THE BOLT (November 2013) by Sage Hill School

The

November 2013

BOLT

20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657

Volume 13, Issue 3

Rage Hill: (from left, upward) Junior Dino Romeo shows off a ragin’ outfit. Seniors Alex Sun, Alaina Collazo, Avni Patel, Joelle Nanula, Griffin McCalla and Nicky Boulos enjoy a dance filled with blasting music and Guitar Hero games. (from left, downward) More Sage students and friends enjoy the dance, among them junior Liz Farkas, sophomore Mackenzie Gray and freshman Kandis McGee.

Rage Hill By Bailey Super Staff Writer The bass heard ‘round the world emanated from the homecoming “raga” Nov. 2 and disturbed the peace of nary a settler. Or so the “rebel” partygoers thought. Unbeknownst to these party people, music from the carousers leaked across the unpopulated plain, sprawling across the flip side of Newport Coast Drive. The phat beat carried over this unobstructed path and permeated the foundations of junior Cole Parker’s house. “I was in my kitchen and I could hear the music from Sage,” Parker remembers. He could hear the songs so clearly that he “texted the lyrics of each specific song that was playing to [his friend] Liam Murphy, who was at the dance.” As Parker stepped outside to his backyard at approximately 9:15 p.m., he overheard his “neighbor with his window open on the phone calling the police on Sage.” Shortly after, at around 9:30 p.m.,

searchlights from helicopters passing overhead illuminated beamed circles of a pumped-up mosh pit of grooving students. Less than an hour later, the police shut the dance down. Prattle and scuttlebutt skittered through the grapevine throughout the week following the fateful dance as students tried to deduce why the police shut down the dance. Too-loud music seemed a prevalent theme. But what was with the helicopters? And why dance shut-down with only half an hour or so left? It all seemed a tad overkill. Patricia Merz,assistant head of school and a chaperone, confirmed that the police “called it” because of the heavy number of complaints they received from nearby homeowners. Plot twist: unlike Cole Parker’s neighbor, the angry villagers who reported noise pollution reside in Turtle Ridge. That’s Turtle Ridge,

Irvine, not Turtle Ridge, Newport Coast. Our own district could not contain the homecoming dance. Merz remembers a Prom held on the baseball field that ended similarly about six years ago. “This year, we tried to face the speakers and sound inward,” she explained, “but because of the wind, the music carried over the freeway.” Irvine police notified the Newport police of the” jarring party music” polluting the otherwise daintily muted SoCal evening air. Because the majority of the reports stemmed from Irvine, Newport police struggled to find the site of the dance. Already-dispatched helicopters assumed a new mission to locate the source of the loud music. The

dancing crowd and bright lights gave us away. “The police asked us to turn the music down, so we did,” Merz continued, “but they still got complaints from people on the other side of the 73, so we eventually had to shut it down.” The reason for the de-screeching halt was purely because of the sound being too loud. Drugs and/or alcohol, common reasons for police interventions in high school dances, was NOT a factor when authorities prematurely ended Sage’s homecoming. In fact, Merz said, “the policemen were very friendly and hung around afterward to chat. They thought our dance was great.” Indeed, it was.

SCHOOL LIFE

Into the Spring of Things By Nellie Hamadani Executive Editor Storm Global education is shifting to embrace partnerships with schools and communities at various destinations. The goal of this is to foster relationships with a group of international communities in a meaningful way during Spring at Sage. This spring the global experiences will include trips to Puerto Rico, Guatemala, Argentina and China. “We will always be open to new partnerships, but we want to begin to build a foundation for the future,” said Jason Gregory, director of Community Life and Public Purpose. “We want the opportunity to enjoy the reciprocity that comes with international exchange.” Because of the popularity of Spring at Sage last year, a tiered registration is being put in place. The tiered registration, beginning with seniors only on the first day, is being put in place to occur over a period of four days and to ensure that students have access to popular destinations or seminars without crashing, Gregory said. Sage is no longer using an outside database management company in order to carry out the registration process this year. For this reason “We have to be sure that our internal database management system is capable of high volumes of users,” he said. Some local experiences being offered for the first time include “Wicked Smaht” (Boston), Biodiversity of British Columbia, How to do Stuff: 101, Churros y Chocolate and Tissues, Hoops, Ropes

