December 2012 Highlander

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The cliques of Carlmont

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December 2012, Vol IV, Issue III

Makeup Madness

By Kellan McDonough Multimedia Editor Does the need girls have to wear makeup say something about society?

It seems that way. There is a certain image girls have to live up to, whether it be for themselves or for others.

High school is an especially tiresome time for everyone. Between class, homework, and extracurriculars, its amazing girls find time to even maintain their appearance.

For most, getting ready for school is a no-hassle process.

Throwing on whatever they can find and dashing out the door to make sure they got that extra 15 minutes of sleep.

If high schoolers are always so tired and so stressed, why do girls wear makeup to school and who are they trying to impress? If no one notices it and no one cares, why do girls go through all the trouble?

Freshman Elena Mateus commented, “I [wear makeup] so I feel good about myself. I usually only wear eyeliner, but it makes me feel good and makes me happy know-

ing I look good.”

For some, wearing makeup is not about impressing boys or peers, it’s about feeling confident and self assured. When girls dress up for a special occasion, they want to know they look good to maintain poise and courage.

Senior Kayla Wright said, “I don’t personally wear makeup to school because I’m comfortable in my own skin. But a reason I wear makeup sometimes is to just look nicer.

I understand why it goes against people’s morals but I personally don’t see the problem with makeup unless a girl relies on it to believe she is beautiful.”

Wright poses an interesting question; do girls depend on makeup to maintain their self confidence and is that something society should allow?

In the media and in magazines, society presents an image of the typical girl: perfect skin and flawless make up.

Some girls wear makeup because that is what society expects to see.

Even in high school, a community of teenagers all facing the same problems and all under the same pressures, girls wear makeup to hide Continued on page 16

Photo by Marissa King

The truth about homework Students with harder classes should expect to do more

By Rachel Schuster Senior Editor The sound of an alarm clock shrieking at 6 a.m. is the most horrible sound to wake up to. For students like Charley Bernardo, it signals the start of yet another exasperating day of hard work that begins with the unfinished homework from the previous night.“The worst is when you know you can’t keep sleeping because you have to finish your homework,” said Bernardo. “And my bed is so warm in the mornings, so I never want to get up.” Students like Bernardo are forced to finish their homework in the mornings,

since their long days and extracurricular activities leave them exhausted and unwilling to complete hours of homework.“I feel like some teachers give ‘busy work,’” said Mateen Nozzari. “Sometimes there’s just too much.

Teacher’s shouldn’t give out extra homework to everyone just because some people aren’t studying enough for quizzes and tests.”

So here lies the real question: If students must endure long hours of tiresome work, does homework ultimately help or hinder student learning? And to what extent does that answer go to when taking into account the amount of time spent on assignments?

According to a 2004 national survey of

2,900 American children conducted by the University of Michigan, the amount of time spent on homework has risen 51 percent since 1981.

Currently, some parents worry that their children spend too much time on vast amounts of homework.

“As a parent, I believe that homework is a beneficial tool. But I also think it’s overused,” said teacher Jim Kelly. “I understand that teachers give a lot of homework to reinforce the importance of education, but I don’t need to see my daughter in fourth grade doing three hours of homework each night.”

Kelly also believes that large amounts of homework affect a student’s well-being, saying that “kids need to be able to spend time at school, do extracurricular activities, have a social life, practice a spiritual or religious life, and still get the right amount of sleep.”

A lot of students agree with Kelly and express how hard it is to add homework to their already packed schedules.

“I literally leave my house at 7:30 a.m.

Continued on page 16

Feeding Hungry

By Sarah Klieves Staff Writer Every day, many Carlmont students go home hungry and Carlmont’s Associated Student Body (ASB) is trying to do something about it.

Students from ASB organized an annual canned food drive to help Carlmont families in need. The food drive ran from Nov. 5 to Nov. 16 and was very successful.

According to Carlmont counselor Tammy DePaoli, the food drive is very beneficial to Carlmont families. DePaoli stated that over 200 Carlmont families were able to receive food for the holidays due to the efforts of students during the food drive last fall.

DePaoli also said the food drive is “great, no matter how much is given.”

Junior Claire McKeefry commented that “[The food drive] is a great cause because it’s a simple way to make a big difference and help people close to home who need it.”

English teacher Gail Langkusch said the food drive is “really important because so many families are in need, however many students do not remember to bring in food unless they have an incentive.”

Carlmont freshman and ASB Human Relations Commissioner Annie Klups Continued on page 13

News and Opinions Holiday Hell: a satire Insta-obsession Page 2

By Sarah Levin Staff Writer

Aside from summer vacation and Black Friday, the holiday season is my favorite time of year. A solid block from Halloween until New Year’s, when we get to wallow in the beauty of overpriced poultry, jarringlybright festive lights, and more familial tension than a 12-hour “Jerry Springer” marathon. Really, though, what’s not to love?

Consider the simple goodness of Halloween: a holiday that began as a pagan method of ushering deceased relatives into the afterlife (including human sacrifice and paying homeless people to pray for your family members), and now consists of encouraging children to dress up like a comic book character and walk around parentless, demanding treats from strangers.

This is one holiday that has remained just as whimsical and traditional as when it first started.

I mean, what’s the difference between eating a nutmeg-based “soul cake” that signifies a soul being freed from Purgatory and a chocolate-based Mars Bar that signifies an upcoming root canal? Only that whole “Purgatory” thing, but that’s pretty trivial in the long run. Overall, no one could find a flaw in children accepting candy from groups of masked strangers. When has that ever gone wrong?

Thanksgiving is a holiday that keeps on giving (pun shamefully intended), providing us with everything we love about the holiday season: family, good food, and historical turmoil. After all, the only way to celebrate a bunch of Puritans crashing their boat into an enormous rock and massacring 700 Pequot Indians is enjoying a slice of pumpkin pie.

Coming too soon after Halloween to manage any pre-holiday diet, Thanksgiving basically does the same thing to our bodies as the stomach-babies in “Alien”: explodes our stomach without so much as a heads-up and leaves us to suffer. The recurring (but never actually true) plan all of us hold close to our cholesterol-caked hearts is that we’ll try to eat healthier this year. This lasts until we actually begin eating, after which we usually find ourselves reclined in our chairs with the buttons on our skinny jeans screaming for mercy, as our Aunt Flo stuffs a fifth piece of pecan pie down her throat whilst claiming, “I shouldn’t; I’m on a diet!”

(Personally, I intend to follow the “Just eat as much as you want and have fun” plan. I’ll let you know how it goes after my imminent triple bypass).

Then comes the great grandiose of the holiday season: Christmas. We put trees inside, lamps outside, and sing holiday songs that will surface in our subconscious again during mid-April and refuse to disappear until next November. Christmas is like what would happen if all the other winter holidays were put into a blender and pumped full of steroids; you’ve got the forced family bonding of Thanksgiving, the sugary confections of Halloween, and the skinnyjeans-ripping meals of... well, basically everything.

Plus, the best part of all: PRESENTS. Now, I know the whole Grinch spiel of “maybe Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more,” and all that holly-scented jazz. We all do, having grown up with Christmas specials that shove peace on Earth down our throats with cries of “EAT SYMBOLIC HAPPINESS, YOU TINY ELVES!” But, lets be real here. Presents are the only reason you remember Christmas at all. Years from now, we may not remember the hot chocolate we drank or the moonlit walks past the blinking house lights, but we WILL remember getting a copy of Call of Duty instead of Halo, and subsequently throwing our XBox across the house in righteous indignation and refusing to speak to our parents until New Years.

Ah, the memories of the digital generation.

The only downside of the holiday season, for me at least, is how FAST everything seems to go. You’re halfway through taking off your Halloween costume when your parents begin ordering a turkey. Three days later, the Christmas Lights Fairy visits all the good little houses and covers them in traffic hazards. And then, before you know it, all that’s left is half a pillowcase full of candy, a skyline of leftovers in the fridge, and that one neighbor across the street who keeps his lights up all year round.

So, this holiday season, try to appreciate each moment. Revel in your younger sibling throwing up eggnog all over their stocking. Giggle in delight as your great-aunt asks why you don’t just cut your hair, you freakin hippie. Suffer in contented silence through hours upon hours of sappy Christmas movies that make your mom cry. Enjoy it while you can.

And, to all my fellow Jews out there: Happy Hanukkah. See you all December 24 for Chinese food and a movie. Happy Holidays!

By Annie Wesolek Staff Writer

spend hours on a virtual site both “hearting” pictures we like and ignoring those we don’t, We all know that we’re participating in the same peer evalusocial media is both a ations as the inhabitants of the imaginary serious addiction and a town participate in. valuable tool. Sites like Instagram is not the only site that is Facebook and Twitter fueled by peer evaluation, but it’s one of are beneficial because they allow you to stay the only sites without any other redeeming connected to individuals too distant to see on qualities. I’m not claiming that Instagram is a daily basis. a complete menace to society and should be The inherent qualities of these sites are boycotted, but I do believe that Instagram geared toward connecting people and growing users should reflect on the amount of time virtual relationships. We can rationalize hours they put into rating their peers and the spent living in the made up worlds these sites amount of credence they give to the ratings create because they have the noble mission of they’ve attained from others. connecting people and exchanging informaIn the grand scheme of things no one tion. was remembered for having 120 “hearts” on However the same can not be said for their pictures or having a favorable followers Instagram. to following ratio. Instagram may be a fun What is the point of Instagram? Instagram waste of time, but in the end, all Instagram doesn’t allow the user to message long lost successes are as meaningless. friends or facilitate information exchange. If I want to get in touch with an old friend I’m not going to look them up on Instagram. If I’m sick and I want to know what homework assignments I’ve missed, I’m not going to ask a friend over Instagram. So what does Instagram really have to offer?

If you think about it analytically you can see that Instagram is actually just one giant evaluation by your peers. Instagram users offer up pictures that they’ve taken of either themselves, others, or objects and wait for others to judge their post. Followers show their approval of the post by bestowing a “heart” or their disapproval of the post by ignoring it. The more “hearts” a post receives the more the owner of the post feels accepted and acknowledged by their peers.

Instagram is so popular because it fills the need of the modern teenager to feel that their opinions and ideas are validated by their classmates. By giving teens an outlet to post pictures and thoughts to be judged, Instagram feeds the crowd pleasing tendencies of teenagers. Users become obsessed with posting pictures not for themselves but for others in order to gain their approval. A picture’s worth becomes dependent not upon the viewers own opinion but on its ability to get “hearts.”

Instagram is like a small town where all the inhabitants spend the day giving heart stickers to those that they approved and ignoring those they don’t. These townspeople rate their neighbors based on their own opinions or prejudices. From an objective view we can see the this imaginary town’s practice of community evaluation is an unhealthy practice and a nonsensical waste of time. However when we Screenshots taken by Karenna Meredith

The effects of propositions 30 and 38 on the Carlmont community

By Michael Bastaki Staff Writer California schools are safe because Proposition 30 passed.

If Proposition 30 had failed, California schools would have faced $6 billion in cuts this year.

Six billion dollars is approximately equal to the salaries of 92,000 teachers, 66,000 principals, or 200,000 janitors.

In the past four years, California schools have been hit with $20 billion in cuts, which

resulted in 300,000 fewer teachers and some of the largest class sizes in the country.

History teacher and teacher union representative Carolyn Wade stated, “Schools across California dodged a bullet on massive cutbacks to education."

Proposition 30 passed by a margin of 53.9% to 46.1%.

“Proposition 30 will help Sequoia School District by stabilizing the budget, and this will keep the district from cutbacks on teachers and days,” stated AP Economics teacher Kris Weisman.

By adding state tax revenues of $6 billion annually from 2012 through 2017, Proposition 30 counters the $6 billion in cuts to education slated for this year.

For instance, the California State University system took back this year's $250 tuition fee increase, which made the annual tuition the same as it was last year.

Proposition 30 increases taxes on individuals who make more than $250,000 a year and couples who make more than $500,000 a year for seven years.

Students will be paying as well, since it also

increases the sales tax in California by onefourth of a cent for four years.

Weisman also stated that, “We as a society have to buy into the public good, meaning that we all pay taxes to benefit from the services funded by the taxes, such as public education.”

Another benefit is increased tax revenues to California schools.

Wade said, “Certainly for K-12 there won’t be cutbacks to teachers.”

A key element of Proposition 30 is that it allows local school governing boards to decide how funds, mostly from the temporary tax increase on the rich, should be spent.

However, in order to check these school boards, official inspections of the school's financial accounts will ensure that this money is only being used for schools and education.

Approximately $67 million was spent in support of Proposition 30, while $53 million were spent in opposition.

Furthermore, Proposition 30 did have competition on the ballot, as Proposition 38 had similar ideas, such as raising money for K-12 schools, but instead increased the income tax

on all Californians.

Proposition 38 would have increased income tax using a slider, from .4% for individuals with annual earnings of 7,316 dollars to 2.2% for individuals with annual earnings of 2.5 million dollars.

