October Highlander

The Giants win the pennant! Carlmont loves the team and its young catcher. See page 11 for more

(Photo by Karl Mondon/ Contra Costa Times/MCT)

INSIDE:

Why don’t we have permanent lights? Are night games better?

See page 10 for details

The Highlander Carlmont High School Newspaper Volume II, Issue 2 October 2010 See us online at http://scotscoop.com

too old to Concussions: hidden danger Teens Trick or Treat?

By: Connor Moore Staff Writer

Here’s a hypothetical scenario: A football player makes a huge hit in a Homecoming football game. The crowd goes wild, but the player who made the hit has a horrible headache. He wants to finish the game, so he stays in, and continues to perform well.

The next week at practice the coach blows the whistle to start hitting drills, and the star player who made that same hit just a week ago gets hit in the head again. Boom. He goes down, but you would expect him to get up and continue on with practice. Right? Wrong. He is unconscious, only speaking in order to ask for some “Corn Smacks” and is rushed to a hospital to be treated for bleeding in his brain that could bench him for the rest of his career.

What neither he, the coaches, the rest of his team nor the spectators knew was that this player had suffered a concussion in that Homecoming game. In practice he suffered a more powerful higher impact concussion because his brain was already injured from the original concussion and susceptible to serious damage.

Had he understood the signs, precautions and consequences of concussions, he probably would’ve walked off the field with his brain intact, but he didn’t.

His brain suffered inter-cranial bleeding and he will never play again. This of course is a hypothetical scenario, but unfortunately situations like this are happening with greater frequency across the country.

As new equipment is designed, better hitting techniques are taught, and inten-

By Ashley Dierolf Online Editor

Joshua Brass goes head to head against an opposing player from Skyline during the varsity football game. Photo by Gianna Dimick sity increases; the basics seem to get lost in translation. Little slip-ups and situations that leave sports players vulnerable such as loss of form, and being fatigued lead to injuries in sports. The competitive nature in sports picks up as athletes enter high school sports, and consequently so do the high-impact injuries suffered by those who play them without the proper precautions.

Concussions have taken sports of all kinds by storm. And as technology and education directed towards the subject of concussions becomes more advanced,

scientists, doctors and neurologists are starting to find that concussions are not to be taken lightly.

The Sports Concussion Institute has reported that around 10% of high school athletes in contact sports suffer concussions annually. The number of sports related concussions suffered by high school students in the U.S. is estimated to be almost 3.8 million each year, doubling nearly two-fold within the decade.

What makes concussions so dangerous is the fact that the injury is internal, and

Homecoming explained

Photo by Arik Schoessow

By Shannon Chang Staff Writer

From the spirit days to the football game to the dance, homecoming has something for everyone. But not many people know what it is really about or why it is important.

Every year, groups of friends design shirts for the dance together and go to the homecoming game. While some look forward to the dance, others enjoy watching or playing in the football game more.

Homecoming is defined as the tradition of welcoming back alumni and returning students to that school or institution.

There are many possible origins of homecoming, but the most prominent is from the University of Missouri’s football game in 1911. According to the new conference regulation rules at the time, the Kansas Jayhawks and the Missouri Tigers had to play on one of the team’s home field, not just at any field.

Continued on page 8

To reignite the flame of passion for football, the Tigers’ athletic director, Chester Brewer successfully invited nearly 10,000 alumni to “come home” for the football game. The Kansas Jayhawks and the Missouri Tigers tied 3 - 3.

This model has spread to high schools and colleges all over the United States. The Missouri Tigers’ game helped to create the type of homecoming we know today.

At our school, homecoming is the our biggest spirit event, and the most widely attended football game.

Even though 100 years has gone by, homecoming is still

celebrated throughout the United States of America and some parts of Canada. At Carlmont, however, “Homecoming is celebrating school spirit,” sophomore Luke Li stated.

Out of the many school events during the year, homecoming is the biggest spirit event, and the most widely attended football game.

Another big tradition is having a homecoming court. The homecoming king and queen are supposed to be people who contribute to the school a lot, but many high schools have stopped the homecoming court because of bullying.

Continued on page 3

Halloween is known for candy, costumes, and celebrating with friends.

However, for those who can’t go out or don’t want to go to a party, it can become a confusing time when presented with a tricky question: to trick-or-treat, or not to trick-or-treat.

It seems like the older students become, the less likely it is to see them out knocking on doors and asking for candy with little kids on Halloween. Many people think that once someone is old enough to drive or get a job, they’re old enough to stop mooching candy off their neighbors as well.

“It’s for kids,” replied Megan James, “You should stop trick-or-treating when you reach high school. We’re older and mature and should be doing different things during Halloween.”

Residents of Belleville, Illinois even went as far as passing an ordinance that bans teenagers in ninth-grade and up from trick-or-treating due to “kids knocking on doors after 9 at night” and “the seniors being especially scared” according to upi.com. For kids in elementary and middle school, the ordinance also sets a curfew of no trick-or-treating after 9 pm. If one were to not comply with this ordinance, they would be subject to a $25 fine.

“It would be terrible if Belmont banned Halloween,” said Andrea Gonzalez, “What would we do during Halloween?

I’d go to a different city or find a friend with a younger sibling.”

Continued on page 3

Chlorine affecting students

By Christina Belasco Editor-in-chief

Chlorine is a chemical used to keep pools sanitary, however it can come along with some nasty side affects.

Many players on the Scots water polo teams have experienced this first-hand.

Though scientists consider chlorine to be one of the most toxic chemicals in nature, the number of people actually allergic to it is very small.

Among those affected were varsity players Elodie Stephan, Hannah Liitschwager, and Amanda Denney.

The chlorine affected Liitschwager so much that “Her vision was blurred, and she couldn’t even see well enough to drive. She had to pull over so that Amanda could take over for her,” recalled Stephan.

Even though the chlorine has been affecting many people negatively, there is in fact nothing wrong with the pool or

Photo by Alex Porter

how it is taken care of. According to Jerome Harris, the plant manager here at Carlmont “We check the pool twice every day and take readings of the chlorine levels. If it isn’t in the safe zone, I don’t allow pool access.”

The state regulated levels are from 1.0-5.0. “Usually our pool is kept at 3.5,” Harris went on to say.

One day it was found that the chlorine reading was at 8.0 which is obviously in the unregulated zone, so to fix this the staff responded immediately and placed extra amounts of sodium

Continued on page 3

News and Opinions Harvest your thoughts Midterm elections Student opinions on the upcoming Page 2

By Arik Schoessow Editorial Writer

By Alexandra Porter Staff Writer

Mid-term elections are just around the corner and the race for the 2010 Senate seat is heating up. The veteran, Barbara Boxer, runs against newcomer Carly Fiorina on November 2.

As Mr. Joey Hill, teacher at Carlmont, puts it, “I am not a tax-payer; not a consumer; I am a citizen... government and business have distinctly different purposes.” So to each of one’s own view, keep in mind that whoever wins will be representing your state for the next six years.

The senator’s role is to voice the citizens’, opinion, votes, and what they want for the state. Although mostly the faculty will be placing their votes in this election, it is important for students to voice their opinions.

Californians have voted for Barbara Boxer in the Senate for the past three consecutive terms (18 years). Most of her popularity stems from the novelty of being the only female candidate running, but in the upcoming election that appeal has worn off.

An extreme supporter of Barbara Boxer, Mr. Hill, had strong feelings against Carly Fiorina. He stated, “The mere idea that that woman could be our senator makes me want to throw up all that I have ever eaten.” After many other passionate statements about the opposing candidate, Hill said, “I would happily vote for Barbara Boxer again!”

Carly Fiorina’s appeal comes from her strong Republican roots and her experience as the CEO of Hewlett-Packard Company.

Fiorina is focusing on the economic issues of California in her platform. The state is financially at one of its lowest and messiest points. Fiorina emphasizes her position as the former business director of H-P and how this experience will help to create more jobs.

Like her competition, Boxer is focusing her campaign on fixing economic problems and building up jobs in California. She promotes television ads exposing the thousands of job layoffs and displacements Fiorina was responsible for as head of the company.

Each candidate describes the other’s selfishness in using this job for them-

selves. As Fiorina states on her website, “[Barbara Boxer’s] taxpayer-funded salary has more than doubled... she has become a millionaire... while Californians suffer.”

When students were asked who they supported, there were various responses regarding the selection of candidates.

Some were in favor of Boxer, while others agreed with Fiorina’s statements, and still yet, some were uncertain of which candidates they endorse.

Shannon Garrett and Brooke Zelnik, both seniors, support Carly Fiorina because of their republican background.

Garrett states she would vote for Fiorina saying, “I would vote for her because of my parent’s influence on my political views.”

Senator Boxer receives support from senior Elodie Stephan, who “typically leans towards democratic views.” Gino Ferrario agrees saying, “I like her values!”

Still, many others are uncertain of their position, like senior Lio Vaitai, who said, “I do not know enough to make a choice.” Others say they would not vote for either runner, but because of their political party affiliation would vote for the Democratic or Republican candidate.

