Highlander October 2014

October 2014 Vol VI Issue II

the H GHLANDER www.scotscoop.com @scotscoopnews

What’s inside

Homecoming pg20

Women: better safe than sorry

VERONIKA DVORAKOVA

Jessica Adair Staff Writer

It’s dark, and the girl is walking to her car with her key in between her knuckles, ready to strike if someone approaches.

Every noise she hears makes her jump, and she walks to her car a little bit quicker.

When she gets to her car, she checks in the back seat and under the car for any intruder.

Then she starts her long drive home, looking in the rearview mirror every chance she gets.

Every two minutes another American is sexually assaulted.

Six hundred and seventy-three thousand women currently attending U.S. colleges and universities have experienced rape at some point in their lifetime, and 97 percent of rapists will never spend a day in jail, according to Rape, Abuse and Incest National

Network (RAINN).

With these statistics in mind, women are going to great lengths to make themselves feel safe. “I don’t really go to many places by myself if I’m not familiar with the place, but if I do decide to go somewhere, I always carry two cans of pepper spray in my purse,” said senior Kirra Loucks.

In addition to these statistics, popular TV shows with frightening attack scenes like “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit” or “Criminal Minds” also increase fear among females.

“After I watch “Criminal Minds” I’m afraid to walk around my house at night because it all just seems so real,” said Loucks.

In junior Gabriela Dimick’s case, she took her frightening experience of watching a kidnapping movie, and turned it into something that would help girls at Carlmont feel a little bit safer.

“I started the Carlmont Self Defense

Club after I freaked out when I saw the movie ‘The Call.’ In real life, if someone were to grab me I would have no knowledge of how to get out of that situation.

There are so many girls I know that I would be heartbroken if anything were to happen to them, so I took it upon myself to help girls gain knowledge about what to do,” said Dimick.

Although Dimick has not been put in a situation that has required self defense, she does have a personal story that she hopes will raise awareness in her club.

She said, “One of my family friends had an experience where she was grabbed at the end of her driveway, and the guy held a knife to her throat. She had just recently taken a self defense class, so she knew the importance of screaming and that the likelihood of him actually stabbing her was really low. She was able to get out of the situa-

Halloween pg16&17

Activism pg10&11

Continued on pg5

Tasteless costumes ignorantly insult cultures Alisa Takahashi Staff Writer

Are you thinking about donning a kimono to dress like a geisha this Halloween? Or a Mexican mariachi suit?

Students from Ohio University have a message for you: "We're a culture, not a costume."

Halloween is a holiday about glorifying all things spooky and scary, a day to dress up in a costume for the sake of having fun. Unfortunately, sometimes the “fun” comes at the expense of others, and the scariest thing is how rampant racism is on Halloween.

It's a seasonal point of controversy, but even after widely publicized controversies such as the "Ghetto Fab" wig at Kohl's and Target's illegal alien jumpsuit, costumes of stereotypes are able to be seen at every costume store during October.

“To treat a character like Batman or Superman as a Halloween costume is one thing, but to treat an entire ethnicity as a costume is something else. It suggests that people equate the actual broad diversity of a culture with a degrading costume," said junior Sydney Cho. One example is Julianne Hough’s dressing up as the black character Crazy Eyes from “Orange is the New Black.” Many people thought that she was clever that she darkened her face to portray the actress’s complexion.

“Crazy Eyes’s skin color is not some type of costume accessory, and that’s completely ignorant and wrong of Julianne Hough to do,” said Cho. Another example is Trayvon Martin. A new trend has turned the despicable murder of the 17-year-old into a Halloween costume, featuring blackfaces, hoodies, and

Students wearing culturally significant outfits incorrectly can be insulting. fake blood stains.

In one now-viral picture of a couple of Virginia teens, the costume is even accompanied by a white male friend dressed as “Neighborhood Watch,” making a gun gesture at the fake Trayvon’s head.

Many racially, ethnically, or culturally based costumes are meant to be humorous or sexy. The question then rises: what about an ethnic group makes them exotic or sexual?

The answer is this: nothing. To condense an entire ethnic group with so many cultural aspects into a kimono with chopsticks in the hair or a Mexican donkey costume is degrading and uncalled for.

VERONIKA DVORAKOVA

“When how funny or pretty a costume is solely based on race, ethnicity, or culture, those people’s human elements are being compensated for the sake of bringing ignorant people laughter, which shouldn’t be happening,” Cho said.

“Those ethnicities and races are not yours, so while you think it’s a funny costume, it’s other people’s lives you are wearing,” said freshman Cameron Ho. Dressing up as "another culture," is racist, and an act of privilege.

“In this age, that’s exactly what Halloween has turned into: an ugly parade of cultural appropriation, racism, and

Continued on pg4

OPINION

Page 2

The Highlander

October 2014

Domi-Nation Donating to the right cause Dominic Gialdini Features Editor

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

Americans who don’t care

I’m sick and tired of people saying that they aren’t proud of America, that there is nothing special about this country and that there are plenty of other countries that would be better to live in. I’m sick and tired of people complaining about how America was built upon oppression and ruthless imperialistic practices under the name of Manifest Destiny.

It’s about time that people realize just how great it is to be American.

The United States is a country of immigrants; nobody is native to this land. And no, not even the Native Americans are “native” per se (if you believe that they migrated from Asia during the Ice Age -- in which case they do not originate from North America). The land that we live on was once a blank slate that has since been filled with hunter-gatherers, explorers, colonists, industrialists, capitalists and expansionists.

Every child born or brought to America is here because of their ancestors, whether or not they came willingly. The vast majority of them came because they saw something special, an opportunity, a glimmer of hope for a better life than what they had in their homelands.

To forget our pasts and to disregard the potential that those who came before us saw in the United States is to rob ourselves of the gratitude that should be properly felt by living here. Our ancestors chose this country -- not Canada, not Australia, nor any other country -- for a reason.

Those of you who take issue with the way in which the United States acquired land, get over yourselves. Do you really think that we are exceptionally worse than any other country?

While we were expanding westward, other nations worldwide were engaged in their own warfare and attempts to dominate neighboring regions. Yes, the treatment of Native Americans was shameful, but it was really no different from the way in which the majority of other nations, cultures and ethnicities treated one another. I have Cherokee blood in me, albeit a very small amount. Nevertheless, I hold no animosity toward America for atrocities committed centuries ago.

Likewise, if you consider the United States a bad place because it allowed slavery, which was abolished a century and a half ago, I suggest you move on, as the rest of the nation has. In no way do I mean to downplay the horridness of slavery; it was truly vile and will forever remain a dark mark in our nation’s past; however, the fact of the matter is that the past is behind us. It should never be forgotten, but nobody could rightly hate the United States for a deed that was undone and resolved so long ago.

Yes, there is still inequality and racism in some places, but that is reflective on the backwardness of the individual, not the morality of the nation. The United States has come a long way, and to deny this would not be sensible.

So many people take the United States for granted. Perhaps it is easier to appreciate this country when one of your grandmothers immigrated here after living under Mussolini’s fascism and experiencing a world war and the other left a small Central American country that would be ravaged by a bloody civil war decades later. Perhaps realizing that the United States has been a beacon of hope for millions of refugees and immigrants for over two centuries can’t help but make one feel proud to be an American.

For the ideologues out there, show me one nation that hasn’t at some point committed an unjust act toward any single person and I will gladly denounce my love and loyalty toward America. I will denounce my provincial belief that the American Revolution inspired others to rebel and to dethrone their oppressive tyrants of monarchs.

I will pack my bags, organize my affairs and buy a oneway ticket to the Shangri-La that you discover.

For those of you who are lukewarm about living in the country that I love so much, please take my advice: if you don’t love America, then leave. Get out of my country. Nobody is stopping you. Go find a place better suited for your needs. I hear that North Korea is lovely this time of year.

Lara Ostroff Staff Writer

Players in the NFL wear pink during the month of October to raise awareness for breast cancer.

How many people have you seen wearing red for heart disease?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention (CDC), “Cardiovascular disease (CVD)—including heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure—is the number 1 killer of women and men in the United States” (sic).

The problem is not that people are oblivious to the seriousness of diseases such as heart disease or cancer, but that there just aren’t any cool ice bucket challenges to post onto social media that comes along with fundraising or spreading awareness for them.

There has not been a fair distribution of the spread of awareness for some diseases and charities.

When Carlmont’s student body was asked in a poll what they thought was responsible for the most deaths in America, only 38 percent of responders knew that the correct answer was heart disease.

The amount of attention ALS received was not due to its prevalence. Some ice bucket challenge participants were most likely unaware what ALS was even after completing the challenge.

“I’m happy that I was a participant in raising awareness of a disease, but I had just wanted to do the challenge because it became popular among my friends, and looked fun,” said senior Savannah Grech.

The Ice Bucket Challenge helped raise $100 million for the ALS Association.

There is a significant gap between the charities that get donated to and the charities that need all the funding they can get because they are fighting to prevent the killer diseases in America.

The amount of media attention that ALS received during the ice bucket challenge would make one assume that it must be a rather prevalent disease, affecting and killing many Americans.

This is a common misconception.

According to alsa.org, “Approximately 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year. The incidence of ALS is two per 100,000 people.”

That means that of the 316 million Americans, roughly 0.002 percent of the U.S. population die from ALS every

LARA OSTROFF

year.

In the previous recorded year, heart disease killed 596,577 Americans and cancer was responsible for 576,691 deaths.

Now, compare that 0.002 percent of Americans who die from ALS every year to the 0.19 percent of Americans who are killed by heart disease, or the 0.16 percent who die from cancer, and it is clear where the problem lies.

When asked about the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, senior Leah Roe said, “Honestly, I wish it would have been for a more prevalent disease like cancer.”

“It’s not that [individuals with ALS] don’t deserve support, they do. It’s just that there are bigger things out there and I wish some of the money had gone to those other things,” said Roe. Heart disease needs awareness of its prevalence spread around as much as possible, in order to ever have a chance of reducing its number of victims.

While it is never bad for diseases to gain support and awareness, some diseases do not need the amount of support and awareness they receive.

The ice bucket challenge was a great example of how easy it can be to spread awareness and raise funding for diseases: get America’s youth and celebrities involved in an easily accessible way.

If a fun way to get individuals to participate in spreading awareness and raising funds for heart disease were to go viral, it would provide many opportunities for heart disease prevention.

Famous or not, crime is crime Claudia Leist Campus Editor

Everybody should be punished the same way, no matter what their race, socioeconomic standing, gender, or any other demographic characteristic is.

Recently, various stories have been circulated nationwide about violent crimes committed by professional athletes such as Ray Rice and Hope Solo. Although they have not taken anyone’s lives, they are still getting away with crimes that deserve to be punished.

Ex-Ravens running back Ray Rice was charged with aggravated assault in March and was granted a 12-month pretrial intervention. This means that the suspect must endure 12 months of counseling, employment and good behavior.

The main problem with this is that pretrial interventions are generally given to suspects who have committed minor crimes such as theft or drug possession. They are not deserving of hard prison time, and they simply need some redirection. The more violent the crime is, the less chance there is that the applicant will be admitted.

As far as I am concerned, beating and knocking your fiancee out in an elevator is a violent crime. The fact that Ray Rice was accepted into a pretrial intervention program is appalling and unfair, and it shows the lenience of authority toward a professional athlete who deserves more punishment than he is being given. What is even worse is that after the successful completion of these 12 months, Rice’s charges will be dismissed.

According to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, it influences their decision of admission if an applicant “may be a first-time offender who has deep ties with the community.”

This is basically the office’s way of accepting Rice’s crime as “special” or “different” because of his big name in the football world nationwide. Rice is no different than any other domestic violence suspect in the country, action wise, and his overbearing importance is not an excuse for insufficient consequences.