Chemistry teacher Hai Nguyen stated that, “Proposition 38 would make college students pay more money on top of their student loans. Do you think that’s fair?”

Proposition 38 would have raised around $10 billion from 2012 through 2024.

The money would have been divided, as $6 billion would have been used for schools, $1 billion for child care and preschool, and $3 billion for state savings on debt payments.

In terms of donors, Proposition 38 raised $48 million in support while only $42,000 was raised in opposition.

Proposition 38 was defeated by a margin of 72.4% to 27.7%.

However, because Proposition 30 had won, its effects are already taking place.

As according to Wade, “California made a statement that they think education is important.”

News and Opinions

Page 3

The misconceptions about Mormonism Almost half of America voted for a Mormon President but few understand the religion In recent years, the Mormon religion has become a topic of discussion, highlighted by television shows, public figures, and political stances. Stereotypes and misconceptions about Mormonism stem from these popular media outlets.

Society is prone to gathering their information from the media and similar popular sources. Mormonism has been a highlighted topic in television shows such as Big Love, Sister Wives, and South Park. The creators of South Park have also created a Tony Award winning musical, The Book of Mormon, written as a satire of the Mormon religion.

When asked, students admit to knowing only the basic stereotypes of Mormonism. Charbel Tung, a senior, said “I know they can have multiple wives,” and Becca Chong, a senior, explained that she watched the show Sister Wives out of intrigue and interest.

Mormons find their roots as an “American” religion, having been established in the 1820s by Joseph Smith a man native to New York. That is why Mormonism is usually briefly

“It’s difficult sometimes because people have a stereotypical view.”

highlighted in American History classes, which is where many students are first educated on a factual level about the religion itself.

The topic of polygamy, or having multiple wives, is one of the greatest misconceptions about Mormonism in modern society. Polygamy was once practiced by Mormons during the mid-1800s, but was discontinued by the year 1890. Any religious group that now practices polygamy is not affiliated with the Mormon church.

A common belief is that the Mormon religion is solely contained within the United States. However, Joanna Brooks, author of The Book of Mormon Girl, said that “Mormonism began in the United States and is headquartered in Utah, but it is actually a world religion with millions of members in Latin America, Asia, and Africa.” Mormon boys around the age of 18 will usually leave their homes for two years to teach the gospel of Mormonism all over the world.

Many people consider Mormons to not be Christian, because of their belief in another additional text called the Book of Mormon, although it is another testament of their belief in Jesus.

Growing up as a member of the Mormon church can be difficult due to these assumptions and misconceptions. Freshman Bethany Wesolek explained that “it's difficult sometimes because people have a stereotypical view of Mormons and

Photo taken by Karenna Meredith

By Karenna Meredith Staff Writer

Mormons wear CTR ring as a reminder to “choose the right.” don't really know that much about us.”

Senior Tyler Smith said that “It’s hard sometimes [to be a Mormon], but people ask a lot of questions and are interested in knowing about it.”

Smith went on to say that he “can’t use the same language that other people use. People have made fun of me before because I can’t swear, or will swear just to make me mad.”

Dealing with stereotypes of any kind can be difficult, regardless of religion, race, gender, or sexual orientation.

Clarifying certain misconceptions can be educational and helpful for everyone.

Editorial: overlooked voices The perspectives we may never get to hear

It is sometimes difficult to differentiate between opinion and reality.

Look to the many books that are recommended and required for students to reach in high school and middle school: Anne Frank’s diary, Maus I, Maus II and Night. They all focus on similar points of view on the same subject, the victim’s perspective and only the victim’s perspective.

Had the book The Boy in the Striped Pajamas been a studied work, students would understand why some young boys and girls felt that at the time of the Holocaust it was right for the soldiers to destroy those who were outsiders to their society. John Boyne's short novel illustrates the perception of a nine year old German boy who cannot comprehend that the soldiers were doing anything wrong, nor understand that his father, a top soldier, was a murderous man. To this young child,

he only saw his father as a well respected man who was making his country proud.

Unfortunately, we have not touched on that perspective very often at Carlmont or in America in general. We do not always look at more than one side’s story. It can be agreed upon that the Holocaust was horrific experience for much of the world at the time, but in general, we rarely study why a small group did not see it as so. This point is just simply disregarded.

This oversight is not uncommon in many topics today. Our perception of world issues are constantly clouded by subjective information, limited information and sometimes just wrong information. Sometimes we simply hear one argument made over and over again and start to believe it without looking at it from a perspective other the one that is the most familiar.

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tend to forget that we are the most threatening of all to most of them.

Once again, few of us have recognized both sides of the argument. Few have looked at the Holocaust and said “I wonder what the German soldiers were feeling in this situation”, few have looked at North Korea and said “maybe everyone isn’t going to try and kill us because we seem so powerful”.

The common perspective is to believe in one side and one side only. It is hard to have a concrete opinion if one is not willing to listen to the opposing views with an open mind.

Yet, we have failed to do that. Our American perspective is a limited one and one that needs to change. We need not be afraid to discuss both sides of a tragic time in history or suggest other reasons and motives behind people’s actions. One might actually find this quite refreshing.

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Looking at our currents predicaments in foreign policy, what do we actually know about each of the situations? Does Libya actually want the U.S. to be involved with them right now? From what is said in the media, and from the typical American perspective, we think yes. But how do we know if that’s true of we aren’t learning anything about the other perspective.

What about North Korea? From what we understand, it is a problem if they have nuclear power because that means that the country can bomb us right? But do we know that North Korea actually wants nuclear power for that? Korea has power outages all the time, and need another source of energy to support their country. On top of that, nuclear power and nuclear weapons are not the same thing. While America sees other countries with nuclear power as a threat, we

Sarah Levin Annie Wesolek

The mission of The Highlander is to accurately and honestly cover communal as well as school events. As a student run open forum newspaper, we strive to incorporate multiple views and represent the diverse community at Carlmont.

Staff Writers: Ayesha Abbasi Jessica Adair Michael Bastaki Arianna Bayangos Monica Bayasgalan Reggie Chatman Gabriela D’Souza Tara Ebrahimpour Nikos Frazier Kristen Friis Ivan Garin Graham Godwin Matthew Harris Sarah Klieves Timothy Layten

Claudia Leist Robert Lyon Conrad May Virginia O’Callahan John Russell Katherine Savin Scott Schulze Shira Stein Karissa Tom Natalie Tussy Daniel Wang Maxwell Ware Andrew Wedvick Alan Yan Grace Yi

Follow us on twitter @ScotScoopNews

Holidays Unique recipes for this holiday season Page 4

Maple Candied Yams

By Matthew Harris Staff Writer

Kourambiethes (Greek cookies) Ingredients: - three sticks unsalted butter, soft - one half teaspoon kosher salt - quarter cup powdered sugar, plus additional for coating - one egg yolk - two tablespoons brandy - one teaspoon vanilla extract - three cups all-purpose flour, sifted - 45 whole cloves Directions: 1. Combine the butter and salt and whip until light and fluffy, three to five minutes.

2. Add the sugar, egg, brandy, and vanilla and beat until all of the ingredients are integrated, then gradually add sifted flour to the butter mixture.

3. Using a rubber spatula, remove the dough and transfer it onto a piece of waxed paper, and refrigerate for about 45 minutes before rolling.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

5. After the dough has cooled, pinch off small pieces and roll them into about one inch balls.

Place them in a single layer with space in between each, on a greased baking sheet.

6. Place a clove in the center of each cookie.

7. Place the sheets in the oven and bake until the cookies are just slightly brown, about 15 minutes. Allow them to cool thoroughly, and then roll them in powdered sugar.

Spanish Flan Ingredients: - cup white sugar - three eggs - one (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk - one (12 fluid ounce) can evaporated milk - one tablespoon vanilla extract Directions: 1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2. In a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, melt sugar until liquefied and golden in color. Carefully pour hot syrup into a nine inch round glass baking dish, turning the dish to evenly coat the bottom and sides. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, beat eggs. Beat in condensed milk, evaporated milk and vanilla until smooth. Pour egg mixture into baking dish. Cover with aluminum foil.

4. Bake in preheated oven 60 minutes. Let cool completely.

5. To serve, carefully invert on serving plate with edges when completely cool.

Ingredients: - one stick butter - four or five large fresh yams or sweet potatoes - half cup maple syrup - quarter cup dark brown sugar - one tsp. cinnamon OR one tsp. vanilla - quarter tsp. freshly grated nutmeg - half tsp. freshly grated ginger root - half tsp. sea salt - two cups mini marshmallows (optional) Directions: 1. Peel yams or sweet potatoes (either may be used).

2. Cut into one inch cubes or wedges.

3. Butter a 9x13-inch baking dish generously. and place the yams in the baking dish.

4. In a separate saucepan, melt butter, and stir sugar until dissolved over medium heat.

Add a quarter cup of water.

5. Bring to a boil, add maple syrup; reduce heat to a simmer and cook for two minutes.

6. Pour butter mixture over the yams, turning them over to coat well.

7. Cover the yams tightly with aluminum foil and bake on center rack in oven, basting the potatoes with the butter syrup once or twice during the baking for about 45 minutes or until fork tender.

8. When the potatoes are done, remove foil. Bake on the upper third of the oven at 475°F until the syrup has thickened and the potatoes are just beginning to caramelize (about 20 minutes - but watch carefully and do not allow them to burn; if they are browning too quickly reduce oven temperature).

Cook’s Note: If adding mini-marshmallows, spread them evenly over the top of the potatoes at this time, and broil for five to ten minutes or until lightly browned.

Baste with additional butter before serving.

Variation: Use honey or Karo syrup instead of the maple syrup; add 1/4 cup frozen orange concentrate. Omit cinnamon; use vanilla.

The above picture shows maple candied yams with marshmallows.

The picture to the left shows maple candied yams without marshmallows.

Infographic by Carly Bertolozzi

Holidays How to stay healthy during the holidays

By Reggie Chatman Jr. Staff Writer The holiday season brings families together to have fun and create memories that will last a lifetime. However, not many people know that the weight they gain over the holidays could also last a lifetime.

Contrary to popular belief, studies have shown that the average American only gains about one pound over the holiday season.

This information is based on a 2000 study that was published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

One reason for the weight gain is the variety of food that is offered during the holidays. Food favorites can include turkey, ham , rice, and tomato soup. Cheesecakes, pies, truffles, sugar cookies, cake, fudge, figgy pudding, eggnog and gingerbread men are all fatty desserts that are usually part holiday traditions.

“Well usually I like brisket with like mashed potatoes and yams and beans,” said junior, Robert Mizuhara. Mizuhara continued to say “My favorite dessert would probably be my grandma’s homemade boysenberry cobbler with some vanilla ice cream.”

Just like Mizuhara, lots of families have their own personal food they look forward to every year.

“New Years Eve, me and my family and I go out to a restaurant until New Years. We also have a family dinner and family breakfast so there is a lot of eating going on,” said junior, Parsa Attari. “We usually eat Persian

food...we have a bunch of stews and kabobs.

Kabobs are really good.”

Students have mixed ways to deal with the amount of food they had to eat.

When asked about his holiday food habits, junior Sean Mullins responded, “I just eat.”

Mullins continued by saying, “I might go for a run after Thanksgiving so I can burn off some of the calories because I eat more than I need.”

Some students feel that the time during the holidays is truly a time to relax from their regular healthy habits.

“During the holidays is kind of my break to eat, get a lot of sleep and basically rest.

Not really work out because I do that during the school year,” said Attari, who happens to play for Carlmont’s junior varsity water polo team, “I try not to do it during break because I want to get some rest and eat.”

Students responded pretty similarly saying that you need to go outside and get active.

Also limiting your portion size is important.

“I take a boxing and conditioning class,” said proud junior Evan Smith. He would then stress that his tip to staying in shape was “Be outside. If you’re outside you are getting exercise.”

“Don’t be dumb. Eat healthy,” said sophomore Dominic Blanks.

“Just make healthy choices,” said Charlotte Lewis. “Don’t overeat during the holidays. … Christmas, Thanksgiving. On those days, fine, have at it but on other days try to be more moderate about what you eat.”

Page 5

Six tips to staying healthy over the holidays 1 Set some fitness goals and have a plan. Have a pre-made schedule on how to stay in shape.

2

Use moderation when cheating on your diet. Watch how much you eat. The key is to limit your portion sizes.

3

Set goals for yourself. Tell yourself that you only want to gain half a pound or that you’re going to walk for 30 minutes every day.

4

If finding time to work out is the problem, focus on weights. Weights burn fats quickly, so if time is not on your side, using weights is a good option.

5

Drink A LOT of water. Being hydrated is very important to stay in shape because if you are thirsty, you feel hungrier. Drink more water and you will not feel as hungry.

6

Get support from your family. You will feel more motivated. They can give you the confidence that you need to look and feel great.

Infographic by Anna Wheeler

The holiday competition: real or fake?