Despite their many differences and the powerful views of each candidate, these two women have one thing in common: that they are indeed both women. Unlike Boxer’s past elections where she had some-what of an advantage, or disadvantage, of being a woman, this year it is equal among the sexes. The votes can only be based off their facts and statements.

Stay tuned to the news in the next weeks to see which woman will represent our state in the Senate office.

Cultivation of the field is a habit that has endured for thousands of years, yet the cultivation of the mind, the process by which philosophy is formed, is slowly deteriorating with the newer generations, making our species an increasingly mundane group of beings who fail to harvest their thoughts.

The harvest, the reward of cultivation, is the root of the cardinal virtue of temperance. It represents the patience and attentiveness of mankind, passed through the ages not by the king or priest, but by the peasant, the man who has suffered abuse and tyranny for thousands of years and been ever-resilient.

The harvest of man has spurred the cultivation of the mind and the harvest of deep meditative thought. One of the greatest tragedies of mankind is the loss of selfsufficient cultivation, both of the field and the mind; by losing the independence and responsibility of our ancient ancestors, we have lost the cardinal virtue of temperance.

The harvest is the moment of virtue. When you can say “I have reaped only that which I have sown,” you are endowed with the honor of a thousand generations, “The harvest is the moment endowed with the bounty of your labor. of virtue. When you can say ‘I The same can be said for a harvest of the have reaped only that which I mind. Considering the process of harvesting a field: sowing seeds, watering, wait- have sown,’ you are endowed ing, and harvesting, one can understand with the honor of a thousand the process by which a thought is cultivated. Very basic ideas are planted from generations, endowed with influences and experiences, then after a the bounty of your labor.” quite a bit of thought has gone into these ideas they become ideologies, opinions, or points of intellectual interest.

The shame of mankind is that too many people either never keep any garden or let their crops die during the vegetative period. There is no patience, no patience for intellectual discovery and pathological study; self-enlightenment is too long a process for many to endure. Impatience goes down to the roots and to the manner in which children are raised, not as little people, but as adorable playthings, too delicate and sensitive for their own good... but that’s another article entirely.

Back to the fields, where there are those who have upheld their crop with patience and true contemplation, and those who have failed. Finally, for those who are patient, the flowering stage is closing and a philosophy is soon to be born into this world, not just an ideal or a bias, which are the results of an agricultural failure, but a collection of meditations that connect a larger view based on rational deduction.

Despite the plentiful bounty of this glory, the truth is that it is many people fail and are left without a self-sustained product. The people who let the crop of the mind die do so out of irresponsibility to their thoughts, by neglecting the slow steady evolution of metaphysical conceptions. These people are forced to the mercy of some other provider.

Of course, there is no way that every person could grow enough crops to sustain themselves year-round or come anywhere close, but not as many people are even trying to grow anything at all, and thus never develop a sense of quality among produce, and when they buy it in stores they ignorantly make bad bargains.

Once again, this situation is paralleled in society. By receding to a population of financially-oriented machines who don’t think twice about either public policy or contemporary philosophy, we reject the ability to be individuals. Every man has the ability to ponder, it is the greatest ability that we are endowed with by our creator whether it be god or something more realistic, and it would be a shame to deny that ability to ourselves.

However, because so many people do not have the “sense of quality” that comes from gardening, or critical thinking, the way is now open for corporations, political parties, and capitalism itself to step in and become the universal producers that supply the masses with processed ideologies designed to encompass as much of the populace as possible.

The human race may have lost quite a bit in the way of personal stainability but it is never too late for a philosophical revolution to elevate the level of society once again and begin a new age of cultivation. It’s as simple as planting a garden in the mind and accept patience as a virtue.

Halloween ending too early

By Kendall Bishop Staff Writer

As Halloween approaches, students look forward to a night of dressing up, staying out late and being with friends. But will all the planned festivities really happen when we have to wake up Monday morning for school?

Mr. Ralph Crame, AVP, explained that Carlmont can only have a certain amount of days off of school and they do not have the ability to cancel school the day after Halloween. Halloween falls on a

Sunday and since the Monday after is not a national holiday, the school board has no reason to cancel this day. Crame also mentioned that the board does not have a legitimate excuse to cancel the day after because Halloween is not a religious holiday.

The school board has ultimate say on what days we get off, while Carlmont has some input. The only way it would be possible to get this day off, is to go through ASB who would have to petition to the school board months in advance.

Students feel strongly about not going to school the day after Halloween.

Freshmen, Claire Porter expressed, “We should get the day after Halloween off because we need time to recover from trick or treating and partying.

I’m not going to trick or

treat during the day because I have to wake up for school the next morning.”

Some staff members also feel resentment about coming to school the day after a holiday, “As the parent of young children, I wouldn’t mind having the day off,” Mr. Crame also added that he would like to be able to enjoy the holiday with his kids, without having to work the next day.

Students professed that going to school the day after Halloween will result in a lack of attention as well as the desire to stay home from school. “Mondays suck anyway, and no one wants to come to school after they’ve been out all night. We might as well have the day of because I guarantee a number of students

Photo by Gianna Dimick

November elections

are already planning on not coming,” Amy Kistler stated.

Paige Giddings agreed, “Everyone will be too tired to concentrate on school activities.”

Not being able to enjoy Halloween causes students and staff to feel that it will be short lived this year. Halloween being on a Sunday is unfortunate but as we become more aware of the school’s policies we can be proactive and try to get the day after Halloween off in the future.

News and Opinions

Fire alarms like ‘Boy Who Cried Wolf’

By Bridget Newman Staff Writer

Editor-in-chief:

Photo by Gianna Dimick

Entertainment: Sarah Biklen

Scot Scoop: Savannah Jack

Features:

Jenna Chambers

Sports:

Dana Bloom

Online:

Ashley Dierolf

Photo Editors: Gianna Dimick Curtis Fan

Copy Editor/ Cartoonist: tive vice principal, Mr. Crame. Suspension is considered a given in situations like this and your parents would also be notified.

In the past few months, with the new construction, fire alarms have been going off for no apparent reason. The fire department has come out in the past weeks to examine what the problem could be but have found no source.

Over the 2010 Summer the alarms were going off so continuously that the administration shut off the alarms, and ultimately there would be no warning in the case of an actual fire.

Students’ opinions on fire alarms vary, “I think they are annoying and loud.

People aren’t being funny when they pull them, it just hurts my ears,� said Lily Anderson. But on the other side of things Julian Gioffre said, “Fire alarms going off are good, they let us do nothing in class.�

These alarms are now becoming a large problem here at Carlmont, When an alarm goes off almost every student and teacher hardly flinches or even thinks twice about it. It’s almost like the boy who cried wolf. If an actual fire does occur here, will any of us be prepared?

A perspective on childhood

By Matthew Ray Staff Writer

“There can be no keener revelation of a society’s soul than the way in which it treats its children.�—Nelson Mandela The mental development of the human child may very well be the most paramount and influential factor of our civilization. Children are the process by which we pass down culture through the generations, so if you want to fix the problems of a society you must alter the way in which the children of that society are raised.

The mind of a child is fragile and absorbent, it is simple in its comprehension and immaturity; yet it is the key element in creating the most complex of developed human beings. Everything perceived by the secretly observant eyes of a child is recorded and locked away deep within the unconscious. This storage in the psyche of the child will come to shape and mold the personality and

concept of the self that the child develops throughout life. But when I say child, I do not mean to connote to the childhood as described by modern psychology, but rather to the concept of childhood created in Victorian times; the institution of childhood.

The man who may be most accredited with our modern concept of childhood is Jean-Jacques Rousseau; his notions of child development parallel his view of the development of culture. However, I find that the concepts of childhood and raising children that most of us currently hold is contrary to our previous natural groove and our treatment of children is rudely deceitful regarding the reality in which we govern.

We hide the real world from children in order to protect them from the hardships and labors of life, allowing them to remain pure and innocent. Certainly children need a set amount of time to mature physically and mentally but why

Chlorine affects students Continued from front

in the pool to offset the chlorine. Ever since then there have been no discrepancies in chlorine levels.

But for some reason, the complaints haven’t stopped. “Everyone reacts differently to chlorine,� said Harris. Chlorine is a necessary chemical to make pools safe and clean, and overall the benefits outweigh the risks.

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Highlander Staff Christina Belasco

“If there was an actual fire I think we wouldn’t even know it and probably all burn,� said Lauren Berggren. Carlmont’s fire alarms have been notorious for going off constantly for absolutely no reason.

So if there was a real fire, what’s stopping all of us from being in danger?

Recently students seem to find it quite funny to pull fire alarms in the halls as a joke. Little do they know that there are cameras located all over campus, and with the click of a button the administration is able to see who was responsible for the so called prank.

In the school’s main office there is a panel box, which reads where the alarm is being set off. The closest administrator is sent to investigate the scene and determine whether it is a false alarm or not.

Each time the fire alarm is pulled, the fire department is automatically notified.

They legally must immediately go to the scene, so the administration must move quickly to determine whether it is a false alarm or if it is necessary for them to take the trip to Carlmont.

