The Smoke SIgnal Vol. XLV No.3

Friday, November 20, 2009

the

Smoke Signal

Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 45, No. 3 | November 20, 2009 www.thesmokesignal.org

41717 Palm Ave. Fremont, CA 94539 (510) 657-3600 Editors-in-Chief Hannah Scobel, Jerry Ting

News Megan Bernstein, Sargunjot Kaur Opinion Rebecca Gao, Jane Wang Feature Alissa Gwynn, Sonya John Centerspread Karen Lin, Tina Tseng A&E Niku Jafarnia, Cynthia Kang Sports Joseph Teng, Anthony Wu Graphics Elisa Ting, Albert Yuan Web Christine Cheng, Tanu Patel Tech Roger Chen, Raymond Zhong Ads Gurleen Chadha, Jamie Lin Business Henna Jethani Circulation Anastassia Tselikova Events Michelle Chu, Hannie Dong with Michael Feuerman

Writers & Photographers Rishi Das,

Chelsea Dass, Sonia Dhawan, Rebecca Dutta, Matt Farberov, Amisha Gandhi, Matthew Gosen, Sloka Gundala, Grace Han, Arthur Jeng, Ravneet Kaur, Mary Lan, Sarah Li, Aileen Lu, Megan McLaughlin, Mekala Neelakantan, Amit Patankar, Diya Roy, Justin Sha, Ginger Werner, Audrey Wu, Joy Xu, Vishal Yadav, Stephenie Yuan, Cassie Zhang, Jordan Zhang

Adviser Sandra Cohen Send letters to the editor to opinion@the smokesignal.org. Letters under 300 words may be considered for publication and must include a full name and school affiliation. The Smoke Signal reserves the right to edit for clarity and length.

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The Smoke Signal

Just

Beccause

How Interesting

By Rebecca Gao Opinion Editor

What are you passionate about?

(As a high school student, I doubt we’ve found our “ultimate goal in life” just yet.) Then what are you interested in?

Whatever the answer, “learning new things” might casually make his entrance, tipping his hat in gracious acknowledgement, but “school” will never dare intrude. The concepts of “school” and “learning” have been disassociated.

Learning can be compelling, fascinating – entertaining, even.

Studying can’t really elicit a similar description, and school is emphatically linked with “studying” instead of “learning”. Grinding through textbooks and required reading hardly nurtures an avid scholar.

As students, we often idly remark on how “boring” history class was or how “pointless” it is to review a test after the fact, since the end result has been decided already. Just the other day, an exasperated friend noted, “Who cares about the test now that it’s over? Maybe we would have been interested in discussing the material before the test, so we could get an A on it.”

Since when did knowledge only matter for the grade? Since when were we imbued with the mentality to use minimal effort to produce results? Since when did we stop having a genuine interest in learning?

To the first two: we don’t know.

Many cognitive scientists and sociologists have long sought an explanation. Some criticize schools and teachers for failing to pique students’ interests, some reprimand students for being indifferent and

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Opinion 5

InJanenious

MaJoRly CoNfuSeD

By Jane Wang

apathetic, and some condemn parents for changing learning to work.

But to the last question: I don’t think we have completely lost that inherent fascination, that hunger to know more, always more. It may be about how to change the tires of a bicycle, how to shoot a three-pointer, how to bake a perfect chocolatechip cookie; it doesn’t matter, and it shouldn’t matter.

And here we have both the complication and the resolution to the questions posed. The status quo dictates that, ultimately, only results matter, and only marketable skills are rewarded. Thus school molds us into the necessary trades through algebra, Dickens, and valence electrons. As we may have discovered, the top marks are not always given for the keenest interest in learning.

In theory, school should be the very place we find interesting. People naturally like to learn, though not necessarily what schools must teach. Until school can partner itself with learning again and until we can equate broad interests and knowledge with success, we can only wait for the increased choices in college as liberation from ennui.

But not always even then; we might remain as jaded and as penchant, bored of class and eventually bored of life.

So find something you can learn from school, anything, even if it’s as simple or clichéd as how to make friends. Sometimes, all it takes to make my day might just be someone’s innocent, comment, “Hey, that’s pretty interesting.” ▪ Send letters to the editor to opinion@thesmokesignal.org

Opinion Editor

A classmate once popped a friend of mine the big question.

“So Angie,” he started, “what do you want to be when you grow up?”

She hesitated briefly before replying, “I don’t know.”

“A doctor?”

“No.” “A lawyer?”

“Probably not.”

“An engineer?”

“Don’t think so.”

The classmate paused, momentarily baffled, then scratched the back of his head in agitation as he muttered, “Well, if you don’t know by now, you’d better get thinking fast.”

If this scene had been a commercial, that moment would have made the oh-so-tantalizing opportunity to rewind and reexamine the exchange of words in tortuous slow motion. Insert artificial audience catcalls and schmaltzy cheeseball overtures.

But in all seriousness, with UC applications due in a mere ten days and private college deadlines only a couple weeks away, ‘tis the season to be deciding, as most every college application will dangle the questions of which academic concentration and intended career path we intend to pursue.

Big questions both - maybe a little too big. Such an inquiry seems much too momentous to be adequately answered at this point in time. How are we at age 17 to know where and what we will be at age 47? According to the US Department of Labor, the average American worker transitions roughly

from three to five careers within a lifetime.

In a technology-driven world like ours, many if not most of us harbor a narrow-minded view of which careers are ‘appropriate’ to aspire to. Doctor, engineer, maybe lawyer for the daring, but nothing straying from the realm of stereotypically stable and high-paying professions.

We fixate on these particular careers and their associated majors, but the high school classes we presently trudge through oftentimes have little to no bearing on them. What’s more, few students within MSJ (or any secondary school for that matter) have been even moderately exposed to the extensive and ever-expanding list of majors. Ever guess that there exists a science of packaging? Rhetoric?

Blacksmithing? What about bowling industry management?

Randy M. Miller, chairman of a program called ReadyMinds that provides career counseling to youth, certified that a whopping 75 percent of college students change their majors at least once prior to graduation, and many of them cite their original basis of choice to be general ‘drifts’ in a certain direction, perceived earning potential, and pressure from family and friends. (Hmm, sound familiar?)

So if you’re like me and are still uncertain of what the future holds, rest assured that we, along with the approximately 2.6 million other college applicants within the US, don’t need to know just now. ▪ Send letters to the editor to opinion@thesmokesignal.org

6 Opinion

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, November 20, 2009

LATER SCHOOL START

HIT THE “SNOOZE” What do you think about MSJ’s homework load?

staff writer grace han

“MSJ’s homework [load] is acceptable; it’s homework, and it’s expected. The hardest part is not wasting time on AIM, Facebook, and other things while doing it.”

- Leslie Chan, 10

opinion editor jane wang

“The administration came up with an average number [of hours of homework] for each department and the results were totaled and put on a chart. The total amount for each student was ridiculous…about four to four and a half hours of work each night. I’ve since changed my homework policy…seeing it on a chart really put things in perspective...I think it’s easy for teachers to think of their class as the only one, but when everything is put together - there is really a very large amount of work.”

-Evangeline Sugden, Math Teacher

By Vishal Yadav Staff Writer

“If you talk to a lot of teachers, they’ll say their first period class is kind of the dead class,” said Vice Principal Zack Larsen. Every day during first period, it is common to see half of the class slowly walk in and rest their heads on the desks, while the other half prop up their heads on their hands to keep from drifting into slumber. The reason: students don’t get enough sleep.

Studies show that teens need at least eight hours of sleep every night. Most MSJ students are lucky to get even six hours. To combat this problem, the school district is considering a delay in the school start time, so school would begin at 8:40 am instead of 7:40 am. This change will benefit students because we could wake up later in the morning.

Teens naturally sleep later, due to the circadian rhythm, a wellknown biological cycle. As teens go through hormonal changes, their biological clocks shift as well, which leads to delayed feelings of sleepiness and exhaustion later in the night (around 11:00 pm rather than 10:00 pm). With the current school schedule, students sleep for seven hours, an insufficient amount for any student to function properly the next day.

Some claim that a one-hour shift in the start time won’t change anything. In theory, pushing school back would also force all other activities, like homework and sports, an hour further into the night.

However, this is based on the as-

staff writer grace han

“I find myself having a lot of homework every night. My weekends are planned for work, and juggling extracurricular activities makes it even harder. I think it would be cool if we could have homework days for classes, kind of like how each class has a test day.”

- Lor-shing Hsu, 11

By Rebecca Dutta

sumption that students work with every free second they have. This is not the case. A Facebook page around 7:00 pm on any school night, is bustling with numerous students online, chatting or commenting on each other’s profiles.

But this isn’t a condemnation of Facebook; students need this social interaction. However, this time

At MSJ, most students feel blessed if they can get eight hours of sleep each night. So to counteract the effects of heavy workloads, some have proposed a flawed plan to push school start times ahead an hour to 8:40 am. As expected, this issue has aroused criticism and

can be significantly cut down, and teenage circadian rhythms demand sleep at around 11:00 pm, so students will essentially be forced to learn efficiency and earn an extra hour of sleep as well.

Of course this proposal entails a lot of change. Parents’ schedules, bus schedules, afterschool activities, and limited daylight hours must all shift. Still, change comes with sacrifice, and all parties involved - students, teachers, and parents will have to contribute. Ultimately, it’s health and alertness versus perpetual exhaustion and drowsiness.

Switching to later start times is the only prudent decision to take. ▪

has even sparked some heated debates on how students’ lack of sleep should be handled.

An extra hour of sleep may appear a boon to MSJ students, but starting school an hour later will not benefit our health. No matter how our biological clocks function, MSJ students cannot change the number of hours they need to study. If school begins at 8:40 am and ends at 3:32 pm, then the typical student with at least three extracurriculars on his/her plate would reach home at around 5:30 pm. This would give one hour less to study before the usual bedtime, and the student would have to craftily devise a way

Staff Writer

editor-in-chief jerry ting

staff writer grace han

“I think that the homework load… is alright. I think that teachers try to keep homework reasonable, but students choose to take a large number of hard courses, then they complain about the huge amount of homework they have. And it seems that that happens a lot.”

– Hermione Gaw, 12

Same old, same old to get his standard number of study hours, ultimately leading to him to stay awake one more hour. So how does this fix the situation?

It doesn’t. Not many MSJ students are willing to compromise extracurriculars and study sessions, and this plan would only shift the school schedule an hour forward - a fruitless proposal. Sporting events would have to be pushed later, and parents whose work days match their children’s school scheduleswould have to rethink transportation options for their students.

