the one next to the elevator by D Hall.

Big Brother is watching you, and according to the National Institute of Justice, it is legal so long as Big Brother doesn’t watch you when you are in any place where there is reasonable expectation for privacy, i.e. in the bathrooms and in changing rooms.

While it is obvious that the school would argue that surveillance is there to keep administration aware of incidents on campus and to discourage fighting and other issues, not everyone would agree with this justification; some would even go so far as to say that it is counterintuitive.

According to research done by the National Association of School Psychologists, dangerous behavior can actually be motivated by the presence of surveillance due “street” culture. What else would you expect from a bunch of teenage convicts, I mean students? We love attention, even if it is for the wrong reasons.

Arguing that security cameras make a school less secure may not be the most conclusive of assertions, but it does cause legitimate issues to be called to mind.

Are the cameras around school really necessary? May it actually be an invasion of privacy since students have no choice but to go to school?

If someone decided to vandalize the school, it wouldn’t be very difficult to do so without being caught. All they would need are ski masks (to cover their faces), clothes that they could later burn (so as not to possess any evidence of their guilt), gloves (to avoid leaving fingerprints) and destructive objects of their choices -- perhaps a can of spray paint or some gasoline to set the turf ablaze.

I hope what I have just said won’t put me on the school district’s watch list or anything. Perhaps I should clarify now that I have no intention of harming the school, nor do I condone such criminal acts. I’m merely displaying the potential futility of the security cameras.

While some students may not mind being monitored, other find as much disdain for it as they do with other government action that has been taken to limit our collective privacies. While there seems to be little to do in opposition to it, the debate is by no means closed.

At the end of the day, we are the Carlmont convicts -wouldn’t that make for a great mascot -- and we are subject to the supremacy of the school. Is that necessarily a bad thing? You can decide for yourself.

After a long semester of hard work, everything comes down to taking a dreaded final.

As a standard, most finals are worth somewhere from 10-20 percent of a total grade. A 20 percent final has multiple effects on students, for some it can be a miracle worker, but for others it can be a grade wrecker.

For the student who made his or her way through the class nonchalantly with their B or B+, the panic sets in once finals roll around. A 20 percent final has the ability to lift that 87 percent up to a 90 percent. Fueled by panic, and sometimes desperation, these students kick it into full drive. It’s the most studying that’s happened all semester, all to battle for that A. It’s a gamble, but for some students a heavily weighted final is what they are relying on.

On the other hand, the hard working student who has battled all semester to hold onto their A-, a 20 percent final can be a killer. A 20 percent final has the ability to drop that A- to a B+. After a long semester of late nights studying and not enough sleep, sometimes a final push isn’t enough to hang on to their A. Losing the battle isn’t only disappointing, but can seem

extremely unfair. Although both students have put in effort, it isn’t fair for a student who obviously learned the material throughout the semester and held an A to receive a lower grade than someone who made a last minute attempt to raise their grade.

However, finals that are worth 10 percent of the final grade may not be weighted enough. A 10 percent final doesn’t have the same ability to drastically change a grade. The downside to a 10 percent final is that the whole point of a final is to test students on the information they have learned throughout the semester. Having a final that doesn’t significantly impact someone’s grade means that students with grades that aren’t going up or down have the tendency to brush off that final.

Teachers need to give an incentive to force students to take their final seriously, and that is giving their final significant weight.

Although it may seem unfair to weight a final so heavily, it’s logical for teachers. Students have to continue to work hard and finish out their semester strong to either maintain their grade or move those few percentage points up.

Wandering but not lost

Gianna Schuster Staff Writer As a senior, college applications are a huge part of this year for me. The hardest part of this process, however, is not what you would think.

The worst part about college apps is when they ask you to select your intended major.

I usually end up staring at the screen with my hand hovering over the mousepad, not sure what to choose. How should I be sure of what I want the rest of my life to revolve around?

Life happens fast -- too fast. It was not until the beginning of my senior year when it hit me that this is the last year on my dance team, the last year I get to spend time with my little brother every day, the last year at Carlmont, and the last year of life as I know it.

It is one thing to be interested in a certain field of study, or to have career ideas in mind. But, my brain hasn’t even fully developed and I’m expected to have a career path laid out for the rest of my life. That doesn’t make sense.

Many assume that once students decide on an academic major, they stay committed to it.

However, according to the University of La Verne, 50 - 70 percent of students change majors at least once, and most will change majors at least three times before graduating.

It is interesting to see how shocked people are after they ask me what I want to be when I grow up and I answer with “I don’t know.”

Around the beginning of the school year, my uncle asked me what I am going to major in and what career I want to have after college.

I said, “I’m not sure yet. I have some ideas, but I really

ALYSSA ESPIRITU

don’t know.”

He stood there for a few seconds, and finally said, “Quite honestly, I’m surprised. You’re the most ambitious one in the family.”

I thought I heard him incorrectly, but I was hearing just fine.

Just because I don’t know exactly what I want to major in, it does not mean that I don’t have ambitions. In fact, at this stage in my life, I am more ambitious than ever before.