The consequences of pulling the alarm is quite severe for the perpetrator, but also can vary according to your previous records. “The police can become involved and prosecute,� stated administra-

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Page 3

Allergies to chlorine are referred to as Allergies Type 4. Eye irritation, dry skin, coughing, sneezing, stuffy, or itchy nose can be symptoms of intolerance to chlorine, rather than a true allergy.

Symptoms of a true chlorine allergy include an itchy rash under the armpits, or in the groin area.

Contact a doctor or see the school nurse if you or someone you know is experiencing these symptoms.

should we cover their eyes from the truth to protect them? If we have the opportunity to make children more mature, teach them various languages, and influence them musically and literately, subject them to nature, and create young respectable human beings, then why do we instead indoctrinate them into ignorance?

This only delays the development of the child and comes to a full circle to ensure that the same thing will happen with the next generation.

This can only be cured by real, thorough education. It is time for mankind to treat children as human beings, to create humane adults and hope to replace the illiterate, uneducated members of society with virtuous and rational men. We could be many things as human beings and we have the potential to be anything we want; but if in addition we were raised with greater performing abilities on all artistic and linguistic levels, then we would be much better off.

Staff Writers: Emily Beiers Carly Bertolozzi Kendall Bishop Grace Chang Shannon Chang Jacob Cox Mary Farmar Joshua Faulkner Jorja Flynn Nikolas Frazier Ivan Garin Sarah Levin Connor Moore Bridget Newman Reyna Ortiz Alexandra Porter Matthew Ray Jasmine Rishi Miranda Santana Steven Tsujisaka Erica Valbusa Annie Wesolek Anna Wheeler Noelani Zane

Elizabeth Max

The Highlander is published eight times a year as an open forum for student expression.

Comments can be sent via email to editor@scotscoop.com Visit scotscoop.com for daily content updates, videos, slideshows, and more.

Too old to Trick-or-treat Continued from front Regardless of age, many students still trick-or-treat. Motives for doing so include free candy, feeling like a kid again, or the expressions on people’s faces when they open the door and see a bunch of teenagers. “I’m going trick-or-treating with friends and going to have a good time,� said Nick Duskalakis, “I don’t really care what people think.�

Rather than choosing between options, some teens plan on having the best of both worlds. This includes trick-or-treating first, then going to a party after. By doing this, one is able to get free candy and still look cool. “I plan on going up to my friend’s party and trick-or-treating,� explained Gonzalez, “I don’t think you should stop trick-or-treating until you have kids.�

It seems that Halloween has no limits, whether it is the type of costume worn, how late a party ends, how much candy is given and even the age at which one stops trick-or-treating. Whatever one prefers to do, Halloween is a holiday that can be celebrated by all.

Homecoming explained Continued from front

Our school spends a lot of time on these festivities. There is a spirit week, a week to nominate the homecoming king and queen, and of course the weeks in advance that students spend anticipating the big day, which raises the question: why do we spend all our time on it?

Students participate in homecoming more than any other spirit day. Rachel Schuster, a sophomore, adds, “It helps brings the school together as a whole.�

Mr. Jim Kelly said, “Homecoming provides better school spirit which makes the overall atmosphere of school more enjoyable. This also shows our feeder schools that we have a fun environment.� Having this spirit week ultimately makes our campus brighter.

Homecoming is an old tradition that will stay with our school for years to come.

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Entertainment

Sneak peek HP7 Book evolution

By Annie Wesolek Staff Writer

For many teenagers, Harry Potter is more than just a collection of pages, it represents a part of their childhood.

The books opened up a world full of adventure, fantastic beasts, and magic that seemed as if it could really exist.

Now, years later, the books that filled countless childhoods with wonder have become movie sensations.

In 2001, the novel Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was made into a motion picture and released in theaters. This fall Warner Bothers is releasing the seventh movie of the series, Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, in two parts. Part one premieres on November 19th of this year and part two premieres July 15, 2011.

Part one of the two-part film marks the beginning of the end of a magical generation. Many Potter fans are dying to see what will happen in the seventh movie.

“I’m pretty excited. Harry Potter over Twilight any day. I’m more of a Harry Potter fan, it has a better plot,” said Ashley Moore. “Obviously I’m going, and I will dress up like Ginny Weasley,” said Kendall Shafe.

So far, two Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows trailers have aired.

The first commercial depicted the first and second movies because Warner Brothers didn’t want to give away the location of the split between both movies.

The second commercial was released online September 22nd, featuring part one only. Fans reacted in different ways.

“There’s a lot of Harry, Ron, and Hermione standing in the middle of nowhere,” said Andrew Sims, a Harry Potter groupie part of a podcast known as Mugglecast. In part one, the trio no longer has a permanent living location, and scenes featuring them in “ the middle of nowhere,” will be common.

Along with fresh scenes from the new movie, Warner Brothers snuck in scenes from the Order of Phoenix and the HalfBlood Prince. “There’s a couple of times when they reuse clips, and honestly it’s kinda annoying,” said Sims.

The book Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is split into major concepts: the Horcruxes and the Deathly Hallows. Realizing this the producers decided to split the seventh movie into two parts as well.

The split between the end of part one and the beginning of part two will be “About chapter 24 in the book,” said Micah Tannenbaum, also a member of Mugglecast. The last scene of the movie is going to be Voldemort standing on Doumbledor’s grave, a thrilling lead into Part two.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows should be an exciting conclusion to the world-beloved series and should not be missed.

From your lap to the screen

By Anna Wheeler Staff Writer

With all of the advances in technology being made, some may wonder whether or not books will still be in print 10, 20, or 30 years into the future.

Technology can make things so much easier. Instead of checking out a book for a report, there is Google or Wikipedia.

Need an article from the newspaper?

Most newspapers have online websites.

And, probably the most common, instead of reading the book everyone is talking about, why not just watch the TV series or movie based off of it?

Devil Wears Prada, Diary of a Wimpy Kid, Eat Pray Love, Forrest Gump, Freaky Friday: all of those titles probably sound familiar. But when people hear the aforementioned names, they most likely recognize them as movie titles when, in fact, they were originally books.

Although many people know popular stories primarily because they are movies, people who have read the books argue that the books are almost always better.

When asked if she preferred reading books over seeing the movies, Ashley Browning, a senior, said “I’d definitely watch the movie after I read the book… You never know what details the producers can miss.”

However, for others, it is not a question as to whether or not they like to read or not, it all comes down to how much time they have.

“I try to read [the book] but if I don’t have enough time I usually see the

movie first, and if it’s any good I’ll read the book,” said Danielle Rosenduft, a sophomore.

Typically, high school students have busy lives with all the homework, sports, social life, and more. This means that there is rarely any time to relax and read a book. A lot of the time, seeing the movie can be just as enjoyable as reading the book because the viewer actually gets to see what they are hearing.

Books can allow the readers to fill in any gaps with their own imagination, so when they go to see the movie, they are often disappointed. Although the author is often responsible for painting the reader a picture, they leave details openended so that the reader has to think and create images for themselves.

It seems most people would argue that books are always better than the movies. If that is so, then why is print slowly dying?

As stated previously, several books now have TV shows or movies based off of them. Clearly, a significant amount of people are too lazy to read or just do not enjoy it.

However, books transferred onto the big screen does not even cover the least of it. Nowadays, even reading books can be done through technology.

On nearly every piece of technologycomputer, phone, iPad, Kindle, and more – there is a way to read without ever picking up a book.

Even though the majority of people would argue that the book is almost always better than the movie or TV show based off of it, when given the choice, technology is preferred over print.

Dancing with the stars Alaska Shore to Jersey Shore, this season will leave you wanting more Staff Writer

The new season of Dancing with the Stars premiered September 20, and from the moment that the cameras turned on, it was clear that this season was sure to be the wildest, craziest, and weirdest one yet. Just ask the host.

During the first five minutes of episode one, Host Tom Burgeon looked straight into the camera and proclaimed to millions of viewers, “If you think last year’s cast made headlines, just wait ‘till you meet this season’s lineup of... characters!”

Among the prospective winners were such gems as Mike “The Situation” Sorentino, Bristol Palin, and -for reasons yet to be explained- David Hasselhoff.

The Situation arrived on set late, because he had to finish filming “Jersey Shore”. This resulted in him having only five days to learn his first dance- everyone else had two weeks. Sorentino didn’t seem to be worried.

When asked about his dancing experience, the ab-tastic reality star replied, “My experience consists of many, many nights at the club. With your girlfriend.

Nah, just kidding.” Unfortunately for Sorentino, the lack of rehearsal showed,

earning him the comment, “You’ve got the guns, but not the ammunition.”

Not giving up, The Situation managed to Who are squeak by in the You next few rounds ? before being eliminated in Week Four.

Meanwhile, Bristol Palin, described as a “chip off the political block”, has been one of the more surprising performers. She has stayed consistently in the middle of the pack- perhaps trying to make everyone forget about her first dance.

After ripping off a pantsuit to reveal a red mini-dress, she busted out a passable cha-cha to the song, “Mama Told Me Not To Come.” Yes, she went there.