This issue boils down to time management. If students waste less time on mindless, extraneous activities, they will find themselves easily getting a couple more hours of sleep each night. Said Career Center Specialist Janet Aldinger, “Sleep deprivation is a real issue with students...but students need to reconsider what they have on their plates and how to manage it.” So the next time you start wishing you had an extra hour to sleep in the morning, remember the long hours you spent the night before chatting away on Facebook, and realize that the true problem lies with your own choices.

The proposition of later start times is naïve and shows a serious lack of understanding of adolescent psychology. Not only will such a change be detrimental, but it will also prove to be wholly unattainable. Change does not come without sacrifice, and with all the other things going on in our lives, can we afford to sacrifice so much for so little return? ▪

staff writer aileen lu

Too Much Homework?

By Arthur Jeng Staff Writer

Admiring my freshman year planner, I realize how manageable and blithe life once was. My assignments for the day seldom solicited more than three lines of writing, and the remaining space was wisely adopted as a convenient medium to doodle thoughts on.

Apparently, on Oct. 3, 2007, I really wanted to watch the series premiere of Pushing Daisies. Two years and a disproportionate amount of sleep later, I’m pulling teeth to finish the wall of text filling each day of my planner.

Across MSJ in its entirety, it’s probably safe to assume that the typical student has experienced days in which finishing homework keeps him or her up late into the night.

Though it appears neverending, the problem is not what it seems.

Indeed, many parents have complained about the homework load to the school board, the administration, and teachers. The ensuing tensions forced at least one teacher unwillingly to reduce significantly the assignment load given. But the parents’ anecdotes often only reflect the time their kids sleep; if a student sleeps late, it does not necessarily follow that too much homework is given. What goes on before the parents come home, behind closed doors, or at the computer is not always diligence at its finest.

In fact, “too much homework” is an ambiguous measure of time predicated on opinion. While the studious and efficient are able to blow through their daily work, the “too-much-homework” Facebook status updaters spend a couple of hours embracing technology and communication before they reunite

with their backpack’s treasures.

Similarly, it may not be surprising that the students who respond to the flashing taskbar icons every few seconds end up only procuring a few hours of sleep.

Another alternative culprit to the perception of the homework overload is the procrastination sensation. To be honest, I’m starting this article I neglected for weeks at midnight - hours before deadline.

It’s not that I find staying up late particularly titillating or consider the taunting of my companiondestitute bed a friendly challenge.

Rather, as I ignore some projects and assignments, they eventually keep me up later and later until the weekend comes to prepare me for battles of waking up in the morning and staying awake at night for the impending school week.

However, the fault for piling up

projects and assignments falls on us, the students. When we opt to take more AP and Honors classes than we can handle, we have no one to blame but ourselves.

But what may be unnerving is that there are students who take the maximum amount of AP and Honors classes each year - with great success. Likewise, there are a handful of people who can multitask while working and not suffer the consequences displayed by their peers. The disparity is elucidated by people who believe there is a reasonable amount, or even a dearth of homework, versus unmanageable loads of homework.

Either way, as students progress through their years at MSJ and take increasingly advanced classes, they can only expect to devote more of their Glee time to academics. ▪

Friday, November 20, 2009

The Smoke Signal

Personal Promotions

By Niku Jafarnia A&E Editor

“Imagine that you are your own counselor and complete the chart.” Two blank charts lie ahead with characteristics listed on the left, ranging anywhere from “creativity” to “respect accorded by classmates.” Seniors stare blankly at the charts in their senior profile, unsure of whether to be modest about their personality traits or to be outright boastful.

After all, marking an “X” on a table with a scale moving “Below Average (Lowest 40%)” to “Superlative (Highest 1%)” doesn’t spell out how conceited you are.

Counselor letters of recommendation are notorious for their impersonality, what with about 500 students assigned to one counselor previously. Especially with the loss of some counselors, this year’s system is less personal than ever - around 730 students per counselor. How many students do you know have a close relationship with their counselor? Most likely few, if any at all.

At this point, seniors might as well write their own letters of recommendation, since counselors can only go on to repeat what we say in our senior profiles. At the very least, we would put far more time and effort into making it pristine because we, as students, are not burdened with about 499 other letters to write for other students.

One must wonder what universities must be thinking when they read counselor letters of recommendation. Wouldn’t they wonder how counselors could possibly know every single senior from a class of about 520 well enough to write a detailed recommendation for each? It would be far more beneficial to the admissions officers if schools replace counselor recommendations with a third

Web Editor

Just over a year ago, when President Barack Obama was newly elected, my brother had some rather ominous commentary over the dinner table - that Obama was largely a product of media hype, and once the newstations were tired of him, they would leave him for the dogs. Fortunately, Obama’s ratings haven’t quite reached this dire point yet, but they have seen a significant drop in the last year. The invincible, uncompromising hero we saw on the campaign trail is no more, and Obama has become another mortal man.

Though this may not be the ideal, I am neither surprised nor displeased. Problems do not magically resolve themselves with a wave of the presidential seal. Of course, it was disappointing to see the president fail to avoid politics as usual in Washington, but to have done so

ANDREWLEIGH.COM

would have led to either spectacular or horrific results. It was a gamble the president decided not to take, but his eagerness to address issues should not be overlooked.

Despite a 10.2 percent unemployment rate, our struggling economy is slowly being wrested from the throes of the recession with a 3.5 percent growth in the last fiscal quarter.

Opinion 7

REAL Versus Internet Life

By Michael Feuerman & Sargunjot Kaur Staff Writer and News Editor

Virtual relationships are just that - virtual. Think about it: the body language, the pauses between words, the sarcasm, and the underlying emotions are all hidden in cyberspace. In past years, the popularity of social networking sites, chatting, and texting have mushroomed while realworld socializing has tanked.

The Internet, as shocking as it may seem, is new. Not only that, it’s also rude. Social etiquette over the web is so undefined that it borders on insanity. The awkward-turtle moments in face-to-face conversations are now filled with LOLs and umms in cyberspace. Whatever happened to a tone of voice? On the Web, the closest we have is a colon followed by a parenthesis.

If this keeps progressing, we imagine a future society communicating entirely through text messages. Can you imagine trying to talk back to your parents? “Don’t you dare use that emoticon with me young man!”

Sadly, in cyberspace we have an even bigger threat: our “friends”. What’s to stop someone from posting a humiliating state-

ment on your wall? Or a ridiculous picture of you kissing a piñata at that one party because you thought it was Megan Fox? Furthermore, the coffee dates, hour-long phone chats, and “hanging out” have all been replaced by late night AIM chats, apathetic

teacher recommendation or just dismiss it completely.

Counselors are wholly commended for their efforts in taking the time to write the hundreds of recommendations we ask of them. However, it’s unfortunate that we must question how well those recommendations reflect our true characters, since they are heavily based on our self-written senior profiles. They must sound an awful lot like our personal statements. ▪

QUARTERLY PANIC

We think not.

More than words define a relationship.

The unconscious flutter of your heart or blush in your cheeks can not be portrayed through emoticons. Neither can the bold eye contact or the crinkle in your forehead be translated through keyboard buttons. The addiction to online networking is unhealthy and disappointing.

We say to these denizens of cyberspace, why not spend those hours meeting real people in real places to build tangible relationships? Why not translate that impersonal “hahaha” into an vivacious laugh?

We are fallible humans. Ongraphics editor albert yuan line we can be anyone, hide anye-mails, and 140-character tweets. This onthing, say everything. So now that you are line franchise not only functions as a timeaware of the danger, defend yourself against waster but also as the robber of livelihood these assaults on your character and happiand essential human interactions. It’s yet anness. First, unfriend every single person you other case of technology taking leaps beyond know on Facebook. Then, erase all contacts ethics. It’s detrimental. in your cell phone. Finally, build an impenOftentimes, individuals comfortable etrable brick wall around your house to desharing intimate conversations online cannot fend against the oncoming army of geeks. It so much as nod to each other when passing will be tough, but hey, it’s easier than quitting by in a hallway. Is that really a relationship? cold turkey. ▪

Obama’s One-Year Anniversary

By Christine Cheng

www.thesmokesignal.org

Many government programs helped boost the economy, including the Car Allowance Rebate System, colloquially known as “cash for clunkers”, which contributed to a surge in automobile sales. Though sales dropped once again in August, US sales increased by 1.0 percent from August 2008, the first over-the-year increase since October 2007.

Additional funds for schools and businesses alike have also helped to keep the economy on its feet.

Foreign policy, however, remains the mess that it was before Obama’s presidency.

Though the president ordered Guantanamo Bay to close by January 2010, neither America nor its allies is willing to take in the prisoners currently housed there; it would require nothing short of a miracle to shut it down on time. President Obama is trying to reach out to other countries, an action recognized by the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize, but the effectiveness of such outreach has yet to be seen. With tensions running high between the divided sides of Korea, the international community is closely watching the president’s reaction and carefully reviewing his visit to Asia.

The health care bill that narrowly passed through the House defied many doubts but still highlighted the lack of unity in Congress. Although the president sought bipartisan support, the only bipartisan aspect was the general disagreement over what the bill should include. True, the public option bill passed, but with just a single Republican vote.

Granted, change takes time and patience.

President Obama has held office for hardly over a year, and we are already beginning to see the change that he promised during the course of his campaign. We can only hope that this change comes with the stamina to follow through on his promises, resulting in a better America for tomorrow. ▪

staff writer cassie zhang

By Roger Chen Staff Writer

After a harrowing two months of learning the ropes for new classes and teachers, it’s time for a well-deserved break to work off the stress of school. Too bad the upcoming break is marred by the prospect of quarter reports.

Part of a yearly “tradition”, quarter reports provide both students and parents with an update on students’ grades. In past years, these reports have been picked up by parents at the beginning of Thanksgiving break in time for parent-teacher conferences. However, the cancellation of conferences means that quarter reports were distributed during third period Wednesday, November 18.

Quarter reports are no more significant than the occasional progress reports that a teacher might distribute during class. Although most students accept this fact, parents often take a radically different approach, treating the quarter report as if it were going onto a transcript. “My parents never understand when I tell them that the quarter report card is just a progress report,” said Junior Vaishaal Shankar. “A 3.83 in the first quarter will not be on my transcript.”

When parents see that “B” on something that looks remotely like a transcript, they panic. Has my child just thrown away all chance of getting into Harvard because of this “B”? What will become of their future?