In about eight months, I will be “leaving the nest” as they say, and I aspire to make something of myself when I do that.

I want to be someone who makes a difference in peoples’ lives. I am eager to have a career where I can help to better the world around me for a living. I strive to go to college so that I can educate myself in order to have the intellectual and personal foundation to do these things.

I want to wake up in 20 years and look back on my life, seeing the mistakes I have made, the goals I have achieved, and the lessons I have learned.

Going into college undecided on a major cannot stop anyone from accomplishing any of these ambitions. The only thing that can stop someone is if they give up.

I’ll soon begin my first of four years in a realm of knowledge and passion, where I’ll be surrounded by students just as eager as me to learn and grow. How can being unsure of a major limit anyone in such a thriving environment?

Pursuing something does not need to start with a clear plan of how everything should be.

That is not only true for me, but it is true for everyone graduating high school, because it’s extremely difficult to know your place in this world when you have only been a part of it for so long.

January 2015

OPINION

Page 23

The Highlander

Mike’s Corner Michael Bastaki Editor

“Things turn out best for the people who make the best of the way things turn out.”- John Wooden

Why cops are never prosecuted ALYSSA ESPIRITU

Students stand in solidarity to raise awareness for recent events involving police brutality toward black individuals. The signs feature the names of deceased individuals as well as the phrase “Black Lives Matter.”

Dear white people Ayesha Abbasi Staff Writer

Dear white people, please listen to how you can help.

In light of recent events in Ferguson, Mo., and N.Y., there has been a significant amount of dialogue between races, and let’s just say not all of it is the positive type of communication we need in order to make progress.

No matter the actions you take as a white person in the current racial climate, remember that this climate is drastically changing to a place of irreparable damage.

It’s not easy to talk about an unfair social system in which you are found guilty even if you are trying to do the right thing.

It leaves me with the same reaction I have when grown white people tell me they’re taking “baby steps” towards racial awareness. That’s cool, you go ahead and take your baby steps. I’ll just keep hoping I don’t get killed. If you’re a baby, take those steps. If you’re a grown, adult white human living in America right now and you’re not there yet, take bigger steps.

Racism is real, and the first step to having a practical conversation is to admit that it’s real and that it can be terrifying.

There are substantial differences in how people of color are treated versus people of Caucasian descent. So simply saying, “It happened to me!” is not the same as listening and understanding how it’s different when “it” happened to a black person. Failing to appreciate experiences that aren’t exactly like your own is what will stall any discussion, or make you afraid to hit the share button.

The first step in becoming a conscientous white person is by understanding the term white privilege. As defined by racism.org ‘white privilege’ is “societal privileges that benefit white people in western countries beyond what is commonly experienced by the non-white people under the same social, political, or economic circumstances.”

Fox news broadcaster Bill O’Reilly claimed that even the peaceful protesters in Ferguson were responsible for “aiding and abetting” those who burned and looted the buildings. But if blacks can be called out as a race because of the actions of a few, then white people should be held to the same standard.

Okay, now listen closely my white brethren. Please don’t resort to the response that, “not all white people do x, y, and z.”

Here’s why: in order to help the cause, white people must accept the fact that they have a level of privilege which sets them apart from others.

Attempting to justify this privilege or saying that the privilege is non-existent isn’t helping anything.

The best way to help solve this problem is by elevating the minority voice instead of attempting to justify the majority voice which is already in control and tends to be the root of the problems.

It’s understandable that a lot of white people aren’t speaking out publicly against the recent killings of black males. They may not see a space for themselves to engage meaningfully in the conversation so that they can move to action against racism.

It’s not so much that they have nothing to say but rather they don’t see an opportunity to say something or to do something that matters.

White people have a clear leverage in politics where 361

House of Representative members and 96 Senate members are white, so it’s not as if there isn’t a reliable and powerful forum available for the white majority to speak out in.

Whether or not they actually are is a different story.

However there seems to be a real fear of saying the wrong thing even if the intention is pure. There is a fear of being alienated socially and economically from other white people, for standing in solidarity with black people, for putting one’s self in harm’s way, whether the harm be physical or psychological.

I’m not saying that these aren’t valid fears, but I challenge white people to carefully consider whether failing to speak out or act because of these fears is justified when white silence and inaction means the oppression and death of black people.

Take steps out of this learned fear and instead learn about the racialized history of Ferguson and how it reflects the racialized history of America.

Eric Garner’s alleged murder is not a statistical outlier.

It is the product of deadly tensions born from decades of housing discrimination, white flight, intergenerational poverty and racial profiling.

The militarized police response to the protestors’ peaceful assembly mirrors what happened in the 1960s during the Civil Rights Movement.

Be mindful, and socially aware with your language.

Notice how the mainstream news outlets are using words like “riot” and “looting” to describe the uprising in Ferguson. What’s happening is not an obscure reaction to these events.

The people are protesting and engaging in a justified rebellion. They have a cultivated anger and are revolting against the police who have terrorized them for years.