But the “best of the worst” award goes to- you guessed it- the Hoff. It began well enough, but when he started talking about himself in third-person, everything went downhill.” David Hasselhoff doesn’t back down from a challenge,”

Are You a Star?

-4

By Liz Max

By Sarah Levin

he declared. “David Hasselhoff meets a challenge head on.” It’s a good philosophy, and it would have worked, if his challenge was to “see how many ageinappropriate moves you can fit into one dance”.

To sum it up, he gyrated across the stage in a BeDazzled tee-shirt/jacket combo while mouthing the words to “Sex Bomb.” As if that wasn’t good enough, halfway through, he ripped off his jacket, twirled it over his head and threw it into the crowd. I’m surprised they didn’t throw it back. Unsurprisingly, the Hoff was the first star voted out.

However, some of these “characters” actually do have some dancing experience. Most notably, actress Jennifer Grey

co-starred with the late, great Patrick Swayze in “Dirty Dancing”.

There’s also hip-hop star Brandy, whose many choreographed routines have come into play- she received a 27 out of 30 in Week Five.

Most of the stars who don’t have any experience whatsoever have done pretty well. Remember Kyle Massey from “Corey in the House” and “That’s so Raven”?

His cha-cha earned him the comment, “I wanna take him home with me!” Even 76-year-old Florence Henderson has managed to stay in the race, despite dropping almost as many f-bombs as dance steps. Ironic, considering her claim to fame was playing Mrs. Brady on “The Brady Bunch”.

The show is currently in Week 6, and four stars have been kicked out so farThe Hoff, the Situation, comedienne Margaret Cho and singing sensation Michael Bolton.

If you’re interested in which star will win, like watching famous people make fools of themselves on live television, or are even just looking for a way to waste a couple hours, Dancing with the Stars is on Mondays at 8 and Tuesdays at 9 on ABC.

Entertainment

Page 5

Pops Concert rocks Carlmont

Singing Scots show off their glottal stops Jasmine Rishi Staff Writer

On October 14th and 15th, eight outstanding Carlmont Choirs rocked the house in their annual Pops Concert, featuring both old and new musical numbers.

These choir students were able to do such an amazing job because of their hard work and dedication. “We start rehearsing for the concert in classes on the very first day of school. Students are given memorization deadlines and I give the singers the best possible tools to meet the deadlines,” said Carlmont Choir director, Mrs. Genevieve Tep. Show Choir delivered one of the most unique performances of the night. Their performance included creative choreography and props, as well as incredible singing.

“It’s really fun to make up the choreography for the songs,” said Michael Saber. “I love seeing all of my friends and making up dance routines at seven in the morning.”

The concert featured many classical hits from NYC Broadway musicals, which was also the theme for the night. The performers first appeared in formal attire; the men wearing suits and bow ties and the women all looking absolutely stunning in floor-length dresses.

The first song featured the entire choir program. The choir opened with the theme from “New York, New York.”

The Treble Clef choir then performed by themselves, singing melodies from Follies and Sweet Charity.

The Singing Scots then came back on to finish off the first half of the concert with songs from West Side Story and Les Miserables, each medley featuring some incredibly talented soloists. Lauren Beauchamp and Conner Sines directed

(From the top left) Avi Vidgorchik, Tereza Dvorak, Tori Herfert. (Bottom) A snapshot of the Singing Scots at 2010 Pops Concert in formal wear. Photos by Gianna Dimick.

Horoscopes What’s your destiny?

Aquarius: Think you’re too old for trick-or-treating? Well you’re not. A huge supply of melt in your mouth sweets are in store for you this month, and they will not be purchased.

Pisces: Family comes first. A family member needs your help. Make sure that you attend to this person before a friend.

Aries: Your parents aren’t giving you enough allowance and you don’t have a job. You’re broke.

Why don’t you get creative and make your own Halloween costume this year rather than spending too much money on a costume you’d wear no more than once.

Taurus: Even if you can’t vote, go make people in your state realize who should lead it. Be persuasive and let them know that their vote counts.

Gemini: Hang out with a new group of people. You’ll meet a lot of new and interesting friends compared to the ones that you surround yourself with.

these compositions, right before a short intermission.

After intermission, the curtains opened with Show Choir, girls sporting blue sequined tops and black knee-length skirts and boys wearing blue dress shirts and black pants. After show choir all eight choirs changed their attire to jeans, tennis shoes, and special choir T-shirts. Out of

Cancer: The day of the dead might be a night of the alive. Opportunities are about to come your way.

Leo: Tired lately? Try taking a break this weekend. Stay in and relax, you may find that this weekend’s slumber is rejuvenating.

Virgo: Nobody is quite like YOU. Be yourself this Halloween.

Libra: Albus Dumbledore just might visit you this month.

You’re probably a wizard.

Scorpio: Just like the giants, you may have an incredible stroke of luck this month.

Sagittarius: Think twice before you drink and drive or get in a car with a driver under the influence. Bad things are sure to come of it.

Capricorn: Whether you’re going to Homecoming or a Halloween party, make the best of it and don’t worry.

You’re only in High School once.

the Blue also wore personalized jackets during their performance.

The show ended with a heartwarming rendition of “Seasons of Love” from the musical, Rent. The audience could not contain their applause for the performers, as well as Mrs. Tep and the instrumental accompanists.

Many of the songs featured incredibly talented soloists. “The hardest part is having the confidence to stand in front of a crowd by yourself,” exclaimed Ashley Browning when asked about the hardest part of her solo.

All of the proceeds the concert earned are going directly to choir-related funds.

“It’s a benefit concert, which is why ticket prices are higher. This event helps us raise the money that we need to run the program for the year. We need things like sheet music, uniforms and buses to make sure we can keep doing amazing performances throughout the year,” explained Mrs. Tep. The exceptional energy, songs, choreography, and singing made an entertaining and wonderful show full of students having fun and doing what they love.

“Next year’s theme is going to be British Invasion; all music will be Beatles, Queen, Elton John and other British pop bands,” Mrs. Tep said.

Stay tuned for their next performance on December 10 and 11, 2010, a winter concert titled Hope.

Scot Scoop

Page 6

What are you most excited for during Homecoming week?

“I’m really excited for the main events!

The game and the dance.” Emily Cox, Sophomore “The finals of the Carlmont Cup Tournament,” said Max McBride, Sophomore.

“I’m looking forward to hopefully cheering on the football team to a victory,” said Lauren Jung, Senior.

“We’re looking forward to pajama day so we can roll out of bed lookin’ like a G,” said Lauren Denny, sophomore

By Steven Tsujisaka Staff Writer

On Sept. 19, Tyler Clementi, an eighteen year old freshman student at Rutgers University, was allegedly video taped when Clementi asked for a few hours of privacy in his dorm room while he was supposedly having a sexual encounter with another male student. The video clip was streamed on the Internet by Dharun Ravi, Clementi’s roommate, with the assistance from Ravi’s friend, Molly Wei. Ravi tweeted on the night of the first recording, “Roommate asked for the room till midnight. I went into Molly’s room and turned on my webcam. I saw him making out with a dude. Yay.” A few days later, Ravi tweeted, “Anyone with iChat, I dare you to video chat me between the hours of 9:30 and 12. Yes it’s happening again.”

On Sept. 22, Clementi wrote on Facebook at 4:38AM, “So I wanted to have the guy over again. I texted roomie around 7 asking for the room later tonite and he said it was fine.” (sic) Then he wrote, “When I got back to the room, I instantly noticed he had turned the webcam toward my bed and he had posted online again …”

Clementi was dramatically affected by the video clip.

Later, Clementi drove onto the George Washington Bridge, parked his car and wrote his last message on Facebook: “Jumping off the gw bridge. Sorry.” He jumped and took his own life at approximately 8:50PM. “…Malicious people will do vicious things for absolutely no reason, except for the sadistic pleasure they get,” Luke Li stated.

“Regardless of legal outcomes, our hope is that our family’s personal tragedy will serve as a call for compassion, empathy and human dignity,” Clementi’s parents stated.

Student overcomes terminal illness

Lior Mitnik returns after battle with Leukemia

By Elizabeth Max

“The dance, I want to see what a high school dance will be like,” said Darien Malekos, Freshman “Eighties day and pajama day!” said Hannah Lassman, senior

“I’m looking forward to all the fun activities because I’m a freshman,” said Nicole Galisatus

“I’m looking forward to the game,” said Romtin Ziaee, a junior.

By Carly Bertolozzi and Gianna Dimick

“It is sad because suicide should not be the answer to our problems. It is not excusable, yet these students needed to seek more help,” Galicia replied.

“They have to realize that they are not at fault; and just ignore the bully and become a better person,” Li added.

Parents, talk show hosts, CEO’s of Carlmont students wear purple in memory of the recent companies, and even suicides due to ridicule and disrespect towards gays.