What they fail to realize is that few students immediately excel at the beginning of the year. The first quarter of school is intended to be a period of time when students acclimatize to their classes, learning about each teacher’s specific requirements and doing what is necessary to get the grade they want. A quarter grade of a “B” doesn’t necessarily mean a student is lacking in effort or aptitude. Likewise, a “B” at the quarter can easily be pulled up to an “A” by the semester. The untimely nature

of these reports creates undue panic from a fear of botched college applications.

In addition, quarter reports are part of an aging system of parent-teacher communication from the days before the Internet. With the recent introduction of the online gradereporting system iParent, both students and parents are often able to view updated grades from select teachers online at their own con-

staff writer cassie zhang

venience. The continued distribution of paper reports is both unnecessary and redundant.

Paper transcripts should only be distributed at the ends of both semesters, when the grade will go onto a student’s permanent record.

The current system of distributing quarter reports should be replaced by a second round of notices of failure which would tell students if their grades are really in “critical” situations. The closure of the first quarter should instead represent a milestone that teachers should meet, so they can provide students with a universal update on grades rather than a definitive end of an “era”.

The elimination of quarter reports would ultimately benefit all parties, from the students to the administration. Quarter reports are meant to be about progress, not finality, and should be treated as such. ▪

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, November 20, 2009

By Aileen Lu, Michelle Chu, Tanu Patel & Karen Lin Staff Writers, Web Editor, and Centerspread Editor

Thanksgiving. The word brings to mind images of turkey, mashed potatoes, and Grandma’s famous pumpkin pie. But what other things aside from potential obesity can you expect from this cherished holiday? Let’s take a look.

All across the US, Americans will gather with their families on November 26 to celebrate Thanksgiving.

Some families eat turkeys; others eat chickens. Some people work at the soup kitchen; others play football.

Here are a couple of traditional ways Thanksgiving is celebrated by the people of the US. Making a Wish Some families fight over the wishbone after Thanksgiving Dinner. Two people tug on either end of a fowl’s bone until the wishbone breaks into two pieces. The person with the larger piece is granted a wish that will definitely come true. This tradition dates all the way back to the Romans.

1.

Thomas Jefferson claimed Thanksgiving was the most ridiculous concept he’d ever heard of.

2. Turkeys can have heart attacks.

When the Air Force was running tests and breaking the sound barrier in the late 1940s and early 1950s, fields of turkeys would drop dead from shock.

3. The record for the heaviest dressed turkey was set in 1989 at the annual “Heaviest Turkey” competition held in London. It weighed a whopping 86 pounds.

4. Americans eat 535 million pounds of turkey on Thanksgiving each year, which totals to about 45 million turkeys.

This accounts for approximately onesixth of all turkeys eaten in the US every year.

Football For some Americans, Thanksgiving Day consists of family and friends splitting up into teams to play football. Many play two-hand touch football so nobody gets tackled. For those less inclined to head outdoors, there’s the National Football League’s Thanksgiving Classic, a series of three football games held on Thanksgiving Day. Soup Kitchen Volunteering at the soup kitchen to feed the homeless and poor is a good way for families to both bond and give back to the community. Soup kitchens often need many volunteers to help pick up

donations from around the neighborhood, prepare food, set up tables, and clean up. Even when times are hard, it’s important to think about those who are less fortunate than us and try to make a difference in their lives.

Counting Your Blessings Remembering to be thankful for all of your blessings is the heart and soul of the Thanksgiving holiday.

Many families go around the table and have each family member consider what they are most thankful for. Amidst all the festivities and celebrations, don’t forget that Thanksgiving is ultimately about praise and giving thanks.

5. Benjamin Franklin wanted the turkey to be our national bird, calling the turkey a “Bird of Courage” and a “true original Native of America.”

6. Do you get sleepy after the big meal? That’s probably because turkey has an amino acid called tryptophan that sets off chemical reactions which induce sleep. Yawnnnn.

7. Turkeys can drown if they look up while it’s raining. Turkeys have an inherited genetic condition that makes them prone to exhibiting abnormal behavior, such as staring at the sky for more than 30 seconds. Essentially, they have no control over their actions and will sometimes stare at the sky with their mouths open while it’s raining.

8. Every year, the First Family donates three turkeys to the National Turkey Federation. Two are dressed and then eaten. One is allowed to peacefully live out the rest of its life on a farm.

9. On the Saturday after Thanksgiving, the annual World’s Largest Disco is held in Buffalo, New York. The dance floor uses over 500,000 watts of lights and sound.

Black Friday has been plagued by its bad rap since the dawn of commercial spending.

Memories of lines snaking around store buildings, crowded malls at 5 am, and consumers shoving each other to grab Tickle-Me-Elmos still haunt even the most dauntless of shoppers. However, if you take these precautions, you too can be prepared to triumph over this infamous and intimidating day.

Prepare ahead of time (seriously) Planning out your retail attack can make all the difference between a successful shopping trip and a day of epic failure. You should spend at least several minutes perusing advertisements online and in the newspapers to weed out the worthwhile deals from the duds. Otherwise, you might miss out on shopping opportunities or, even worse, waste your time by buying something you will regret later.

Have a Resilient Attitude After all that time spent waiting at the doors during the wee hours of the morning and being pushed and shoved by aggressive shoppers, it’s only slightly disheartening

to see the last of your coveted product snatched before your very eyes. No worries, though; stand strong and just turn the experience into a lesson: follo tip number one of this article n year.

Shop Online Should you choose not to go stores for Black Friday, you may out when all of your friends reve of purchased bargain electro clothing. However, you can p scenario by shopping for Bla deals online. The only risk from sh online during the Thanksgiving h is server overload due to high website traffic. If things go w not only do you get your item but you also avoid receiving bruises and headaches from in-store hassle.

Stay at Home All in all, the best way to surviv energy-sucking tumult of Black F is simply to avoid public co Eat freshly-baked cookies, la the miserable souls partaking self-imposed, materialistic holid patiently wait for the Christma season to begin.

“I am grateful for warm, fuzzy scarves and sweaters on windy, frigid days.” - Amanda Hong, 9

Friday, November 20, 2009

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

While a whole turkey is traditionally the main course of any Thanksgiving dinner, it doesn’t have to be.

Plenty of other options exist for those wanting to diverge from the norm.

For the Pork Lover There’s no reason why you can’t have pig over turkey, especially when it comes down to crispy, smoky bacon. And for any bacon aficionado, the Bacon Explosion from BBQ Addicts is the epitome of porky goodness, with plenty of fatty bacon and rich Italian sausage. Strips of bacon are used to create a woven base, which is later topped with a thick layer of loose sausage and more bacon in the form of fried bacon bits. Similar to a cake roll, the entire thing is rolled up, smoked on a grill, and basted with barbecue sauce.

Five thousand calories and 200 grams of fat is a small price to pay for nothing less than pork heaven. The Bacon Explosion can be purchased online from http:// www.bbqaddicts.com.

“I am thankful for the good feelings that I take home with me after each and every day at Mission.” - Charlie Brucker, Geometry and Algebra 2 Teacher “[I’m grateful for] my feet and ears. Because without my feet, I can’t dance, and without my ears, I can’t hear the beautiful music I dance to.”

- Jeffrey Liang, 11

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Most of us spend Thanksgiving with loved ones and away from the tube, but the lure of the TV can be strong in influence. If watching the Macy’s Thanksgiving Parade isn’t enough for you, here are some movies to consider viewing to warm your heart in time for the holidays.

Planes, Trains and Automobiles Neal (Steve Martin) is a successful businessman who needs to catch a flight home in time for Thanksgiving. Unfortunately, his flight is delayed, and he somehow ends up stuck with a talkative salesman (John Candy) for a traveling companion.

Together, the two men must overcome maddening obstacles while dealing with their polar personalities. The underlying message of friendship gives this movie a depth and tenderness not commonly seen in a comedy, especially one as funny as this flick. While watching the hilarious antics of the two leading characters, you may find yourself learning lessons about empathy and companionship.

A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving No Thanksgiving movie list would be complete without A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving. Though Charlie Brown had planned on eating Thanksgiving dinner at his grandmother’s, Peppermint Patty invites herself over to Charlie’s house. Along with Linus, Snoopy, and Woodstock, Charlie creates an inventive meal out of toast, popcorn, jelly beans, and pretzel sticks. Patty is not impressed but soon realizes that she ought to be grateful for the efforts of her friends. Watching A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving is a must for any fan of the comic strip Peanuts.

Pieces of April April Burns (Katie Holmes) lost touch with her dysfunctional family when she moved to Manhattan. However, because her mother (Patricia Clarkson) may not live to see another Thanksgiving, April invites them over

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For the Animal Lover Turkeys are animals too, and for both vegetarians and vegans, there’s Tofurky. Made from seitan (wheat gluten) and tofu, this Kosher-certified turkey substitute comes in a wide range of flavors, from hickory smoked to cranberry and stuffing. Not only does Tofurky have a meat-like texture, it’s lower in both fat and calories than real turkey and is cholesterol free. Tofurky can be found at select supermarkets and online at http://www. tofurky.com.

For the Indecisive Can’t decide between chicken, duck or turkey?

Why not have all three? Perhaps the most decadent choice for a Thanksgiving main course, a turducken is simply a chicken stuffed inside duck, which is then stuffed inside a turkey. Cornbread dressing is stuffed in between the meat layers so that while the turducken is roasting, all the juices from the birds soak into the stuffing, adding another dimension of flavor.

to celebrate Thanksgiving over dinner with her boyfriend. What results is nothing less than sheer chaos and hilarity, as April scrambles to prepare for her family’s arrival. Despite its comedic tones, Pieces of April’s themes of filial and sibling relationships are surprisingly deep and touching.

What’s Cooking?

Thanksgivings gone wrong are highlighted in this humorous and heartwarming movie about imperfect families. Four ethnically diverse families have their Thanksgiving dinners marred by the sudden revelation of familial problems ranging from infidelity to cross-cultural relationships.

The quick pacing and tension in the plot will keep you breathless, and the depictions of sumptuous food will leave you drooling. What’s Cooking? not only provides an interesting look at the ways different cultures celebrate Thanksgiving, but it also gives insight into real life issues that every family has to deal with.