Similarly, US women’s soccer star Hope Solo was charged in June with misdemeanor domestic violence assault after allegedly punching her sister in the face various times and attacking her 17-year old nephew while intoxicated. Despite her pleading not guilty, she faces up to six months in jail if convicted.

I find it interesting that amidst all of these allegations and chaos, Solo is still practicing and playing soccer regularly with the U.S. team. As a “role model” to the country as a professional athlete, Solo should be comfortable sitting on the sidelines until this situation clears over. Even if the allegations are eventually proven false, in my opinion Solo is guilty until proven innocent.

Many people, including the CEO of the U.S. Olympic Committee, are disappointed and disgusted at Solo’s actions as a representative of the Olympic organization. Others, such as Solo’s attorney, claim that Solo was the victim in the incident. So many opinions, so few answers. Unfortunately for her attorney, the real victims showed various sign of bodily injury and aggravation, so Solo’s innocence looks a bit fuzzy to me. If we really live in a progressive and feminist society, Solo should be suspended, just like Rice.

It always has and always will amaze me how professional athletes get treated differently in the eyes of the law; one of the many places where “all men are created equal” should apply. It doesn’t matter if it is the MVP of the NBA championships or a world-renown pro-boxer, if someone commits a crime, they should be punished like anyone else would.

OPINION

October 2014

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The Highlander

Putting Israel in context Becca Fradkin Staff Writer

Everyone has a right to defend him or herself.

There are approximately 130 countries in the world that have a Christian majority.

There are about 20 countries with a Muslim majority.

There is only one country with a Jewish majority.

Israel should not be shamed for defending itself.

To this day, the world continuously struggles to comprehend the consequences of the establishment of the State of Israel.

However, rarely is any context provided.

Consider the brief lecture in Carlmont’s World History class where decades of war and terror are condensed into 20 minutes of class time. Without such context, one can lose oneself among the statistics, death tolls, and ongoing crisis in the Middle East.

Since its establishment in 1948 by the United Nations, Israel has been the homeland of the Jewish people.

Although the UN recommended the establishment of two states in 1947, one Arab and one Jewish, Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Iraq, and others rejected the proposal and invaded.

In 1967, the Arab nations proclaimed the infamous three “No’s”: “No peace with Israel, no recognition of Israel, no negotiations with Israel.”

Israel has accepted the “two state solution” recognizing the potential for yet another Arab state to coexist in the lands previously occupied by Jordan and Egypt (namely, the West Bank and Gaza).

The borders under dispute today are largely a result of those Arab nations’ re-

fusal to accept that initial compromise.

Since the Independence War of 1947 where Israel emerged victorious, the country has been forced to defend itself from constant attacks by its neighbors.

Groups based in Gaza, such as Hamas, continue to reject Israel’s right to exist.

These groups remain committed to Israel’s destruction.

This past summer, according to the Washington Post, more than 4,500 rockets and mortars were fired from Gaza aimed indiscriminately at Israeli towns and cities with the sole purpose of destruction. However, this death and destruction was largely thwarted by Israel’s self-defense systems.

To put Israel’s self-defense in context, its reliance on strategies such as national early warning alarms (a fire drill throughout the whole country where everyone flees to shelters in fear of their lives), countless bomb shelters, and the technologically advanced Iron Dome system that protects citizens from the thousands of rockets launched from Gaza.

The Iron Dome was implemented by the Israeli Defense Force (yes, they are not the offensive force, rather the defensive force) to intercept and destroy rockets sent from Gaza. Iron Dome technology allows the IDF to trace rockets, missiles, and mortars that cross the Israeli border and calculate their trajectories in order to destroy them in the sky, without harming citizens.

To put this fear in perspective, an Israeli citizen must at all times be at most 30 seconds away from a bomb shelter in case of an attack (15 seconds if you live in the South). This again reinforces Israel’s dedication to security and protection for all its citizens.

Israel’s status as a nation has been a reality for over 60 years and it is baffling that

Pro-Israel demonstrators marching in San Francisco some nations continuously reject its establishment.

Israel now has peace treaties with both Egypt and Jordan. However, it’s the continued refusal by the Palestinians to accept this compromise that is the primary cause of friction in the region.

Israel is a vibrant democracy which is approximately 75 percent Jewish, 20 percent Arab, and 5 percent others (including Christians and Druze). There are Arab political parties in Israel’s “Knesset” (its parliament). Israeli law respects the free exercise and equal protection of all religions.

America and other like-minded democracies around the world are right to defend Israel in its prolonged quest for recognition and peace.

Israel’s commitment to defense, safety, and democracy is much like the values that

BECCA FRADKIN

America prides itself on.

Louis Rene Beres wrote an article in US News and World Report that said, “Israel has an absolutely unqualified right under international law to protect its citizens.

In exercising this right, its use of military force has remained measured and controlled. It is therefore finally time for the international community to dispel all crudely propagandistic fabrications of Israeli disproportionality.”

The fact that civilians died during this conflict on both sides, Jewish and Palestinian, is tragic.The death toll, whether it be 75 Israelis or 2,000 Palestinians, is terrifying.

However, the fault lies with those terrorist organizations who chose to shoot missiles at civilians, not with the democracy which was forced to defend itself.

Malala is not your hero Ayesha Abbasi Staff Writer

Malala is not your hero.

Over the course of a year, Malala Yousafzai has become an internationally recognized symbol for courage.

For those who are still unaware, according to BBC News profiles, Malala Yousafzai, “has been shot in the head by the militants and has become the youngest person ever to win the Nobel Peace Prize.”

She first came to public attention through a diary, published on BBC Urdu, which chronicled her desire to remain in school and for girls to have the chance to be educated.

Since then, we have assigned Malala as a symbol of girls’ education. However, she is a symbol of discourse we are unwilling to have.

The talk about girls’ education on a global level would dig up our own faults, which have added to the struggle faced by millions of children around the world yearning for an education. Instead, we

orchestrate the privilege granted by a special honor such as the Nobel Peace Prize so that we can be heroes and create heroes during a time of moral inconvenience.

As The Washington Post’s Max Fisher argued, following the announcement that the 2013 Nobel Peace Prize had gone to the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons, Malala’s loss was actually a good thing,“It can sometimes feel as if the entire West is trying to co-opt Malala, as if to tell ourselves: ‘Look, we’re with the good guys, we’re on the right side. The problem is over there.’ Sometimes the heroes we appoint to solve our problems can say as much about us as about them. Malala’s answer is courage.

Our answer is celebrity.”

Stories about girls’ education in Central Asia and Africa have long been exploited by Western governments, politicians, public figures and media in order to create feel-good headlines underscoring who the the force of moral good in the world was, is and always will be.

This isn’t about any sort of

white savior complex, but a feeling of entitlement towards dictating how certain countries, especially those we like to bomb, are represented and understood in relation to our status, goals and views of our exceptionalism.

We’re not trying to really “save” anyone. Instead, we’re just trying to plaster a facade of “hope” that covers our own involvement economically, politically and militarily in undermining children’s education around the world.

The truth is that we are not ready to talk at a substantial level about girls’ education because that conversation would require a good look in the mirror.

That conversation would elicit actual action that may not be entirely in ‘our’ interest. That conversation might also murk the waters between the good and evil lines we tread.

At the end of the day who really talks about the effects of the invasion of Afghanistan on girls’ education (in addition to pre-existing Taliban prohibition)?

Or the effects of the invasion of Iraq on girls’ education? Accord-

AYESHA ABBASI

ing to a study done by reliefweb international on girls’ education, figures for 2007 and 2008 show 5,065,276 Iraqi children enrolled in primary education, with 44.8 percent of them being girls.

This means that for every 100 boys enrolled in primary schools in Iraq, there are just under 89 girls.

We pick and choose the heroes we use and misuse so that we can have some ambiguous sort of ‘hope’ for something we can’t

easily define, while ignoring core issues that undermine the very efforts by the young girls we throw onto the center international stage.

Malala is out there, talking about her story, talking about the importance of education, and we are eagerly listening. Again.

And, as usual, we have celebrated her as a symbol of our own heroism and exceptionalism while willfully ignoring the accusatory stares of our reflections.

NEWS

Page 4

The Highlander

October 2014

Half Moon Bay: a pumpkin-topia Danielle Hamer Staff Writer

As October progresses and Halloween begins to creep up on us, with a quick scroll through Instagram, the average teenager will be faced with a trail of pictures of friends posing on hay bales, making their way through twisted corn mazes, and holding that “perfect pumpkin” they searched all day for.

A short drive towards the coast, Half Moon Bay is filled with the colors orange and black and is riddled with witches and fields of pumpkins during the month of October.

The city provides people throughout the Bay Area with vibrant pumpkin patches, Halloween carnivals, and a stream of festivals for children, adults, and high schoolers alike to enjoy.

Junior Giorgi Trembley recently enjoyed

Costumes Continued from page 1

sexism,” said junior Alexandra Davidovich.

Not only does it lead to offensive, inaccurate, and stereotypical portrayals of other people's culture, but is also an act of appropriation.

Someone who does not experience that oppression is able to "play," temporarily, that character, without experiencing any of the daily discriminations faced by other cultures.

“I think these costumes show that these people aren't quite equal to the standard American or that you as a person who's not

a Halloween trip to Half Moon Bay and went to Pastorino’s Farm, a popular pumpkin patch that sits on the long lane of farms that showcases its pumpkins during this time of year.

“Going to the pumpkin patch was a lot of fun- they had a haunted house, a train, and I saw so many people from school there.”

It’s all fun and games when you get to the festivities, but as the city becomes increasingly crowded, the drive isn’t as easy as it may have been a few weeks ago.

Senior Madi Hubbell, who went to Arata’s pumpkin patch, said, “I loved the variety of pumpkins and all the activities to do, but I waited a long time sitting in traffic to finally get to Half Moon Bay.” In addition to numerous pumpkin patches, Half Moon Bay also holds Halloween festivities on the weekends. Last weekend, the historically well-attended Art and Pumpkin Festival took place. People en-

joyed live music, various kinds of art, and pumpkin-inspired food.

Junior Joanna Tabacek said, “My favorite part of the festival was seeing all the interesting art booths, and watching farmer Mike, who carved a huge pumpkin on display. I will definitely go again in the future.”

Despite crowds and traffic, Half Moon Bay is a great place to celebrate Halloween

and explore all this city has to offer this season.

Trembley said, “Half Moon Bay in October is definitely a great and long-lasting tradition for so many people in our area.”

a member of that group should be able to dictate how the stereotype should be,” said freshman Hazel Lam. To spread cultural awareness and stop racist Halloween costumes, the "We're a culture, not a costume" campaign, which originated at Ohio University in 2011, encourages students to steer clear of offensive Halloween costumes.

The ten members of Ohio University's Students Teaching About Racism in Society (STARS) organization were fed up with offensive costumes that reinforce negative racial and cultural stereotypes. STARS, created a poster campaign to draw attention to costume choices that are simply "not okay."

The campaign created posters that juxtaposes pictures like a non-Asian student

dressed as a Geisha and an image of an actual Asian student. It adds a statement: “This is not who I am, and this is not okay.”

Since posting pictures of the "We're a Culture, Not a Costume" campaign online last Friday, STARS President Sarah Williams and her organization have gotten attention from local news networks.

“If people are more aware about how degrading racist Halloween costumes, it’ll really help people be less ignorant about the issues,” said Davidovich.

Those contemplating going blackface this Halloween might not get the proper warnings from friends, but some retail shops are taking it upon themselves to step in for their customers.

Ricky’s, a beauty chain based in New

York that started offering “costume concierges” this Halloween season, tries to steer light-skinned shoppers who want to go as dark-skinned characters to more “creative cues” other than skin color.

“You don’t have to be so literal as to darken your face,” said Lorne Lucree, director of marketing at the company.

Despite all of the craziness and controversies that surround Halloween, the goal is to have fun and enjoy the creativity and effort that go into the costumes.