President Obama have taken a stand to bullying. that information flows out there and it is The It Gets Better Project launched last generally not censored and it is generally month on YouTube to provide teenagers not controlled by any single authority… access to videos from LGBTQ supporters harassment of any form… is unacceptand celebrities to share their childhood able,” President Obama stated. experience dealing with bullying for their “Most of the time it is not the fault of sexual orientation to show teenagers who the person being bullied, but rather the are LGBTQ that “it gets better. anger and uncontrolled emotions of the Ellen DeGeneres stated, “I am devasbully,” Ivonne Fajardo stated. tated by the death of 18-year-old Tyler Carlmont High School’s Students OfferClementi… [he] was a bright student at ing Support (SOS) group has a program, Rutgers University whose life was sense- within the group, known as Sticks and lessly cut short.” DeGeneres reported be- Stones: Bullying Prevention, “We teach ing bullied most of her life for her sexual students about bullying and the cororientation. “I want to say to those kids rect way to handle it. We also counsel out there: I have been through it. I came kids who are being bullied and we try out. I am successful. I am happy. I am to resolve the issue in a positive way,” in love, and there is hope,” DeGeneres stated SOS’s Co-President and Sticks and concluded.

Stones’ Co-Leader, Lisa Cooper.

For Bullying Prevention Month, An“The purpose is to prevent bullying derson Cooper 360, PEOPLE Magazine, and to educate students healthier ways of and Cartoon Network partnered up to handling issues.” present a report on the bullying epidemic If you encounter any bullying or wit. “Our heart breaks when we read about ness someone being bullied, confront the what happened at Rutgers, when we read bully and tell them what they’re doing is about some of these other young people wrong and needs to stop. who are doing nothing to deserve the If for any reason you’re not comfortable kind of harassment and bullying that confronting the bully, see SOS advisor just completely gets out of hand,” he Shelley Bustamante in the administration said, “Part of the power of the Internet is office.

Photo by Gianna Dimick

TALK BACK

Public humiliation leads to teen suicide

Cartoonist

In November 2008 Lior Mitnik was diagnosed with Leukemia, a bone marrow cancer that effects the blood consequentially weakening the immune system and impairing the body’s ability to clot blood.

In his sophomore year, Mitnik was just another teen. He took accelerated courses and even tried out for the school football team.

Day to day pains are normal for athletes, so everyone considered the pain in his leg to be insignificant. It wasn’t until the pain in his leg grew so severe and he had to crawl in order to get anywhere that it finally raised concern.

His condition got to the point where he couldn’t eat or drink because his body rejected any kind of nourishment.

When Mitnik arrived at his doctor’s office, they told him that he was dehydrated. Oddly enough, his doctor was out of IV bags that day so he sent Mitnik to the hospital because he was sure the hospital would have some in stock.

Even more strangely, the hospital was out of salt water IVs as well. This is when the doctor at the hospital decided to give Mitnik a full body scan.

A large tumor was located in Mitnik’s lower abdomen that was crushing his surrounding organs and peripheral nervous system. His left leg was so stiff that he couldn’t walk and the pressure on his organs led to kidney failure.

Four weeks and several biopsies later, Mitnik was allowed to return home. The time he spent in treatment is a complete blur to him because of the abundance of pain medication pumped through his body.

A combination of months of chemotherapy and the nature of the blood cancer, Leukemia, Mitnik’s white blood cell count became dangerously low. This past Valentine’s Day (also his mother’s birthday) Mitnik contracted shingles.

Shingles is a viral disease that causes a painful skin rash with blisters usually on one side of the body. Chickenpox is the initial infection of this virus, but this usually occurs at a young age and is short-lived.

It was time to change the course of treatment. Mitnik could no longer receive chemotherapy which meant that he needed a bone marrow transplant. Dan, Mitnik’s older brother, was a match and more than willingly went through with the painful operation.

Mitnik’s cancer relapsed twice during his time away from school. But now, he was told that he has an 83% chance of living without being bothered by cancer again. Things are looking up for Mitnik and he definitely carries a positive attitude.

In between hospital visits and intense fatigue, Mitnik managed to complete some core classes online using NovaNet and was home-schooled in History, Math, and English.

Mitnik still takes accelerated classes at school and plans on taking chemistry this summer at College of San Mateo.

Unfortunately, Mitnik has to be a 5th-year senior because of all the school he had missed.

Mitnik missed two years of school, but now he’s back at Carlmont as a senior.

He can’t play sports like he used to, but he is able to run again as of last March.

Luckily, the only major inconvenience his cancer causes him now are the full body scans once every two months to make sure the cancer has not returned.

With the support of his friends and attitude resilient to negativity, Mitnik is content with his life and enjoys doing almost all of the things that he used to experience.

Leukemia is a very serious disease. A 2000 survey reveals that about 256,000 children and adults around the world were diagnosed with Leukemia that year and 209,000 (about 82%) of them did not survive.

Everyday, Mitnik is appreciative of his life as a cancer survivor.

It wasn’t until he had to crawl in order to get anywhere that it finally raised concern.

Scot Scoop

Page 7

Viva a España trip College

By Erica Valbusa Staff Writer

Have you ever dreamed of traveling to Spain? Carlmont High School is offering students the opportunity to visit Spain for eight days.

The trip will be lead by Woodside High School teacher, Mr. Juan Carlos Prado.

It will take place during Spring Break, departing on April 16, 2011 and returning on April 24, 2011. Any student who agrees to sign a behavior contract and gets a letter of recommendation from a teacher is eligible to attend.

The main focus of this trip is for students to learn about the language, geography, and culture of Spain. “They will see, smell, touch, hear, and taste things they would never experience if they had not traveled abroad,” stated Prado.

When the students arrive in Madrid on April 17, they will have the opportunity to walk around the city and absorb the culture.

The following day, there will be a guided tour of the Madrid, which will include a closer look at art collections and the architecture of Madrid’s wellknown monuments. They will also be

Did you know...?

able to go to a local bull ranch, where a bullfighting lesson will be given.

On April 19, students will visit El Escorial, the palace where the King of Spain lives, and the Valley of the Fallen, a memorial for the many men who died during the Spanish Civil War. The expedition will continue to Segovia, where the Roman aqueduct, one of the most preserved Roman ruins, and the great Alcazar, a royal palace, will be visited. The last day in Madrid will include a visit to Toledo, which will include a guided tour to many historical sites.

Students will board a high-speed train to Barcelona, the capital of Spain, on April 21. Once there, they will have the chance to take a tour of the Gothic Quarter, which is an older part of town and reminisces the Gothic era.

On April 22, another guided tour will

be provided to show the different styles of architecture inspired by the famous architect Gaudi. The last day of the trip calls for the choice of going on a fullday tour along the Costa Brava or exploring the other highlights of Barcelona.

On April 24, students will depart from Barcelona to return to the United States.

According to Prado, “These trips have been going on in our school district for over a decade.

I have personally guided these tours for almost ten years. I have seen first-hand the eye opening experience for students, which have made them want to learn the language further and, in some cases, students have moved there for a college semester after high school.”

Even though this trip is expensive, the amount totaling at $2925, students will walk away from the experience with an expanded knowledge of a place that differs from their own society.

If you have any further questions, contact Ms. Madeleine Fox, in room T7.

The Monthly Quad Snapshot

Photo Editor

*A toothpick is the most choked on

Reported From: www.funfactz.com

Staff Writer

Many students, and even teachers, do not know what ASB does or even what it stands for.

When asked what ASB does, Hayden Collins, a sophomore, said, “They put up posters and stuff like that.”

ASB, or Associated Student Body, is a group of students, made of officers (elected by their peers) and commissioners. These dedicated students help raise money, organize school events, and try to make our school more spirited and maintain a positive image.

The vision of the Associate Student Body is to have a “clean, supportive, desegregated environment where an enthusiastic, involved staff and student body develops school spirit.”

Every year there is a president, vice president, and secretary elected into the Associate Student Body.

The job of a student officer usually entitles putting on fund raisers, helping out with assemblies, planning activities, such as dances, and helping out whenever

Scot Scoop Editor

College applications can be obnoxiously stressful, and overwhelming. The Highlander met with our school’s college guidance counselor, Connie Dominguez.

We went over a few basic questions to make the lives of the curious younger class men a bit easier, so they will know what to expect when applying to college.

When Should seniors apply to College?

You can start the applications now for private schools, UC (University of California) schools, and CSU (California state university) schools. The deadlines for CSUs and UCs are November 30th. It would be safe to turn them in this month especially since we have dramatic budget cuts. Privates applications are due in January.

What GPA do you need in order to get into a state school?

The minimum requirement is a 3.0 GPA. Some schools have a location guarantee if you meet the minimum requirements.

Photo by Gianna Dimick

Where can you find the essay topics for the UC schools?

Online at universityofcalifornia.edu or in the college and career center right past the guidance counselors office.

Lauren Jung smears shaving cream on Emily Cox in preparation for the game “Cheeto Head” during the Carlmont Cup rally featuring Boys Soccer versus Girls Soccer.

ASB plays important role

By Carly Bertolozzi

By Savannah Jack

Is an essay required for all California schools?

You do not need to complete one if applying to a CSU campus but yes if you are applying to a UC or private college.