It’s important to understand that the modern forms of race oppression and slavery are related to policing, the courts, and the prison industrial complex.

We don’t enslave black people on the plantation cotton fields anymore.

Now we lock them up in for- profit prisons at disproportionate rates and for longer sentences for the same crimes than white people. And when they are released, they are second class citizens stripped of voting rights and denied access to housing, employment and education. Mass incarceration is the new Jim Crow.

Diversify your media. Pay close attention to the diverse voices of color on the TV and on the Internet in order to help shape your awareness, understanding and thinking about political, economic and social issues.

Find support from fellow white allies. Challenge and encourage each other to dig deeper, even when it hurts and especially when you feel confused, angry or sad, so that you can be more authentic in your shared journey with people of color to uphold and protect principles of anti racism and equity in our society.

Go to workshops like Training for Change’s, Whites Confronting Racism or European Dissent by The People’s Institute.

Attend The White Privilege Conference or the Facing Race Conference. Some organizations offer scholarships or reduced fees to help people attend if funding is an issue.

There are so many options for white people to get involved and make a change instead of complying with silence.

White people, the choice is yours.

There’s a major problem with our legal system.

It’s been there for a very long time.

It’s an inflammatory type of problem; it flares up every once in a while, such as in the Garner and Ferguson case, but soon dies down again after Americans’ short-attention spans switches to other events.

Prosecutors don’t prosecute cops.

From a practical perspective, this fact makes perfect sense.

Prosecutors and cops have essentially the same job: they’re both responsible for upholding the law and prosecuting those who break it.

Prosecutors often work in close relation with police officers in order to get a conviction. Officers supply evidence and witness statements to the prosecutor, which is what the prosecutor needs in order to do his or her job (prosecute accused criminals).

Therefore, if a prosecutor were to prosecute a police officer, it could ruin the relationship between that prosecutor and the police force.

Therefore, it’s in a prosecutor’s best interests to never press charges against a police officer.

Now many of you are reading this and are thinking: in Ferguson and Staten Island, there was a grand jury. The prosecutor didn’t decide to press charges, the jury did.

This is correct, but in response I ask: Who’s responsible for supplying evidence and witnesses to the grand jury?

Who’s responsible for advising the grand jury on which testimony to pay attention to, and which testimony to ignore by labeling it as inconsistent?

Who’s responsible for interrogating the witnesses during the grand jury process?

The answer to all of these questions is that the person responsible is the prosecutor.

Please don’t be foolish enough to believe that merely because there was a grand jury means that justice was served as according to the judicial system.

Take the Michael Brown case, for instance, where St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Robert McCulloch failed to ask Officer Wilson any cross examination questions during his testimony to the grand jury.

James A. Cohen, a law professor at Fordham University, said, “A prosecutor has an obligation to ask questions and clarify testimony for grand jurors. This prosecutor [McCulloch] did worse than abdicate his responsibility: He structured the presentation so the jurors would vote no true bill [not guilty].”

Missouri state Sen. Nasheed said that McCulloch “allowed Darren Wilson to sit there and give his side of the story. But there was no one there to give Michael Brown’s side of the story.”

Prosecutors can do a lot to influence the outcome of a jury trial, and there’s evidence to support that they’ve influenced a lot of trials of police killings in the past.

Phillip Stinson, an assistant professor at Bowling Green State University, found that 41 U.S. officers were charged with murder or manslaughter from 2005 to 2011.

To put that into perspective, the FBI released figures showing that during that same time period, there were 2,718 “justified” killings by police officers.

The Cato Institute found that the conviction rate for police officers is roughly one out of three, which is half of the conviction rate among the general public.

Fortunately, there are means to remedy this problem.

Through ballot initiatives, Americans can take control of the prosecutor’s power to prosecute cops.

Citizens can establish special, non-local, non-biased prosecutors to deal specifically with homicide cases involving police officers and civilians.

This would eliminate the bias and conflict of interest local prosecutors have when deciding to prosecute a police officer.

Our judicial system may never be perfect, but right now it’s in terrible need of repair.

Through ballot initiatives, we, as a society, can fix a key part of our judicial process.

We can make a difference.

Page 24

The Highlander

Carlmont

January 2015

by the numbers

National Rank: 586

2,194 students enrolled Year founded:

1952

Number of

16

AP Classes

Social Science

11 English 6

Math

5 Science

College Readiness Index 44.5 Average SAT Score for 2012-13:

School District

1698 1652

State 1490

57% of English

Learners Making Progress in Learning English at Carlmont (2013-2014)

46%

White,

23%Hispanic/Latino,

14%Asian, 8% T wo or More Races, 3% African American or Black, 3% Filipino, 2% Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander

Alumni by the numbers:

1 Playboy playmate 1 Saturday Night Live cast member

1 Miss Hong Kong 4 former NFL players

Carlmont High is

ranked 121st within California

2012 Growth API:

878

Infographic by Zoe Wildman Source: California Department of Education