“Instead of being culturally ignorant, people should educate themselves about different cultures to avoid controversies not only for Halloween, but to become more aware of the people they are surrounded by on a daily basis,” said Cho.

DANIELLE HAMER

Article originally featured on scotscoop.com

Superhero themed assembly entertains students Avery Adams Staff Writer

ASB fought for truth, justice, and school spirit during the Homecoming Assembly on Oct. 16.

A variety of superhero-themed activities were showcased during the assembly.

“We have themed assemblies now, so since today’s theme is superhero, we decided to do that. All the balloons are superheros, we have amazing superhero decorations, and all the performers are incorporating superheros into their performances, especially Drumline and Jazz Band,” said junior Annie Klups, head of the Assembly Committee in the Associated Student Body.

Jazz Band performed “The Incredibles” while wearing superhero masks, and Drumline took the idea of performing a step further by reenacting superhero combat while playing their music.

Even the transitions between acts were created around superheroes as “Carlmont Criminals” sophomore Kimberly Lane and junior Gabi Dimick kidnapped junior Jacob Segal, and superheroes Spencer Stewart, a junior, and Elias Sebti, a senior, saved the day.

“My favorite part was when Jacob Segal was being dragged on the ground across the gym by the villains. It

was really funny,” said sophomore Noah Shamsai, a member of Carlmont Drumline.

As “pow” and “boom” signs were hung and performances were rehearsed with the assembly approaching, there appeared to be no signs of last-minute stress from the ASB members.

“We have everything planned and at this point it is all up to the performers. This is the first time I haven’t been nervous. Everything got set up early and all the performers are great and ready and everything’s going really well,” said Klups.

The spirit continued to soar when Jazz Band came back and beat Drumline in the finale of Carlmont Cup after Drumline’s original victory was invalidated.

“We did well overall but apparently when we used our feet during the sleeping bag race it was cheating, so we’ll have to do it again anyway,” said Shamsai after the first assembly.

The audience appeared to be engaged in the assembly as they clapped, cheered, and danced along to Choir’s medley of songs, varsity football’s introductions, and the dance team’s performance.

From the opening bagpipe song to the ending Drumline beat, Carlmont students were treated to an hour of entertainment.

Before the assembly, sophomore Daniel Wehara, a mem-

ber of Drumline said, “I hope the audience will be touched, and hopefully we will arouse some mirth.”

Although the acts moved consistently, ASB members faced a few challenges along the way.

“A challenge we faced was communicating with all of the different groups so that everything ran smoothly,” said Tori Miranda, a member of the assembly committee in ASB. ASB was not the only group who had to work extensively to meet the assembly deadline.

“For drumline we have intense practice hours: early mornings, everyday, and weekends. It is a lot of preparation,” said Wehara.

Superheroes may seem invincible, but even they make mistakes.

There were a few minor unintentional pauses, such as when the pedometer headbands did not fit during the Carlmont Cup finale, or when a drum stick fell out of Kyle Jung’s hand.

“It went pretty well overall. There were a few little mistakes from everyone, but nothing big,” said Shamsai.

With the last “Boom” and “Pow” from the Drumline, the superheroes of Carlmont retired until called upon by the citizens of Carlmont once again.

Article originally featured on scotscoop.com

NEWS

October 2014

Feeling safe

Page 5

The Highlander

Continued from page 1

tion, and this all really touched me because if she didn’t know what to do, it could have been a different result.”

Screaming is an important defense during assault because it catches the attacker off guard, according UCLA Counseling and Psychology Center.

Senior Brian Palma added, “Taking self defense is a great idea for girls. They would be less fearful of getting assaulted because they’d be able to fend off attackers.”

In addition to gaining knowledge about how to defend oneself, Dimick also hopes that members will take away a deeper meaning from their experience.

“I want people to get a basic knowledge of how to protect themselves and make the correct judgements on what they should do, but I also really want to bring attention to dangerous situations in general,” said Dimick.

Another dangerous situation that women are put into has to do with date rape drugs. About 25 percent of women report that drugs were a factor in rape, according to RAINN. Because of this, women are often told watch their drinks at parties and to never accept drinks from strangers.

With the hopes of reducing date rape drug statistics, four male students at North

Carolina State University created Undercover Colors, a nail polish that detects the presence of date rape drugs in drinks by changing color.

“I think it’s great that there is a product designed to protect women. But at the same, it’s ridiculous that women can’t go out without being concerned about whether or not something is in their drink,” said senior Mariya Chichmarenko.

Palma said, “Girls should feel comfortable in any environment they find themselves in.”

But yet, according to RAINN, 38 percent of women feel frightened when walking alone at night.

“So many women have been violated, and they just do not feel safe anymore because either their abuser didn’t receive a consequence or it just keeps happening of-

VERONIKA DVORAKOVA

ten,” said Chichmarenko.

This statement is correct as 60 percent of assaults in the last five years were not reported, according to the National Institute of Justice In order for women to start feeling safe, society needs to make significant changes.

“We need to start influencing future generations. We need both men and women to demand change, and move towards equality, ” said Chichmarenko.

Female underpayment in the workplace Gianna Schuster Staff Writer

Imagine a game of monopoly. Your brother rolls the dice. He moves his little metal top hat around the board.

He lands on Boardwalk.

You smile. He owes you $100.

He snickers at you, hands over $77, and says, “Everyone knows women don’t get paid as much as men.”

Gender bias still exists in many work areas despite everything this country has gone through to promote equality in all aspects of life.

“Everyone should be treated the same way, regardless of gender,” said sophomore Matthew Irwin.

This is not the case when it comes to payday for working adults.

While it would be inaccurate to say that women are the only ones that face gender discrimination in areas of work, it is accurate to say that when it comes to paychecks, women are paid less than men.

Lisa M. Maatz, vice president of government relations at the American Association of University Women, wrote an article for the Forbes website called “The Awful Truth Behind the Gender Pay Gap” where she discussed this wage gap.

Maatz stated, “For the last decade, median earnings for women working full time, year-round have been just 77 percent of men’s earnings.”

This is often a controversial topic, as it is perceived by some people as a situation where feminists try to use economics as a defense mechanism.

Maatz’s article continues on to assure readers that this is simply not the case, stating, “This oft-cited percentage stems from U.S. Census Bureau data and is not, despite critiques, something made up by feminists to (heaven forbid) give women raises.”

Although this data is an analysis of men and women that made the same educational and occupational choices, a wage gap still exists between the genders.

“It is unfair for women to be paid less than men. The reason for this is so simple -they are human,” said Irwin.

“On average, a woman is paid 77 percent of what a man doing the same job is paid, and as a result, women have to work approximately 1.3 times the length a man has to work. Women are doing the same job as men at the same rate, but are being paid less, and that's not fair.”

Even if the same amount of time and effort is put into a job, biology still determines which gender gets paid more.

Senior Lauren Pittock said, “Both genders are doing the

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same thing, so they should get paid the same amount.”

There is also the viewpoint that when paying employees, the determining factor should not be one’s gender, but instead the quality of one’s work.

“Everyone shouldn’t be paid equally, but they should be paid on how well they work,” said senior Cody Campbell.

“It should be based on how well you do the job.”

In President Barack Obama’s 2014 State of the Union address, one of the topics he discussed was this very gender wage gap.

“Today, women make up about half our workforce. But they still make 77 cents for every dollar a man earns. That is wrong, and in 2014, it’s an embarrassment. A woman deserves equal pay for equal work… It’s time to do away with workplace policies that belong in a ‘Mad Men’ episode,” said Obama in his address.

He went on to emphasize how the work industry must “come together… to give every woman the opportunity she

deserves.”

The Equal Payback Project, run by the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC), is an awareness campaign and fundraiser that works to close the gender wage gap and ensure that male and female employees get equal pay and benefits for equal work.

The NWLC help to effectively change the workplace for women by pushing for laws that encourage pay equity for women.

To learn more about Equal Payback Project, donate to the cause, or receive more information on gender discrimination in the work industry, visit www.equalpaybackproject.com.

Taking a step in the direction for equality is not a complicated matter - it just takes courage to stand up for what is right along with the willingness to make a change. “[Both genders] should be paid the same,” said freshman Basel Jaber. “Both are human.”

NEWS

Page 6

The Highlander

October 2014

Ebola outbreaks in West Africa enter United States Miranda Irwin Staff Writer

It starts with a fever. Then comes vomiting and sweating, but it’s not the flu, it is Ebola.

The Ebola Virus Disease is very lethal. It can be spread through bodily fluids such as sweat, or through coughing or sneezing on people. People diagnosed with the Ebola virus get more infectious as they get sicker. When they first contract the disease they are not likely to pass it on to anyone else, however, as they begin to show more symptoms they become more contagious.

Recently, the Ebola virus had its largest outbreak in history in numerous countries in West Africa.

In a CNN report written by Michael Martinez and Jacque Wilson, they said, “People in West Africa are avoiding hugs and handshakes because the virus can be spread through the sweat on someone’s hand.”

The Ebola virus has killed thousands of people in West African countries such as Liberia, Sierra Leone, Nigeria, and Guinea.

These countries are still continuing to face the effects of Ebola, but the virus is no longer active in certain parts of Guinea, which is where the disease initially broke out in March 2014.

Recently in late September, the first case of Ebola brought into the United States was reported.

A man who traveled from Liberia to Dallas to visit family appeared to be healthy and was cleared to proceed to Dallas. He was not showing any symptoms of the Ebola virus at the time of his departure, however, a few days after presiding in Dallas, he started to exhibit symptoms.

“Many students have come to me concerned that Ebola is going to spread throughout the United States. But there is nothing to be worried about because the US is prepared and has more infrastructure than the West African countries do,” said human biology teacher Georgianna Silva.

Ebola is something that many Americans have become increasingly worried about. This is likely because of the precautions being taken in other countries end up looking alarming and intimidating.

“The virus has not ravaged the United States. But the word — Ebola! — is ubiquitous, and so is the fear that comes with it,” said Abby Ohlheiser from the Washington Post.

In the United States, there have been few reported cases of Ebola, but the fact that the disease made it into the United States, despite the efforts and precautious taken to prevent it, makes the whole situation startling.

The individuals in the United States that have been re-

ported to have contracted the Ebola virus are, the man in Texas who initially brought the disease, two nurses in Texas who treated the man, an NBC cameraman who was working in Liberia, Christian missionaries serving in Liberia, and a few other individuals who had been to African countries recently.

These patients have been treated in hospitals in Dallas, Texas, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Ga. and Nebraska.

Precautions are being taken to make sure that the Ebola virus will not spread any more than it already has. Anyone who has come in contact with any patient who has been diagnosed with Ebola is being monitored closely to see if they will start to show symptoms as well.

There are still some new possible cases of Ebola appearing around the United States, but according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention(CDC), “The CDC and the Texas Department of State Health Services remain confident that wider spread in the community can be prevented with proper public health measures.”

With the miniscule number of people to be diagnosed with the Ebola virus is the United States comes a large concern and paranoia that the disease will spread. However, the likeliness of Ebola spreading and becoming an epidemic in the United States like it did in West Africa is unlikely.

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NEWS

October 2014

Page 7

The Highlander

Dystopian fiction opens eyes to future Mia Hogan Staff Writer

You stand in the arena with a blank stare.

The countdown goes of blaring in your ears three, two, one. A horn goes off and you run for your life through the lush green grass with 23 other tributes.

Dodging four arrows, you continue to run until you can’t hear anything behind you. Seven gunshots go off, symbolizing the death of seven young adults.

Gasping for air, you sit down next to a river to rest.

You begin to ponder why you let yourself into the Hunger Games’s arena of death and how the people allowed it to become an annual tradition, growing angrier by the second.

Teenagers are devouring dystopian fiction as it opens eyes to the possibility of a desolate future.

In the past decade, there has been an increase in popularity of futuristic dystopian novels including “The Hunger Games,” “Divergent,” and “The Maze Runner.”