By Gianna Dimick

object in the USA. *Over 1,000 birds die each year from crashing into windows. *The inventor of the waffle iron did not like waffles. *The US Government spent 277,000 dollars in 1993 for research on pickles. *Albert Einstein refused to and never once wore socks. *68 percent of a Twinkie is air. *All babies are color blind when they are born. *Half of the worlds population has never see and/or used a telephone before. *Girls have more taste buds than boys. *In India, people are legally allowed to marry a dog.

Questions

there is a need.

Each year, incoming freshmen join ASB, all bring new ideas and perspectives to the class. This year Reggie Chatman, Isis Grant, and Claire Porter have been voted into office by the Freshmen class.

New freshman Vice President, Isis Grant told the Highlander plans for this upcoming year, “Some ideas I have for this year are silent auctions, raffles, and scavenger hunts.” One of the most important things ASB does is earn money for our proms. Whether it is selling food at basketball games or sweatshirts in the student store, some of the profits go to each class’s prom fund.

Another question people have about ASB is, “where does all the money that they earn go?”

To put it simply, every time you buy a bag of chips at a school game you are supporting our school. However, Emily Cox told the Highlander that only ten percent of the money you pay actually goes to the school.

The school has a private company bring

in food and beverages to the games. We only get one tenth of the profits because students help sell the food.

However, at events like car washes all the money earned goes directly to paying for each year’s prom.

Another important job of ASB is organizing school activities, like rallies and assemblies. This is how ASB fulfills their mission.

If you go into Mr. Kelly’s classroom you will find the ASB mission. “The Associated Student Body will represent the students of Carlmont High School in a wide range of school activities that will be offered to provide an enjoyable and thriving campus thereby maintaining a positive image with the local community.”

ASB plays an important role in our school community. There are many things we would not have if they did not exist.

Overall, the Associated Student Body is a group of highly motivated students who want to make our school campus more enjoyable and spirited.

Where do you look for scholarships?

You can check in the college and career center. Schools that you are applying to may give scholarships. Check with your local church, organizations, parents employers or online. You can go online and search at Fastweb.com, collegeboard. com, or other scholarship search engines.

What if you haven’t decided what you want to major in?

That is completely fine. Freshman year you take general education anyway. You can choose undeclared when they ask for your major on the application.

If you haven’t taken rigorous courses can you get into college?

Yes, and good ones too. A lot of colleges only make sure you have A through G courses.

Should you have extra curricular activities, and what if you don’t?

It always helps, but you don’t need to state them when applying to CSU campuses.

What is The Common App? A company called The Common App created a website that would be easier to apply to private campuses. You can apply to most privates using The Common App at commonapp.org Who reviews your completed application?

Admission committees review how you apply, the essays, extra curricular activities, classes you have taken, and standardized tests.

Features Sports at Carlmont lack equality Page 8

By Jorja Flynn Staff Writer

People are led to believe that they are all equal, but that does not necessarily hold to be true for school sports.

Some sports at school are more supported than others. For instance, one look in the Carlmont school planner would show that the only games listed in there are for football. Other sports work just as hard as football, but they receive no recognition in the planners.

The Screaming Scots are the students at school who volunteer to go to all of the sports games and cheer on the athletes.

They do not however, always attend all of the sports games. The majority of the time, they only go to the home football and basketball games.

The school even has an assembly

devoted to showing off the football team for their homecoming game. If the other sports are mentioned in the homecoming assembly, it is only briefly. No other sport in any season gets their own assembly focused on them.

Most people tend not to question why football gets more attention than the other sports because it is seen as a tradition to make a big deal about football.

Generally, people do not question traditions. “It’s because football is a big thing, but I think there should be more focus on cross country,” said Cena Cook.

Every other sport has a women’s division and a men’s division except for football. One could argue that there is no men’s volleyball at Carlmont, but there are club teams outside of school. Football, on the other hand, does not even

have a separate women’s league outside of school.

Typically male cheerleaders are mocked and seen as weak, but most people think that a girl that plays football is tough.

“I think there should be no such thing as male cheerleaders,” said Tyler Humphrey.

There was even an incident several weeks ago at Glenwood Middle School in Findlay, Ohio where an 11 year old male cheerleader’s classmates broke his arm. According to thecourier.com, one of the boys that broke Tyler Wilson’s, the male cheerleader, arm was on the football team that Wilson cheered for.

It is not only Carlmont that ignores certain sports, but the nation as a whole. The only professional sports actively watched are men’s and there are very few profes-

sional women’s sports; the few teams that do exist do not have a big following and do not even get much airtime.

Badminton is even made fun of amongst some people at Carlmont and some say that it is not even a sport.

“I don’t like it because it’s really boring,” said Darnell Ewing.

Other students however avidly support badminton. “I think it’s outrageous and it takes a lot of effort to hit the birdie,” said Johnathan Corvello.

It is time for the other sports to rise and demand equality. If people would just watch some other sports like water polo, tennis or badminton they would realize how exciting it actually is and how hard the athletes work. Especially at school, the lesser watched sports should be given equal opportunity.

goals the club hopes to achieve this year.

“We are going to reach out to the Muwekma -Ohlone and other tribes to help achieve recognition from the government” said Graves when asked a goal of the club.

The Muwekma-Ohlone people belong to a tribe that originally inhabited San Francisco and the surrounding bay area. They are one of a few unrecognized tribes that have been fighting for acknowledgement by the government for the past four years. The MuwekmaOhlone were put into boarding schools and were forced to give up their native language.

Club member, Laura Van Arsdel, commented on her initial interest on joining the club.

“I joined because I’m interested in social justice and in Native American History,” Van Arsdel said. “I’ve only heard [the history] from text written by the US government and its interesting to hear it from the people’s perspective.”

Last year, Graves and her family took a trip through a program called “ReMember” to Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, an Indian Reservation site located in South Dakota. Re-Member is a non-profit organization that focuses on renewing

the rights of the native people as well as improving the quality of life on the reservation.

Although this reservation is making progress, it is however, facing tough circumstances. The reservation is the eighth largest reservation in the United States, also being the poorest. It currently hosts an unemployment rate of about 85 percent, and it has one of the highest teen suicide rates in the nation. Other problems such as alcoholism and limited access to electricity and running water, also burden the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation.

Club president Sara Graves and her family faced such conditions when they visited the reservation to help out their community. While there, the crew learned about the tragic history of the Oglala-Lakota people and worked on building houses for the poor and elderly.

“The trip definitely changed my outlook on life. I think it’s cool how the club can bring a good influence to Carlmont by

sharing our history,” said Graves.

The club’s plans for the year include attending another trip to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, organizing a toy drive for their youth members and hopefully bringing a professor to Carlmont to discuss racism.

Club member, George Randall-Saldivar reports: “It’s interesting to hear about the history of the people from their point of view. We hope to expand the club to more people.”

The club meets every Thursday at lunch in room E8.

Native American club founded to help raise awareness of native community issues

By Noelani Zane Staff Writer

Most people don’t think of the United States as a third-world country, however, there are in fact many Native American tribes living that way. This year, a few students founded the Native American club to help raise awareness of our native communities.

One major cause of poverty in Native American communities is the persistent lack of general opportunities. According to the Economic Research Service, fewer than 40 percent of Native American men over the age of thirty have full-time, year-round employment.

Fortunately, there are things students can do to help this cause. For example, Sara Graves founded The Native American Club with big hopes to make a difference in the indigenous community.

One way the club can prevent this problem is by offering support to students in their local native communities. Graves’ father, Greg Graves, works at Stanford University as a graduate recruiter and an appointed leader of the Native American program. He provides students of Native American descent who need aid with scholarships to help fund their education.

Recognizing tribes is one of the biggest

Concussions: the hidden danger put high school students at risk Continued from front

the only people who can evaluate the impact of the injury are the specialists. Many people continue with the playing after suffering a concussion, oblivious to the fact that they even have a concussion, which is really the only thing people who have suffered head injuries aren’t supposed to do.

Brittney Jorgenson, the school athletic trainer, said that “the most important things to know, is the signs,” and when asked about football related concussions, said “Athletes MUST execute with correct form, because when you don’t, that’s when the concussions happen.”

Her emphasis was greatly directed towards the signs and knowing them, because not knowing the signs of a concussion is what gets athletes hurt permanently. “The more concussions you have, the greater the impact on your brain,” commented Jorgenson, “What tends to happen is that the regulators of hormones are damaged, and once that happens emotions can be effected, and reflexes are impaired.”

The signs of concussions are normally personified by the symptoms, headaches (minor or major), nausea, loss of balance, fogginess of vision, irritability, loss of concentration, amnesia, and either intense sleepiness at abnormal times or having trouble falling asleep. These symptoms don’t apply to all concussions and by no means should an athlete continue playing sports with any symptoms unless cleared by a medical professional.

Carlmont’s own Chris Green of the senior class was recently admitted to the hospital after multiple concussions over the course of his high school footax M iz L By

ball career. He was diagnosed with a subdural hematoma, which is a collection of blood on the surface of the brain inside of his skull.

Because of concussions, his career in football as well as in any contact sports is finished for the rest of his life, and his driving privileges have been suspended for six months.

Though he has no regrets, he did comment on what he would have done had he been able to. “I mean do I have regrets? No. Accidents happen. But if I could back I would’ve gotten better helmet.” He later advised, “Know the signs, and take them seriously.” For the rest of his life, Chris may suffer mild headaches and even seizures.