and Trapeze: A Taste of the Aerial World. Other new offerings include Who Do You Think You Are – Tracing Your Family History, Artisan Workshop (AKA Make Cool Stuff) and One Spring at Sage Rule Them All: The Philosophy & Culture of “The Lord of the Rings (LOTR).” Back by popular demand Sojourn to the Past: A Civil Rights/ Social Justice Journey through the American South, North Coast Natural History: Santa Barbara, Big Sur, Monterey, Poetic Surfing, Engineering the Future, Active OC, The Mouse House: Inside Disney, Engineering Discovery – Marble Project, Build Your Own Electric Guitar, Exploring the Paranormal, Introduction to Aviation, Adventures of a Culinary Novice and others. “I have worked with students creating marble projects for 13 years and last year’s Jurassic Park project was the best one I have ever seen!” said Kelly May, math instructor and director of the Marble Project. “The project involves a lot of trial and error and problem solving, and I love the small victories throughout the project.” “Last year we (Sojourn seminar attendees) went to Birmingham, Selma, and Montgomery, Alabama and Atlanta, Georgia. This year’s destinations (and speakers) are still being determined!” said Mindy Aguirre, history instructor who led the group last year.

SPRING AT SAGE 2013 MEMORIES. Senior Josh Gomez makes a new friend on the Peru global trip (top). Seniors Joelle Nanula and Avni Patel visited the Eiffel Tower while on the global trip to France (middle left). Juniors Rebecca Fudge, Paige Burke, and Lena Gottner make memories while hiking the Grand Canyon (middle right). The members of the 2013 Grand Canyon Spring at Sage trip pose for a group photo (above). The members of the 2013 Peru global trip collectively climb a stone wall (Left).

OPINION/EDITORIAL

STAFF EDITORIAL Lights flashed and music roared at the Homecoming Dance, “Battle of the Genres,” on Nov. 2. In fact, midway through Rihanna’s dance anthem, “Please Don’t Stop the Music,” the lights flashed so brightly that gyrating students looked upward—into the glare of a police helicopter. The roaring music, as it turned out, had apparently bounced off the back walls of the D. Diane Anderson Humanities Building, across the 73 freeway and into Turtle Ridge and other surrounding communities in Irvine. The residents of those communities called the Irvine police. The Irvine police called the Newport Beach police. The Newport Beach police called Assistant Head of School Patricia Merz, and at 10:17 p.m. Merz took the microphone at the dance to inform the crowd that Homecoming was being shut down. The reactions were instant and jubilant. The entire Sage Hill community seemed to feel the same way: bemused and amused. On all sides, fists thrust into the air with cries of “Sager Rager!” and “YOLO.” Students streamed, beaming, into the parking

lot. Facebook statuses lauded Homecoming as being “shut down harder than the government” and mockingly referenced “Sage Hill Learning” as the reason for the dance’s premature end. Irvine follows California Penal Code 415, which states that noise is illegal when “any person…maliciously and willfully disturbs another person by loud and unreasonable noise,” regardless of the time of day. “The sheer volume and excitement was enough to draw complaints from nearby residents,” said senior Eric Zhang. Without someone complaining that they are being disturbed by the noise, the police can not shut down an event. However, no one seemed worried that the school or the students were in trouble. “We weren’t doing anything wrong,” said sophomore Millie Tanner. “It was just like any other dance.” On the whole, the police interference and earlier-than-planned ending created a stronger bond within the community and a firmer sense of what being a Sage student means. “It literally seemed to us students that we were

“raging” too hard, or in other words, having too much fun,” Zhang said. “ I think we all looked at it as an accomplishment.” This light and lively attitude of having fun despite obstacles and not taking ourselves too seriously will be increasingly important as the school’s Strategic Planning initiative moves forward. We must keep our joie de vivre even as