All three of these popular novels take place in the future, after the human race’s organization spins out of control.

Society has lost all forms of civilization and government.

These answer the question “what happens next.”

Dystopian novels share the setting of an imaginary place where the people often live in fear and dehumanized lives.

These novels show students how to deal with life pressuring situations.

Similar to Thomas Paine’s “Common Sense” urging Americans to revolt against the British or Baldassare Castiglione’s “The Courtier” defining traits of an ideal noble, dystopian novels demonstrate qualities young adults should develop and spark perseverance to take action against pressuring issues present in modern society.

Junior Serenity Gregorson said, “ Dystopian novels have

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a high appeal to teens because they are different and address a lot of pressing issues in a way that is easier to talk about.”

All these novels share a common theme. The characters face an issue present today, and emphasizes the outcome if the issue is not resolved. They present characters’ resolutions to political and environmental concerns.

“Dystopian novels were made so teens would read them and start to think about what’s actually happening in the world because most teens don’t care. It starts to make teens want to get involved,” said Gregorson.

The 21st century government and citizens face pressing issues that need to be resolved to prevent further damage to the human civilization and environment.

The Hunger Games and Divergent both display human life after all forms of organization and government collapse, resulting in a formation of a hierarchy corporal government.

With President Snow and the Peacekeepers running Panem in the Hunger Games to the Erudites and Dauntless taking over dystopian Chicago in Divergent, the human race is portrayed as weak until a hero stands up against the tyranny due to the fear instilled in the citizens.

Dystopian novels have illustrated the possible effects of the creation of a corporal hierarchy government. They address the threats they posses toward humankind, similar to the situation in the Middle East.

Tensions in the Middle East regarding the militant Islamic extremist group [ISIS, ISIL] demonstrate possible threats to Palestine and the west aiming to create a caliphate, or an Islamic state ruled by one supreme leader.

The creation of a caliphate will change relationships around the world and the way of life.

With situations in the real world compared to ones made up, students need to differentiate fiction and fantasy. With

more students looking into dystopian literature as inspiration and guidance, adults begin to question if these novels are a healthy and realistic outlet.

Psychology teacher Michelle McKee said, “Reading books like the ‘Hunger Games’ is for entertainment. When someone turns on the TV to watch the news, that is real.”

“The Maze Runner” takes place in the future where the sun was so hot and close to the earth, the living conditions became unbearable. The environmental change killed off the majority of the human race.

With an increasing population, pollution escalates due to the increase in car usage and industrialization. Over the first few weeks of school, students have experienced an unusual increase of temperatures, indicating global warming and climate change in the bay area.

Global warming causes the ozone layer to melt, which protects earth from the sun’s harsh UV rays. With higher temperatures, Earth’s climate and geography changes due to the melting of glaciers and drier fields to grow crops.

Carlmont’s Green Youth Alliance President Tara Shahrvini said, “[Dystopian novels] just shows that today’s fictitious scenarios resemble possibilities that may be the future, and the things we feared most years ago have become today’s realities. Take the devastation caused by superstorm sandy for example.”

On campus, students can make simple decisions to help out. Throwing away garbage and recycling always helps the planet. Drive with the windows open as opposed to running the air conditioner.

“Environmental activism is a rewarding eye-opening experience that keeps people in touch with many global issues,” said Shahrvini.

Little changes in one’s lifestyle drastically changes the outcome of young adult’s future.

The Highlander

Art Director Veronika Dvorakova

Junior Editor Kimiko Okumura

Art and Graphics Ivy Nguyen Alyssa Espiritu Minh-Han Vu Scot Scoop Shira Stein Faculty Advisor Justin Raisner

Staff Writers

Ayesha Abbasi Jessica Adair Arianna Bayangos Brooke Buckley Angelina Castillo Becca Fradkin Aria Frangos Ravina Gujral Danielle Hamer

Mia Hogan Miranda Irwin Kian Karamdashti Elena Mateus Jocelyn Moran Mateen Nozzari Lara Ostroff Sonia Paulo Justine Phipps

Kat Savin Sarah Schisla Gianna Schuster Marco Sevilla Victoria Shanefelter Taran Sun Alisa Takahashi Lauren Tierney

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.

FEATURES

Page 8

The Highlander

October 2014

2014 MIDTERM ELECTION FACTS AND FIGURES Ages 18 to 29

Voting population = 15,400,000 people

Eligible population = 21,200,000 thousand people

Senate

House of Representatives

47 Democrats (45 Dem. and 2 Independents) ¥ 53 Republicans ¥

233 Republicans ¥ 199 Democrats ¥ 3 Vacancies ¥

All 435 seats are up for election.

Mississippi

(highest young adult voting rate besides Washington, D.C.)

United States California West Virginia

(lowest young adult voting rate)

Voting rate for people ages 18-29

33 out of the 100 seats are up for election.

Voting rate for people ages 29 years and older

68.1% 76.4%

62 years

57 years

average age of a Senator

average age of a Representative

Most Common Occupations

45.0% 66.3% 43.7% 61.9% 23.6% 53.1%

Law Representatives (156), Senators (55) Business Representatives (187), Senators (27)

Education Representatives (77), Senators (15)

Public Service/Politics Representatives (184), Senators (42)

ZOE WILDMAN http://ballotpedia.org, http://www.census.gov/, http://clerk.house.gov, http://www.realclearpolitics.com

Six things to know about the midterms 1

What are midterm elections?

Every two years, the midterm election gives the American voters the opportunity to rearrange the political parties of Congress in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Occurring directly in the middle of a four-year presidential term, the midterm election is often seen as the people’s opportunity to express their satisfaction or frustration with the president's performance. It is not uncommon for the minority political party, the one not controlling the White House, to gain seats in Congress during a midterm election.

2

Who is elected during a midterm election?

According to the 12th edition of “Government in America,” in each midterm election, one-third of the 100 senatorial seats and all 435 members of the House of Representatives seats are up for grabs. Senators serve six-year terms while representatives serve for two years. This year, the 2014 midterm election will be held on Tuesday, Nov. 4.

3

How do we pick people to be on the midterm ballot?

To pick congressional candidates for the midterm ballots, primary elections are held. If a party's candidate is unopposed there may not be a primary election for that office. Third party candidates are chosen by their party's rules while independent candidates may nominate themselves. Independent candidates and those representing minor parties must meet various state requirements to be placed on the general election ballot.

4

What part of the current midterm elections will affect the 2016 presidency?

As the country heads towards 2016 there are significant decisions that need to be made, particularly on the control over Congress. In order to win the White House, Republicans will need to expand the playing field and win in places where

Democrats usually win. If they can’t win competitive Senate races in certain states during the midterm election when the environment favors them, it will be viewed as a foreshadowing of Democrats having an advantage over the Electoral College during the 2016 presidential elections. Even a narrow defeat in North Carolina would be a sign that Democrats still hold an edge in the battle over turnout.

5

Under what criteria is someone elected for House of Representatives or the Senate?

According to Article I, Section 2 of the Constitution, to be elected as a U.S. Representative, a person must be at least 25 years of age when sworn in, have been a U.S. citizen for at least seven years and a resident of the state from which he or she is elected.

In order to run for the Senate, Article I, Section 3 of the Constitution requires that a person be at least 30 years old by the time he or she takes the oath of office, be a citizen of the U.S. for at least nine years and be a resident of the state from which he or she is elected. In Federalist No. 56, James Madison justified these more precise qualifications for senators by arguing that the

“senatorial trust” needs a “greater extent of information and stability of character.”

6

Who has a bigger advantage in the race for control of the Senate?

Currently, Republicans have the advantage because they have more opportunities to pick up the net of six seats they need to get to 51. According to Washington Post, the map and the national mood favor Republicans, and GOP strategists are confident. However, democratic candidates in several critically important states are running close races. Just as Republican strategists think they can gain control, democratic strategists like to think that the democratic senators can keep the Senate at no worse than 50-50.

The Rothenberg Political Report and the Cook Political Report show that many races are still too close to call to suggest the outcome. The Washington Post’s Election Lab gave Republicans slightly better than a 50 percent chance of winning the majority.

The New York Times Upshot model put it at 65 percent, which still isn’t a definite sign of a win for Republicans.

Written by Ayesha Abbasi

October 2014

FEATURES

Page 9

The Highlander

Seniors to volunteer at the polls Participating in democracyLIVE! on Election Day Ivy Nguyen Staff Writer

Civic duties are important. However, according to polls by the Pew Research Center, half of all potential voters ages 18-29 are not registered to vote, which is the lowest rate in the past 16 years.

To increase this rate, programs like democracyLIVE! have been giving students the opportunity to work at polls and learn about the voting process, all while making $125.

While some youths are joining this program to get a head start on learning about politics, others are doing it for the money or to add extra padding to their college applications.

Karen Ramroth, one of the teachers who encourages students to participate in this program, said that she does so because educating today’s youth is important since they are the people who will lead the future.

DemocracyLIVE! attempts to solve this problem by assimilating more youths into the world of politics. It teaches them not only that their vote matters, but also about how their vote affects the world of politics. Although students join the program for different reasons, they do learn about the voting process through the program, which is a major goal of democracyLIVE! Senior Mitchell Wright said, “I decided to join this program because I’m genuinely interested in seeing the inner workings of the voting process and how congressional

members are elected.”

Students like Wright already have a sense of civic duty as young adults. Many of them stay informed on current events and politics and plan to register to vote.

Other students have their college futures in mind, but they are not necessarily as engaged in politics or interested in voting just yet.

Senior Neeshae Wain said, “I’m working at the polls in order to get a new experience. I’ll be able to learn about the voting process as well as put this experience on my college apps, so it’s just a win-win situation for me.”

However, not all students work at the polls in order to fulfill their civic duty. Other students work for the $125.

A senior who asked to stay anonymous said, “Honestly, I’m just doing this for the money. Politics don’t really interest me, but the money does. Maybe in the future I’ll know enough about politics to form my own opinions and vote.”

Ramroth encourages people of all ages to learn about what is going on today. She said, “There is a website called votersedge.org. You can go on there and find who’s running, what they stand for and the propositions. It does a great job of giving you a platform of the people and the pros and cons of each. You don’t have to go site to site because you get it all in one place.”

She encourages even more participation through incentives. “I have a Voter Hall of Fame. It’s named after civil rights leader Vernon Dahmer, whose slogan was ‘if you don’t vote, you don’t count.’ Seniors can get into the Hall

ALYSSA ESPIRITU

of Fame by voting, working at the polls, or convincing ten other eligible people to vote. If you’re in the Hall of Fame, you get a bumper sticker and a pizza party,” she said.

The future of tomorrow is going to be determined by today’s youth. As citizens, people should vote and familiarize themselves with the country and its politics.

Civic duty: how the young vote matters As a collective group, 18-29 year-olds have the power to swing elections

From left to right: a certificate for students who vote in elections, the Voter Hall of Fame and teacher Ashley Gray lecturing to his class on the value of voting.

Naomi Asrir Staff Writer His heart races as he nears the library entrance, one of the many voting locations in the district. The day he has been anxiously awaiting since his 18th birthday six months ago has finally come. Voting ballot in hand, he’s directed by a volunteer to enter booth number two.

He flips through the pamphlet, excited by the prospect of having his opinion considered for the first time in government. He gets a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach when he realizes that he has never before seen the names on the sheet of paper in front of him. He walks out, head down and embarrassed.

The Congressional Election Day takes place this year on Nov. 4. Once every two years, millions of adults cast their votes and eagerly await the election results while young people remain relatively inactive in political affairs.

Congress is the legislative branch of the

U.S. national government. It is composed of a Senate and House of Representatives and shares power with the president and the Supreme Court.

Congress is a critical aspect of American government. However, youths are not accurately represented in politics due to their low voter turnout. According to Campus Vote Project, an estimated 24 percent of all eligible young people ages 18-29 voted in the 2010 midterms.