By Virginia O’Callahan Staff Writer A symbol of the holiday season, the Christmas tree is an important part of the Christmas experience if one celebrates the holiday. Whether one decides to have a fake or real tree, however, is also a part of the experience.

Students at Carlmont definitely have their own preferences, usually depending on the type of tree his or her family uses regularly.

“I like real trees,” said senior Lauren Bruguera. “They’re more authentic and smell good.”

There are pros and cons of both options, but the environmental effects of chopping down a new Christmas tree every year can add up.

Every year, on average, Americans cut down 33 million trees in the month of December alone to be used as Christmas trees. If there were any guilt involved in the idea of cutting down the unfortunate evergreens, then one can take heart in the fact that for every conifer cut down, two to three seedlings can potentially take its place.

While some trees are grown in crops and later reused as mulch, some cases of Christmas tree harvesting have resulted in leaving poor habitats since it involves the heavy use of pesticides which kill other living plants, causing some deforestation.

Other concerns regarding real trees have been centered around the use of the old and rare trees, such as the Keteleeria evelyniana, as Christmas trees. These cases are rare though, and are not a major problem for many regions.

Of course, the idea of deforestation of the environment is

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still a major issue, but in the holiday season it’s not thought of as a huge problem that has to be addressed.

Even though some people prefer real trees over fake trees, others are the opposite.

“I don’t have a preference, but I’ve grown up with fake trees,” commented junior Angela Perez de Tagle. “They’re reusable.”

An advantage that is associated with the use of fake trees is the ability to reuse them every holiday season.

But unknown to many who use them, fake trees also can have an effect on the environment. Fake trees can potentially be manufactured in harmful ways that alter the environment, perhaps even more so than their living counterparts.

Most artificial trees are made of recycled PVC rigid sheets using tin stabilizer in the recent years. In the past, the stabilizer of the PVC was made of lead, but has been banned since due to potential harmful effects.

Although the lead is gone in those trees, other chemicals can still potentially pose a threat. A 2008 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency report found that as the PVC in artificial Christmas trees aged, they began to degrade, raising a threat of the release of carcinogens that could harm someone.

Despite the studied effects, groups such as the American Christmas Tree Association maintain that the PVC used in Christmas trees has excellent recyclable properties and are no worse than real trees when regarding the environment.

Both types of trees are symbolic of the holiday season no matter if the tree is living or man-made. Christmas trees, however they are created, have the same purpose and in the long run, and hold the same meaning to those who celebrate the holiday.

“An advantage that is associated with the use of fake trees is the ability to reuse them every holiday season.”

E K FA vs.

L A RE “I like real trees,” said senior Lauren Bruguera.

“They’re more authentic and smell good.”

Page 6

Features

Is it the end of the world?: the Mayan Apocalypse

By Monica Bayasgalan Staff Writer There has always been talk about the world ending in 2012, commonly referred to as the apocalypse.

Apocalypse theories began when the Mayan calendar was created; it is true that the socalled long-count calendar—which spans roughly 5,125 years starting in 3114 B.C. ends on Dec 21, 2012. Therefore, according to the Mayan prediction, the world will end on Dec. 21, 2012.

Students are familiar with the 2012 apocalypse rumors. Sophomore Dana Benielli commented, “It is an old superstition from an ancient Mayan calendar, and I don’t believe in it because all the other apocalypse events have not been true.”

The Mayan created their calendar with their astronomical skills. Dec. 21, 2012 marks the completion of the Great Mayan Cycle, and the beginning of a New World Age.

There are many predictions to what will happen this day if the world ends or not.

In May of 2003, the world was predicted to end but no apocalypse took place. Some people believe the world will end in 2012 because of the Mayan calendars, but really all it means is a start of a new era. One of the most well-known failed predictions was that the Y2K bug, the rumor was all the computers would crash the moment the new millennium rang in, which would caused worldwide destruction.

Many people are reluctant to believe in

this idea of the world ending because the previous predictions were not fulfilled.

Many Carlmont students do not believe in the Mayan predictions. Sophomore Shimpei Koike added, “Everyone thinks the world will end while they are alive, but I don’t think it is going to end this year.”

Most people are skeptical of the apocalypse because of all the failures, but some people do not believe it because of solid facts and reasoning.

Freshman Mia Hogan added, “I don’t think the world will end and because when the Mayans counted the days for the calendar they

didn’t include leap days therefore the world would have ended last year.”

The Mayans believed picking an exact date for when the current life cycle would end was necessary. Others said picking an exact date is more problematic. There is a diversity of opinions, even among the Mayan, about the exact dates of the calendar.

Dec. 21, 2012 also happens to be the date of this year’s winter solstice. The winter solstice is a big deal for many people who believe in the 2012 apocalypse believers because it is longest night of the year, so it is believed to be the night when all the spiritual magical matters relating to the night are strongest according to the Mayans. The end of the world is also tied to another real astronomical event: the earth and sun will be roughly lined up with the center of the Milky Way galaxy.

Bogus or not most of the Carlmont students don’t believe in this year’s doomsday.

Obesity is a HUGE problem in the USA

By: Claudia Leist

“According to the Center for Disease Control, 36 percent of adults and approximately 17 percent of children and adolescents are considered obese.”

Photo by: Used via Creative Commons License

Obesity should not be taken as a joke, since it is potentially dangerous and has many long term effects.

The choices you make now will be the ones that determine “You need to maintain good diet and if you are obese. All it takes is a lifestyle change and a motivaexercise. Too many kids each too much salt, tion to be something you want to be.

The word “obese” is often thrown around as a term referring sugar, candy and soda, and it is so bad for you.

According to the state, twelve years ago the to “fat people” or people who are excessively overweight. The obesity rate at Carlmont was 6 percent and truth is, obesity is a serious medical condition that affects a now it is 18 percent. The consequences catch huge part of the population. up to you quickly,” said P.E. teacher Irene A person is considered obese when they have a body mass Oliveira-DeWood. index (BMI) of 30 or more when the ratio of height and Obesity can be caused by many things weight is taken into account. such as a poor diet, inactive lifestyle, genetics, aging, People who rely to much on cheap fast food may suffer unintended weight gainovary pregnancy, and, synlack of sleep. drome, Prader-Willis syndrome, Cushing’s syndrome, hypoThe teenage years of high thyroidism, and arthritis can be the root causes for obesity. school and young adult years of Whether it is excessive hormones or an illness from birth, college are the peak of changes, some causes are too complex for a simple lifestyle change. This and most of us do not sleep is when a doctor may recommend prescription medications enough. Who has time to sleep or surgical procedures within the stomach to help suppress with all of the homework and hunger and to shrink the stomach capacity. These may include extracurricular activities? gastric bypass, laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding, gastric Regardless of the fact that it sleeve, and biliopancreatic diversion with a duodenal switch. makes you tired, lack of sleep The whole process can get extremely complicated, so the easican lead to excessive weight gain, est thing to do is to just take care of yourself and make the which can lead to emotional right choices so you will never have to make such decisions. problems, which can lead to Thanks to fast food joints and fried indulgences, Americans uncontrollable eating habits, and are ignoring the risks of their food choices. Since prices for so on. Eventually, obesity can unhealthy foods have dropped and prices for healthy foods lead to much more serious health have risen, along with the economic stress these days most problems such as type 2 diabetes, people are running to McDonalds and Taco Bell to get their heart disease, high blood presmeal for cheap. With a McDouble and a McChicken for only sure, cancer, stroke, liver disease, a dollar and a decent salad from a store for about six dollars, high cholesterol, sleep apnea, there’s no question what people want on the go and for the and even infertility. Everything is lowest price. a continuous cycle and AmeriWe can only blame ourselves and our society for what food cans have to be aware that we is easiest to afford and choose ourselves what we want to put are especially vulnerable to the in our bodies. consequences.

“People are lazy. They don’t care about their health. They “I care about what I eat, but need to eat healthier, be active, do something so they won’t not as much when I’m in season feel bad about themselves,” said sophomore Dominic Blanks, for soccer because I work it all off Jr. and I kind of need the energy,” We are at the point in our lives where we have to make said sophomore Daryush Shahid. some big decisions. Whether they’re about college, friends, Free one hour consultation for Scots families!

According to the Endocrine sports, family, or even our health, we need to follow our Society, 25% of patients have instincts and make them for the best. Making good choices, metabolism issues that may be eating well, exercising, and staying active are crucial to live a kristen@rudgerlandscapes.com genetic. They may be around bad healthier and lighter life. But remember, don’t hesitate once in environments on a daily basis, awhile to just sit back and indulge. suffer from depression, have recently quit smoking, or are Visit us on Facebook on medications such as steroids, anti-depressants, and birth confacebook.com/KristenRudgerLandscapes trol that make them gain weight.

On the other hand, obesity can be a medical issue thats cure may be out of the patients’ reach.

Many diseases such as polycystic staff writer

Features

Page 7

How much money are you spending on food?

By Ayesha Abbassi Staff Writer Students at Carlmont high school spend a total of $1,500 a day buying food from the pit stops and student store.

The average meal served at Carlmont costs $3.50 and additional items can range from an extra 50 cents to a dollar.

A typical $3.50 meal from the pit stop comes with a separate choice of an entree, milk, and a piece of fruit. Some students find this as a reasonable price for the quality and the amount of food being served.

“School lunches aren’t even that bad like they always show in the movies, plus the pricing is so much better than going out to eat,” said sophomore Daryush Shahid, a regular customer at the pit stops located around school.

Other students find the pit stop to be a frustrating place to try to buy food because of the lines and people who don’t wait their turn.

“I really don’t like how disorganized it can be it is really frustrating especially when

you’re trying to order and people cut and the servers just serve whoever cuts,” said freshmen Min-Han Vu. Although some students don’t find the service of pit stops to be the best, they tend to be a quick and cheap way of getting decent food.

For the price this is a sufficient amount of food for many Carlmont students.

Especially for students who try to keep the amount of money they spend on food under budget school lunches are well priced.

“My parents give me twenty dollars at the beginning of the week and I have to use that for lunch for the whole week so I can’t really overspend,” said sophomore Parsa Padidar.

This is when the price of school lunches steps in and overpowers eating out at a restaurant like Chipotle. The pit stop charges $3.50 for a full meal, while a restaurant charges an average of seven dollars.

To avoid overspending a good alternative is to pack a lunch; this can save a lot of time and money on food.

Packing things from home and making quick-fixes out of leftovers tends to be a popular way for students of opt-out of buying lunches.

“It’s so much easier to pack food, plus I get exactly what I want this way. I just toss in a few leftovers for the night before and I have a perfect lunch for the next day simple as

that, with no money spent,” said a freshman named Ivy Nguyen.

On average eating leftovers can save at least $17.50 a week, which, in time, can amount to quite a bit of money.

Going out to eat is another way students tend to overspend on food. A slice of pizza or a burger can put people in a position where they’re forced to overspend.

“On the weekends I love going out to spend time with friends, but I hate spending so much money on food I mean I could save that for something more important,” said sophomore Neeshae Wain.

Even students see going out to eat as a waste of money. Going out to eat at a restaurant chain costs at least eight dollars per meal, usually much more.

As teenagers start to become more and more independent, the prices of food become more of a concern and a general awareness for what is healthy and still priced within a decent range becomes a factor when they choose what they eat.

Photos by: Alex Porter

Students enjoy their different lunches in the Student Union

Students eat their bought and packed lunches outside the Student Union

Brown paper bagged or school bought?

By Karissa Tom Staff Writer

The choice between the brown paper bag packed lunch and purchasing lunch is a daily decision for Carlmont students.

This decision is often based on which is more filling, more convenient, cheaper and healthier.

Carlmont principal Raul Zamora said that some of the students are concerned about the quality of the food.

“The district wide health committee decides on the food. But we put a teacher on the committee to make sure the food would be both healthy and tasty,” he commented.

The Carlmont Speedways and the Student Store must follow the state standards on restrictions for food at Calif. high schools by law. A few of the guidelines for entrees include no more than 400 calories per entree with no more than four grams of fat per 100 calories.

Although the state is able to regulate the amount of calories going into the meals and snacks sold, they cannot control how much a student buys. The freedom to buy any amount of food is important because students can buy as much as they want with as many calories as they want.

For example in the Student Store, Fruit by the Foot meets the state guidelines but it does not stop a student from buying five packs. Instead of eating the serving size of 80 calories, a student might be consuming up to 400 calories.

“A school survey shows 60 percent of students mostly bring a packed lunch to school instead of buying a lunch.”

Some students like the convenience of being able to buy lunch at school.

Mateen Nozzari, a Carlmont freshmen says, “The food here is good. I think that coming in as a ninth grader, it is so much more of an upgrade from the food at Terra Linda. I like how the people change up the food and it is cheap.”

Meals at the Speedway are sold in the morning and at lunch.