Hannah and Her Sisters Woody Allen’s critically acclaimed comedydrama film centers around Hannah (Mia Farrow) and the romantic relationships of her two sisters in the one year span between two Thanksgiving dinners. One of Hannah’s sisters, Lee (Barbara Hershey), engages in an adulterous affair with Hannah’s husband (Michael Caine), who resents Hannah for her independent nature and success as an actress. Hannah’s other sister, Holly (Dianne West), a cocaine addict who takes up script writing in lieu of acting, falls in love with Hannah’s ex-husband, Mickey (Woody Allen), a hypochondriac whose antics serve as the comic relief in this otherwise serious movie. Wildly humorous at times and poignantly angsty at others, this beautifully directed film is the perfect way to end any Thanksgiving.

“I’m grateful that MSJ feels really united compared to other schools; everyone supports each other, even between different grade levels.”

- Leslie Chan, 10 photos from imdb.com, bluemegal.com, cyberpresspublishing.com, maesindoindonesialtd.trustpass.alibaba.com, istockphoto.com, bbqaddicts.com, whatscookingamerica.net, wordpress.com, wikimedia.org

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The Smoke Signal

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Turkey Takes Friday Activities: Mission Idol and Halloween Contest

Friday, November 20, 2009

2b

a. Senior Kylan Nieh serenades the crowd. b. Senior Trey “Simon” Howell rejects Junior Austin Jackson’s musical dreams as fellow judges Seniors Gina Gori and Vikram Sangha look on. c. Senior Komyar Moghadam sings his heart out.

Friday Acticity: Halloween costumes a. Dressed as a Rabbi, Senior Scott Kavanagh strikes a pose. b. Sophmore Connor Williams gets his groove on. c. Senior Teddy Fong interviews Domo-kun aka Junior Dustin Vo.

Undokai a. Freshman Russell Yue downs doughnuts in the doughnut relay. b. Senior Alexandra Borgzinner and her classmates wave their arms in the opening class cheer. c. The Keroppi team (a Japanese frog character) does its morning exercise with the other classes. d. Freshman Nicholas Lam runs fiercely with his balloon to win the race.

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photos by staff writers aileen lu

, amit patankar & diya roy

14 Arts & Entertainment

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The Smoke Signal

2012: The End of the World.

By Justin Sha

Starter Pack: Artists to Watch Out For

Look, just because you got a 2012 on your SAT...

Staff Writer

The day the Sun and Earth galactically align to the Milky Way’s center; the day Earth’s axes flip, 69180-ing itself into the next Ice Age; the day supervolcanoes smolder the world into cinder-n-bits; the day anything and, just about, everything is green for go – Dec. 21, 2012 is the day of doom.

Now, I’m a firm believer in the Apocalypse – in the supernatural, in the supposedly imaginary, and in the so-called implausible. So, that’s why when I decided on my life quest to persuading the world it only had two more years left to live, I thought I’d start by yelling at, preaching to, and jumping people, as they tried to evade me inside the Great Mall. Needless to say, I sadly didn’t fare so well, as hours later, I was black-eyed, panda-faced with my fire-red picket signs and blow horns in tow for home. It was only then that I saw faraway in leafgreen neon, the screenings for John Cusack’s 2012.

Inside, jaw-dropped and all, I gaped at the movie’s accuracy in depicting how, despite Earth’s relative biological stability, the world would seemingly come to an end in a very short two years!

After all, if out of the world’s thousands of scientific institutions, a few mavericks believed in a Judgment Day caused by everything from asteroid impacts to two years’ worth of global warming, no doubt would Earth expire in 2012’s winter solstice.

And besides the Mayans, other civilizations also predict the same doomsday; the abstract inferences

By Joy Xu

Staff Writer

staff writer michael feuerman

of China’s I Ching’s King Wen sequences, for example, attest that on Dec. 21, the world will undergo an awakening of reality-defying events – the coming to life of everything of the imagination.

To elaborate, 2012 solidified my beliefs in how, albeit many other former doomsdays had failed to come to pass, the 1,500 year-old Mayan Galactic Alignment Theory was different. And after witnessing 2012’s tossing in logically likely apocalyptic events; from continent-splitting quakes to nuclear-bomb-sized volcanic eruptions, all of which are surely plausible and capable enough of destroying the Earth; it was then that I realized 2012 was the iconic banner, of which we, believers, must rally about.

Thus, the doomsday clock is ticking, and if scientists, mystical theories, and believers in the supernatural deign it to be so, surely humanity will face the Armageddon – an oncoming onslaught of wars, geomagnetic reversals, solar spots, anarchy, supervolcanoes, alien invasions, and more. Ahh! Guess you don’t have to worry about those SAT scores anymore, we’ll all be dead in two years anyway!▪

Friday, November 20, 2009

One of the best features of YouTube is the access to amazing artists who are, sometimes, extremely talented entertainers. If you haven’t gotten a chance to experience and watch the multitude of amazing artists online and you don’t know where to start, here are a few popular YouTube Users whose videos you should look out for!

CollegeHumor writes, directs, and produces for their own personal site, but post on YouTube as well.

Their short videos are satirical, controversial, and simply hilarious.

Username: FluffeeTalks Style: Comedian/Director FluffeeTalks is a 21 year-old Caucasian comedian who uses interesting, funny, and awkward current news to create sarcastic, opinionated videos. He’s got an undeniably

(From left to right) Kevin Wu, David Choi, Alyssa Bernal, and Jennifer J. Chung

Username: Kevjumba Style: Comedy Kevjumba is a young Chinese man by the name of Kevin Wu. He was at one point in his YouTube career the #1 Most Subscribed Comedian on YouTube. Kevjumba mainly “video-blogs” by talking about random funny issues that come up in his life. He is worth a few minutes of your time, if you haven’t seen him already.

Username: CollegeHumor Style: Comedy CollegeHumor has a collection of original videos that the staff of

Hispanic American girl named Alyssa Bernal. Her account has a plethora of great song covers and not only is she good looking, but she also has a lot of talent.

Username: ilajil Style: Music Ilajil is a Filipino musician and songwriter named AJ Rafael. He is currently attending The Berklee College of Music and is famous for his original songs, cool sets of

upload.wikimedia.org, alivenotdead.com,

great sense of humor and a strong camera presence.

Username: davidchoimusic Style: Music David Choi is a Korean American singer, songwriter, and producer.

With his video blogs, unique voice, funny personality, and great taste in music, he’s become an instant hit on YouTube. David is also amazing musician and singer as well; he released his own album recently and is currently on tour.

Username: hchsknights08 Style: Music Hchsknights08 is a 19 year old

2.bp.blogspot.com, angryasianman.com

videos, and the fact that he plays most of his music by ear. His voice is pitch-perfect.

Username: JenniferJChung Style: Music This UC Irvine student became popular in 2007 after she entered a video for a Broadway contest and ended up winning first place out of hundreds with her “Part of Your World” (The Little Mermaid) entry.

She covers a lot of popular songs and writes her own originals—always putting her own spin on it. ▪ youtube logo (in headline) from techshout.com

Friday, November 20, 2009

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

‘This Is It’: Is It Really?

Dashboard| An Unhappy Ending continued from page 1

By Stephenie Yuan

Staff Writer

Over the course of two weeks, millions of Michael Jackson fans rushed to nearby movie theaters to watch the new two-hour and five minute concert film, This Is It. It is a series of hundreds of rehearsal footage for a promised fifty show come-back tour scheduled for July in London that ended with Jackson’s tragic death on June 25th, 2009. This film captures the true artistic genius of the King of Pop in creative process. Kenny Ortega, the director of Jackson’s concerts, called it a “gift” for his fans and aimed to show the world the greatest worldclass entertainer of all time—one last time.

The film is a series of heartfelt, sad, humorous and eye-opening scenes all packaged into one commemoration dedicated to Jackson’s three children. This Is It opens with emotional interviews from his cast and crew about their feelings toward performing with Jackson. Raw rehearsal footage provides the audience with a true live concert experience. Cameras filmed the applause by the directors and dancers after Jackson’s performances, which were heard regardless of his vocal delivery, as his simple stage presence was more than enough to carry the day.

The opening screen reveals that the rehearsals were “captured by a few cameras”. Unedited clips, with narrations from Jackson himself, include the hit songs, “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin”, “Black or White”, “Speechless”, “Smooth Criminal”, and dozens more. The

ampradio.com

film precisely captures, in high definition, spectacular visual effects that were intended to dazzle the audience.

This movie dispels any rumors that Jackson was in physically weak condition. He did not seem, at all, frail or exhausted, though at times he would remind the directors that he needs to “conserve his voice” for the actual performances. He never once raises his voice for a task to be completed. The soft-spoken, courteous performer asked his cast for changes and always worked with them. Perhaps the most touching scenes are when Jackson reminds his cast the reason for the fifty shows: “It’s all for love. L-O-V-E.” From his ear for the notes to his intricate vision of the theater adorn-

ments, the rare phenomenon aimed for perfection and wanted to create the most magnificent performance seen in the history of entertainment.

The historical documentary delivers to its viewers a riveting close look at how the concert would have been.

This is a must-see for anyone who has ever enjoyed Michael Jackson music, worn the Thriller jacket, or attempted to moon walk. It is the closest anyone will ever get to seeing the world-class entertainer, Michael Jackson perform in the 21st century.

Although the sudden death of musical genius, Michael Jackson, shocked the world, this movie has preserved his soul that is, no doubt, still singing and dancing. ▪ Rating: A

UNDER THE RADAR Tegan & Sara

By Raymond Zhong

Staff Writer

With indie creativity and mainstream catchiness, identical twins Tegan and Sara have made their sharp and rhythmic sound the talk of the independent music scene.

Their last two albums, So Jealous (2004) and The Con (2007), were critical and commercial successes, but their latest album makes them worth listening to for everyone.

Sainthood, just released in October, features new experimentation with pop-rock motifs and the synthesizer. It opens with the song “Arrow,” starting with harsh and hauntingly repeated chords and progressing into a more elaborate harmony, bringing in more instruments and the characteristically acoustic vocals of the duo.

The album’s first single, “Hell,”

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has a completely different style, a brisk pop-rock sound with chords and drum routines reminiscent of typical mainstream songs. But, with floaty yet plain lyrics and light keyboard and guitar riffs, it seems more self-aware and independent than a pop tune.

Other songs on the album experiment even further. In typical indie style, they are each short and sweet at around three minutes, and show a remarkable maturity and depth of thought. For example, “Someday” is an anthem reminiscent of Kelly Clarkson at first listen, but its style begins to show after a few replays. Parts of the song are subtly out of tune, the theme reveals itself to be more profound than it appears at first glance, and as a result the song shows its replay value.

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Indeed, replay value is one of the great strengths of the album.