“I think young people have low voter turnout because they haven’t developed the sense that their vote matters,” said AP Government teacher Karen Ramroth.

“Politicians don’t necessarily pay attention to young people because they’re not a big voting block, and then young people wonder why they should vote if they will not be heard. It’s this huge self-fulfilling prophecy.”

According to Project Vote, if younger citizens had voted at the same rate as those aged 30 and over, 7 million more people would have cast ballots in the 2008 elec-

tion. That number is a huge factor in determining which individual will run the nation for the next four years, and possibly even longer.

Ramroth encourages students to participate in politics. “Don’t fall into the trap of thinking people don’t listen to you, because you will create that situation for yourself.

Though your vote probably won’t be the deciding vote, you as a block have a lot of power to make change,” she said.

Seven million voters could significantly affect the outcome of the presidential elections. According to Deseret News, President Jimmy Carter won the vote in 1976 by 1,682,970 counts. The U.S. Election Atlas states that President Barack Obama won the presidential election in 2012 with 65,918,507 votes, just ahead of Mitt Romney’s 60,934,407.

U.S. History teacher Ashley William Gray said, “Young people should actively participate at higher levels because they bring a unique, fresh and optimistic perspective to the political landscape.”

ALYSSA ESPIRITU

The U.S. government would potentially benefit from a younger person’s outlook of what is working and what needs more attention. However, an individual should be careful when unfamiliar with offices on the ballot. According to a Highlander poll, 52 percent of students do not feel they are upto-date with current events and politics.

“I think young people should focus on the issues and offices they are interested in and have an opinion on,” Gray said. “If you don’t understand an issue or an office on the ballot, either do your homework on that issue or don’t vote on it.”

U.S. History and Comparative Government teacher Jarrod Harrison urges young people to vote at the polls, even if unsure about who they will elect. “Skim through the voter pamphlet and see who you get the best feeling about. Every 18-year-old should vote,” he said.

Students and young people must remember that there is power in numbers, and their votes do contribute to the future of the United States.

ACTI

Page 10

The Highlander

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The Umbrella Revolution is symbolized by a group of people brandishing flimsy accessories. The image isn’t exactly one of a serious concern.

But it should be.

The umbrellas are the tools of civilian protesters defending themselves against Hong Kong police, intended to divert the streams of tear gas showering upon them.

Involuntary tears stream down the protesters’ faces and choke them as their nerves react to the chemical weapon assaulting their senses.

Tear gas is a lachrymator: a chemical agent that stimulates nerves in the eyes, mouth, nose and lungs to cause severe pain, vomiting, temporary blindness, uncontrollable tears and mucus secretion, and difficulty breathing.

Although banned in international warfare, tear gas is completely legal in law enforcement of governments against their own civilians.

“If you don’t wish it upon your enemies, why would you use it on your own people?” said sophomore Ana Tudor. “Use of tear gas is completely wrong.”

In the last week of September, pro-democracy protesters swarmed many of the city’s main districts protesting China’s insistence of vetting candidates for the 2017 Hong Kong election. In 1997, rule over Hong Kong was returned by the British to the Chinese, who promised true democracy in the city.

Now, with Beijing and the Communist Party insisting upon screening and approving candidates for Hong Kong political offices, this true democracy is seen by many residents as being compromised.

The main organizer, Occupy Central with Love and Peace, stresses the importance of civil disobedience to protest Beijing’s planned limitation of Hong Kong’s electoral decision when the city had been promised freedom of leadership election by 2017.

“I think that it’s good that people are revolting against the Chinese government because they’re expressing their opinions and should be able to choose for themselves the government they want,” said Tudor. “The revolution is more effective than anything else they could do to instigate change, since politically there’s no one to stand up for them.”

The protest assembled as tens of thousands of people, young and old, peacefully occupying key streets and blocking traffic and business in one of the world’s most important business cities.

For the first time since 2005, Hong Kong police used tear gas for crowd control. The tear gas was both ineffective in crowd dispersion and detrimental to the population’s overall view of its police force.

“I think it was unnecessary,” said junior Alex Irby. “The people were protesting peacefully for their preferred government.

It was brutal and over the top when the police started using tear gas, and only seemed to prove further why the people would want to have the power to change that kind of government.”

The forceful response to the protesters incited more opposition and gave the movement a universal symbol: the umbrellas used as defense.

“In extreme cases, tear gas might be okay to subdue dangerous people,” said sophomore Katie Green. “But in crowd control it shouldn’t be okay, and better methods

umbrella revolut hong kong. h ion um ong kon brell g. ho a r ng

Staff Writer

need to be found. Tear gas can be very dangerous to innocent people, and interferes too much with freedom of speech.”

Developed in early 1900, tear gas grenades are still used today in domestic crowd control.

American police used them when clearing protesters in Ferguson after the shooting of Michael Brown in August 2014.

Police and military forces worldwide use tear gas to break up riots due to its effectiveness in causing temporary pain and irritation that decreases a crowd’s ability to continue action. The main effects include crying, sneezing, coughing, difficulty breathing, eye and sinus pain, and temporary blindness.

Other dangers include the risk of injury from being hit with tear gas cartridges.

Tear gas guns don’t have much adjustment in range of fire besides aiming at the ground at the correct angle, which is often compromised during crowd control. The shells containing the gas have been reported to harshly bruise, blind, and fracture skulls upon impact.

While it causes only irritation in small concentrations, increase of exposure to tear gas significantly heightens the effects to cause dom conditions that easusonis m g r ily lead to death. The o e F ed on ism substance was in use s u in worldwide warfare erg c F until 1993, when the on cism s Chemical Weapons Convention banned its use in battle.

Usage of tear gas in civilian crowd control is not an uncommon practice. Police forces have used it to dispel crowds in countries all over the world in hundreds of contexts.

Israel used tear gas in Palestine against people living in the West Bank protesting dispossession of their lands. It was employed to disperse a crowd in Brazil protesting the expense of the World Cup. In Turkey, police utilized tear gas in a way marked by many as “unlawful” to remove thousands protesting demolition of Gezi Park for set up of a shopping mall, as well as against protesters supporting Syrian refugees entering the country to escape Islamist State militants.

No matter where in the world, tear gas usage by the police provokes the same outrage from civilians.

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October 2014

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Online activism Kimiko Okumura Staff Writer

Jacob Acaye sits in the dark with 40 other abducted children.

His brother tries escaping, but the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) catches him. sexist sexist sexist sexist sexist sexist sexist sexist sexist sexist sexist sexist sexist sexist They slit his throat, leaving him to die as Acaye stands watchfeminism feminism feminism feminism feminism feminism feminism feminism feminism ing.

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Today, 1.82 billion people around the world use social media. Fifty years ago, only 2.7 billion people were alive in the world.

As the number of social media users grow, the opportunity for spreading online activism grows. Despite the constant decline in trending online movements, Carlmont students are devoted to maintaining awareness concerning social activism within the community.

The Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Club at Carlmont works to spread awareness and create support for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) community. The club stays away from online activism, and instead works with activism on campus.

“Too many things are fighting for the spotlight online, and it gets too cluttered,” said junior Clara Romani.

In September, GSA hosted Ally Week, where anyone could sign an ally pledge banner, promising to support the LGBT community. GSA passed out rainbow ribbons for students to wear to show their support.

Sierra Segal, co-president of GSA Club said, “The thing about activism online is that when people are on the Internet their attention spans are very short, as evidenced in the ice bucket challenge. It was a big thing for a while then it just died all of a sudden and activism for the LGBT community isn’t something we can have die out. It needs to be in people’s faces where they can actually see it.”

The ALS ice bucket challenge shot up in popularity after many celebrities, such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg completed the challenge, as well as the millions of social media users that posted their video online. $2.3 million was donated to the fund.

English teacher Joseph Hill said, “Because of the rise of social media and the speed of which social media can disseminate information including video, suddenly there is heightened awareness, and there’s an opportunity to make a change.”

The Feminist Club at Carlmont tries to spread awareness both online and offline.

Club President Elise Dimick said, “Online activism is a strong way to gain support because people can learn about it without being bombarded with faces and enthusiasm, but we definitely want people to openly support it in public as well.” y bert In October, Emma Watson, the United Nations (UN) liberty li Women Global Goodwill Ambassador made a speech at a UN conference, launching HeForShe, a movement dedicated to gender equality and empowerment for women. To make a difference, Watson said that both men and women must work together.

The HeForShe pledge states, “Gender equality is not only a women’s issue, it is a human rights issue that requires my participation. I commit to take action against all forms of violence and discrimination faced by women and girls.”

Using social media for activism is effective, because it promotes awareness for any cause. However, it is important to take activism offline and into today’s world, because only so much can be changed from typing words on a screen.

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CAMPUS

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The Highlander

October 2014

Homecoming dance: are you cool or are you a fool?

Danielle Hamer Staff Writer

When it comes to Homecoming- the beginning of the year dance following the Homecoming football game- spirit, partying and the Screaming Scots may come to mind, but only for some.

This year’s homecoming dance was “glow” themed. In the weeks before the dance, bright fliers around the school encouraged students to buy tickets.

On Saturday night, energetic Scots lined up outside the gym wearing white and neon in addition to their spirit clothes, and lit up the dance floor.

However, talk around the school leading up to the event was that the dance is mainly for underclassmen. Prom and Winter Formal were said to be enough for the juniors and seniors.

“When you’re younger, you want to do ‘everything’ in high school. When you’re older, it’s more about wanting to do ‘nothing’ in high school,” said senior Kathleen Perry.

A historical absence of upper classmen at this dance has proven that freshmen and sophomores

are often more enthusiastic about attending as opposed to upperclassmen.

Perry said, “At this point, in the last year of high school, I would much rather go out and do something more personal with my close friends than dance in a hot sweaty gym with people I don’t know.”

Freshmen were more enthusiastic about the dance because it was their first chance to attend a high school social event. The dance also followed spirit week, the famed homecoming football game, and the parade which pumped up new students for the kickoff of the year.

Freshman Jordan Greene said, “I went to the dance because it’s an amazing chance to have a great time with my friends and I enjoy showing school pride. Many of my friends and a large part of the freshmen class attended.”

After a few years of football games, dances and school events, students get tired of the same routine over and over again.

Junior Ella Reich said, “More of my junior friends decided to go to homecoming at the very last-minute. A lot of upperclass-

Seniors pose in front of the graffiti wall. men, including myself, didn’t feel excited to go because we weren’t expecting anything new. Having gone through the homecoming dance a couple of times, we didn’t experience the same excitement we felt as freshmen.”

Despite last-minute decisions and weariness, the dance brought positive results.

Reich said, “I thought the dance was really great! There ended up being a good number of juniors in attendance, more than I was expecting, which made it a lot of fun.”

ALYSSA ESPIRITU

Carlmont’s dance committee puts major effort in planning each dance. After tireless work in ASB and trying new things each year, the committee members believe that each grade level should be able to enjoy every dance that is put on.

Senior and dance committee member Andrew Wach said, “Our goal for Homecoming was to have the biggest turn out and have the best decorations yet. There was a photo booth, black lights and body paint. We were so excited for everyone to see it because the

dances are meant to be enjoyed by students of all grades.”

Although seniors may be tired after three years of the dances, new incentives and the realization that this Homecoming will be the last may attract more upperclassmen.

Wach said, “I think it's important to keep in mind that students only have four high school homecomings in their entire lives. Everyone should take advantage of these dances for the great time they’ll have with their friends. In addition to the new dance features, we also had a new DJ this year so the music was an improvement.”

Though there were fewer seniors there than the other classes, almost every person in attendance was smiling and dancing through the entirety of the night.

Senior Aaron Karpie said, “This year’s dance was the best homecoming I have ever gone to.

Everyone was energetic and having a great time.”

A lot of work was put in to the homecoming dance this year. Every student made the decision: dance or ditch. Those who danced made it worth it.