Sage Hill Publications Staff contact information: www.lightningboltonline.com 14lowet.publications@ gmail.com 14lynngreene.publications@gmail. com www.facebook.com/SageHillSchool @sagehill

Lorenzo Orozco Senior

Henry Damour Junior

A Hirsute Hiatus

Briton Valdez Senior

Gregory “JR” Tolver Athletics Department

Publications Staff

Co-Editors-in-Chief: Tiana Lowe ‘14 and Erika Lynn-Green ‘14 Executive Editors: Nellie Hamadani ‘15, The Sage Hill Storm Michelle Min ’15, The Bolt Online - Joelle Nanula ‘14, The Bolt Managing Editor: Hawken Miller ‘15 Photography Editor: Emily Shimano ‘14 Section Editors: Academics: Claire Goul ‘15 Arts: Namita Prakash ‘16 Online: Kellen Ochi ‘15 and Amelia Tanner ‘16 Seniors: Maddi Bukaty ‘14

Staff:

Sports: Maddy Abbott ‘15 and Kavi Sakraney ‘14 Student Life: Kristin Saroyan ‘16 Underclassmen: Ingrid Dickinson ‘15 and Bailey Super ‘15 Elizabeth Alvarez ‘15 - Cindy Choi ‘16 - Megan Diaz ‘14 - Claire Dwyer ‘16 - Tess Hezlep ‘16 - Selin Karaoguz ‘15 - Rebecca Lynskey ‘14 - Catherine Mai ‘14 - Kandis McGee ‘17 Stephanie Min ‘17 - Brittany Murphy ‘15 - Jackie Nam ‘16 Celine Wang ‘16 - Steven Du ‘16

Publications Adviser: Konnie Krislock

FEATURES

‘Core’ and More If you haven’t heard the words “Common Core” already, you will likely hear them soon. The Common Core State Standards provide K-12 education guidelines in English and Mathematics for public school teachers in 45 states, the District of Columbia and four territories. According to University of Chicago economist James J. Heckman, only 74 percent of 18-yearolds in the United States receive high school diplomas. Tests by The Program for International Student Assessments rank American high school students at or below average in reading, science and math education in comparison with students in countries of similar economic status. Common Core aims to reduce variations in student education across the nation and bring American education to the level of its economic competitors. The changes to Common Core are supposed to emphasize critical thinking rather than fact memorization. Nonetheless, some doubt whether Common Core will be able to effect positive change on

American education. Others foresee problems with the widespread implementation of the standards. New mathematics standards now urge teachers to delve deeper into fewer topics rather than to teach students a range of topics in little depth. The English standards promote closer reading and analysis of text, as well as student-teacher discussions. Common Core affects Sage in part because Sage students come from over 50 feeder schools, and there are clear benefits of maintaining uniformity in the courses of incoming students—this helps Sage Hill to better understand the educational backgrounds of students from different schools that follow the standards. Curriculum development at Sage Hill is a multi-step process. Courses are submitted to the University of California system, checked to ensure that they meet college preparatory course requirements (99 percent of Sage Hill’s courses are approved by the UC as college-preparatory courses), reviewed by both Assistant Head of School Patricia Merz and English

1955 SPACE RACE INCREASES EDUCATION SPENDING Sputnik 1, the first artificial Earth satellite, led to an increased amount of spending on education.