While most of Tegan and Sara’s songs tie in with the themes of love and turmoil, Sainthood is their first narrowly focused album. It covers a lot of ground, from their parents’ divorce (“Night Watch”) to teenage relationships (“On Directing”) to emotions (“Sentimental Tune”), but each song remains faithful to the album’s theme – practicing virtue and sainthood and virtue to gain love and adoration. Not only is it possible to listen to individual songs again and again, but the album’s theme gives it depth and new meaning every time it is played back. That, along with the added synthesizers and pop-rock flair, makes Sainthood and Tegan and Sara worthy of a listen. ▪ Rating: A

instrumentals that overwhelm Carrabba’s gentle, bittersweet vocals.

The lyrics are nothing impressive, either. Though “I Know about You” has a promising beat, the message it conveys portrays the lead singer as a sinister stalker. The lackluster “Until Morning” is not much better, as it simply paints a stereotypical example of summer love.

Halfway through discography, there shines “Belle of the Boulevard”, the only flawless track. It is reminiscent of Dashboard’s earlier works and soothes the listener with its mellow beat, melancholy melody, and of course, Carrabba’s signature, rough vocals.

The main problem with Alter the Ending is the rash decision of the band to fall to conformity. Dashboard was cherished because of their uncanny ability to capture heartbreak in an artistically-woven four minutes of pure listening pleasure. But suddenly, they decide to amp up the drums, add a couple of heavy guitar lines, and throw in cheesy lyrics that rival the songpenning talent of the JoBros.

Perhaps the band realizes this, since they released a deluxe edition of the album that offers acoustic versions of all the tracks. This alternate edition has everything the original lacks, using minimal instrumentals to shine the spotlight on Carrabba’s

earnest and raw voice.

Sadly, the deluxe edition is only an afterthought, hastily thrown in by a group who stubbornly believes the public would rather rock out to their sloppy work on the original version. Sorry to break it to you guys, but that was a bad move. ▪ Rating: C

Music Picks from the Editorial Board

This Month: RELAX (TAKE IT EASY) Albert let me hear your voice by big bang Alissa gardenia by mandy moore Anthony ROUGH DRAFT BY YELLOWCARD Christine BUTTERFLY BY G-DRAGON Cynthia chicago by sufjan stevens Elisa FIREFLIES BY OWL CITY Hannah on your porch by the format Jane Viva la vida by coldplay Jerry AS LONG AS YOU LOVE ME BY BSB Joseph By my side by urban germany Karen GOODBYE TO YOU BY MICHELLE BRANCH Megan sky by joshua radin Niku piazza, new york catcher by belle & sebastian Rebecca bella luna by jason mraz Sargun fix you by coldplay Sonya the man who can’t be moved by the script tanu HOME BY MICHAEL BUBLE Tina I WILL FOLLOW YOU INTO THE DARK BY DCFC Mrs. Cohen banana pancakes by jack johnson

visit www.thesmokesignal.org to listen to the playlist graphics editor albert yuan

Modern Warfare II

By Jordan Zhang

Staff Writer

This is it—after leaving the gaming community hungry for a sequel to the stunning Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare, the developers at Infinity Ward have come back with another epic adventure.

Every single mission is packed full of action. Nothing gets the heart pumping like hurtling through a forest at 130 mph on a snowmobile or fleeing blindly from 50 enemies without a weapon in hand. Modern Warfare 2 (MW2) isn’t short on plot twists either. The player jumps onto a helicopter at the beginning of the game to get to safety. Later on, yet another helicopter waits at the end of a tunnel, which makes it seem like the writers were out of ideas. Instead, the tunnel collapses and the helicopter pulls the soldiers out of a shaft seconds before the Navy levels the building. Simply put, MW2 is adrenaline in a box.

Both MW games are not shy on emotion with the level of war drama found in Saving Private Ryan. It is tragic when the American spy Joseph Allen is forced to murder civilians to keep up his

disguise. MW2 brings the fight to American soil and reminds the player of the cost of war as the soldiers fight through neighborhoods much like our own, watching homes burn under enemy fire.

The variety of settings has dramatically increased. Players can now fight on oil rigs, in blizzards, in the streets of Rio de Janeiro, inside the White House, or even through the American suburbs in houseto-house combat with the invasion force. Grenades have also been modified to roll down slopes and bounce much more realistically, and, of course, there are new weapons.

Multiplayer has stayed pretty much the same. Perhaps the only new and exciting aspect is that after a 25 kill streak, the player can launch a tactical nuke resulting in automatic victory. The developers also chose to remove dedicated servers for the multiplayer on the PC version, but so far that has posed no problems.

Some issues are that 90% of the game is infantry combat with little vehicular action, and that plot is fast paced and a little hard to follow, but this is just nitpicking. MW2 is the best game of the year hands down. ▪ Rating: A

dailymail.co.uk

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, November 20, 2009

Is the TV Show

Worth Watching?

Lives Up to hype

Doesn’t Match Up

By Sarah Li

Staff Writer

At first glance, Glee may not appear like much. It certainly seems as if another show pitting high school misfits against the popular kids has elbowed its way onto our airwaves (High School Musical, anyone?). Fortunately, FOX’s new musical comedy is much more than just another cliché teenage melodrama.

First off, Glee is something that high-schoolcentric shows haven’t seen for a while: comedy.

Whereas many teen shows focus on the rise of teen pregnancies, self-esteem issues, and low moral standards, Glee provides a break from the negative light that’s so often cast upon today’s teens. These “modern teen issues” do make their way onto the show, however, but they tend to play out as side plots. As a result, Glee still remains lighthearted, relatable and (thankfully) doesn’t fall into the dreaded pit of yet another trite teenage soap opera.

Thus, Glee retains an appeal that caters to teens and adults alike. The fact that the show spends as much time focusing on the teachers’ storyline as it does on the students’ further separates it from the stereotypical teenage drama. Oftentimes, the adult characters even outshine the students: Sue Sylvester ( Jane Lynch), the school’s diabolically authoritarian cheerleading coach, is often said to steal every scene she’s in through her scathing personality.

If Glee is able to keep up this appeal, it will continue to attract even more viewers of all ages, as well as hold on to their current audience.

Finally, of course, we certainly cannot continue without mentioning Glee’s musical aspect: it’s what defines the show and ultimately brings the characters and story together, providing an effective means of expressing the characters’ emotions where mere acting does not suffice. Glee’s musical selections

also run the gamut by including songs from musicals, as well as genres ranging from hip hop to ’80s rock to modern pop, which has proved to please audiences of all ages again.

In addition, what raises Glee to yet another level is the fact that nearly all the characters have been given their own numbers to per-

There has been much buzz over the newest High School Musical turned TV-show: Glee.

Embodying spirit and talent, and supposedly inspiring teenagers to pursue their passion,

form. Coupled with the show’s excellent actors (many of whom have had musical backgrounds), Glee’s soundtrack is able to blend into the show seamlessly and effectively.

Thus, the true success of Glee lies in its charming and novel twist on familiar themes.

In the end, the show is simply about bringing different people together into one delightful conglomeration of music, fun and essentially, glee, which is why it has become one of this season’s most beloved and praiseworthy shows. ▪

does this musical-comedy-drama live up to its hype?

Filled with peppy covers and mash-ups of popular songs that are woven into further the plot and emotion, there is definitely a music video feel to the story. This may be taken either positively or negatively. The first time the cast burst into song, anyone who has been exposed to MTV sees the obviousness of the song being overlaid, digitalized, and edited to fit the characters lip-syncing. Of course, it is

By Mary Lan

Staff Writer

techpp.com

note perfect and can easily be downloaded as a soundtrack, but there hasn’t been a moment when characters have sung naturally. Which actors are actually good at singing?

Almost every major character is highlighted with a solo song, expressing their hidden emotional turmoil in a clever song choice.

Though the target audience can range from preteens to adults, it is cringe inducing when an older character breaks into modern dance and song. In a positive light, music expresses the characters in ways acting cannot.

The overall acting method is reminiscent of a Disney channel show, with painfully scripted dialogue at times. Everyone is placed into stereotypes and given faults of character that do not change over time. The problem with Disney channel shows is that the easiest way to introduce characters is to put them into stereotypes for comic relief and easy connection: the nerd, the ditz, the outgoing person, etc. In Glee, Sue Sylvester, the main antagonist, even labels the kids as “wheelchair, gay, Asian, other Asian, cheerleader”.

However, the characters’ stereotypes inspire a certain type of unexpected wit that is in a whole new genre of humor, usually shown between clashes of character.

There does not seem to be much chemistry between the actors even though they claim to stick together because of Glee club. Awkward relationships and misunderstandings take forever to go anywhere And even with so much drama, there is a predictable outcome of the whole show: nationals for the Glee club and a happy ending. Yet there is something special that draws viewers to this show; Glee is a good risk, because there simply is nothing else like it (musical comedy drama) on TV now to compare to. There is potential, and hopefully it continues after the novelty has worn off. ▪ glee logo (in headline) from broadway.com

Artist Spotlights

NEDA PIROOZ

ABHISHEK CHOWDHURY

By Chelsea Dass

Staff Writer

Sophomore Neda Pirooz is a self-taught artist blooming with talent. She may be known for her portraits, but she also holds a flair for fashion. Never seen without her sketchbook, this young artist has the passion and creativity that will keep her on the rise.

Smoke Signal: When did you start drawing and why?

Neda Pirooz: I started when I was five. I would go to my aunt’s house a lot and she did a lot of paintings, and I would always want to draw like her. She always said to just practice, and you’ll get better, so I’ve always practiced since then. I didn’t take any classes, but I’ve practiced a lot. Also, on my mom’s side, all of her cousins and aunts painted.

SS: So do you teach yourself?

NP: Yeah, I used to look in the mirror and try to draw myself a lot. I would practice and try to find the shadings, but now it just comes naturally.

SS: How does art play into your everyday life?

NP: Usually when I do art, it’s when I am sad because that’s when I express my emotions onto my artwork and that’s how it becomes good.

SS: What do you like about art?

NP: I like how when you do art, you’re alone and everything you’re thinking of is out of your head. It’s like a time alone with yourself to just let go of the world.

SS: What motivates you to continue drawing?

NP: My parents and my family friends. When they see my drawings they tell me that I have

staff writer cassie zhang

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a future in art. That really makes me want to keep drawing. For example, when I draw clothes, they tell me to show someone who works with fashion. I’ve planned on doing it, but I haven’t actually done it. One of my dad’s friends knows a lady who works with fashion, and I wanted to show her my artwork.