Legacies that former students have left behind and that current students hope to leave Tori Shanefelter Staff Writer

The year is 2024. As she walks down the halls of the high school she graduated from over ten years ago, her mind is flooded with memories of the past.

The isolated sound of her footsteps fills her ears as she makes her way down a deserted hallway is replaced by the faint sound of her memory recalling lockers opening and shutting, and the carefree conversations exchanged between friends as they make their way to their next class.

Familiar sights spark long-lost memories within her from her time as a student. She reaches out to push the door handle as she nears the end of the hallway, but her attention is drawn to a fluorescent pink flyer as the coldness of the handles sends an unexpected chill through her body.

She sees a flyer for a club meeting and once again her mind is flooded with the memory of her initiative to start that club at school. A large smile stretches across her face as her heart and her ego swell with pride; her legacy has lived on.

Carlmont has come a long way since it was first established in 1952 and consisted of only about 450 freshman and sophomore students. 62 years later, Carlmont has flourished into a distinct school known for its diversity with more than 2,000 students and 100 staff members.

Carlmont has also been recognized for its excellence in academics, athletic programs and clubs.

There are about 89 different and unique clubs offered at Carlmont that all serve to help students pursue their passions and continue the traditions left behind by the older generations. Some have been around for years and some were recently established.

Senior debate club officer Zach Govani said, “It’s impor-

tant to continue to maintain clubs like debate because it’s the only club of its kind on campus.”

The majority of these clubs were started by passionate students who wanted to make a change in the community and the environment of Carlmont, and who took the initiative to achieve their goals by starting a successful club.

However, there is no guarantee that once the club’s first president graduates, the club will continue successfully.

If students aren’t dedicated and inspired to continue the legacy of the club, it may die out before the next school year comes around.

“It’s hard when all the officers of a club are seniors because I don’t want the debate club to die after all the seniors leave. So one thing I hope to do before I graduate is inspire the younger members to continue to attend tournaments and participate in debate. I also want to pass on how to do debate because it’s kind of confusing to learn without someone to teach it to you,” said Govani.

Leaving behind a legacy can come in many different forms outside of starting a successful club. For instance, the senior class officers of 1998 left their footprint in the form of the large clock in the quad.

Senior class vice president Nico Camerino said, “I want to establish a new senior tradition that every senior will remember years from now.”

Legacies can also come in the form of inspiration. A student may not have started a new club, left a structure dedicated by their graduating class, or even had a leadership role within the student body at school, but their legacy may live on through the inspiration they bring to other students at school.

“I think the ultimate goal as a senior is to set an example for what it really means to be a leader at this school and the community,” said Camerino.

The class of 1998 quad clock.

IVY NGUYEN

October 2014

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The Highlander

From AP classes to college apps, senior stress is skyrocketing Ravina Gujral Staff Writer

After a long day, many of the seniors at Carlmont end school only to be faced with questions such as “Where are you applying to college?” “What are your SAT and ACT scores?” “How are your grades?” and “What extracurriculars are you doing?” from all types of people around them.

As college application deadlines approach and as the class of 2015 faces many responsibilities such as keeping one’s grades up to par for first semester, numerous seniors find it hard to keep calm during such an important time period. The pressure is on for schoolwork and college apps to be completed.

Senior Victoria Poslavsky said, “I have so much stuff going on at once that it’s hard for me to keep up with my grades and stay on top of everything else at the same time.

Since private colleges consider students’ first semester senior year grades, it’s another thing that’s added to the list of things that the seniors have to spend time on.”

While keeping up with one’s grades isn’t an easy thing to do, the stress of having close to perfect college essays can also take a toll on the seniors.

“I think it's harder to keep up with college applications because you just kind of grow up having school as a priority and always thinking it's really important to get your

homework that’s due the next day done every night. So for me, it's harder to make time to do college applications when I finish my homework late at night,” said senior Andrew Wach.

Additionally, colleges such as the UCs and CSUs heavily weigh one’s sophomore and junior-year grades for their decision of accepting a student, making one’s first semester senior year grades lower in importance.

Senior Komei Wang said, “In past years, my main source of motivation to get good grades was because colleges will see them. Now, it's hard for me to keep up with them knowing that a lot of the colleges I’m applying to aren’t going to use them for the actual admission process.”

While the UCs and CSUs don’t hold first semester senior year grades of too high importance, private colleges usually use them in the actual admissions process for their applicants. Students must make sure not to let these grades fall through the cracks.

Senior Jenna Mourad said, “I think it adds more to be stressed about when you know that your grades at the moment are effecting whether you get into college or not. Even though the UCs and CSUs are also looking at your senior year, it’s not nearly as important as it is for private colleges.”

Due to the fact that deadlines are approaching quickly, procrastination on homework and college essays is also a factor that seems to contribute to the stress the seniors feel

Seniors study at lunch.

ALYSSA ESPIRITU

each year. Though many seniors have begun their college applications, they face various challenges when trying to complete them.

“I think it is just generally hard to keep up with school work when college applications are always waiting to get done. Since work from school has a more immediate deadline, it is difficult to do college stuff first when it has a much later deadline,” said Poslavsky.

Each year, numerous seniors have to face the stress and weight of the responsibilities their last year of high school holds for their future; some find the process of going through their first semester to be a breeze while others struggle to keep up.

Do you really know who you are at 18 years-old?

Brooke Buckley Staff Writer

At 18 years-old, many high school students don’t know who they are.

This does not stop colleges from asking.

With applications due by January or earlier, students must figure out how to answer the prompts given for personal statements.

“It is pretty hard to evaluate your life and present yourself in the most accurate and appealing light, but to be honest, I enjoy writing them. It is one of my only chances to write an essay about what I know best: my own life. No studying required,” said senior Elise Dimick.

Dimick has started her personal statements and is applying to three University of California(UC) schools as well as some out of state schools. A college counselor is helping

Dimick brainstorm and edit her essays.

Prompts vary from “Describe the world you come from” to “Some students have a background or story that is central to their identity. Share your story.”

Carlmont college counselor Connie Dominguez reads college essays for UCs and said, “We want to know what is motivating students to further their education. We want to know who you are, your family background and your story.”

Sometimes it is not the personal narrative students struggle to tell, but the conflict of sounding too average.

Sydney Carlier, who is applying to UCs and California State Universities (CSU), said, “It seems like everything that is actually important to me is on the list for ‘what not to write about.’”

Carlier was interested in writing about her sports injury during junior year, but heard from a college counselor that

it was better to avoid a sports story because it is such a common topic.

“I would say private schools are more particular when it comes to ‘what not to write about’. The only reason UCs might say ‘avoid cliches’ is because we want you to send your message to us directly,” said Dominguez.

Many high school students are very involved in athletics and it is a large part of their lives. To avoid writing about such an important aspect may be near impossible.

Senior Soha Said said, “I debated writing about a relative of mine who passed away from three types of cancer because it was a touching story to me, but I didn’t want to sound too common.”

“You’ll never get turned down from a UC because you wrote a bad essay. You'll only get turned down from a UC if there wasn't enough information to hear about the world you're coming from,” said Dominguez.

SAT and ACT season is upon students once again and preparation has begun Sarah Schisla Staff Writer

It’s that time of year again. Students are stressing out over standardized tests that will help determine whether they get into the college of their choice.

The 2014-2015 testing season began on Sept. 13 with the first administration of the ACT. The first SAT was given a month later on Oct. 11.

However, many students began preparing much earlier.

One example is junior Claire Wheeler, who began working with a tutor in July.

Wheeler, who plans to take the ACT this fall, said, "It's a lot of pressure because many schools require you to send in every score you earn. You feel really pressured to take it only when you're completely ready because if you mess up, [colleges] will see. It's so much pressure knowing that you could have worked hard [all through high school] just to be overlooked for one bad test score on one bad day."

The SAT College Board website stated that a range of scores from different testing dates may better demonstrate a student's ability, agreeing that one bad day could misrepresent the student's academic capability. Some also encourage taking these tests multiple times because students generally improve their score after becoming more familiar with the test format.

English and AVID teacher Stephen Lucia said, "As a lead SAT instructor, [who has] trained SAT teachers and SAT tutors how to efficaciously teach the test, I saw the importance of using actual test questions from the College Board to truly increase scores. With dedication and determination, students have increased their scores over 500 points."

The SAT is scored on a 2400-point scale, and the ACT on a 36-point scale.

Senior Lauren Pittock took the ACT three times, getting a score of 31 the first time and 33 the third. "I worked with a tutor, Lisa Morse, for the third time, and my score went up to a 33. Lisa had me take practice tests and talked me through the issues I was having with the test to increase my scores," she said.

Pittock used resources such as the ACT Princeton Review book. She also completed homework from her tutor between their weekly sessions.

Lucia said, "I teach my students the tricks and the nuances of the test. I teach them a plethora of test-taking strategies to improve their overall academic performance."

Although students can take both the SAT and ACT multiple times, Lucia recommends that students study and prepare for the exam fully each time they take it.

"Ultimately, it is about achieving the highest score possible so you can be admitted into the college of your choice," he said.

In order to achieve this target score, Carlmont has taken advantage of the Preliminary SAT (PSAT) by offering the exam to both 10th and 11th graders during the school day.

Principal Lisa Gleaton said, "Doing so gives students PSAT and SAT prep in a 'no-stakes' manner that provides really useful information once results are in. In addition to the scores, the College Board provides information about areas of strength and areas for improvement that students can be working on before the next test. [For example, for] many areas in math, [the problem] might just be that you haven't had that level of math yet as a sophomore. [However], if it's basic Algebra that's an area of weakness, that's a big red flag that some review of Algebra is necessary in order to do well on the next PSAT (or SAT for juniors)."

Taking the PSAT twice also allows Carlmont students more practice with the SAT's actual format.

The next SAT and SAT subject tests will be offered on Nov. 8 and Dec. 6. The next ACT date will not be until Dec. 13.

While some students prepare for these exams using tutors, practice tests and prep classes, the SAT's creators have offered their own advice.

According to the SAT College Board website, "The best way to prepare for an admission test is to work hard both inside and outside the classroom. Take challenging courses, study hard, and read and write as much as you can."

ALYSSA ESPIRITU

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The Highlander

NEWS

October 2014

Under represented women in STEM Arianna Bayangos Staff Writer

“You poisonous b****! You can’t fire me,” said Bob after he was fired by Margaret Tate for not doing his job.

In “The Proposal”, Sandra Bullock plays Margaret Tate, an executive editor-in-chief at a New York publishing firm who is loathed by her co-workers.

Throughout the first few scenes of the movie, Tate is seen as a bossy woman with no remorse because she is too focused on one goal: being successful in her career.

Often, the media portrays powerful women as overbearing and bossy just because she’s driven to succeed.

Sophomore and Feminist Club member Matthew Irwin said, “I feel that women in leadership roles are more likely to be perceived as bossy, but men aren’t.”

Some women also feel that there’s a double standard in terms of people’s reaction towards male and female leaders.

Senior Lia Eldridge said, “[In a club], I feel like when I run the activities, people aren’t wanting to participate and are like, ‘Why are we doing this? This is so stupid.’ But whereas if a guy runs the activity, they’re more eager and willing to participate and I feel like they respond to male’s instruction better.”

Another prominent double standard in society among men and women is the wage gap; for every $1 a man earns, a woman earns about 77 cents.

Zennia Villanueva, a quality director at RETC, a certification testing and engineering services for photovoltaic and renewable energy products, said, “I notice that we could be in the same title of work, but he gets paid more in the sense that because they’re men and they could be doing hard labor as well; while girls are limited to doing office work because physically, they’re not capable.”

Eldridge feels that at an early age, some women may feel discouraged to pursue careers in science or in the STEM

field. In her AP Physics class, there are only six girls.

Eldridge said, “It’s just kind of unnerving because if we’re discouraged from participating in it already and it’s only high school, then it’s disappointing.”