Lunch at the Speedway is $3.50 for the Build-a-Meal-Deal. Build-a-Meal-Deals include one entree, two sides and milk. The sides can be either vegetables or fruit. Differ-

ent foods sold at the Speedway include salad, sandwiches, and pizza.

Snacks from the student store range from a price of $0.50 to $1.50. Pretzels, beef jerky, and applesauce are a few of the items sold there.

After the fourth period bell rings, students are often spotted running towards the Speedway. They want to avoid the long lines that the Speedway attracts daily. It can sometimes be a battle to keep a place in the Speedway line.

Other students turn to packed lunches to fill their stomachs.

Packed lunches can be more beneficial for students because the students are able to control the calorie count and customize it to their preference.

Carlmont sophomore Amanda Breslauer enjoys bringing her packed lunch to school everyday.

“I don’t really like the food offered here and it takes too much time to stand in line to buy lunch. Bringing lunch is cheaper, saves time and it’s healthier” she commented.

Everyone is looking for a good meal but each person must find a good balance between a healthy choice and convenience.

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Entertainment ‘Dangerous Minds’ and Hollywood lies Page 8

By Grace Yi Staff Writer

Produced in 1995, Carlmont was portrayed in the movie “Dangerous Minds,” with a negative attitude; however, many changes and enhancements have changed the perspective and outlook of the school.

“The movie was not like the situation on campus. There was a lot of liberties taken on Carlmont that wasn’t like it was portrayed. The movie made Carlmont look like a roughneck school, the movie was nothing like Carlmont was,” stated Varsity softball coach and occasional substitute teacher of Carlmont, Jim Liggett.

“Dangerous Minds” originated from an autobiography written by LouAnne Johnson called My Posse Don’t Do Homework. This movie was distributed by Walt Disney Studios Distribution on Aug. 11, 1995. “Dangerous Minds” was rated R, and in one hour and 39 minutes, it depicted Carlmont as a rough school with tough students.

Liggett disagrees that Carlmont was once a lacking school. He has been working at Carlmont since 1967, 28 years before the movie was introduced to the public. He has worked with many of the past teachers including Johnson throughout and during her short term as a teacher.

Carolyn Wade, a current History and English teacher said, “[The] Carlmont that was

depicted was nothing like it. [There was a] lot of asphalt, less greenery, and graffiti. The school had always been careful in being clear, clean, and taking care of the landscape.”

Melanie Fuentes, secretary of Principal Raul Zamora agreed with Liggett and Wade and noted that the movie had “hollywoodized” Carlmont and did not accurately portray Carlmont High School in the 1990’s.

In the movie, an ex-marine named LouAnne Johnson took a job teaching an Academy class, mostly made up of African American and Hispanic teenagers from East Palo Alto at Carlmont High School in Belmont, CA. However, the movie was not filmed at Carlmont, but at Burlingame High School, San Mateo High School, Washington Middle School and in the cities of Santa Cruz and Pasadena.

Before the movie was filmed, Michelle Pfeiffer, who played the lead role as Johnson, toured Carlmont High School with the movie productions staff. A few teachers such as Wade and current Math teacher Gayle McGinnis, were able to see and meet her.

Pfeiffer won many awards, such as the Blockbuster Entertainment Award, where she was awarded Favorite Actress in 1996, a year after the production of the movie. In the same year she was nominated as the Most Desirable Female by MTV Movies Award.

MTV Movie awards also prized the movie

with the Best Movie Song. The songs was called “Gangsta Paradise,” Coolio’s song which was allegedly rumored to be based on how Carlmont was a deficient school many years ago.

“Dangerous Minds” became a box office success, with a total of $84,916,680, and for a short period was a television series that ran from Sept. 1996 to Mar. 1997 aired on ABC network with Annie Potts as the lead role for Johnson.

Despite the segregation riots and discrimination around the Carlmont neighborhood in the 1970s, some believed that Carlmont had improved significantly since the time of the “roughneck” students who attended Carlmont high school. For example, Carlmont recently finished building the new football field and has beautified much of the campus.

“Enrollment was way low, I think it was 1,198 [students]. The enrollment kept increasing and with all the shadowing programs...[it] brought back the community.” said Fuentes.

Furthermore, some have noted that the administration have imputed much effort to change the perception of the Carlmont community over the last decade. “[Now] the facility has a much different feel, more attractive and more welcoming.

[There are] much more AP and Advanced classes offered now. [There is] less negative

Movie cover of “Dangerous Minds” Photo by Grace Yi

behavior,” commented McGinnis.

Similarly, Wade added, “I think Carlmont has been successful in building tolerance to ethnicity and embracing it- I think that’s one of the beauties of the campus.”

Liggett concluded that “Carlmont always had really good students, [but] back then had a share of bad ones.”

Carlmont will continue to strive to become an even better school in the years to come.

Is social media helping or harming students?

The benefits of social media The cons of social media

By Sabrina Leung Entertainment Editor

With the abundance of social media network sites such as Facebook and Instagram, some are concerned whether these types of media students interact with every day are harming their academic performance.

“I’m always on Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr and YouTube listening to K-pop songs, checking out new posts from K-pop stars and chatting with friends while doing homework,” stated junior Iris Choi.

Although most students are completing their homework, some open multiple internet browsers for Facebook, Instagram and Tumblr, constantly checking for a friend’s or celebrity’s new status or photo update which prevents them from completing their homework in time.

Some argue that social media sites such as Google and Twitter have allowed students to research more efficiently and communicate with each other for school projects and assignments at home, without meeting outside of school or in a public area. These websites have also allowed the rapid flow of information to a large group of people.

Several Carlmont students have created Facebook pages for club meetings and classes to interact with their peers. Students also use these pages to ask for homework questions or what assignments they missed.

“Facebook and Youtube can help me with school work because if I forget to write down the homework assignment or need help, I can always ask one of my ‘friends’ to help me or look up a tutorial video,” added Choi.

Some teachers at Carlmont use social media platforms such as Facebook and Youtube to post homework assignments and lecture videos for their students to use and even text their own students to remind them about upcoming tests or projects.

“Last year, my biology teacher had us sign up on this site and homework and project alerts were sent to our email or phones. Personally, I think it’s a good thing, because my friends can help me with homework, but there are

many times when I got distracted and ended up staying up late to finish my homework,” stated sophomore Catherine Sue. Additionally, some believe that the Internet and search engines have had impact on students ’research skills and allow students to discover new things. With the click of a button, students can look up information for any topic or current news worldwide.

“The social media is a great way for students to create a virtual study group, especially before AP[Advanced Placement] tests. Students can easily find test preparation questions to prepare for these tests as well,” commented AP U.S History teacher Jaime Garcia.

Students have also found that the social media is an easy way to access answers to homework problems or summaries of books, such as Sparknotes.

This has caused discontent among teachers over whether students are honestly completing their homework, or plagiarizing outside sources.

“I sometimes use Sparknotes or other websites for help or to summarize a book just to make sure I Infographic by Sabrina Leung didn’t miss any important details,” stated junior Grace Gowen.

Social media sites have helped students research and explore more efficiently and will continue to benefit students for homework and school projects in the future.

By Sabrina Leung Entertainment Editor

While social media has its educational benefits, some argue that negative side effect is beginning to take hold in the students’ academic performance.

“I get distracted by Facebook notifications and it prevents me from completing my homework in time,” stated sophomore Catherine Sue. Common Sense Media, a think tank focused on children’s media use, polled 685 public and private elementary and high school classroom teachers in the United States on how children’s increasing use television and computers and other forms of of media is affecting their performance in school.

The study found that 71 percent of teachers polled said students’ media use hurts their attention spans in school, while 59 percent said students’ use of entertainment media has also harmed their writing skills and ability to communicate face to face.

Some argue that students’ lack of sleep is caused by staying up too late visiting social media sites and therefore have difficulty in being successful in the classroom.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, high school students needs eight to nine hours of sleep to perform well at school. However, the average teenager only receives around six hours of sleep per night.

“I end up staying really late every single night because I’m tempted to stay up to watch dramas

and the Facebook notifications distract me from doing my work,” said Choi.

Similarly, some have noted that their academic performance and study time have been influenced by the action of multi-tasking while trying to complete their homework.

“I believe that social media can be a distraction when doing homework. It becomes a threat when students don’t have enough willpower to focus on their work,” added Sue. Additionally, cyber-slang, a term used to describe shortcuts, alternative words used to convey thoughts in an electronic document, can be easily found by browsing the public pages of a social media platform like Facebook or Twitter. Because some digital media sites limit the number of characters an author can use at a time, some students are becoming more creative to get the most out of their limited space by using cyber-slang to express their thoughts.

For example, students may use words such as “ttyl” and “gtg” instead of typing out the full words “talk to you later” or “got to go.”

As a result, common cyber-slang terms that have made their way into popular speech. This has caused concern among some teachers in regards to how the social media is damaging students’ writing and communications skills.

“When I’m grading students’ essays, I find that some are using colloquial terms or abbreviations in their writing. I remind my students that no text language or slang terms that they regularly use on social media sites should be present in a formal essay. Students should always use formal language in writing. It’s a standard rule,” added Garcia.

Although the social media has its positive and negative influences, some believe that it is one’s choices that can impact the use of it.

“There are many uses for social media. It can be both a distraction and a tool. But, it really comes down the person as to how he or she decides to use and control the amount of time they spend on these social media platforms,” commented junior Sai Srimat.

Despite the opposing views over the impact of social media on students, students will continue to integrate these forms of media to

interact, exchange and explore new ideas with their peers in their daily lives.

Entertainment Which cell phone plan should you have?

Page 9

By Grace Chang News and Opinion Editor

With several different types of phone services available, there is often a debate over which one is best.

At Carlmont, most students have either AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint as their cell phone carrier.

Each phone service offers something different, from different price ranges to different phones available.

There are also many different plans that come with each service, including an individual plan or a family plan. Since usually the students do not pay for their phones, parents will get family phone plans.

Cell phone plans can differ from amount of minutes, texting, and data. The three most popular carriers the price can range from $50 to nearly $200 a month.

There are many different cell phones students can get. They can either get the most basic cell phone or a smartphone, such as the iPhone 5, which range from free phones to $300 phones.

While it can be very costly, some have noted that it is difficult very to survive high school without a cell phone.

At Carlmont some teachers will text their students the night’s homework or students will use their smart phones to research things for school.

Studnets can recieve different texts such as reminders or assignments. However, this may

cause worry for those students who do not have unlimited texting.

“I am charged 30 cents per text my teachers send me. I wish there were other methods,” said senior Jordi Vasquez.

On the other hand, there are plenty of students that are perfectly happy with their plans and enjoy the idea of teachers texting them their homework assignments.

“I really like my plan, and since I have unlimited texting, I find it very convienent when my teachers texts us information,” said senior Alexa Lopez Another problem is that many students are inconvenienced by the lack of service in certain areas.

“I am very unsatisfied with my cell phone service because I cannot always receive service, even in my own house. It is very annoying but there is nothing I can do because it is up to my parents,” said senior Brent Tom. Similarly, some have noted that the lack of service has prevented them from completing their tasks.

“I like the fast speed of the 3G, however it is unstable sometimes. Also the reception is almost guaranteed bad in residences in the hills, thats where I need it most of the time, and it really bugs me,” said junior Leesan Kwok.

Student with a cell phone can obtain many tools to help assist them with homework or other activities. However there can be many downsides, such as a lack of reception and the high cost of certain phone plans.

-Students with cell phones spend $50 to $200 a month on their cell phone plans

Infographic by Sabrina Leung

Are Macs really better than PCs?

By Arianna Bayangos Staff Writer

Although some people argue whether a Mac or a PC is better in terms of speed, applications, appearance, and software, Carlmont equally uses both because of the different features both have to offer.

Principal Raul Zamora commented, “Sometimes it’s based on teacher preference and it’s also based on dollar amount. PCs are less expensive and Macs are user friendly. No department has specifically Macs or PCs.” Apple has various laptops and desktops. Apple computers are known for being fast and user friendly. However, one downside of the iMacs and the MacBooks are the cost.

Apple’s newest version of the iMac released in November, which is thinner and faster compared to the older models of Apple desktops.

Another new feature of the iMac is the multi-touch feature, which allows users to use their fingers to scroll and zoom in rather than using a mouse.

Mac vs Pc Used by CC license

Sophomore Sydney Salzman said, “They are device compatible and I already have an iPhone so it makes it easier for me.”

With iCloud, users can connect their iPods, iPhones, and iPads to the Mac to download new apps, music, and backup their phone data on the computer.

Rachna Gandhi, a junior at Carlmont, said, “We should use Macs at school because they have more applications such as iMovie that are useful to students. They’re also way faster.”

Apple has several applications for school work such as Keynotes and Pages. With these applications, students can create reports and presentations with themes, charts, animation, videos, and photos.

Even with Apple’s many applications and features, Salzman believes that Macs are not necessarily worth the price.

“If you have the money for it, it’s worth it to spend, but if you are struggling with funds, it’s not worth it,” noted Salzman.