SS: Would you describe yourself as more of an artist or fashion designer to-be?

NP: I would think artist, but then most of the clothes I draw are not just regular clothes; they’re more like the runway style.

SS: What have you learned from practicing over the years?

NP: Every time I draw I find different areas to shade to make the drawing look more real.

SS: Do you have any advice for aspiring artists?

NP: If right now when you draw it doesn’t look the way you want it too, just keep drawing, and you’ll get better, because that’s what I did. When I was really small, even though I drew and it wasn’t exactly what I wanted, I just kept drawing, and it just got better and better. ▪

By Rishi Das

Staff Writer

Senior Abhishek Chowdhury, also known as Soul Poet, is one of MSJ’s ultimate rhythm masters with two released albums to boast. After Abhishek’s beginnings with Back to Life, his soon-to-be-released album, Sunlight, offers even greater promise to the world of rap music. You can purchase both of these albums on iTunes.

Smoke Signal: When and why did you first start making your music?

Abhishek Chowdhury: I started making music around the start of sophomore year. I was writing poetry from 9th grade and thought I would put it to a beat.

SS: Apart from rap, do you make other genres of music?

AC: I do not make other genres, but I have collaborated with bands from other genres, such as Scratch Paper and I have been featured on my electronica producing friend, Vijay Jayant’s debut album Metamorphosis.

SS: What makes your latest album, Sunlight

EP, unique from the rest?

AC: My album has more of a conscious feel and good vibe to it than the other albums out there. I do alternative hip hop, so it is not the type of music you’d hear on the radio. My lyrics are more complex, rhyme wise and vocabulary wise.

SS: Do you plan on pursuing a career in music?

AC: I will see, I am most definitely going to try to make it as an indie artist or get signed to an underground label in college, but if nothing works out at the end of the day, I do music cause I love it and I’ll keep doing it.

SS: Do you track and distribute your music to third party vendors, such as radio stations? Do you plan on doing so?

AC: I plan on doing so with the release of Formative Years, a collaborative album with my man Will Christian on the beats.

SS: Do you ever get bugged by music making’s ups and downs?

AC: Of course, just like any other human would. But as a true artist, I always come back to it the next day cause, well, I love the music too much to ever give it up.

SS: Do you have a team to help you with your music or music videos?

AC: It isn’t a team per se, but Aatash Parikh has produced a music video for me and Kevin Shen and I are working on video ideas.

Will “DJ Straight 8” Christian and Vijay “VJ” Jayant are my main beatmen and Jerry Ting and Justin Lau are the main photographers I turn to. So it’s pretty Mission-based.

SS: In your opinion, name your best album?

AC: Sunlight EP is my best album SS: When can I expect your first grammy?

AC: 2010 is the year most definitely. ▪

Friday, November 20, 2009

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

GIRLS’ VOLLEYBALL ADVANCES TO 2ND ROUND

By Jerry Ting Editor-in-Chief

On Wednesday, Nov. 11, the MSJ Lady Warriors defeated the Berkeley High Yellow Jackets in a clean 3-0 (25-15, 25-8, 25-18) sweep to advance to the second round of the NCS playoffs for the second straight season.

staff writer jordan zhang

Junior Tiffany Huynh crouches down to receive the serve.

The first game began with a quick run by the Yellow Jackets to give them a four-point lead. However, led by the superb defense of Junior libero Tiffany Huynh, the Lady Warriors were able to clean up their passing to tie the game at 9-9. Senior Captain Keila Mah then dominated the court with multiple consecutive aces to force a Berkeley timeout at 22-15.

MSJ finished the game with a 10-1 run to capture the first game with a score of 25-15.

The outcome of the second game was clear after Berkeley’s first possession. Starting with a missed serve, the Yellow Jackets committed many careless errors throughout the game. Multiple-dropped free balls and rotation overlaps were charged against the inexperienced Berkeley players. On the other side of the net, every starting hitter for the Lady Warriors scored despite the effort put up by Berkeley’s tall blockers.

Helped by Senior Captain Allison Day’s kills, MSJ was able to hold Berkeley to single digits with an impressive score of 25-8.

The Yellow Jackets made a considerable stand in game three, the closest match of the night. Two missed serves and multiple hitting errors took their toll on the Lady Warriors as Berkeley pulled ahead 9-14. However, the experienced MVAL champs kept their composure and regained their momentum after a spectacular save by Huynh. Senior setter Diana Yan also put on a show with spoton setting to her hitters, coming up with 27 assists by the end of the game. With tough

serves from the Warriors and big hits that wowed the crowd, MSJ outplayed Berkeley to capture the match with a score of 25-18.

Since the beginning of the season, the Lady Warriors have looked forward to competing in NCS. “We exceeded our expectations to be seeded this high. We never dreamed of this. Last time we were seeded this high was 15 years ago,” said Mah, who finished with 11 kills and an incredible seven aces for the night. Now ranked as the 4th seed in NCS, the Lady Warriors are looking to make some more noise. “Because we played in multiple tournaments, we have a feel of what NCS will be like during the season.

Hopefully, our experience will come in handy, and after winning this game, we received a huge boost in our confidence,” said Mah. Three days later on Saturday, Nov. 14, the Lady Warriors played Deer Valley High School. Although they eventually lost in a 1-3 match, MSJ put up a strong fight and won the first game. Troubles with serving and the large Deer Valley blockers led to the Warriors’ downfall, in addition to questionable calls made by the referees in the fourth game that the crowd didn’t agree with, including the call that concluded the match.

Nevertheless, the final record for the team is an impressive 30 wins, 6 loses. The

MADISON HIRSCH: MULTI-SPORT PHENOMENON

By Vishal Yadav Staff Writer

By the end of her senior year, Sophomore Madison Hirsch will have more than 12 varsity letters from Cross Country, Girls’ Golf, Girls’ Soccer, and Track and Field. Playing four sports when there’s only three sports seasons is an astonishing feat.

SS: How do you train for each sport?

MH: I try to go to cross country practice every day after school and run with the team. Golf is a more individual sport; I practice on my own after cross country and work on driving shots at the range. Soccer practice is also after school, and track practice is a lot like cross country’s, where I go and train with the team.

Junior Elisa Ting and Senior Stephanie Hur jump up together to seal the block as Senior Captain Keila Mah looks on.

Lady Warriors were successful throughout the season, including winning two tournaments. Losing a number of key seniors, the team looks to rebuild over the offseason and to continue what has been a historical era in MSJ Girls’ Volleyball. ▪

courtesy madison hirsch

Sophomore Madison Hirsch runs relentlessly toward the finish line.

Smoke Signal: How did you first get involved with all of these different types of sports?

Madison Hirsch: I’ve been doing soccer ever since I was seven and started track in sixth grade once I began to enjoy soccer. I just started cross country this year; it’s pretty fun and I really enjoy being part of the team. My dad got me started in golf and I began taking that seriously in seventh grade.

staff writer jordan zhang

Sports 17

SS: How do you keep up with both school and all of the sports that you do?

MH: Until now, it didn’t really hit me that I have both schoolwork and practices going on at the same time. I was able to get by without too much stress or trouble. But now it’s started to get really busy because the teachers are piling on more work. Also, golf is ending so we have to keep up with MVALs and NCS, and cross country season is still having regular practices and meets. So now I’m just trying to balance all three without letting things get too crazy.

SS: Rumor has it that you might reach the state level for cross country this season. Do you think that you can make it? And what are your chances of reaching the state level for track and field?

MH: My goal is to make it to state for cross country. I think I can make it, having run the NCS course before and knowing what I am up against. I’ve been training harder, and with golf almost over, I think I should, hopefully, be able to train even more and make it. In track, it’s a little harder to make it to state, but my goal is to run under a five-minute mile. With that time, I hope I can make it.

Last year I qualified for the MOC (Meet of Champions, one level past NCS), but I missed the spot to continue on by one place.

SS: What is the athletic achievement that you are most proud of?

MH: I’m most proud of my performance this year at the Stanford Invitational for cross country, where I came in eighth out of 161 runners in my division. The highlight of my performance was me beating Rachel Mitchell’s (2009 senior from American High) previous time, and finishing ahead of a girl who beat me last year. The fact that I beat Rachel Mitchell’s time is really exciting because she ran around a five-minute mile.

SS: Do you think that you’ll continue to participate in sports in college and later on?

MH: Yeah, I really want to run in college and later on in life; that would be really fun. Also, my dream would be to be like my idol Katie Hotchkiss, who is the daughter of one of our cross country coaches. Seeing that she went to Stanford on a full-ride athletic scholarship and is now working at Google…it’s just amazing, and I hope I can live up to that in my future. ▪

NBA SEASON PREVIEW

By Amit Patankar Staff Writer

The 2009-2010 NBA season tipped off on Oct. 27, 2009. This year’s season promises to be an exciting one because the top three teams from last year have acquired better players and become more formidable than ever. The Los Angeles Lakers improved their roster with the addition of small forward Ron Artest, a former All-Star who will definitely help the Lakers return to the playoffs again. Rasheed Wallace, a former All-Star center, has joined the Boston Celtics. With another center to work in tandem with star big man Kevin Garnett, Boston will remain strong even if the aging Garnett gets injured again. The Orlando Magic, who surprised sports fans with their trip to the NBA Finals last year, have acquired Vince Carter, another former All-Star, who seeks to help the team beat the commanding Celtics for a second year in a row.

The Western Conference houses the Northwest, Pacific, and Southwest Divisions.

In the Pacific Division, the Lakers and the Phoenix Suns are guaranteed to earn playoff berths. However, the Suns lack the ability to play consistently while the Lakers have Kobe Bryant, so Los Angeles will easily win

the division. The Northwest Division has the Denver Nuggets as a powerhouse, and the Southwest Division contains two strong playoff-caliber teams in the Dallas Mavericks and the Spurs. However, the San Antonio Spurs have won three championships in the last seven years and will go on to win the Southwest Division easily if their players remain healthy.

The Eastern Conference holds the Atlantic,

Central, and Southvisions. The are in solid the Atlantic Cleveland the Cento stars m a n Mag-

east DiCeltics control of while the Cavaliers will hold tral Division thanks LeBron James and big Shaquille O’Neal. The ic, led by Dwight How-

ard, and the Heat, led by Dwyane Wade, will battle it out for the top spot in the Southeast, but the new addition of Vince Carter will guarantee the Magic the division victory.