Not all concussions lead to injuries like the ones suffered by Chris because his were due to receiving multiple concussions, however having a subdural hematoma is still possible with just one concussion of massive proportions.

Effects on the brain for individuals who have been concussed can vary from permanent losses of memory and attention to even A.L.S. (Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which is a result of brain degeneration, and is starting to be seen in retired NFL players. Often the damage done on the brain has to with either the number or intensity of concussions.

To any athletes interested in playing contact sports, there are tests recommended called “baselines”. These baselines are administered by a medical professional, and evaluate reflexes, memory, and brain function. These are recommended because in the case of a concussion, a doctor or neurologist has a point of reference when measuring the effects and damage done to an individual’s brain.

With this knowledge, medical professionals can better say whether or not it is safe for sports player’s to return to their sports, almost eliminating the possibility of intense brain injury.

Features

Page 9

The everyday struggles for English Language Learners

By Jenna Chambers Features Editor Most students can remember kindergarten and reminisce about a time when days were spent singing songs, contently coloring, making art projects and learning the alphabet.

Unfortunately, I don’t entirely recall myself as being one of those content kindergartners. Instead I remember sitting in my kindergarten classroom confused and unsure of what my “maestra” or teacher was saying; I frequently left school at the end of the day with a headache.

This was mostly due to the fact that from kindergarten through fifth grade I attended a Spanish immersion school where teachers taught all subjects in Spanish only.

Entering the Spanish immersion school and having no previous knowledge of the language was an everyday challenge for me, and this challenge is similarly experienced daily by students at Carlmont who do not speak English as their first language.

Carlmont has many students who come

from various different countries who are learning English as their second language.

One of these Carlmont student, Diana Pedroza Vargas, who moved to the United States from Mexico, shared the challenges she faced attending a school where they only spoke English.

“It bothered me [being in school] because I wanted to understand what was going on but I couldn’t. When I wanted to speak to other students, I couldn’t. I didn’t know how. That is why I stopped speaking to people, because no one understood me.”

The majority of students don’t really think about these challenges that come with moving to a foreign place and living among people with whom you cannot communicate. But the reality is that there are a significant amount of students who are living with these everyday struggles including the challenges faced with being taught in English.

According to a study done by Alliance for Excellent Education, eightynine percent of Hispanic high school students learning English as second language read below grade level.

The report also states that the literacy

“It bothered me [being in school] because I wanted to understand what was going on but I couldn’t. When I wanted to speak to other students, I couldn’t. I didn’t know how.

That is why I stopped speaking to people, because no one understood me.”

development among English Language Learners (ELLs) is particularly difficult for students who enter school in later grades especially due to the fact that there is a limited amount of literacy instruction provided for students beyond a certain grade level.

Carlmont provides English Language Learner classes, which are classes designed to help students with their English as well as help them get adjusted to the new environment.

Pedroza Vargas commented that being placed in one these classes “was good for me because the majority of students in the class also spoke Spanish and I was able to communicate with them during class.”

Though the majority of students who are learning English as a second language are placed in English Language Development (ELD) classes, there are few who speak and understand English well enough to be placed in regular English classes.

Carlmont student Gloria Cruz shared her experience being placed in a regular English class.

“Even though I understood English, I still read at an elementary reading level,” said Cruz.

Cruz also added that not being able to

read well in English caused her to struggle in subjects like history and science “because the vocabulary was difficult to understand.”

The struggles with the English vocabulary that Cruz faced forced her to work twice as hard in school to understand the material being taught in her classes.

As a result of years of hard work, Cruz now takes various advanced classes at Carlmont.

One thing native English speakers should know about English Language Learners is that they are diligent workers who work twice as hard everyday.

“Most of those kids [multilingual] are brilliant,” commented ELD teacher Jenna Cestone, “they are brilliant because they are constantly navigating two or more languages in seven or eight classes everyday.”

“The multilingual kids are really smart, they are just limited in language,” Cestone added It is easy to forget that we share a campus with students who are struggling with something that comes so naturally to native English speakers. But it is important to remember that they are a part of the Carlmont community regardless of what language they speak.

“Most of those kids [multilingual] are brilliant,” commented ELD teacher Jenna Cestone, “they are brilliant because they are constantly navigating two or more languages in seven or eight classes everyday.”

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Sports

Page 10

Who are these baby Scots?

By Mary Farmar, Grace Chang, and Josh Faulkner Staff Writers

1. She is second singles on the girls varsity tennis team.

She has played for the United States Tennis Association before.

Her lucky number is twelve.

3. He is on the boys varsity cross country team.

He has been running since seventh grade.

He has an extra bone in his foot.

2. She has played on the girls frosh-soph water polo for a year and a half.

She is the goalie for the girls frosh-soph water polo team.

Her favorite color is yellow.

4. She is on the girls varsity water polo team.

She has been playing water polo for five years.

She can play the tuba.

5. She is on the girls junior varsity volleyball team.

She has been playing volleyball for five years.

Her favorite animal is the elephant.

6. He is on the junior varsity football team.

He has been playing football for two years.

He is double jointed in his thumbs.

Carlmont: Let there be light?

Staff Writer Lights would bring more spirited fans, a motivated football team, and the atmosphere of a classic high school football game. However, apparently it takes more than almost the entire student body having the same desire for a Friday night spent at Carlmont watching our team play football.

Not only is the cost a major contributing factor, but complaints from the neighbors have put the Carlmont faculty in a tough position. Carlmont’s neighbors weren’t aware that moving next to a high school would ensure loud noises and plenty of school spirit, and now our sports teams and entire school will have to suffer.

Woodside and Sequoia High School, our fellow Sequoia Union High School district schools, both have lights. Menlo-

Atherton is in the process of figuring out whether they can have lights as well. The privilege of their lights has been taken away, and our privilege has yet to be granted.

Although Carlmont has scheduled two night games this season using temporary lights, a permanent solution is far from imminent.

The neighbors are also a major contributing factor to our lack of lights because as our principal, Dr. Raul Zamora, informed us, “We get phone calls all the time about bells, announcements, drum line, cheerleading, and the big crowds at all our school events.” He also mentioned that “due to Carlmont’s hospitality, we respect the neighbors’ wishes.”

The second and drastically unchangeable factor is the cost of these giant lights. Dr. Zamora and Mr. Crame estimated, “the lights would cost around $250,000 to $500,000 per light post.”

Growing up in the football state of Texas, Dr. Zamora understands where the

New trainer earns praise

By Emily Beiers Staff Writer

Students at Carlmont are excited about their new athletic trainer this year.

When surveying students, it seems that the majority of them believe Brittney Jorgensen is a huge step up from the last trainer. “She is attentive to all sports players and gives good advice on how to fix the injury. She’s a good improvement from last year’s trainer”, said football player, Gio Tenorio.

Recently, Joe Walters, football player, broke his thumb and tore his labrum. He visited Jorgensen and believes that “she loves what she does, and she cares about the athletes at this school. She knows what she is doing.”

Compared to last year’s trainer, “Brittney is easier to relate to and she is more interested in what caused the injury, and how to prevent it from happening again”, said football player, Andrew Morrow. “She seems full of energy and she is always in a good mood.”

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desire for Friday Night Football games is coming from. And yes, of course he, “would love to see that culture come here.”

Varsity quarterback Jack Karasky stated, “I would definitely like to have lights because night games get everyone fired up, and more people would come to our games.”

Not only would the lights be a benefiting factor for our football team and our high school’s all around school spirit, but Dr. Zamora believes it will also “let sports teams practice later, and prevent teams from having to go to the baseball field or softball field for their practices.”

Carlmont’s athletes are all in support for lights. Soccer player Malak El-Khatib and commented on the subject. El- Khatib stated, “It affects me because our JV games would be cut 25 minutes short because we couldn’t see the ball anymore, and for varsity, you need to miss class because games have to be

earlier since we have no lights. It stinks.”

Another soccer player Ben Hoffman agreed with El-Khatib, “It would be extremely appreciated if we had lights because it would help us get more practice time, and during the winter when soccer season is, it gets dark earlier.”

As for our first night game of the season, Homecoming, everyone around Carlmont seems to have faith in our Scots football players. Dr. Zamora claims that he has “given the charge that we will win Homecoming.”

Mr. Crame has the same optimistic outlook when asked how Carlmont will play, responding “Absolutely! I have no doubt that we will win.”

Hopefully we can expect many night games for our future Carlmont classes, but until then, Carlmont will just have to enjoy our Homecoming game and hope for more night games in the future.

“...night games get everyone fired up...”

Answers to player profiles: 1. Cori Sidell; 2. Emma Smith; 3. Donald Heatherington; 4. Ruben Beraza; 5. Monica Chin; 6. Vincent Briscoe

By Reyna Ortiz

Sports

Page 11

Posey catching hearts Getcha head in the game After only playing in 108 regular season games with the Giants, catcher Buster Posey has become a heartthrob and a leading candidate for Rookie of the Year.