Because of the price of Macs, many people look to PCs as a cheaper alternative to a Mac. A PC is a common computer in many households and has generally the same features as a Mac and are also known for being user-friendly and affordable.

Dell, a PC company, launched a computer similar to the iMac. They have a new line of touch

screen laptops and desktops called Ultrabooks. Their newly featured laptop, the Touch Ultrabook, can be used as a laptop and a tablet.

According to Dell’s website, this feature allows the Touch Ultrabook to be used “for work and play.”

Sophomore Liam Young believes that PCs are worth the price one pays.

Young said, “They’re cheaper and there’s also the fact that more people in the world use PCs and it’s more compatible. I think Macs are harder to use than PCs and their battery life is terrible.”

Kristine Govani, one of the Academy business technology teachers, has a classroom full of PCs. Govani commented, “I think PCs are used more frequently in the business world, so it’s a good foundation. More people use PCs than Macs so I think it’s a good platform for my students.

Although PCs are used more frequently than Macs, Govani believes that our school should use both Macs and PCs. “I think both platforms have value. I don’t look at them as one better than the other. They are good for different reasons. More exposure on both platforms is better for our students than limiting one over the other,” added Govani.

With the different beneficial features that both PCs and Macs have to offer, people will continue to favor one over the other.

Online media may kill DVDs

By John Russell Staff Writer As online media services like Netflix become more popular, entertainment is at the fingertips of students at all times. Students spend more time engaged in media, which raises the question as to whether this harms their academic performance.

Closed Blockbuster in Belmont Phtoto by Veronika Dvoraka Chandler Kowtko, a junior at Carlmont said, “I use Netflix a few times a week. Maybe three to four. It hasn’t affected my work at all though.

If I have to work I don’t go on it, simple as that. But sometimes I know that I can go and watch something online and still fit in all of my work in the evening.”

Netflix alone accounts for approximately 33% of peak internet traffic in North America, according to Sandvine’s 2011 report. That doesn’t even factor in Hulu, Amazon and Youtube. According to Sandvine, Netflix is the main driver behind evening internet usage, and daily traffic overall.

Video rental businesses like Blockbuster are going out of business left and right. Blockbuster itself filed for bankruptcy in 2010 and brought home the idea that this was the age of streaming.

Not all students may have the self control to regulate their internet usage and make sure they can do all of their work properly and watch programs online.The trend is alarming to some teachers and parents, who see their kids spending more time in front of their computers not doing their work.

AP English Language and Composition teacher Gail Langkusch said of this trend, “Students increasingly use it as a distraction from their work.

Every year the quality of work slips a little more, students are losing the ability to read critically and are making more mistakes in their work at home.”

Langkusch added, “All of this stuff is good if it is used properly. Turn it all off when you’re working, but use it for intellectual purposes. Read columns and articles. Those types of things force students to think critically and analyze.”

A study by Patricia Greenfield of the UCLA Children’s Digital Media Center has revealed that critical reading and analysis skills have been on a slow decline over the past few years as technology becomes more widespread.

As media becomes more prevalent, it follows that students may get more distracted and their quality will drop off.

Some kids will always find ways to circumvent restrictions placed on them, the only way student work will remain of the same quality or even improve will be if students themselves learn to budget their time effectively and know when to shut everything off and focus.

As good as that sounds on paper, the reality is that online media is making it harder and harder to focus on the important things, and hopefully students will learn to adjust as time goes on. Online media is here to stay and will only get more prevalent in our day to day lives.

Page 10

CLIQUES AT photo by Alex Porter

Where do you sit?

Student Union

By Alex Porter Managing Editor In my four years at being at Carlmont, I had never gone into the Student Union during any hours of the school day.

To me, it seemed, taken and unapproachable.

Recently, I went into the Student Union for the first time during lunch, and came to realize I had been naive to think, like any other area on campus, that the Student Union was “reserved” for certain people.

There was lively energy in the room as a small amount of students were socializing and eating their lunches.

The Student Union is the equivalent to a school cafeteria, yet not even 10 percent of the school sits in there at lunch.

Why is that?

Sophomore Alicia Redwine, who sits in the Student Union at lunch with her friends suggests, “People think that it is ghetto, but it’s not. I think they’re intimidated.”

Students arriving from East Palo Alto used to be dropped off at the end of C hall where the Student Union is located and tend to still hang around that area.

“They feel intimidated based on where we are from,” agreed Ofa Mataele, a sophomore.

When I am walking by that section of C hall, I see a mix of friendships, backgrounds, cultures, people, students.

But I saw no familiar faces. These were people that I did not know. This was a side of the school I did not recognize.

But there are many groups of students I do not know.

Certain groups of people like to sit in certain areas around campus in the morning and at lunch, and the area by the Student Union is just one of them.

“There are different groups in different areas [around Carlmont],” said Joseph Jacobo, a junior.

When asked why they sat in the Student Union during lunch, many of the students said that they sat there simply because it was conveniently located by the food.

So why is it that students would think anything otherwise of the Student Union? Why do students sit where they sit?

To some it may seem like Carlmont has some divisions, if not academically, then surely culturally. Not only have classes This is a Carlmont I had not attended these past four years.

These clique-like groups may keep to themselves, but I know if you wander over and ask to join, you will be accepted.

Carlmont’s social groups are independent, but not exclusive.

Sophomore Rita Tung defends and welcomes other students to the Student Union, declaring, “The Student Union is a family!”

And it is true, I have come to really enjoy passing through C hall, just to experience something different, and see some now not-so-unfamiliar faces.

Where do you sit?

Senior tables

By Andrew Wedvick Staff Writer

The senior tables, as most Carlmont students know, are the picnic tables located on the grassy area between the football field and the quad, where many of the “popular” seniors sit at lunch.

Perhaps it is the sunny location, or maybe it is the convenience of being a stone’s throw away from the student store and the speedway, but there is an unspoken magnetism that lies in the senior tables.

It is no secret that these tables are reserved strictly for a certain group of seniors. Whether it is out of intimidation, or respect, juniors and lower classmen know better than to attempt to situate themselves there.

Scott Grogan-crane, a sophomore, commented, “There definitely seems to be a certain group that eats there now... They’re loud and sociable.”

The senior tables are undoubtedly a part of Carlmont culture. Similar to the senior parking lot, they are a special privilege for the seniors who get to eat there with their group of friends. They also offer something to look forward to for younger Carlmont students.

Grogan-crane went on to say, “I’d like to eat there as a senior, it seems like a tradition.”

By Shira Stein Staff Writer The cliques that exist at Carlmont are similar to those seen on television or in movies, they are defined by where people sit.

A person’s identity in high school is greatly influenced by the people he or she associates with, and Carlmont is no exception to that.

For example, the cliques at this school consist of areas such as the quad, the arts building, the senior tables on the grassy area between the quad and football field, the T-Wing, and the Student Union.

Individuals who usually sit in the arts building are likely in a performing or visual arts program such as Choir or AP Art. The quad is a mix of the student body, consisting of many different groups.

Sophomore Vasily Provatakis commented, “No clique is really bad, different people are in them because they all bring different unique qualities to the group that everyone appreciates.”

In spite of the cliques at Carlmont being the fundamental groups that people

socialize with, students are not limited to those groups. Large portions of the student population mix with other cliques and groups around campus. “[Cliques] tend to segregate people by their interests, but at Carlmont I don’t think we have too much clique-ness because there’s a lot of crossover,” remarked senior Becca Chong.

Despite the good and bad sides to cliques, their effects are what make the most difference in the everyday Carlmont student’s life.

Carlmont does have cliques, but they are not necessarily bad.

“I think they are a good thing because it shows that our school has diversity. Even if someone is not invited into a group it is because they have different tastes or are just really shy,” said senior Stacey Hughes.

Cliques are generally looked down upon, but they can also be positive for the people involved in them. By belonging to a clique, participants can be friends with people of similar interests and can gain a sense of

belonging and comfort. “[Cliques are] good because you can spend time with your friends and talk about your life and homework,” stated sophomore Karina Ibarra.

On the other hand, when cliques hurt members, the members can be affected with unfavorable consequences. Some of these problems can include bullying, feeling excluded, and leaving the person with an unhealthy desire to be accepted.

Freshman Dana Reynolds said, “They take away individuality and force people to meet the accepted social normal and that’s not what everybody is. That’s the image that everyone is trying to be.”

As shown by the multitude of websites, such as Wikihow, Thought Catalog, and numerous YouTube videos that outline how to become popular and how to “create the it clique of your school,” being part of a popular clique is the goal for some.

A portion of people have that goal, though most just want to be in a clique of people with alike hobbies. Even though cliques may

photo by Alex Porter

Cliques: for better or for worse, Carlmont has them

Students at Carlmont eat lunch in separate areas around school instead of a cafeteria-like setting.

Here are students eating lunch in B-hall. be imperfect and potentially harmful, many people still desire to be a part of one.

At Carlmont, the cliques may be different than other school, but they still have the same qualities at the heart of them.

photo taken from Google Earth, arranged by Alex Porter

Page 11

CARLMONT photo by Alex Porter

Where do you sit?

Performing Arts

By Ashley Kawakami Junior Editor

To some students, eating at the senior tables is simply not that important, but to others it is a status symbol, and a Carlmont custom.

Mikel Tapales-Magsino, a senior who enjoys lunch at the senior tables, added that, “It’s basically a privilege for the seniors. It always has been and always should be...even though not every senior gets to eat there, it’s not like we neglect anyone from doing so. We sit here by choice and some come and go. Others tend to sit up by C hall.”

Whether or not the senior tables are your desired lunchtime destination, incoming seniors will continue to claim this area as their own for years to come.

Along with their own parking lot and their own trip, these tables will remain as one of the many perks of seniority.

photo by Karenna Meredith

Choir is one of those things where once you are in you can never get out.

To many outsiders, choir seems exclusive because choir members tend to be close to each other. The bond they share is formed during special choir tours, lunchtime practices, and after school rehearsals.

Some choir students go to the choir room to practice, hang out with their friends, and to be in a comfortable environment. The choir room is a place that many students go to be with their choir friends.

Vasily Provatakis, a sophomore at Carlmont and member of multiple choirs said, “When I hang out in the choir room sometimes I practice my sheet music, just chill, sit idle, run around yelling, or laughing. Mainly I just have fun.”

Outsiders see choir kids hanging out together most of the time, and especially at lunch in the choir room and don’t feel included because they are not members of a choir.

Carlmont sophomore Emma Lin, a non-choir student stated, “I have friends in choir and when they have to practice for events I’m not really included because I’m not in choir. I’m not excluded I’m just not in choir so I don’t get included.”

It is not that choir students exclude any other people, it is that non choir members aren’t going to attend choir activities.

Many current and former choir members argue that choir is the most inclusive group at Carlmont.

Sydney Salzman, a Carlmont sophomore and former choir member, said, “Choir is not a cult, people might think they are because they don’t really know what choir does but it was really welcoming and everyone was super nice.”

On a typical day, the choir room is filled with choir students at lunch and the choir room provides a welcoming environment for them to hang out in. Provatakis said, “It’s almost like a second home for me.

Is Carlmont High the new North Shore High?

How accurate are the portrayal of cliques in teen movies for Carlmont

By Gabriela d’Souza Staff Writer Despite Carlmont’s pride as a school that is socially accepting to all, there are still enormous amounts of cliques on campus that resemble those in movies.

Over the past two decades cliques have become commonly studied and commercialized through movies, especially teen movies.

In social sciences, a clique is a word used to describe a group of people who interact more with each other than with others in the same setting. The interaction of cliques is part of normal societal development that come about through common relations of gender, ethnicity, interests, or most stereotyped, popularity.

As Janis Ian states in the movie Mean Girls, “You got your freshmen, ROTC guys, preps, JV jocks, Asian nerds, Cool Asians, Varsity

jocks…, Girls who eat their feelings, Girls who don't eat anything, Desperate wannabes, Burnouts, Sexually active band geeks, and the [popular kids],” in essence, cliques are very diverse, but at times not tolerant of others.

Carlmont, like the schools in movies, has become organized by cliques. These cliques tend to group within specific areas on campus and many groups have different connotations that come with those within the group.

“There are definitely cliques at Carlmont that form based on classes, electives, and close bonds between friends,” stated Junior Kiana Ghazouli, “but they don’t resemble those in movies, they just naturally form from common interests or hobbies.”

Popular clique movies, however, do have some reality. No matter how accepting a student body is there will always be those who feel like they are blocked out and can only wish to be part of a certain group.

“Cliques can have a scarring effect on

people,” stated Ghazouli, “especially if [a person] is excluded from a group.”

At times, these desires can have beneficial effects on people, letting them grow as person and reach a new level of self-confidence. But at other times cliques can have caustic effects on people, such as changing their image to fit in more or being friends with someone they do not necessarily like, which causes them to be more and more distant from those who truly care.