1954 BROWN V. BOARD OF EDUCATION

Brown v. Board of Education is the title given to five separate U.S. Supreme court cases regarding segregation in public schools. Unable to come to a decision, the Court reheard the case. Meanwhile, the previous justice, Justice Fred Vinson, was replaced with Justice Earl Warren. The justice agreed to declare segregation in public schools unconstitutional.

teacher and Dean of Faculty Fiona Fraser, and discussed by teachers in each department. As part of this process, Sage Hill also provides “three different summer institutes where faculty come to campus” and review curriculum. Last summer, 93 percent of faculty attended these seminars, Merz said. “As an independent school, we are not required to administer state standardized tests. In the future, the College Board will incorporate Common Core standards,” explained Merz. “We are not only aware of Common Core standards, but we are also using them as a guideline, reference and resource. The obvious goal is to fully prepare students to do well in the tests.” David Coleman, the main developer of Common Core and current CEO of the College Board, aims to change not only public school requirements but also the structure of the SAT. He explains that the test should emphasize “things that matter more so that the endless hours students put into practicing for the SAT will be work

lives— ment and d plain Scarl how how says In Sa dent abou read med ques they know it to junio in Ty emph and c the C here signi Com stude at Sa deve

1992 F

The case Diana v. California State Board resulted in new laws requiring that children referred for possible special education placement be tested in their primary language.

The Higher Education Act was signed at Southwest Texas State College. It increased federal aid for higher education and provided for scholarships and student loans. The act also established a National Teachers Corps.

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that’s worth doing.” Coleman wants to replace words that are “just SAT words,” such as “depreciatory,” “redolent” and “treacly,” with more common words—like “synthesis,” “distill” and “transform.” He thinks that these will be more useful to students and hopes to modify this part of the English section on a new version of the SAT. Common Core also may be a contributing cause of plans to change the organization of the ACT; in 2015, students will be able to take a computerized version of the ACT with interactive freeresponse questions. Sage Hill offers what can be referred to as “Core and More.” Regardless of such changes, Sage students will be prepared. Sage Hill English classes have vocabulary quizzes with words useful for the SAT and beyond. In Joan Alavarez’s Accelerated English III class, students review vocabulary such as “calumny,” “abrogate,” and “ineffable.” In-class discussions allow students to connect examples from the texts to situations in their own

1970 DIANA V. CALIFORNIA STATE BOARD

1965 HIGHER EDUCATION ACT

Sto

City Acad tion’s first St

1977 APPLE ALLOWS STUD TO LEARN WITH COMP GAMES

Apple Computer, now Apple Inc., duced the Apple II, one of the first s ful P.C.’s. Apple II and Apple IIe be popular in schools as students beg learn with computer games.

FEATURES

ory By Claire Goul Academic Editor

phics By Jackie Nam Staff Writer

—all in a comfortable environnt well-sutied to idea sharing debate. Junior Michelle Min exned, “Our discussions of The let Letter made me think about societal expectations affect I live my life. Is what society right—is it really, truly right?” age Hill Biology classes, stuts will often be asked to think ut how the material they have relates to a certain disease or dical problem. “I find the critical thinking stions extremely useful because encourage you to take your wledge about biology and apply real-life situations,” described or Brittany Murphy, a student yler Zarubin’s Biology class. Sage courses have always hasized critical thinking skills certainly go above and beyond Core standards. Thus, students will likely not notice any ificant changes because of the mmon Core Standards. “We expect more of our ents anyway. The curriculum age always grows, changes and elops,” Fraser said.

FIRST CHARTER SCHOOL

demy High School, the nat charter school, opened in t. Paul, Minnesota.

DENTS PUTER

introsuccessecame gan to .

2001 THE NCLB ACT IS APPROVED BY CONGRESS The controversial No Child Left Behind Act was approved by Congress and signed by President George W. Bush on January 8, 2002. The law mandates high-stakes student testing, holds schools accountable for student achievement levels, and penalizes schools that do not make adequate yearly progress toward meeting the goals of NCLB.

1995 GEORGIA IS FIRST TO OFFER PRESCHOOL TO FOURYEAR-OLDS Georgia became the first state to offer universal preschool to all four-year olds whose parents choose to enroll them. More than half of the state’s four-year-olds are now enrolled.

2009 RACE TO THE TOP The U.S. Department of Education opened its 2013 Race to the Top competition, a $4.35 billion contest aimed to reform K-12 education.