With the start of every new season, we look to our hometown heroes, the Golden State Warriors, to see whether they are in any shape to shock the nation’s fans like they did during the 2007 playoffs against the Mavericks.

U n f o r t u n a t e l y, even with the addition of promising rookie Stephen Curry, it looks like our home team will once again have a fruitless season. Stephen Jackson and Monta Ellis are both talented and athletic players, yet they fail to play consistently and lack the ability to work nba.com

together, negatively impacting the team as a whole. However, the Warriors have surprised us in the past and remained resilient no matter how pessimistic their situation seems to be. As long as Ellis keeps off his moped and Jackson keeps his flaring temper under control, the Warriors shouldn’t be kept out of the running for the playoffs this year.

Kobe and LeBron will go at it this year and probably give us some fantastic games, but in the end, the Finals matchup will most likely feature the teams most people are expecting to see: the Lakers and the Celtics. Although the matchup may not be new, their bolstered rosters will add more suspense and drama to an explosive postseason. Both teams easily outstrip their competition in terms of skill, talent, and teamwork, and are once again the favorites to reach the Finals. Unlike 2008, however, this year Kobe Bryant and his teammates seek to defend their title while the Celtics will try to win back the mantle of league champions.

Overall, the NBA doesn’t look too different from last year. Trades have strengthened already powerful teams, while weaker teams such as the Minnesota Timberwolves did little to change their prospects. However, don’t dismiss the chance of an unpredictable season. After all, the NBA is “where amazing happens.” ▪

18 Sports

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, November 20, 2009

Rio Not Ready for 2016 Games

By Ravneet Kaur Staff Writer

South America has never hosted the Olympics, but on Oct. 2, 2009, the stunningly beautiful city of Rio de Janeiro won the privilege of hosting the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Despite President Obama’s address to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in support of Chicago’s bid, the US was eliminated in the first round and Rio de Janeiro defeated Tokyo and Madrid to win. The Rio Olympic Committee (ROC) boasts on their Rio 2016 website that “Rio is Ready.” But recent incidents in the city have proved otherwise, and are cause for concern about whether or not Rio will be safe enough for the influx of foreigners that the Olympic Games will bring.

Brazil has one of the largest and fastest developing economies in the world, and the country has overcome poverty and lack of financial resources to climb its way to the top. However, the nation’s homicide rate is on the rise again. Gang wars over drugs have torn the vivacious city of Rio de Janeiro apart. According to a recent article in Time

magazine, violence in the city takes 6,000 lives a year and 1,000 of those are homicides committed by corrupt police officials.

A day of violence on Oct. 17, two weeks after IOC decision was announced, revealed

Brazilians celebrate after Rio de Janeiro is announced as the host of the 2016 Olympics.

the issues Rio police officials will face in order to create a safer city. The faults in Rio’s security were revealed that evening when 14 people were killed and eight were injured as a result of rival gang shoot outs, which plague

Girls’ Tennis Crowned NCS Champions

By Grace Han Staff Writer

The NCS team semifinals and finals took place on November 14 as Foothill, Redwood, Miramonte, and MSJ all battled for a chance at champions’ glory. Cloudy skies and light morning rain kept play from starting on time, but when the courts dried, the MSJ Girls Tennis team was ready to establish their rank among the top teams in the bay.

Senior Stephanie Quan returns with a strong forehand.

Facing up against elite program Miramonte in the semis, the squad could ill afford any errors. However, after the first few matches were completed, results looked dismal: down 0-3 in a best of seven series, the Warriors were only one match away from elimination.

Nonetheless, with the outcome of the season on their shoulders, the rest of the team lifted the burden and completed a comeback not to be forgotten. After tremendous efforts from Senior Stephanie Quan, Juniors Natsuko Takayanagi and Yanni Dzoan, and Sophomore Leslie Chan to knot the score at 3-3, it

staff writer grace han

Senior Namrata Sher dominates on the court.

the streets of the slums and neighborhood communities. An elementary school was caught in the crossfire and 10 school buses were set aflame. The days’ events reestablished security concerns overlooked by the IOC.

was up to Senior Namrata Sher to finish off the Matadors for the coveted victory. With a booming presence aided by her exceptional backhand, Sher did just that pulling through 6-1, 6-3 and propelling MSJ to a 4-3 win.

This incredible comback set up a dramatic showdown between reigning NCS champion #1 Foothill and #2 MSJ in the final. Facing the team that handed them their only loss this year, a defeat during the preseason, the Warriors definitely had revenge in mind as

staff writer grace han

they took on the Falcons. In the first game to finish, Chan/Dzoan quickly finished off Foothill’s top doubles team 6-0, 6-1 in an easy two setter. Not long after, Takayanagi displayed her talent and finesse defeating her opponent 6-0, 6-3 and Freshman Chaya Rajeev added to MSJ’s cause with a 6-3, 64 win. Sher also executed her game plan to perfection to grab MSJ’s last needed win 6-0, 6-3. In the meantime, Quan had the performance of the round sweeping the last 12 games in a row to storm back and triumph 4-6, 6-0, 6-0. Although their game ended with a disappointing loss, Junior Sonia Fan and Sophomore Allison Tong did enough to garner praise and show they were a team not to be taken lightly. With five victories already in place, MSJ’s last doubles team of Senior Tiffany Yen and Junior Sahana Kribakaran had no need to finish their match and ended their game in split sets. In the end, the final score read: MSJ 5, Foothill 1.

With the victory, the Warriors were crowned the 2009 NCS team champions.

They successfully upset Foothill and warned the state which team to watch out for at NorCals this week. When emotions settled and the players came to their full senses, the group celebrated the fact that they had truly played together as a team: when someone fell a teammate would always be there to pick them up. Says Quan, “This was the perfect way to finish off a perfect season. But we still have NorCals coming up so hopefully we will be able to achieve success there.” Accordingly, Coach Bill Nandor’s last words

popcrunch.com

During the presentation of Rio de Janeiro’s bid for the 2016 Games, the ROC addressed the issue of safety in the city, but did not elaborate on plans of how security would be increased. Rio’s governor, Sergio

Cabral, has acknowledged that the city needs to gradually become safer, and has guaranteed that security measures will be taken.

“We told the International Olympic Committee that this is not easy, and they know that,” Cabral said. “I told them we want to get to 2016 and have a peaceful Rio de Janeiro before, during, and after the Games.”

Bringing the 2016 Olympic Games to Brazil is a significant step for the nation and can potentially open the world’s eyes to its social and economic growth. The ROC has described its plans of improving transportation and infrastructure as “detailed and of very high quality.” City officials also claim that the stadiums and playing fields will be state-of-the-art, and that they are well prepared for the two new Olympic sports of rugby and golf. Rio de Janeiro is South America’s first shot at proving that the continent is capable of handling the honor of the Olympic Games and will be successful if security concerns are addressed thoroughly. If Rio is truly ready by 2016, Brazil will have achieved the acclaim it deserves, and will produce an unforgettable Olympic Games. ▪

GIRLS’ WATER POLO | Lady Warriors Defend League Title continued from page 1 When the fourth quarter began, the team stayed strong. After winning the sprint, the Warriors made their third goal after several minutes of play and played intense defense, refusing to let the Huskies get within scoring range. After taking control of the ball, Junior Anna Kim made the fourth goal with only 19 seconds to spare, tying the game.

The game then went into two three-minute overtime quarters; tensions ran high as the audience prepared itself for an explosive showdown. After the referee awarded Mission a penalty shot, an administrator was forced to tell the Huskies’ crowd that anyone who made unsportsmanlike comments would be forced to leave. The Warriors were unable to score, but they held the Huskies back until the final minute of the second overtime quarter. The teams were incredibly well matched, until a kickout on the Warriors’ team left the Huskies with a six on five advantage.

The Washington Huskies scored, bringing the score to 4-5 and ending the game.

But the Warriors were still masters of their own fate. Their status as league champions earned them the right to another game. The Warriors defeated the Huskies twice before during league, so a win by the Huskies wasn’t enough to dethrone them. With another chance at the Huskies, the Warriors geared up for another game that would take place in two hours.

staff writer matthew gosen

Junior Anna Kim throws the ball to a teammate.

Tatiana McCuaig left the Huskies gasping for air. Although they managed a few lucky goals, Sophomore Laura Conn dominated them in set, scoring two backhand shots. Scobel, McCuaig and Kim came into the second quarter fired up, scoring a goal each, bringing the score to 5-2 at half.

Senior Hannah Imhof takes possession of the ball as her defender closes in.

The Huskies were celebrating their win as the Warriors prepared for a battle royale. “We got together and discussed what we needed to do differently in this upcoming game. Basically it was agreed that we needed to ‘go into their house, and steal all of their stuff ’.” said Scobel The Warriors erupted in the second game, Scobel once again winning every sprint.

With an early lead, the Huskies’ fates were sealed within the first couple of minutes.

Still, the Warriors pressed on, in solid control of the game. Defense by Sophomore

staff writer matthew gosen

The Warriors continued to bring on the pain in the second half, and a six on five opportunity in favor of the Warriors allowed McCuaig to score another goal from the wing. She geared up and made another goal soon after, showing the Huskies who is boss.

Scobel came through with a drive soon after, making a wet shot into the top corner of the goal. With a final score of 9-4, the Warriors proved that they are a force to be reckoned with. They finished the 2009 season as league champions for the fifth year in a row. ▪

Friday, November 20, 2009

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

Coaches’ Corner: Football

By Joseph Teng Sports Editor

Having directed the football program for ten years, Head Coach Rob VanDeusen sat down with the Smoke Signal and shared some of his thoughts about the team.

Smoke Signal: How has the football program improved since last year?

Rob VanDeusen: We adjusted accordingly to our players. We did attempt a passing game, but our quarterback broke his right hand, so we couldn’t do much about it. Our numbers really increased. There were 32 players on Varsity, 31 players on JV, and 23 players on the Freshman team. These are some of the best numbers in schools; American only had 17 players on their sideline. As for our players, they were great. They always showed up to practice and listened to the coaches; they love the game. Their team chemistry was very good; they had team dinners and really bonded.

SS: How has the program improved over the ten years that you have coached?

RV: These days, our players are not as large or as athletic as they were 20 years ago. However, the pride and desire to win has carried on. Their dedication to the

game has showed through their attendance. Practice is very time-consuming.

SS: As you know, the football program has been heavily criticized by others. What is your response?

RV: I hear a lot of positive things from other people. Other coaches and referees have told me how strong and persistent our players are, that the players don’t quit. As for those who hate on our team, I don’t really care. I listen only to people who matter.