Many students have found this to be apparent in their own lives; but nothing describes this way of living better than Mean Girls: Mr. Heron: Hey, how was school?

Cady: Fine.

Mrs. Heron: Were people nice?

Cady: No. Mr. Heron: Did you make any friends?

Cady: Yes. The insecurities that cliques may cause for

students stem not only from how they are treated at their respective schools, but also how popular movies and television portray others in their position.

The most popular way of representing cliques is by showing the social ladder of high schools, which has become especially evident in the widely viewed show, Glee: Sue: These students are like a caste system.

All the popular kids are in the penthouse. All the nerds playing wizards and trolls in the forest, bottom floor.

This predetermined social system emerges in elementary school through toys and movies and begins to effects student mentality at an early age. While some choose to be themselves, others just strive to fit in.

No matter how accepting Carlmont becomes there will always be cliques on this campus.

Page 12

Campus

What lies behind Carlmont?

A closer look at “The Cuts”

By Ivan Garin Staff writer Few students ever question what is behind Carlmont High School. From a student’s standpoint, all that is visible is a tall hill and forest for miles. If you were to find it on a map, it would appear as a blank, gray area with no lettering or description.

This area has been nicknamed “The Cuts” by faculty and students, but few know what lies behind the fences at the top of the school. Even fewer have dared to venture up this mysterious area.

Yet the term “The Cuts” is common slang around campus, and if you were to ask a random student, most would likely point to the back of the school.

So what is it that makes “The Cuts” so infamous?

Perhaps it hides a great view of Belmont and the surrounding area from the top.

“I know its a hilly area behind Carlmont.

Although I've never actually gone up there, I've heard its got some great views overlooking Belmont and San Carlos,” noted Merouane Ounadjela.

Other students enjoy it for more recreational and fun activities, such as hiking and airsofting.

“I know dirt bikers go there and people used to airsoft there. I’ve hiked from the top before. I also have a nice view of it from my house,” said Trevor Weden.

The many bikers and BMX lovers at Carl-

mont praise it as an ideal area to practice, train, and hone their biking skills.

Their effort is visible by the many dirt and wooden bike jumps constructed by the dedicated bikers.

“Me and my friends like to build jumps up there and just ride them and do tricks and stuff for fun,” commented Marty Milkovski.

But is this the only thing that happens in the cuts? Or are there people that go up there for more reasons than just fun?

“I know its a hilly area behind Carlmont. Although I’ve never actually gone up there, I’ve heard its got some great views overlooking Belmont and San Carlos.”

It’s certainly a possibility. Two years ago a fire was started at the entrance to “The Cuts”

by Vallerga Drive, but with the help of the Belmont Police Department the fire was put out before it caused any serious damage.

The source of the fire was an abandoned couch several hundred feet inside of the trail. Former Carlmont resource officer Scott Fegley was the first to respond and put out the fire with a fire extinguisher.

According to the Belmont Patch, Belmont police Lt. Pat Halleran said. “This had real potential to be something worse. Fortunately

Photos by Veron Dvorakova

we’ve had some rain, so those trees didn’t burn, but it could have been much worse.”

The police also concluded that although the area was private property, kids had been seen

entering and leaving before.

Not much is not known about what lies behind Carlmont, but students will continue to question its mystery.

Dropping dropout rates and shrinking suspensions

Photo by Dominic Gialdini

By Alan Yan Staff writer Dropout and suspension rates have decreased steadily over the past few years at Carlmont due to many successful improvements and additions to support programs offered on campus.

The dropout rate was approximately one percent and approximately 19 percent of students were suspended according to the 20112012 Western Associations of Schools and Colleges (WASC) Self Study of Carlmont.

The Tutoring Center, credit recovery programs, and staff improvement have all contributed in pushing down these rates, claimed WASC. Administrative Vice Principal Ralph Crame stated, “People drop out because they are not fully prepared for high school so they fall behind. If their support system isn’t strong, then they fall more behind. To prevent this, we have after school tutorials, summer school, counselors, vice principals, and teachers as

our support system.”

The Tutoring Center offers students a quiet study space where they can receive help from the teacher supervising the center. The center is open every week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays from 2:30 p.m. to 4:15 p.m.

“The Tutoring Center supports students in achieving their academic goals,” said Tutoring Center director and Chemistry teacher Hai Nguyen.

Summer school and NovaNet offer students who have fallen behind a way to recover credits. When students recover their credits, it makes graduation from high school feel more possible by easing the amount of pressure on the students.

This, in effect, lowers the dropout rates. lower suspension rates by ending bullying, The Carlmont Intervention Team (CIT), one of the grounds for suspension. a recently created program, is run by AdIn 2008, the administration brought in ministrative Vice Principal Jennifer Cho. It Behavior Management Consultant Noah identifies struggling students and determines Salzman to streamline the discipline among why they are having trouble and what could teachers in a program called I Understand be done to help them. Solutions range from Effective Behavioral Management. tutorials, to counselors, to vice principal “This [program] creates common practice involvement. from first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, Like the dropout rates, suspension rates and seventh period. It creates consistency so have dropped steadily over the past years due you don’t have to relearn the rules whenever to better responses and preventive programs. you go to a different class,” said Fishtrom.

“Kids that get suspended are usually Many problems are caused by not having suspended for using substances, bullying, or knowledge about the rules at school. The disruptions to the learning environment,” said student handbook has all the rules, but most Instructional Vice Principal Robert Fishtrom. students do not bother to read it.

To prevent suspensions, Carlmont offers Crame stated, “We’re working on a policy an alternative: students caught with illegal video to show students the rules because we substances have the opportunity to take a know students don’t read the [student handdrug education program. The students in this book] cover to cover.” program learn about how drugs affect their Programs being planned for the future may health and how they affected the relationships help lower these rates even more. with those closest to them.

“It’s cause and effect. Good discipline leads To combat bullying, this year Carlmont to people in class. People in class means stuinvited Stephanie Armstrong, Teen Truth dents are learning. And good teachers means speaker, to discuss the dangers of judging good students,” said Fishtrom. another’s body image. Teen Truth Be a Friend ! is a program created to curb the J a n u a ry is National amount of teen problems such as M e n t oring Month bullying and body image, to name a few.

Next year, Teen Truth will present their annual assembly on bullying once again. This helps to

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Assembly Apathy:

Why should we care?

By Conrad May Staff writer

Photo by Asha Karim

Every student throughout Carlmont has an opinion on assemblies, but almost every opinion on them is completely different.

Throughout each school year there are four assemblies, each with a different main theme that can range from school spirit to drugs and alcohol. These asA video clip from an assembly showing body image semblies are run by ASB and can entail anything from a series of games to Junior drumline performer Ryan Wong professional motivational speakers. said, "One reason I think that a lot of people Many students have begun to under-aplike drum line is because we try to make it as preciate these assemblies due to their lack of creative as possible." interest on the topic and have been recently Goodwin went on to say “I think assemconsidered a waste of time by some. blies are important because Carlmont has a Junior Scott Harris said, “I think that lot of school spirit and great sports teams to the assemblies can be a waste of time, but show off and also we need an opportunity mostly the rallies are. I think that a lot of to vent our school spirit, otherwise it gets in what the assemblies have is important,but I the way of our learning and is a distraction in think that they can be boring. My favorite class.” part of the assemblies is drumline because Although some students may not care for they sound good and also are fun to watch.” a certain topic, some of the students have beAlthough many students are uninterested come disrespectful of the assemblies, making with the assemblies, many students enjoy it worse for all of the people around them. these assemblies and appreciate all of the Some of the assemblies throughout the work that goes into them. school year are motivational speeches, discussThroughout some of the assemblies, cering important topics in the life of high school tain groups perform in front of the school students. and display their talents.

These motivational speeches can change Junior Aaron Goodwin said, “My favorite the lives of the student viewers, even if only a part of assemblies is men's choir because i small portion of the crowd connects with the think choir kids are very talented musicians presentation. Many students agree with the and I’ve always dreamed of being a choir necessity of these speeches. kid.”

Whether or not students choose to respect Many students not only connect with assemblies, they will continue to influence certain portions of the assemblies, but they and display the talent of Carlmont students believe that assemblies are essential to have. for many years to come.

Scots food drive stated that the ASB publicity team has worked very hard to make the student body aware of the food drive.

Klups said that they have publicized by making “notecards with facts about hunger and poverty in the United States [on them], through the announcements, and just telling [their] friends a lot to bring in food.”

In order to generate enthusiasm and get as many students as possible to participate, ASB offered a pizza party as a reward to the fourth period class that brought in the most food.

The fourth periods that won the food drive competition this year were Langkusch’s, Weisman’s, and Ramroth’s classes.

Klups stated that the winners were chosen based on the amount of food they brought in, but also on how much effort the classes showed during the course of the food drive.

Another motivation for students to bring in canned goods was the extra credit being offered by many teachers. Carlmont senior and ASB member Rachel Schuster said one of the reasons ASB expected the food drive to go well again this fall was “because lots of teachers offer extra credit.”

McKeefry also said that offering extra credit is “a good way to get students to participate, but it says something about our society that it takes extra credit to get kids to want to be good people.”

Page 13

(Continued from front)

Photo by Gianna Dimick

Langkusch stated that she is offering extra credit for the first time as a competition among her classes. She decided to offer extra credit because “five points is not going to make a huge difference [in a grade], but it is nice to have that cushion.”

During the food drive, students brought cans to their fourth period classrooms where the food was being collected. On the last day, members of ASB collected the cans from all of the classrooms and brought them to the Student Union, where they were sorted by different food groups, stated Carlmont junior and ASB member Bita Sharvini.

Once collected, the food was packaged, sorted and distributed equally to the Carlmont families that had applied for aid at the office, according to Schuster. After the Carlmont families in need received food, ASB donated the rest of the collected food to Second Harvest Food Bank.

The overall goal of the food drive was to help those in need during the holidays.

Hopefully students realized the importance of giving back through the activity.

Freshmen declassified: finals survival guide What you need to succeed for your first set of finals

By Kat Savin Staff Writer

Teacher tips:

* Study in small bits: don’t procrastinate. * Sleep and eat a lot. * Use study buddies! * Make study guides. * Do practice problems. * Review all your notes and old tests.

Photos by Kat Savin

Student tips: * Don’t get overwhelmed: spread out studying time. * Pay attention in class. * Focus on the subjects you aren’t as strong in. * Spend a time away from schoolwork to lower stress. * Make flashcards and have your friends quiz you. * Get together with a few friends and study together.

Tips given by Ms. Jacobson, Mr. Ramroth, Nico Camerino, and Hannah Nourie.

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Campus

Page 12

Who are these guys?

By Kristen Friis Staff Writer

Photo by Conrad May

Photo by Veronika Dvorakova

Student athletes swim, hit, shoot, jump, and run on Carlmont athletic facilities everyday. However, many people fail to notice that these facilities are named after people who have made major impacts on the school and community.

Photo by Veronika Dvorakova

Glen Kovas Aquatic Center The Aquatic center is named after Glenn Kovas, a water polo and swimming coach at Carlmont.

Kovas had taught and coached for over 30 years. He was a student at Carlmont when it opened in 1952. He started coaching and teaching business math and economics in the 60s.

“He had an intense passion for water sports. To be able to teach for over 30 years, you need passion. He was very loyal to Carlmont,” Said Jim Kelly, head swim coach since 1999. “He had almost a sixth sense for swimmers, he could predict what their final time would be just by seeing how fast they were.”

Photo by Karenna Meredith

James Ligget Field Carlmont’s softball field is named after James Liggett, who has been a teacher and coach for many years.

As a softball coach, Liggett has won over 900 games, including league, CCS, and state championships. He has been coaching since 1976, and is claimed the greatest softball coach in California high school history. He also played minor league baseball for a few years.

Liggett also has taught math at Carlmont since 1967, and he still substitutes at Carlmont now.

Terry Stogner Gymnasium

The main gymnasium is named after the devoted Terry Stogner. Stogner was the Athletic Director and coach of the Boys Varsity Basketball team at Carlmont for 35 years.

He was also the Physical Education chairperson for 27 years.

He graduated Carlmont in 1960 and met his wife here, who is a retired award winning teacher. His son is the Athletic Director at Woodside Priory in Portola Valley and his daughter is the supervisor of counselors in the Santa Barbara Public School System.

“We are a family obviously committed to education,” said Stogner. Now, Stogner is the Commissioner for Pacific Athletic League (PAL), and has been for the past eight years.

The school community/committee made the decision to name the gym and he was honored at his last home basketball game with a pregame surprise ceremony.

“I am honored and proud to have my name on the gymnasium wall,” Stogner added. “I have a picture of the gym here in my office at the San Mateo County Office of Education and I even have a piece of the old gym floor on my wall that an ex-student got for me when the old floor was torn up for a new one.”

Stogner’s impact on Carlmont has made him an important individual to our community. “Carlmont was and always will be a big part of my life.” Stogner commented.