2009 AMERICAN REINVESTMENT AND RECOVERY ACT

The American Reinvestment and Recovery Act of 2009 provided more than 90-billion dollars for education, nearly half of which goes to local school districts to prevent layoffs and for school modernization and repair. It included the Race to the Top initiative, a 4.35-billion-dollar program designed to induce reform in K-12 education.

ARTS By Kristin Saroyan and Namita Prakash Student Life Editor and Arts Editor

POETIC INSPIRATION

THAT SHOWS . . . YOU START OUT SMALL

By Janve Sobers You start out small Without a mind to give your conscious a place to rest Your body and your life are nothing but clay in the hands of those who first lay eyes on you You are innately miraculous A product of either passion or pain, or, if you’re lucky, you come from love But regardless what made you, you are beautiful because you are alive And as you grow that beauty changes, it waxes, it wanes Until it finds its rightful place on your skin, behind your eyes And when all is quiet behind my eyes I see everything that made me Everything I have been And everything I will be And I know that I am just a small piece of a very big universe A universe so ill defined Almost like it’s designed To confuse you and force you To think and rethink to find Questions to answers that don’t exist You ask yourself “who am I To breathe, to live, to love? When did it become my right?” But you can’t answer that No one can. We, who are beautiful Simply because we are alive, Are alive without reason Or alive with so much reason That we elude our own understanding It could go either way Yet, collectively, we choose to believe the latter Because all we really want is the ability to be certain of something And since the universe is infinite in its complexity We persuade ourselves that there must be, needs to be Purpose in the complexity behind our eyes And when all is quiet behind my eyes I see everything that made me Everything that I have been Everything I will ever be And I know that I am a just finite piece of an ever-growing universe

Students filled Wilkins Town Square on Sept. 3 for town meeting, not expecting a profound performance of Sage Hill senior and Poetry Club leader Janve Sober’s favorite poetic style. “Spoken word is powerful because the performance aspect of it allows you to do so much more artistically and to convey a whole new level of meaning,” Sobers said. “I also love written poetry, mostly free verse, because of the mastery it takes to craft a poem that reads well and conveys meaning.”

Club member Griffin Vrabeck said, “I became friends with Janve on the freshmen retreat last year, and she’s totally the reason I feel comfortable performing poetry now,” he said. “We share ideas on what we want to write about, come up with topics and compare our writing. We work well together because we share our different experiences with each other.” Sobers has also been collaborating with senior Mariah Wilson on her spoken word poetry since freshman year, when the two of them first began to experiment with the art.

Sobers first became interested in poetry at a young age when she was exposed to her mother’s in- “Janve and I have grown in poetry fluential writing and poetry; today, together and now we enjoy workSobers regards her mother as a role ing off of each other,” Wilson said. model. Sobers considers “Small ”her poetic “We used to watch a telemasterpiece, but she regards “See vised poetry slam called Brave New Me” as her favorite poem; she has Voices together, which is what got performed both during town meetme into spoken word,” Sobers said. ings. The Sage Hill Poetry Club gives Sobers the opportunity to spread knowledge and appreciation of poetry, and she collaborates with her peers for poetic inspiration.

Sophomore and Poetry

“Spoken word and writing in general have helped me on so many levels; I could probably write a book about all the ways they have helped me,” Sobers said. “But more than anything, I’ve gained a voice, and through it, self-confidence.”

SPORTS

Tanner Gets Sponsorship By Kristin Saroyan and Namita Prakash Content Editors Sophomore and JETCycling team member Millie Tanner has been cycling competitively since 2006, but as of 2013, her cycling career has evolved as a result of great new changes, achievements and goals. “One really great change is that our team JETCycling is now being sponsored by a bike shop called Bike Religion,” Tanner said. “They have three shops here in California, and they’re doing a lot of great things for us.” Other sponsors including Felt, Giro, Innovate, Rudy Project, JL Velo Clothing and Swiftwick are providing bikes, shoes, socks, helmets,