To many males, they look at Posey and just see an incredible catcher. But for the women, it is a different story.

Women can see that he is a great catcher, but many are also obsessed with Posey because of his looks. If somebody has talent and the looks they tend to become the favorite, just like Posey.

“Buster Posey is a really good player and is REALLY HOT. He is the best player ever, and I look at him as an example to improve my hitting,” stated junior Kelly Robinson.

Within four short months, Posey has become many Giants fans’ favorite player and has changed the way people look at baseball.

After asked if Posey is her favorite player, Robinson added, “Wait is that a real question...? Duh he is.”

Not surprisingly, fans are not the only people who have become attached to this 23 year-old star. Two time Cy Young winner Tim Lincecum mentioned, “I’m his biggest fan,” regarding to Posey, after Lincecum was seen wearing an orange Posey giveaway T-shirt at AT&T Park.

Rookie of the Year is a high honor awarded to two hard working and good baseball players who have made a significant achievement in their first year.

One player from the American League and one from the National League are selected.

It would be an understatement to say that Posey should win this honor, especially with a .305 batting average, 18 home-runs, and 67 runs batted in.

“His ability to call games and lead the pitching staff is so amazing,” sophomore Lauren Reiley commented, “He has to win Rookie of the Year.”

Within the National League, Posey is competing with many other strong players, but Posey has really made a significant contribution to the Giants organization. His talent is widely seen in all the baseball clubs which should make him even more prone to win.

“If this guy [Buster Posey] isn’t Rookie of the Year, then who is?” stated commentator F.P. Santangelo on a segment of Giants Post Game live. He later added, “ He is not only Rookie of the Year, but he is slowly becoming the most valuable player of this [Giants] ball club.”

Photo by Dana Bloom

Sports Editor

This shows a lot for a kid who came up in the middle of the season taking twelve year veteran Bengie Molina’s position.

Posey quickly caught on to the pitching rotation and has led the Giants to their first World Series appearance since 2002.

When junior Nicci Betteo was asked if she thought Posey was a major reason as to why the Giants made it to the postseason, her response was, “Yes, if Molina was here we would be at least four games out of first. Posey is a bad ass.”

Not only in regards to the near future, and being considered for Rookie of the Year, Posey has truly made and impact on baseball in general. Many people now follow baseball because of Posey.

Junior Allie Giuliacci responded, “No,” when asked if she watched baseball before Posey. She later added, “Now I watch every game.”

Posey is well known around the country, especially in Florida where he attended college and was transformed into a catcher.

When picked up by Florida State, Posey was a lights-out pitcher who also had some pop in his bat. The Florida coaches took him on because they saw major league potential in him.

During his first season, in 2006, Posey became an All-American shortstop. But by 2007, another shortstop was recruited.

By this time, assistant coach Mike Martin Jr. decided that they should transform Posey into a catcher.

Posey’s baseball ability is a true gift to the game and it will be fun to watch his improvement in the many years to come.

Many Carlmont students believing as the Giants play in World Series

By Ivan Garin

Sports Columnist Led by several stars such as Tim Lincecum, Matt Cain, and Buster Posey, the Giants have had a phenomenal season that has led them to the World Series.

On October 7, the San Francisco Giants entered the playoffs for the first time in seven years. Since moving from New York to San Francisco in 1958, the Giants have never won a World Series, making this playoff run that much more special. In their whole playoff history, the Giants have won three pennants in San Francisco, the most recent came in 2002 when the team was led by Barry Bonds.

It’s not hard to see why the Giants have had such a turn-around season this year.

After calling-up Buster Posey from AAA Fresno in May, the Giants won nineteen out of their next twenty-four games.

Due to this season’s success compared to other years, more fans have been attending the Giants games, among them many Scots students. Carlmont has a strong base of Giants fans who represent their loyalty by wearing jerseys, hats, jackets, and shirts sporting the team’s logo.

When asked who they think would win the World Series, many students have answered similarly. “Giants, because I have faith in them,” responded Max Dobson.

The Giants have proven that they are no fluke after beating the strong Atlanta Braves and consensus favorite to win the World Series (picked by several experts), the Philadelphia Phillies. Once they defeated the Phillies talented group of starters, it’s the Giants’ young team that is poised to make history.

Even though they have had a spectacular season and post-season so far, history is not on their side. After all, it is a miracle that they are playing in the playoffs after having a non-spectacular record of 92 wins and 70 losses this season.

Hopefully, the Giants will continue their winning ways and continue on towards being World Series Champions. If for some reason they do not, the World Series will still be exciting to watch.

After an embarrassing couple of years, the Giants have finally seemed to rebound from their previous losses. Their play has made many students very proud to be Giants fans and have rekindled the love AT&T Park is decorated with bunting for this year’s for America’s favorite past playoff run and World Series appearance. time.

Photo by Dana Bloom

By Dana Bloom

Hungry?

Photo by Dana Bloom

Trainer receives praise from athletes continued from page 10 for me because I am involved in athletics.”

Jorgensen, is Carlmont’s new athletic trainer. She graduated from Brigham Young University, where she trained for her current position. To become an athletic trainer, a person has to receive a degree.

An athletic trainer is a highly qualified health professional that is taught to recognize, prevent, and rehabilitate injuries. At Carlmont High School, many student athletes see the trainer on a daily basis due to injuries that result from their sport.

Through out the past year, there have been several different athletic trainers filling in. Finally, the position went to Jorgensen. Jorgensen has interned at BYU, but this is her first official head training job.

So far, the injury season has been mild. Jorgensen stated, “We have had a few concussions, and a few broken bones. There has not been anything too major besides that yet.”

With a whole school year ahead of us, filled with many different athletic seasons, we are excited to have Jorgensen at Carlmont, and hope for a great year.

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Photo by Curtis Fan

Photo by Curtis Fan

Photo by Curtis Fan

Sports

Page 12

Senior Maria Protopopov sets up for a shot at the game against Hillsdale

Junior Ashley Duba fires the ball over the net on one of her serves against Hillsdale.

Photo by Grace Chang

Senior Ian Wikle blocks a shot in the game against Serra.

Photo by Curtis Fan

Photo by Grace Chang

Senior Rob Johnson runs in a winning game against Skyline.

Junior Jack Karasky sets up for a pass in the game against the Hillsdale Knights.

Sophomore Tereza Dvorak serves against Hillsdale.

Effect of club volleyball on high school playing time

By Jacob Cox

such as Elite 650 and City Beach Volleyball, which require a huge commitment Staff Writer from their players. Although these clubs improve the talent of their volleyball For many talented young athletes, club players, their high costs and commitment sports are an important yet costly activlevels make it an exclusive activity. This ity. Club volleyball is a prime example, as high school volleyball players all over directly affects high school volleyball programs, as the girls who have the funds the United States play club volleyball in to play club volleyball have an immedithe off-season. ate advantage over those who cannot.

There are a variety of well known volClub volleyball generally takes place leyball clubs throughout the Bay Area, from November until July. Senior Shannon Garrett plays for City Beach Club Volleyball, the top ranked volleyball club in the Bay Area.

She stated the following when asked (Compiled by Highlander Staff) about the cost and commitment regarding club volleyball, “Including travel and Junior Olympics, it costs 8,000 dollars per season to play club. In my situation, I had to give up high school basketball to play because conflicts became impossible 1RQ FOXE to juggle at the elite level.�

SOD\HUV &OXE Club volleyball has a dual effect on its

SOD\HUV players—it improves their skills while increasing their dedication for the sport.

Sophomore Amanda Morris, a member of Carlmont’s varsity girls volleyball team, commented: “It dedicated me to volleyball, and I learned a lot from different coaches.�

In a match that totaled 110 points, club She went on to say that, “I don’t think players played an average of 74.4 points I would have made varsity if I hadn’t and non-club players played 33.5 points. played club. It gave me time to practice

Percentage of Points Played per Match

Photo by Curtis Fan

Club Sports - Pay to Play? and kept me in shape.�

Without a freshmen-only volleyball team at Carlmont, space is limited and tryouts are exclusive.

This often results in freshmen with nowhere to learn basic Volleyball players huddle up after a point skills. Those who are able to practice in the off-season athletes and coaching them into great with their highly trained coaches and volleyball players. With the competition talented teammates certainly have an as high as it is right now at Carlmont, it advantage heading into tryouts. is nearly impossible to make the team Irene Oliveira, former varsity volleyball without prior club volleyball expericoach at Carlmont, won two PAL Bay ence.�

Championships and a CCS ChampionA possible solution suggested by Olship in her six years coaching. Although iveira is a school-funded freshmen team. she feels that club volleyball makes girls The addition of a freshmen-only squad better volleyball players, she sees many would give students unable to play club cons that go along with it. volleyball the opportunity to enhance “I hate that club affects kids at a sotheir skills in preparation for their Froshcioeconomic level,� declared Oliveira.

Soph tryouts the following year. This Oliveira’s reasoning is that girls from would allow more students to play high lower income households are not able to school volleyball, and decrease the gap play club volleyball, and are at an unfair in talent between club volleyball players disadvantage. and non-club volleyball players. “When I coached, I liked taking great