According to the White House’s webpage, as of August 2011, women represented 24 percent of the STEM workforce. In addition, certain majors in universities such as Mechanical Engineering and Aerospace Engineering are close to over 90 percent male.

Jan Chin, who is contracting at Apple as a program manager, said that she didn’t feel that having more women than men in the company affected women’s performance.

Chin said, “It’s all about getting work done. There is definitely less women in the technology field. If there was a team of 10 people working on a project, there would be around eight men and two women [according to Apple statistics]. If the women are capable and get their job done and have good ideas, they’re treated equally as a men. I don’t see discrimination.”

“

The tech industry is a traditionally male dominated sector of business. It’s hard to change to get more women into the technology sector. I think there are some women in the industry but there’s a lower percentage than there are males. It’s changing over time because there’s a lot of emphasis on education on girls getting more opportunities in math and science.

Jan Chin Contracting Program Manager at Apple

Chin added that in general, many of the tech companies including Google and Facebook are male dominated.

At Carlmont, there have been various opportunities to encourage women to go onto careers in business and in the STEM field, a women’s conference hosted by SOS in 2013 and senior Johanna Hendriksen’s science workshop to show that “science isn’t a ‘boy thing.’”

Some students feel that in general, the education system has worked to promote equality among genders in careers.

Junior Erika Marshall said that when her dad was in engineering school, there were only three women in his engineering classes. She assumed that these women may have felt less inclined to participate in class, but found a different perspective during her college tours.

Marshall said, “When I did my college tours and talked to a lot of female engineering students, all of them said they didn’t feel [discouraged] at all and that they felt that they could participate fully and there really wasn’t a problem.”

Villanueva believes that women shouldn’t be discouraged by the few women in certain careers.

Villanueva said, “For me, I think as an individual; I look at myself differently. It depends on how you carry yourself.

I’m confident that I can be as good as the guys; I actually consider myself as one of the boys. It’s a good thing that I can do whatever they can do.”

October 2014

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The Highlander

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The Highlander

LIFESTYLE

October 2014

Exploring Halloween style choices Dress to impress Lauren Tierney Staff Writer

On the night of Oct. 31, a Disney Princess appearing in corsets, frilly underwear, fishnet leggings and platform heels, and a fairy dressed in only her undergarments and a pair of wings walk the streets.

These characters appear looking nothing like they are headed to a Disney event.

An ancient Celtic festival to honor the closeness of spirits to the mundane world seems to have turned into nothing more than an opportunity for women and girls around the world to dress in revealing costumes.

In the movie “Mean Girls,” the narrator said, “Ah, Halloween: the one night a year when a girl can dress like a slut without everyone having something to say about it.”

But is that really true? Just because it’s Halloween doesn’t mean people will not judge what others wear.

Senior Erica Aldenese said, “Over time it’s become tradition to dress more revealing than scary on Halloween, especially as we get older. I think dressing up a little slutty one night is not a bad thing; it’s a night to have fun with friends and wear something that complements you. Also, there’s a lot more sexy costume ideas than there are scary.”

Everywhere you look at costume stores in the womens department it seems that each costume is titled “Sexy ______” (nurse, cowgirl, maid, etc.)

This over sexualization of Halloween costumes is not only in Women and young adults, but has also become relevant in kids costumes.

One example of a sexy costume for young girls found in stores recently was “Cop Cutie”. The picture on the packaging shows a young girl wearing a short skirt, fingerless gloves and heeled knee-high boots, and brandishing handcuffs standing provocatively while labeled “5+ years-old.”

According to New York Daily News, Peter Armenia, father of a toddler in New York said, “Why is she in knee-high boots and heels — and why isn’t she in pants?

Real female cops don’t wear skirts. It’s like, ‘Boy, that looks sexy. Boy, she’s 5!’ That’s really not great.”

A 2007 American Psychological Association Task Force on the Sexualization of Girls found compelling evidence that when girls and young women are sexualized and worse, when they learn to sexualize themselves -they experience lower selfesteem, higher levels of depressed mood, and discomfort with their own bodies, thus undermining their ability to participate as full citizens.

Senior Joe Rodriguez said, “Personally I don’t care how girls dress on Halloween, whether it be ‘skanky’ or not. As long as they’re having fun and are confident with what they’re wearing it shouldn’t bother anybody else.”

Many young women find appeal in dressing provocatively on Halloween to escape their everyday selves and embrace being someone new or different for a night.

But many also find it inappropriate and degrading to women.

Junior Brooke Miller said, “Girls use Halloween as an excuse to dress slutty because it’s the only time where it won’t matter if everyone else is also dressed like that.”

Common Halloween Styles Dress to express What society tells people to wear

VERONIKA DVORAKOVA

Sonia Paulo Staff Writer

It is not an unknown fact that some girls enjoy using Halloween as an excuse to dress skimpier than would typically be acceptable. A girl dressed in a revealing outfit on Halloween night would be nothing surprising, but could you imagine seeing a boy doing the same thing?

Typically, one won’t see a group of boys on Halloween night matching in revealing costumes as an attempt to come across as sexy. The thought seems rather comical in reality.

Despite that apparent truth, boys are motivated to dress up for the holiday. Regardless, boys still walk down the hallways on Halloween in costumes to attract attention just like girls.

“I dress up to be comical,” said senior Cole Lotti. “I like the attention it gives when people start talking about your costume.”

More often than not, boys’ costumes will be geared to appeal to humor. Even a simple search for men’s costumes on the “Party City” website will yield a whole category dedicated to “funny” costumes that a search for women’s does not.

“Most guys will dress up for the attention,” said senior Cole Castro, “you’ll be walking down the hallway and be like ‘look at his costume, its hilarious!’ and that’s really what we strive for.”

Out of all the boys interviewed, it seems as though the reaction is more important than the appearance.

Senior Elias Sebti said, “Boys’ costumes are often more focused on the idea of it as a whole rather than how they look in it.”

Junior Spencer Stewart views the gender difference primarily as a difference in the level of attention being sought.

“Girls like to use Halloween as a way to get creative and express themselves whereas boys just go with the flow,” said Stewart.

The effort put forth by the different genders highlights the difference in emphasis the two put on the holiday.

“A lot of girls do group costumes and plan it all in advance, but boys usually do not put that much thought into it,” said Castro. “The last two years I have gotten out of bed on Halloween morning not even knowing what I was going to be that day.”

Boys typically won’t spend days, much less hours before Halloween planning out what they want to be, and making sure they look good in it.

“I just throw on whatever and don’t really pay attention to what I’m going to be,” said Lotti. “As long as it’s kind of comical, I’m good.”

Halloween is a chance for boys to dress up in simple or exotic outfits. For some men, last-minute costumes are just as respected as planned ones, and anything is acceptable in the eyes of most boys.

While Halloween is a fun day for both genders, the way it is observed by the two varies greatly. With this creative holiday approaching, kids of all ages will receive the opportunity to express themselves through costumes, and take on a whole new identity for 24 hours. While girls may approach the holiday with a fashionable mindset, boys approach it with ease, throwing on a funny costume to show creativity and just have an enjoyable day to recall their youth.

October 2014

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The decline of trick-or-treating over the years Angelina Castillo Staff Writer

Trick- or-treat, I’m a teen, let me choose what I do on Halloween.

Trick-or-treating has been a popular Halloween tradition in the United States for approximately 100 years. It is popular among kids in elementary school and middle school, but as they enter high school many of them stop trick-or-treating.

Halloween is a holiday many look forward to, but during the high school years the excitement of Halloween in regards to trick or treating often comes to a hault.

High school students have the freedom to do what they want on Halloween, yet feel restricted when wanting to trick-or-treat.

According to History.com, at the height of the postwar baby boom, trick-or-treating quickly became a standard practice for millions of children in America’s cities and newly built suburbs. Although it is unknown precisely where and when the phrase “trick or treat” was coined, the custom had been firmly established in American popular culture by 1951, when trick-or-treating was depicted in the Peanuts comic strip. In 1952, Disney produced a cartoon called “Trick or Treat” featuring Donald Duck and his nephews Huey, Dewey and Louie.

The only choice many high school students have is to get their own candy without having to trick-or-treat.

Today, Americans spend about $6 billion annually on Halloween, making it the nation’s second-largest commercial holiday.

TALK BACK

Does trick-or-treating end in high school?

Alenna Winfield Senior

Spencer Stewart Junior

Gigi Vlahos Senior

“ I don't think people

“ I feel like a lot of high

“ I personally love

really trick-or-treat anymore. I don't think people go down the streets knocking on doors anymore. It’s more like going to parties and get togethers.

”

school kids still want to trick-or-treat, but they are a little too embarassed.

It’s a little more childish so they just go walk around and secretly get all the candy but they don't want anyone to know about it.

”

trick-or-treating, I think it's a really fun way to feel young again. I think we stop doing it the further into high school we get, maybe sophomore or junior year.

”

ANGELINA CASTILLO

Creative alternatives to trick-or-treating ” Elena Mateus Staff Writer

On 364 days of the year, walking around from door to door, asking for candy would be considered rude and creepy.

But on Oct. 31, this custom is the norm. Kids of all ages and backgrounds believe that trick-or-treating is one of the best parts of Halloween, and it is now the most popular tradition for the youth to do on this unique holiday.

As children enter high school, many have begun to feel as though they are too old to observe this tradition. Others are sick of walking around all night in an uncomfortable sweaty costume.

If you fit one or both of those descriptions, and are looking for a fun way to celebrate your Halloween this year, you have come to the right place. There are plenty of creative alternatives that are just as enjoyable as going door to door for candy from strangers. Here are five examples.

1. Have a Halloween-themed party 2. Watch scary movies all night Why walk around to random houses when you can bring the party and candy to your own house? Not only will all of your friends be under one roof, but it gives you an excuse to buy more than enough candy of your choosing. Have your friends make a playlist with all their favorite songs, and play Halloween themed games like bobbing for apples.

You don’t have to go out on Halloween for a good scare on the spookiest night of the year. Pop in a classic horror movie like “The Shining” or “Nightmare on Elm Street.”

Grab bags of popcorn and candy, invite over some friends, and get ready for those goosebumps and trying to ignore the creaking floors.

PHOTOS BY VERONIKA DVORAKOVA

3. Pass out candy

4. Scare small children

5. Go to Halloween Haunt

Somebody has to answer the door, right? Passing out candy is a good way to get in the Halloween spirit without going all out, or even going out at all. Not only that, but you get first dibs on the candy. So sit back, relax, and get your creepiest smile on as you await the arrival of children of all ages. Don’t forget to compliment all of them on their creative and adorable costumes.

If small children annoy you, Halloween is the one night a year where scaring the life out of kids is relatively acceptable. So why not take advantage of it? There are plenty of places to hide in the darkness and be out of sight; find a nice looking bush in your neighborhood and you’re good to go! You may as well steal some of their candy while you’re at it.

Every Halloween, California’s Great America turns their theme park into the ultimate scare fest. The annual Haunt includes over 500 monsters, eight haunted mazes, three scare zones, three shows and two haunt attractions that are sure to make your skin crawl. Though tickets run up towards 40 dollars, the six newly added attractions are sure to make your night worthwhile.

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October Month 2014

The innovation of the iPhone Taran Sun Staff Writer

Apple’s iPhone 6 Plus has advanced a long way since the bulky and comparatively limited first generation iPhone.

Senior Taylor Sexton said, “I think the iPhone is one of the most influential inventions of our generation. The accessibility of the Internet on our smartphones makes doing work and finding information more efficient. The iPhone has come a long way and the design is really innovative. The phone has a lot of power over consumers.”

The iPhone is the only phone that has the reputation of repeatedly causing hundreds to thousands of people to wait outside stores when the release date for each successive model draws near. Consumers will often camp out to be able to purchase the phone as soon as it is available.