glasses and JETCycling other forms of cycling apparel to the team in order to support the team’s endeavors. “The season starts up in January and my team is going to be heading to Europe. I got an invite to a race in the Netherlands, which I am excited to hopefully be attending in March. Also, I am hoping to be sent to France to race for the United States.” Tanner is an 11-time California state champion, a six-time medalist at junior nationals and an eight-time junior gold medalist at the junior Olympics; she has won more than 135 races. But she has even greater plans for the future that includes participating in the 2016 Olympic road race, competing in the national championship in 2014 and going to the world championship in Spain as a member of the United States team. “There’s nothing quite like the adrenaline rush of cycling. There’s no timeouts in the sport; you’re just going for what may be 30 minutes or five hours on a bike,” Tanner said. “It’s a great way to have fun, and you get to meet a lot of people. Who doesn’t love speed? My goal is to go fast.”

Memorial for cyclist. Paul Lin, 41, was hit and killed at the intersection of San Joaquin and Marguerite in Corona del Mar, where a memorial has been placed in his honor.

New Law Supports Bike Safety By Millie Tanner Online Editor Twenty-six-year-old Amy Dombroski, a member of the cycling community, was hit by a car and killed on impact while training in Betekom, Belgium, on Oct. 7. This tragedy was a tough blow for the cycling community as Dombroski was a prodigy in cyclocross and surely had a bright future ahead of her. For me, especially since Dombroski was a mentor of mine, this incident was an eye-opener. Sure, people have thrown broken beer bottles and soda cans and yelled obscenities at me for riding on the road. I’ve also encountered the occasional clipping, abrupt braking and cutting off in turns by surprised and sometimes unsafe drivers. These encounters prove that it is dangerous and scary on the road for cyclists and drivers alike. Thankfully, California has opened its eyes to the number of accidents between drivers and cyclists. The state will implement a new law, AB 1371, protecting cyclists as of Sept. 16, 2014. This law mandates that drivers allow at least three feet between their vehicle and the cyclist. The law states that if there isn’t enough room, a driver must slow down, wait and pass when a safe distance can be maintained. This new law is a stark contrast from the current law where no required distance between drivers and cyclists is specified. The law also imposes consequences for those who defy the new three-foot rule: a fine of $35 or more. There is an even greater consequence for a driver who injures a cyclist while passing in an unsafe manner: a $220 fine. Even with the newly implemented law, both drivers and cyclists need to make an effort to maintain awareness, and both parties are equally responsible for staying in their respective lanes. I promise that I will stay in my line and respect your safety if you will do the same for me. Respect the three-foot law beginning now, even if the law hasn’t been implemented yet.

SPORTS

Success in CIF

Boys’ Football

Four fall varsity sports advanced to CIF competition with hard work and strong performances from student-athletes on the girls’ tennis, boys’ football, girls’ volleyball, and both cross country teams resulting in a berth in CIF playoff for each team. Girls’ volleyball and both boys’ and girls’ cross country are still competing in the CIF Southern Section Playoffs.

By Kristin Saroyan Staff Writer

Cross Country By Brittany Murphy Staff Writer The sounds of running shoes hitting the sidewalk along Ridge Park Road resonates in July as the coed cross country team begins its training. Four months later, both varsity teams are now in CIF competition and moving on to CIF finals on Nov. 23. The girls’ team, led by junior Brittany Andressoo and freshman Julia Lowe, finished twelfth overall at CIF Prelims Nov. 16 with the boys’ team finishing fifth in its heat with help from juniors Brian Slaughter and Patrick Hynes. This season has been far from easy though. A majority of the team has suffered through one or more difficult injuries with the most common injury being shin splints. Nonetheless, both varsity teams recovered and pushed to the finals. One of the girls’ varsity captains, junior Rebecca Fudge, reflects on the strength of the two teams. “A definite highlight for me was watching the boys push themselves so hard to qualify. Of course, I’m also very proud of the girls’ team!” The sound of running shoes hitting the sidewalk along Ridge Park Road will continue to be heard as the team prepares for CIF finals. The team is humble though, and members reflect on how much work goes into the success they achieve. Fudge does this often and is proud of how much the team has grown in a few short months.“The highlight of CIF for me was the same as every race—having the privilege of running with our amazing team.”