Bruce Usher Memorial Field The football field is named after the late Bruce Usher. Starting in 1968, he was a math teacher here at Carlmont for many years as well as started the Calculus program. He also coached track and JV football. As a football coach, he had an outstanding winning record of 43-6.

On Friday September 25, 1977, Usher was complaining about severe headaches before a game against Serra High School.

During the game Usher had a heart attack on the field, and was taken to the hospital immediately.

Usher had a severe cerebral hemorrhage, and died that Sunday at only 33 years old.

According to the “Merced Sun-Star” newspaper published on Sunday September 27, 1977, Usher was “well-liked and committed to excellence.”

Photo by Karenna Meredith

Bill Hurst Memorial Field Carlmont’s baseball field is named after Bill Hurst. “He was the head chairman of the first athletic department at Carlmont as well as a great baseball coach.” Said Patrick Smith, athletic director and P.E. teacher at Carlmont.

Hurst died of a heart attack in 1972, according to Carlmont’s yearbook from 1973. His “entire life was dedicated to his work in athletics and to the youngsters in his charge.”

Dodge, duck, dip, dive, and dodge

Fourteen teams including students from all grades and a group of teachers have kept the “five D’s of dodgeball’ in mind in pursuit of becoming the 2012 Carlmont Dodgeball Champion. At press-time there were four teams remaining, and the tournament will be completed on Dec. 13.

Photos by Karenna Meredith

Campus

Page 13

Taking the Highland road Infographic by Erica Valbusa

By Erica Valbusa Online Editor

Many students are unaware of the rules concerning Highland Road, the road behind the school.

The Carlmont Student Handbook states that “Students are NOT permitted to loiter in any parking lot, the gym area, the glen, the softball diamond or the upper field, or Highland Road.”

At first glance, a student reading the handbook may think that he or she is not allowed to use Highland Road to get from class to class.

“I use Highland Road to get to the theater from the biotech buildings. It’s way faster than walking through the hallways. I did not know that the student handbook has rules about the road,” commented senior Tarah Tupou.

However, the dictionary defines loitering as “remaining in an area for no obvious reason.”

This means that students are in fact allowed to use the road during passing periods without getting in trouble.

“I understand that with the addition of the biotech building, students use the road during passing periods to get to their classes. We don’t want students hanging out up there, it’s a safety hazard with the cars. It’s just like a parking lot. We do monitor the road since there are so many students who use it,” stated Administrative Vice Principal Ralph Crame.

“A lot of students also use Admin Road, the road right in front of the Performing Arts Center where the administration

Administration would like students to avoid the parking lot when walking from U-hall to the Performing Arts Center. Although the Student Handbook says “Students are NOT permitted” to walk on Highland Road, this is okay as long as they avoid the parking lot. parks their cars. Students using this road should also be very cautious because it is a parking lot as well.”

“I used the road my freshman, sophomore, and junior years to get to my classes because it was a lot faster. There was too much traffic in the hallways and I wanted to make sure that I got to my classes on time,” stated senior Chris Jung.

In addition to being used as a quick route to avoid the chaotic hallways between passing periods, Highland Road is where many teachers park their cars.

“Students can eat lunch at the top of the hallways, but it’s not safe for them to eat right by the fence because cars drive through that area,” added Crame.

Crame also noted that it is preferred for students to avoid walking through the parking lot above the Performing Arts Center.

A better route for students who need to get across campus is to exit the PAC and use the side of E hall to get up to the main section of Highland Road. This allows students to avoid walking through the parking lot and prevents possible accidents.

Carlmont students using Highland Road between passing periods must remember that it is a functioning road, so they must remain cautious and aware of their surroundings.

Security cameras stalk students, reduce crime

By Daniel Wang Staff Writer

As of right now, there are 48 security cameras located on the Carlmont campus, keeping an eye on everything students do. And that is probably a good thing.

To deter potential crimes and catch footage of illegal activity, Carlmont High School hired Ojo Technologies, a company specializing in installing video surveillance systems, three years ago to install security cameras on campus.

Carlmont Vice-Principal Ralph Crame recalled, “We told Ojo Technologies where we needed support. Then, they installed the cameras.” Ever since, Crame has been using the video surveillance system at Carlmont very often.

After the security cameras were installed, they immediately began to serve as a vital part of the Carlmont security system.

“There are two main uses for the cameras,” stated Crame.

“For one, students know them and behave better because they know they’re being watched. The cameras, in a way, intimidate some of the students.”

“There was an improvement with student behavior on campus after the cameras were installed,” Crame added. “The immature behavior was reduced.”

The cameras scattered around campus are hard to miss.

Out of 50 Carlmont students polled, every single one of them were aware of the cameras.

However, many Carlmont students don’t seem to mind the security cameras. Sophomore Ben Stephan said, “I know they

Photo by Veronika Dvorakova are there, but honestly I just wave at them and pretend they’re not there.”

Cameras can also provide footage of crimes that have occurred. “Cameras allow us to see who did what,” Crame pointed out. “We can catch more people doing more things.”

One great example of the security cameras at use was in the first week of November 2012, when the security cameras got footage of a thief stealing an iPhone from someone else’s back pocket. Thanks to the security camera, the iPhone was recovered.

Elaborating on the iPhone incident, Crame said, “The security cameras are very useful. This was just one of the many cases where the cameras have caught a crime on footage.”

So how do staff members view recorded footage from the cameras?

“The computers in the offices can download a special software,” Crame explained. “This software can access all the security cameras on According to administration, the 48 security cameras have helped decrease crime. campus and also play back footage on the camDue to serving as an efficient and effective way to overlook eras, even from a week ago.” the campus, Crame is very happy with the video surveillance In addition to software that can access all the security camsystem at Carlmont High School. eras, Crame also had an app on his phone that could view the “The cameras were a great addition to the school,” Crame footage. This app, known as Xprotect, allows Crame to browse stated. “We’re definitely interested in installing more cameras through all the cameras at Carlmont seamlessly, zoom in and on campus.” out, and view up to six different camera angles at once.

Remind101 texting service has teachers LOLing to students

By Tim Layten Staff Writer Every student at Carlmont smiles when they see a text on their phone from one of their friends. And now they can receive texts from their teachers.

Several Carlmont teachers have started to use a communication system called Remind101. This service is way for teachers to text their students reminders about upcoming due dates and exams. Students can even personally text their teacher a question they have about an upcoming assignment or test.

“Remind101 is a very convenient way for me to provide clarification when needed, as it often is. It helps students manage their workload, a feet that is more difficult than most adults may think.” stated English teacher Joey Hill, who is a big fan of the service.

High school students have a hard time remembering things and many typically don’t check their email, so texts from their teachers can be very helpful for students to remember upcoming due dates. “[Remind101] reminds you about something for a class after a long weekend. It can also give you a reminder a few days before a big test,” stated senior Akshay Nithyanand who

gets text message reminders from his teachers, Anne Frost and helps remind Michelle McKee. himself about While many students and teachers feel like this new type assignments, not of technology is the next best thing, there are some students just his students. on the other hand that find these text messages annoying and “Truth be disconcerting. told, I use it “I don’t like looking at my phone when I get a text and it’s more for myself from one of my teachers,” stated senior Reese Dickson. Conthan my stustant text messages from teachers can also be bad for students dents,” Hill said. that don’t get unlimited texting on their phone plan.

Whether you Some students just find these reminders from the teachers like the conredundant and not always informative. cept or not, it “[Remind101 text updates] occasionally can be helpful but allows teachers sometimes the updates they go overboard with the amount to effectively of texts they send,” remarked senior Connor Fenech. While use technology there are students that may not be a fan of receiving informa- that is popular tive texts from their teachers, there are teachers that do not among teenagers believe in using this service. and give all the “Technology is great, but in the end it’s up to the students help and assisto remember assignments on their own,” said history teacher tance needed.

Jayson Waller, who is against the texting service.

Joey Hill uses Remind101 Whether you’re addicted to texting or not, the number of Carlmont teachers that send their students text message regularly to remind stureminders via Remind101 is growing. Hill feels that it also dents about assignments

Photo by Jacob Rudger

Page 16

Makeup Madness

Extras

Continued from front

any sign of stress from their peers.

We expect to see flawless faces and perfect features, and we expect that girls will hide blemishes and acne, even though every other teenager is facing the same problems on their own face.

Despite contrary belief, most boys don’t notice the difference.

Eighty three percent of Carlmont boys polled said it does not bother them when a girl is not wearing make up.

Junior Franklin Rice commented, “If a girl doesn’t wear makeup then I won’t notice, and probably won’t care either. But if a girl plasters her face with cosmetic products, she’s sure to catch my attention. I would choose the first over the second any day. Makeup is fine in moderation but unnecessary in large quantities

for an average day at school. Find a balance and stick to it.”

Make up should not be a mask to hide behind. Its purpose is not to cover your features, but rather to show them off.

Junior Isabella Sziraczky commented, “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with wearing makeup.

But I think a lot of girls hide behind their make up because of insecurities. It’s supposed to define and enhance your features not cover them up. You should love the way you look no matter what.”

If society wants girls to wear makeup, then are we wearing makeup to fit in? Girls shouldn’t wear makeup just to fit into society.

Since girls are used to comparing themselves to celebrities and the media, they feel the pressure to conform.

The truth about homework Continued from front

and don’t get home until 9:30 p.m. every day because I have dance team practice after school,” said junior Logan McPherson. “The absolute last thing I want to do when I get home is my homework. But I have to, because if I don’t, then my grades will go down.”

Students with many extracurriculars can often feel overwhelmed when they receive too much homework, which can eventually affect their grades.

A study conducted by Jennifer Fredricks, associate director of human development at Connecticut College, found that students with more than five extracurricular activities a week had a four percent lower grade average than students without extracurriculars due to increased stress levels and lack of sleep.

With that said, Kelly believes that a school should not just consider the “intellectual well-being of the student,” but the school should also “be a partner in the child’s overall well-being.”

Brent Tom is taking three AP classes and has several extracurriculars, as well as a job.

“It’s hard to balance everything,” Tom said. “There is so much pressure to do extra activities in addition to all of our school work, that the large amounts of homework we get are practically unbearable.”

However, Tom realizes that “when it comes down to it, we choose our own classes, which will determine our homework amount.

It doesn’t mean that I like home-

work, though. I don’t think anyone does, to be honest.”

Kelly believes that homework is actually driving students away from learning, and can see that first-hand by observing his son.

His son sees homework as drudgery and is losing the enjoyment of actually learning a subject. He hates it so much he is finding ways to get around it.

“As teachers we prepare our students for college because it’s just what we do. But we’ve gotten away from learning for learning sake, and now we learn just to pass a test.

That’s not what education should be about,” stated Kelly.

On the other hand, teacher Rebecca Pearlman offered a different take on homework in relation to a student’s success.

“If the test is written well, it will test on concepts and not mechanics.

It should be both an assessment and a push towards problem solving. It is therefore worthwhile. Homework is an opportunity to practice and to make sure you understand the material presented in class. If you don’t do the practice problems, then you will not be in shape for the test,” Pearlman concluded.

Teacher Kristine Weisman said that homework will allow students to “understand the material better and be prepared for class, but if you have other obligations like extracurriculars, then you need to make a decision about the costs and benefits you can choose whether or not to do it. It really depends on the maturity of the student.”

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Page 17

Talk Back: What are you doing over winter break?

“I will be in a professional production of Les Miserables.”

-Cristina Oeschger

“I’m going to Washington.”

-Angelo Anderson

“I’m going on a vacation to South California.”

- Timmy Miller

“I’m going to New York.”

“I will be playing soccer.”

“I’m staying home with my family.”

- Amelia Armstrong

- Andrew Durlofsky

-Gabi Dimick

“I am going to visit my family in the East Coast.”

- Pareesa Darafshi

“I will be finishing all my college applications and going to Hong Kong to visit family.” - Luke Li

Photos by: Kat Sirven and Kristen Friis

Horoscopes Sagittarius - (November 22 – December 21) Your snappy personality will be loaded with sass this month, so make sure you save your best comebacks for that one person who has been getting on your nerves.

Capricorn - (December 22 – January 19) The holiday season is finally here and you are in luck! The stars predict that you will find the best deals when shopping for holiday gifts, so grab all the cash you can find and go splurge!

Aquarius - (January 20 – February 18) Your love life is destined to flourish over winter break. Talk to your special someone and who knows? You might get lucky under the mistletoe.

Pisces - (February 19 – March 20) This month is the best time to embrace your inner fish.

Aries - (March 21 – April 19) Though you may feel the urge to become one with nature this month, that would be a very bad idea. If you talk a walk in the woods, be sure to bring a friend or a compass because you’re most likely going to get lost.

Taurus - (April 20 – May 20) The stars predict that your luck is at its highest point. Challenge people to a game of rock-paperscissors and annihilate everyone Gemini - (May 21 – June 20), It is a very unfortunate time to allow your lazy nature to consume you.You put on some pounds during Thanksgiving, so it’s time for you to hit the gym and work off the weight, or you might as well put on a red suit, grow white beard, and pack up a sleigh full of toys.