SS: In your opinion, what is the most important thing about the game of football?

RV: I love coaching the team. I hate the offseason. But I really love to see the players who really love the game. When I coach football, I also teach them life lessons. On the field, they are going to get knocked out. It’s the same way in life. You’re going to get knocked down. But what really is important and defines you is how you get up from the blow.

SS: This is completely off-topic, but who is the stronger science teacher: Mr. Camacho or you?

RV: Mr. Camacho does power-lifting with weights, so he’s probably stronger right now. I’ve never power-lifted.

I just depend on my natural strength. ▪

BOYS’ WATER POLO FINISHES STRONG

By Hannah Scobel Editor-in-Chief

The first seed Washington Huskies entered the Shaughnessy League Water Polo Tournament expecting an easy victory against MSJ. What they got, however, was something else as the fourth seed Warriors stepped up and gave the Huskies much more than they had bargained for.

The game started on a strong note when Junior Balint Forgo won the sprint and gave MSJ the first possession. But the Huskies quickly singled out star player and Senior Captain David Westerhoff, using double teams to deny him passes and goal attempts from the driver position.

For the first few minutes of the game, MSJ

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kept up with the Huskies as Junior goalie Dillon Chang skillfully blocked shot after shot. It wasn’t until Washington threw up a lob that a ball finally got past him.Two more lapses of defense left MSJ down 0-3 after the first quarter.

In the second quarter, the Huskies put two more goals up on the board with impressive lobs, increasing the score to 0-5. But with 24 seconds left before halftime, Westerhoff used the lob against them and scored a goal over their goalie’s head, setting the halftime score at 1-5.

Westerhoff ’s last-minute goal energized the Warriors, and they came back out pumped up for another bout in the pool. Early in the third quarter, Senior Trey Howell put in a goal. The Huskies quick answer didn’t discourage the Warriors, and Forgo drilled a buzzer-beating shot, putting the score at 3-6.

FEAT. MASTA A & DOCTA J Track 3: “Back in the Game”

By Anthony Wu & Joseph Teng Sports Editors

The Issue Sports have evolved and competition with it, Athletes are getting stronger by the minute.

Games are worth more, no mistakes allowed.

Make only one, get destroyed by the crowd.

Referees have been caught up in this storm.

Under pressure, bad calls are the new norm.

There is obviously a need for instant replay, To keep the games from going astray, Yet pro sports haven’t realized the need, That instant replay is the way to proceed.

Take it back, watch the moment again.

Instant rewind? Get back in the game.

Docta’s Diagnosis The fear of using instant replay to verify or accurately make calls has hindered professional sports throughout America. This reluctance to expand replay is called replayphobia.

Masta’s Analysis Replayphobia in professional sports just doesn’t make sense. Instant replay is a no risk, high reward innovation that only helps by improving the calls that game officials make.

This is not just a theory; it is a fact that has already been proven in sports.

MSJ continued to work hard on both sides of the pool, scoring another goal and forcing the Huskies to work extremely hard in order to score. By the time the fourth quarter rolled around, it was apparent from the Huskies’ tired faces that they hadn’t expected such stifling defense and aggressive offense.

Although the final score read 9-4 in favor of the Huskies, nobody could deny that MSJ finished its season with a bang. Although their record wasn’t as impressive as it has been in past years, standings and statistics don’t reveal the Warriors’ dominant spirit and unbreakable will to compete. ▪

Take the NBA for example. Replay can be used to determine whether made shots are worth two or three points and how many free throws should be given for a foul on a missed shot, both of which are important when a game is on the line. In the NHL, the on-ice referees or the video replay judge can initiate reviews of goal shots. And we can’t forget the NFL. Football has so many hard-to-referee plays in addition to the coaches’ ability to “challenge” on-field calls that it has evolved into a sport that needs instant replay.

But despite all the benefits of instant replay, it still isn’t being implemented enough.

MLB general managers did not consider using additional replay even though this past postseason had many umpire mistakes. Why not expand replay further? And while we’re at it, why not make it high-quality too? The SEC, college football’s toughest conference, provides its referees with standard-definition replay. Yes, the guys who can actually influence the game see worse quality replays than people at home watching the game in beautiful high-definition. That just isn’t right.

So if pro sports want to maintain fan happiness and keep online uproar to a minimum, instant replay needs to be both expanded and improved. Case closed, enough said. ▪

staff writer jordan zhang

Senior Captain David Westerhoff searches for an open pass.

20 Sports

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, November 20, 2009

Fall Sports Recap

By Grace Han & Megan McLaughlin

Cross Country

Juniors Evan Dankiewicz and Joey Uken run along the creek.

Staff Writers

A few years ago, the MSJ Cross Country team was the most feared team in the league.

After an amazing season in which both Boys’ and Girls’ Varsity were undefeated, Coach Jack Marden said, “It’s nice to be number one in the league again.” They ended the 2009 season with a hard-earned victory over defending champion Logan High School. Marden predicts that the girls, 6-0, will send several individuals to state, and believes the boys, 6-0, have a good chance to enter state competition as a team. He said, “[In cross country], wishful thinking doesn’t do any good. You [have to] train well and have the talent, and we did.”

The Warriors successfully captured MVALs, where both the boys and girls placed first for the first time since 2000 and 2005 respectively.

Girls’ Volleyball

Senior Diana Yan positions herself to bump the ball.

Warriors brutally take down an opposing player together.

Girls’ Tennis

Hoping to match last year’s success, the Girls’ Volleyball team has achieved more than what they wished for this year. In addition to placing first at both the Wolf Pack Classic and Husky Volleyball tournaments early in the season, the team fought through numerous injuries and sickness to again win league and this time grab a number four spot at NCS. At one point, the team suffered a discouraging loss to rival Washington, but Coach Donny Hui confessed that this helped the girls keep their pride in check and inspired them to take the rest of the games with a different attitude. Even with a graduating class of nine seniors, Senior Captain Keila Mah said she is confident next year’s squad will pick up where this year’s team left off.

This 2009 Girls’ Tennis season will be a hard one to match. In addition to sweeping all matches in regular season play and winning MVALs, the girls successfully captured the NCS team championship. Said Senior Captain Tiffany Yen, “Our success this year comes not only from the fact that we had a lot of talent, but because our team had so much depth.” This was evident during MVALs as MSJ took 3 of the 4 spots in the singles/doubles finals. Yen, along with Co-Captain Senior Tiffany Huang, kept the team on track and led them to an unforgettable season. First-year Coach Bill Nandor also expressed his approval and stated that he is anticipating another fun and winning season as part of the Mission family next year.

Despite losing many key seniors last year, Senior Captain Kylan Nieh said, “We had a fantastic year.” The MSJ Gymnastics team seized second place in their league, after a 5-1 season. In MVALs, an individual competition in gymnastics, Junior Captain Trina Duarte placed fourth all-around, Freshman Ariel Cheng took second all-around, and Nieh was first place all-around. Nieh said, “I couldn’t have asked for a better team,” and predicted that they will be even stronger next year. Duarte said, “Our goal was to make sure that everybody improved and completed higher skills throughout the season, and we definitely accomplished that.” Nieh and Duarte believe the team will keep improving, so make sure to support MSJ Gymnastics.

Finishing the season with a record of 4-4, the Girls’ Golf team had a tough yet commendable season. The team’s only losses came from Castro Valley and San Leandro, one of which was forfeited due to misunderstandings. Encouraged by the leadership of experienced Senior Captain Candice Koh and Sophomore Captain Taneesh Sra, the team successfully managed to score in the mid/high 400’s every match, staying as close to par as they could. They performed decently at the South Qualifiers but came up short of NCS, although Sophomore Madison Hirsch participated there individually. Next year, Girls’ Golf looks forward to continuing its achievements with the aid of a talented class of incoming freshmen.

The Boys’ Water Polo team “had a fresh start this year with a new coach and a new line up,” according to Junior Captain Grant Huang. The team was 4-6 in season, but the record doesn’t reflect their true level of play.

Senior Captain David Westerhoff said, “Our losses to Irvington and American were very narrow. We came a long way this season.”

MSJ was seeded 4th in MVALs and played top-seeded Washington. The Warriors fought hard, but lost to the Huskies, who later won first. Westerhoff was cautiously optimistic about next year. “We are only losing four seniors, and I think that [the team] will do all right.” Huang said, “We all had a very successful year full of experience.” Watch for the Boys’ Water Polo team to make a splash next year.

Last year, the team advanced to NCS and took 11th place. This year, they continued their stellar play and improved upon last year’s record. The Lady Warriors were 9-1 in league play, their only loss coming from Washington High School in a double-overtime game. However, in MVALs, MSJ beat the Huskies to take first place in league for the fifth year running. The victory granted the squad an automatic berth in NCS. MSJ lost in the second round to fourth-seeded San Ramon Valley, but finished in the top 16.

Senior Jen Young said, “We really came together this year and applied our best assets.”

The team has six seniors, and Senior Mina Chen said, “I know that the girls who are remaining will carry on our team’s new legacy.”

Gymnastics

Freshman Ariel Cheng leaps during her floor routine.

Football

With a strong work ethic and ample amount of dedication, the MSJ Football team put together another admirable season and proved that they really were worth watching. Senior Captain Alvin Cheng admitted, “We might not have a great record, but we have shown great improvement from previous years and the program will only improve in the years to come.” The highlight of the season was undoubtedly the Homecoming Game. Boosted by the energy of the huge turnout crowd, MSJ scored three touchdowns in one of their most successful offensive games in the past few seasons.

Looking to surpass their achievements from this year, the team has already begun to practice for next year’s upcoming season.

Sophomore Allison Tong lunges to return the ball.

Girls’ Golf

Junior Tiffany Lee smiles as her shot sails over the horizon.

Boys’ Water Polo Girls’ Water Polo

Sophomore Jonathon Teng looks for a pass.

Sophomore Laura Conn aims to score. photos by: graphics editors elisa ting and albert yuan

SPORTSBYTES Girls’ Volleyball

In the first round of NCS against Berkeley High, Senior Captain Keila Mah recorded seven aces and Senior Diana Yan had 27 assists.

Girls’ Tennis

The team won every one of its matches in regular season play, earning a record of 84 wins and 0 losses.

Football

MSJ’s longest scoring play of the season was Senior Captain Alvin Cheng’s 62-yard touchdown run against Hercules High School.

Athletes and coaches: If you have news, dates, or highlights that you would like to see published in the next issue, please send them in an email to sports@thesmokesignal.org.