With each consecutive model of the iPhone that is released, Apple generates even more popularity and hype over new technology.

The first generation iPhone was released in the United States on June 29, 2007. It was the first smartphone Apple produced, and was a big deal at the time after much rumor and speculation over what the phone would be like.

The first iPhone, with its limited capabilities beyond calling and texting, is now being advertised as a collector’s item on eBay. One recently sold on eBay for $1999.

Junior Thomas Chin said, “I feel like as new iPhones come out, they are improving less and less. They just take lots of features from other phones, and make the iPhone bigger each time. It’s like Apple thinks that bigger equals better.”

Despite this perception that some people have of Apple products, the iPhone is to this day estimated to be the most popular phone in the world.

On June 7, 2010, the iPhone 4 was revealed at Apple’s Worldwide Developer’s Conference in San Francisco. At the time of its release, the phone was the thinnest smartphone in the entire world.

The iPhone 4 was Apple’s “flagship” iPhone for the longest out of any of the phones, spanning 15 months. The phone also has the longest lifetime of any of the iPhones, spanning close to four years.

Improvements included better hardware and a higher quality camera, as well as the revolutionary front-facing camera.

Sophomore Jake Kumamoto owns an iPhone 4 and is satisfied with its capabilities.

Kumamoto said, “Even though I don’t have the newest iPhone, it’s not like I can’t do the same things. The iPhone 6 doesn’t have new features that I feel I need, I can do pretty much all the same stuff on my phone. Maybe just a little slower though.”

The iPhone 4S was released after this,

the most notable addition being Siri, the character that one speaks to using the improved voice control that accompanied the 4s.

Junior Alexa Zaino said, “The creation of Siri was a big jump in technology that actually helped iPhone users. I know it definitely made it easier to do things like look something up or text while your hands are occupied.”

The models of these three phones were all very similar, although unique from past iPhones with respect to the increase in size and the changed position of the front-facing camera, which is now above the speaker.

Apple’s most recent releases were the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, which include a major increase in screen surface area as well as a thinner body.

This has led to complications; due to the fact that the phone is so thin and is made of aluminum, it is easier to bend than previous models.

Junior Evan Lee said, “I’m not going to get the new iPhone for a couple of reasons.

Firstly, I really don’t see a big difference

between the 5s and the 6 in terms of functionality, and secondly I have heard rumors that the phone is easy to bend. I don’t need a more expensive, more breakable version of what I already have.”

The iPhone runs on an operating system called iOS. In addition to releasing new iPhones, Apple periodically releases updates to iOS to benefit Apple product users.

Kumamoto said, “I haven’t updated my phone in a long time. I’m still running on iOS 6. I feel like the new updates still improve people’s lives, but to me it seems that with each update Apple is doing less and less. They just add flourishes instead of anything helpful.”

The iPhone is an identifying aspect of modern culture. 25 percent of American cellphone users today own an iPhone. This indicates that advancements in the iPhone and its technology benefit a vast amount of people.

Zaino said, “I think as the iPhone has advanced technologically, we have gained access to a lot of helpful things such as maps and Internet to do work anywhere.”

Zaino also brought to light possible negative effects of the increasingly popular iPhones.

She said, “I think we have access to a lot of things we don’t really need, like social media sites and endless games which have a negative impact on our social interactions and our ability to communicate with other people face-to-face.

Advancements in technology have made people really dependent on their smartphones. They have undoubtedly made life easier, but I’m not sure if they have actually made life better.”

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The start of wearable technology: Apple Watch Marco Sevilla Staff Writer

It wasn’t that long ago when people thought that talking into your wristwatch only existed in science fiction. As Apple CEO Tim Cook stepped out on-stage at the October Keynote Event, he introduced their latest product, the Apple Watch, which adds to the growing market of “smart watches.”

The announcement is the technology company’s latest effort to push wearable technology into the mainstream. Users will be able to track their fitness, send voice messages and send vibrations to other watch users among many other features.

Senior and Apple fan Andrew Wach said, “I think Apple is doing great. From what I know so far about the watch, it looks good but I’m not sure if many people will

get it if they already have and iPhone or an iPod.” From phones, to tablets, to laptops, Apple is continually reinventing their product line. The Apple Watch is the company’s latest first-generation product in four years since the first iPad was announced in 2010. The iPad and the iPhone were highly praised and some wonder if Apple Watch will gain the same popularity.

Cook emphasized Apple’s development of the “digital crown,” one of the few physically features of the watch which allows easy navigation through the brand new user interface. The watch comes in three different subtypes that vary in price and design including the Edition and the Sport series.

Senior Amber Governale said, “I don’t particularily like the new design because it looks very box-like. Although, I think it’ll

get better as new generations of watches come out each year.”

The Apple Watch Sport will utilize the new haptic engine within the watch, which tracks heartbeat and pulse for accurate fitness data such as calorie burn. The GPS feature will allow users to record distances and map locations during exercise.

Senior Liam Young said, “As an athlete I think that Apple products can easily break through extensive use so I wouldn’t use an Apple Watch for running or any sport because I think they’re poorly built.”

One requirement many people find unappealing to the Apple Watch is that it will require an iPhone in order to be fully functional. At the baseline price point of $359, some are questioning whether such a device is worth it.

Sophomore Ryan Geronimo said, “I don’t think that I would want a watch like

this. It’s more expensive than the iPhone 6 and it has less features. The iPhone requirement also makes it less appealing” Apple has been known to set product trends and has been accused of copying them from other technology companies such as Samsung and Google. Products have already been announced by other companies such as Samsung’s Gear S and Sony’s SmartWatch 3.

Senior Gigi Vlahos said, “I think it happens a lot with all technology companies.

One company will popularize a trend and everyone copies them because it’s what the public wants at that time.”

With the announcement of the Apple Watch, people are predicting that 2015 will be the year of wearable devices. For those looking forward to the Apple Watch, it is anticipated to be released early 2015, starting at $349 and coming in various designs.

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SPORTS

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Evolution of Screamin’ Scots Kian Karamdashti Staff Writer

As junior and Varsity football player Shanil Patel lined up on defense to stop El Camino High on third down during the Scots’ 33-6 victory on Oct 10, a resounding chant of “D-FENCE” filled the stands beside him.

“The Screamin’ Scots are awesome,” said junior football player Shanil Patel. “Last year as a JV player I got to watch many of the varsity games from the stands and the Screamin’ Scots were electric. It’s been really awesome to play with those guys behind us this year, and I’m looking forward to all the big games to come.”

Founded in 1996 by current ASB teacher Jim Kelly, The Screamin’ Scots section has become a staple at every Carlmont home football game.

“I started Screamin’ Scots when I first got here, so 18 years ago,” said Kelly. “The students initial reaction was very positive, but the last few years have been the best it has ever been, especially last year and even this year. It just seems to get bigger and more organized every year. I like the fact that we’re working closely with the band and cheerleaders” Last year marked a high point for the Screamin’ Scots and school spirit in general, as approximately 1000 people were present at the Homecoming and Sequoia football game.

“I definitely saw Screamin’ Scots and school spirit grow over my four years here, without a doubt,” said former ASB president Reggie Chatman. “The biggest period of growth I saw was senior year. Evan McClain and I looked at it as a job and went

all out to really leave a mark at this school.

When kids were coming up to me asking if there were any extra seats in the section during the game, that’s when I knew I was doing something right.”

A contributing factor to the recent rise of participation in the group was the use of social media to connect with the student body.

“We really went all out. I think using social media to publicise made a huge difference. Kids these days use Instagram and Twitter all the time so we definitely used that to our advantage,” said Chatman.

Chatman also said that, “In past years, the leaders of the group wouldn’t make it a main priority, but I think the culture really turned when we put more effort into it.

I also couldn’t have had the success I had without that ASB class supporting me. They

were so supportive and helpful that I want them to have recognition as well.”

The success and spirit of the Screamin’ Scots section has become well-known among other schools in the Bay Area.

“I live in San Carlos and I play soccer with a bunch of guys who go to Carlmont so I’ve heard good things about Screamin’ Scots,” said The Kings’ Academy senior Gabriel Costello. “Our football team plays at Carlmont later this month so I’ll definitely be going to hang out with friends and check them out for myself. It should be fun.”

Kelly thinks that the rise in school spirit is here to stay.

“The big difference is I think students are starting to realize that it’s really fun to be with a group of people who are all doing the same thing and are there for some good, wholesome, healthy school spirit.”

Deer hunting debate perserveres Jocelyn Moran Staff Writer

Deer hunting dates back tens of thousands of years and is an activity many people around the world participate in.

Other than it requiring a license, deer hunting requires the physical capacity to chase down a deer by using speed, strength, and strategy.

Senior Cody Campbell said, “Hunting in general is a sport because it takes effort and skill. It takes a lot of physical labor just like football or any other sport.”

A sport is an activity involving physical exertion and skill in which an individual or team competes against another or others for entertainment.

Although deer hunting involves practice and skill, it does not involve competition.

“I think that deer hunting is definitely a sport in that it requires hand-eye coordination. It takes a lot of practice,” said senior Julia Semmler. “However, it may not be a sport in the sense that it doesn’t re-

quire competing against a team.”

Deer hunting can be healthy as it involves doing exercise that helps the body and mind, and exposes you to the sights and sounds of the outdoors.

“When you’re hunting, you need to be paying close attention to your surroundings, using your senses, said Campbell.

“Hunting is not an easy activity. It requires patience and physical strength.”

Deer hunting is also used as an opportunity to take a break from work and school.

“I have been deer hunting since I was five. It’s an opportunity for me to bond with my dad,” said senior Cole Lotti. “I recently went deer hunting and missed two days of school.”

According to “American Hunter Mobile,” deer hunting is beneficial for the species because it prevents overpopulation.

Many hunters have more personal reasons for hunting.

Lotti said, “I enjoy the excitement [of deer hunting]. I enjoy eating them.”

“You feel accomplished because you got

your own food, and it’s enjoyable because you go through the process of getting your own food,” said Campbell.

However, even with the many benefits of deer hunting, many people disagree with the legal status of deer hunting.

According to PETA’s website, hunting has contributed to the extinction of animal species all over the world.

Sophomore Hannah Wright said, “Hunting could definitely contribute to the extinction of deer. It can contribute to the extinction of many other species too. It should be considered illegal because there really isn’t anything good coming out of it and there’s not an overpopulation of deer.”

Deer can experience pain and suffering from deer hunting if not killed instantaneously.

“It’s preferable to kill deer right by the ribs so it won’t suffer, but it can be hard to prevent that,” said Lotti.

A British study of deer hunting found that 11 percent of deer who’d been killed by hunters died only after being shot two or

more times and that some wounded deer suffered for more than 15 minutes before dying, according to PETA’s website. The stress that hunted animals suffer severely compromises their normal eating habits, making it hard for them to survive during the winter.

Senior Catherine Schulze said, “I am against the killing of animals in general.

Hunting should not be considered a sport.

It should be considered a crime.”

According to LCA’s website, hunting is an unfair “sport” because the hunter has a powerful weapon at its disposal while the animal is completely helpless. Hunters do not kill animals that are sick and dying. They kill animals that are the biggest and strongest because those would make the best “trophies,” and those are the ones needed to keep the population strong.

Schulze said, “Animals were not put on this planet to be killed. Hunting has contributed to the extinction of animals. I believe deer should have rights just like humans do.”

HOMECOMING

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Seniors Cody Campbell and Shelby Rebholtz cheer on the senior powderpuff team.

Seniors Jack Stanger, and Tyler Miller celebrate a touchdown.

Freshman Adrian Putz plays the bagpipes for the Homecoming assembly.

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Varsity football players celebrate after a sucessful score.

KIMIKO OKUMURA

Senior Amber Governale works on Homecoming decorations.

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Seniors Justine Phipps, Gianna Schuster, and Anna Shutovska cheer for the senior powderpuff team.

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