Leo - (July 23 – August 22), Let your inner lion roar this month as you prepare for finals. Tear through each exam and conquer every project so you can relax with satisfaction over break.

Virgo - (August 23 – September 22), Now would be a good time to switch the brand of shampoo that you use, unless you would like to experience premature baldness.

Libra - (September 23 – October 22), Remember that saying, “stop and smell the roses”? This is the month to do that.You stretch yourself too thin, so you end up not putting your full effort into everything you do. This is the month for you to learn about your priorities.

Fundraiser Idea!

Scorpio - (October 23 – November 21), Your stars are askew this month, so every day of the week will be awful you, except for Thursdays. At least you have one small thing to look forward to.

Cancer - (June 21 – July 22), Usually, you have no sense of good judgment, so please take this bit of advice as your holiday gift; do not eat any yellow snow. are for entertainment purposes Set your ticket*These priceHoroscopes and determine your profi t only.

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Sports

Page 18

Varsity football: a year to forget

intended, the backbone of this team,” said Selli.

Despite the deficiencies, the Scots were always motivated. “We had a group of kids who wanted it, but they didn’t have time to apply their experience on the field. Other kids were happy, but needed to learn more,” said Selli, “This team had no time to mature. Because of our short roster, they had to jump right in.

There was not enough room for learning.”

The 2011 PAL Lake Division co-champion team convinced many people that Carlmont football had established a winning tradition, but all hopes were lost when the once-mighty Scots went from first to worst in one season.

You couldn’t set up a more perfect script than the varsity football team had coming into the 2012 season. Fresh off of a co-championship season, confidence and expectations were high, and Bruce Usher Memorial Field looked pristine after its million dollar makeover. The team was fully prepared to retain the title by dominating opponents under the Friday night lights.

The reigning PAL-Lake division co-champions had only had one goal in mind at the start of the season: erase the “co”.

“We felt like a whole new team. It gave us new ambitions and motivation,” said starting defensive lineman Tristan “Tank” Gasperian.

Carlmont’s first game was on the road at The King’s Academy, where they dominated both offensively and defensively to start the season strong with a 33-0 shutout victory.

The team went to work after the win against The King’s Academy. The first days of school were spent watching film, memorizing the playbook, and practicing relentlessly.

One trip to Gunn High School later, the unanticipated downward spiral began. The Scots suffered an embarrassing 28-6 loss to Gunn one week before their first home game, but they weren’t frazzled.

With the loss to Gunn behind them, the team was prepared to make history. Over two thousand fans were in attendance for Carl-

Photo by Nikos Frazier

By Jacob Rudger Campus Editor

“We seriously need to have more people come out to play, because it is hard to win with like 20 people,”

Carlmont began to see its season slip away after the 28-13 loss against Mills High School mont’s first game in the new stadium, and the atmosphere was electric.

However, the Aragon Dons crashed Carlmont’s house-warming party by scoring 28 unanswered points in the first quarter and capturing a 35-14 victory.

The downward spiral continued throughout the season. The Scots finished the season 1-9, having not tasted a victory since the August 31 win in Sunnyvale.

“Our biggest weakness was depth,” said head coach Jason Selli, “we had a lot of good athletes, but not enough players to give our best athletes breaks. A lot of times we would start strong, but teams with more depth than us would chip away at us as the game went on.”

Carlmont’s opening game roster was 27 players. By the end of the season the roster size was cut down to 22 players due to injuries and players quitting.

“We seriously need to have more people come out to play, because it is hard to win with like 20 people,” said first year varsity player, Matt Stalun.

The most notable player who went down due to injury this season was senior and three year varsity starter Mark Concilla, who was sidelined by a back injury after the victory against King’s Academy.

“Mark’s leadership was very important. He wasn’t so much a vocal leader, but a leader on the field. Players saw what he was able to do and it gave them motivation. He was, no pun

After Carlmont’s final loss of the season when they handed the Terremere Trophy back to Sequoia, Selli informed the team that he would be stepping down as head coach.

“It was one of the toughest decisions I’ve had to make,” said Selli, “I didn’t want to go out on a 1-9 season. I’ve been coaching for 17 years and one season isn’t going to do it for me. This is a time in my life where I have to focus on family. Coaching is a major time commitment that stretches from spring to winter, and with children ages three, five, and nine, I need to maximize time with them.”

“We will be missing a huge part of our football family and a great defensive-minded coach. He studied film longer than anyone.

We will miss him, but we cannot let it affect our team’s future goals,” said Gasperian.

Selli said that this year’s bad season is a “great learning tool. The horizon is looking brighter for Carlmont football. Younger players will now be even more motivated to improve. It creates a perfect storm of success.”

Football’s future looks bright

By Maxwell Ware Staff Writer Carlmont High School has not been known for a highly successful football program. This year’s varsity team had a lackluster season, finishing 1-9. However, this year’s junior varsity team had a great season, becoming league champions and ending with a record of 8-2 overall and 6-0 in their league.

So what exactly made the team so good this year? The answer lies in hard work and dedication. “(The junior varsity team has) non-stop commitment and goes hard in practice every day,” said sophomore Shelby Rebholtz, a former player on the junior varsity team who was moved up to varsity in the middle of the season.

“I’m so proud of these guys, the coaches, everybody that dedicated their time, the parents, all the faculty, everyone that believed in us,” said junior varsity head coach Rene George. “We couldn’t have done it without everybody involved.”

The junior varsity team conditioned and practiced all summer, and came into their

Photos by Nikos Frazier

season with a great start, winning their first two games and going on to be undefeated in league, which was more than good enough to be named Peninsula Athletic League (PAL) champions.

Their first game against Kings Academy was an astounding 64-0 success, but their second

“We turned the program around. Everything’s looking up...We’re gonna put Carlmont back on the map.” game against Gunn High School was somewhat difficult. “We went in a little cocky at Gunn,” said junior varsity player Chris Jabs.

The team fell behind for the majority of the game, but was able to rebound with a strong effort to win in the fourth quarter.

Two disappointing losses followed, but once the team started its official league games, it began a 6-win streak. “It felt great,” said Boston Funk, starting quarterback for the junior varsity team. The team ended up becoming PAL champions as a result of their

JV topped off their successful season with a route of rival Sequoia

efforts. “They were successful because they had a good work ethic,” said Jesse Gifford, a running back on the varsity team. “It will lead to great success in the future.”

The junior varsity team also had a new approach to how they played. “Defensively, we’re very complex in what we do with our coverages, we brought a lot of pressure from our front four guys and kept our linebackers free so they can get out and make plays. Offensively, we’re just a smash mouth team. We just get out, fire off quick, hurt everybody in our way, and just plow right through them,” said George.

Students at the school were definitely excited to see their team do well this season.

“I’ll give them props for doing better than Carlmont usually does,” said Brandon Magpayo, a Carlmont sophomore. Junior varsity had a disappointing season last year, with a record of 1-6. “The team had a rough year last year,” said Funk.

With the junior varsity team feeding directly into the varsity team, many students believe that the talent in junior varsity will make for a better varsity team in coming years. Peter Brydon, a sophomore, said, “They’ll actually have a chance at CCS when they’re varsity.”

For students like Samir Hede, this would make the football games more interesting.

“I would watch more games if Varsity was better, because they pretty much suck right now,” said Hede.

Coach George was very optimistic about the future of the Carlmont football program: “We turned the program around. Everything’s looking up. It starts on the JV level, and then it goes up to the varsity level. We’re gonna put Carlmont back on the map. We’re here to stay.”

Photos by Nikos Frazier

Sports

Page 19

Fall sports come to an end Volleyball

After a slow start, varsity volleyball ended on a good note, finishing the regular season in third place in the Bay Division.

Volleyball had a well fought regular season, ending with only four losses in league, and an overall record of 18-14.

Even though the team lost several key senior players last year, varsity volleyball has exceeded expectations, playing consistently all season, leading into playoffs.

Football Photos by Nikos Frazier

Highlander Files

Photos by Chris Lay

Cross Country

Boys’ cross country, with the help of a new coach, carried its successful legacy into the new school year.

The team, which placed first out of 17, won every Pacific Athletic League (PAL) meet of the season along with taking home their second straight CCS championship.

On the girl’s side, the team maintained its usual devotion and talent, but unfortunately the hard work resulted in a mediocre season compared to their usual standards.

With an 0-6 record, varsity football came in last in the Lake Division.

The highlight of the season was Carlmont’s newly renovated field which played a large part in boosting the morale at home games. Unfortunately, the excitement and floodlights did not translate into wins.

Next season looks more promising with a strong group of athletes from the division-winning JV team.

Photos by Veronika Dvorak

Photos by Grace Yi

Varsity boys water polo had a successful season with a 4th place finish in the Bay division. They topped off their exciting season with their first CCS berth in years.

Although the team did not make it past the first round, with a strong incoming group from JV along with many returning players who now have CCS experience, the boys look to continue to succeed and improve off of this year’s breakout season.

Girls Water Polo Photos by Jacob Rudger

Girls Tennis

Boys Water Polo

After a strong season the girls varsity tennis team finished in second behind Menlo-Atherton in the Bay division.

With only two losses in league, the Carlmont tennis team dominated most of the season with a final record of 12-2.

After a short run in CCS, the lady scots were eliminated in the second round by Saint Francis.

Newly promoted varsity girls water polo carried last years momentum into this years successful season.

After a strong start running into the seasonal games, the lady scots matched their male counterparts with a CCS berth of their own after taking down rival school Woodside High school.

The girls will look to build on this year with a return to CCS

By Natalie Tussy and Dominic Gialdini

Freshmen invade varsity sports For most sports at Carlmont, it is difficult to make a varsity team even as a senior. But when a freshman is selected to play on varsity, a whole new situation presents itself.

For freshmen, being on a varsity team definitely has its perks, including the excitement of playing alongside experienced upperclassmen and at a competitive level.

Sophomore Kirra Loucks, who played varsity softball as a freshman, commented, “It was exciting to be on varsity because I was the only freshman to be selected. Everyone was really nice and accepting and I was very comfortable with the playing level because I play travel ball.”

Most upperclassmen embrace the idea of skilled freshmen on varsity. This case is true for the 2012 Scots varsity volleyball team. Whenever freshmen Alex Lay and Elena Mateus get a kill, the whole bench gets up and shouts, “She’s a freshman!”

Senior volleyball player, Monica Chin, said, “I liked our freshmen a lot. It was a great experience for them and they are great players. Varsity should not just be reserved for upperclassmen if a freshman deserves it.”

Freshman acceptance seems to be conveyed all the way across the board for male sports as well.

Sophomore Peter Brydon, who played goalie for varsity lacrosse as a freshman said, “I’ve been playing with kids that are older than me for a long time, so I wasn’t that intimidated.

I knew almost everyone on the team before and they were all really cool.”

mented on the topic, “In some instances I have taken freshmen who turned out to be some of the greatest athletes on the team and they described our chemistry. But I can recall other instances where there were girls who weren’t well accepted and didn’t fit in quite as well because of the dominant senior leadership. It all depends on the freshman and the personalities of the other upperclassmen.”

Along with team chemistry, playtime can also be important to the individuals on a team. In instances where an upperclassman is protective of their playing time, a freshman coming in

Photo by Chris Lay

By Jessica Adair Staff Writer

“I liked our freshmen a lot. It was a great experience for them and they are great players.

Varsity should not just be reserved for upperclassmen if a freshman deserves it.”

Freshman Alex Lay digs a hard hit at the Milpitas Spikefest Tournament

Although most upperclassmen greet freshmen with open arms, the whole overall morale of a team is important to them. For seniors, this is their last chance to be on their high school varsity team and most want to make the most of it.

Team chemistry, being one of the keys to success for a team, can sometimes be ruptured when a freshman is brought into the mix.

Jim Liggett, the current varsity softball head coach, com-

and taking their spot can be offending.

Sophomore soccer player Kaitlyn Sanders said, “If I were a senior and a freshman was getting more playing time than I was, I would be pretty upset because it’s my last year.”

As much as athletes have conflicts about playing time, that decision is primarily decided by the coach.

Liggett continued, “When you’re trying to put the best players in the game, their ability ultimately dictates their playtime. As long as they abide by the school rules and they keep up with their studies, they deserve to play no matter what year they are.”

Match the teacher to the item in their classroom.

Schoenstien, Mrs. Ramroth, Talcott, Wallace, Gomez, Garvey,

A

Engberg, Schaal, Triebwasser, Mills, Waller, Nadeau

E I

F

B

J

G

K

C

D

H L

ANSWERS: A. Schoenstien B. Schaal C. Talcott D. Gomez E. Engberg F. Ramroth G. Wallace H. Triebwasser I. Mills J. Nadeau K. Waller L. Garvey