Girls’ Tennis

Girls’ Volleyball

By Celine Wang

By Cindy Choi

Staff Writer

After taking first place in the Academy League when they had been expected to finish fourth, the girls’ varsity tennis team ended its season in the CIF Division II round of 16. They played away against Arcadia High School, the seventh seed, and lost 12-6 on Nov. 8. “Despite this loss, I’m proud of being on this team and making it this far,” senior co-captain Briana Rayhaun said with a smile. “Every single point was a battle, and we truly fought our hardest.” The team was the tenth seed of CIF Division II and defeated Cypress High School 10-8 in the round of 32. Key players throughout the season included Rayhaun and sophomore Connie Yu, the number one doubles team. Together they have qualified to play in the girls’ tennis CIF Individuals on Nov. 25. They were doubles finalists for the Academy League Individuals. Overall, the team had a season record of 9-6 and a league record of 6-2 as Academy League Cochampions. “We believed that we could finish first in the Academy League even though we were expected to finish fourth,” head tennis coach A.G. Longoria said. “The team has shown so much courage in every match and through hard work and discipline, they’ve completely defeated everyone’s initial expectations.”

Varsity girls’ volleyball outscored rival schools like St. Margaret’s Episcopal and Crean Lutheran to qualify for the CIF winning its first three playoff matches by scores of 3-0. The varsity team greeted new members this season including freshmen Emily Lassiter, Jamie Dailey and Sahar Rohani and sophomores Lina Aluzri, Natalie Moshayedi, Giordana Ricci and returner Sophia Mossman. Seniors Juliette Singarella, Sophie Gordon, Alexander Mowrey, Claudia Noto and Maddi Bukaty are a crucial part of the team. Juniors who have sparked the team include Kekai Whitford, Maddy Abbott, Halland McKenna, and Lauren Solaas. With a 23-5 and a 25-19, 25-11, 25-10 on their last game with the Saints, the team provided the opportunity to compete in the CIF Southern Section Division 3A playoffs. Coach Dan Thomassen expressed his confidence and belief in the girls’ potential and the future of Sage Hill High School girls’ volleyball program. “Sage Hill Volleyball is having amazing success on all three levels. With almost 50 girls participating this year, it was a record year for the program. Their hopes are very much alive for another league title. With a #1 ranking in CIF, Div 3A, and a #8 ranking among all schools in Orange County, varsity volleyball is looking to make a deep run in the playoffs.”

On Nov. 15, the football team participated in its first CIF playoff game since 2010. Coming off of a 2-12 season that ended 0-10, the team impressed fans, faculty and students with their will to win, and 2013 was an improved year in all aspects. Their success as a team was neither a random event nor a miracle. Will Burns, receiver, line-backer, punter and kicker for the team, believes that an internal force led them to win. “The team dynamic changed this year because of newfound tenacity and belief in ourselves as we began winning games once again,” Burns said. Both juniors and seniors including Beau Roth, CJ McCord, Jack Bick, Logan Hamilton and Sam Masarik stepped up to make a difference in every game played. McCord, who ended the last game of the season with 305 passing yards believes that “we were able to make the playoffs because our team as a whole was much better and more connected.” The fourth overtime win against the until-then-undefeated Silver Valley team was a turning point in the season because it proved that the football team could overcome any mental obstacle that with which they were faced. Play-calling, passing, tackling and receiving were all addressed by the coaches. Burns along with most other players understood that “the team improved as a whole by focusing on the little things so we could improve the larger things as we progressed through the season.” Additions to the team and a dynamic starting line-up anchored the understanding that playoffs was within their grasp. Most importantly, the seniors on the team were able to make an impact on the season not only as excellent players but also as excellent mentors. “I think that [advancing to playoffs] has something to do with our good senior leadership,” McCord reflects.