Vol. XLVII, Vol. 5

MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL

VOL. XLVII, NO. 5

February 3, 2012

41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539

Hello, London: MSJ visits England

courtesy harrison cheng

The MSJ Marching Band (above), Symphonic Band, Chorale, and Orchestra traveled to London, England to perform for the 2012 New Year’s celebrations.

By Angie Wang Graphics Editor On Dec. 27, 2011, 101 of MSJ’s performing arts students, parents, and instructors met at San Francisco International Airport to check in before boarding their flights to London, England.

Just 14 months before, Former Lord Mayor of Westminster, Lady Catherine Longworth, her husband, John Longworth, and Executive Producer of the New Year’s Day Parade and Festival, Robert Bone, all arrived at MSJ to invite the Symphonic Band, Marching Band, Chorale, and Orchestra to the New Year’s celebrations in 2012.

The participants’ tour of London began right after they got through customs and retrieved their luggage at London Heathrow International Airport. They then promptly took a two-hour long bus tour around the city of London and arrived at the Park Plaza Westminster Bridge hotel. A fiveminute walk from the hotel leads to the entrance of the London Eye, which participants had the chance to ride later that night, after being given time to unpack and settle in to their hotel rooms. Then, dinner was served in the hotel ballroom, the site for all breakfasts and other meals the hotel would provided.

After getting a good night’s sleep, participants hopped onto

tour buses to visit Stratford upon Avon, where renowned poet and writer William Shakespeare was born in 1564. On the way, British tour guides gave brief recounts of London’s history as the buses sped through the city. After lunch, the buses then headed over to Warwick Castle, where participants spent the rest of the afternoon. Their stay at the castle included a fascinating albeit terrifying tour of the castle dungeon. The day was brought to an end with dinner at the legendary Hard Rock Café in London.

MSJ participants started Day Three of their stay in London with a brief visit to Westminster Abbey and another bus ride to Buckingham Palace, where Queen Eliza-

beth of England is known to stay during the summer months. While participants were not able to experience the Changing of the Guards, they were able to taunt the British guards from a distance, while admiring their tall, black busby hats.

After visiting Buckingham Palace, members of the Symphonic Band and Orchestra arrived at Cadogan Hall, their concert venue, for afternoon rehearsals before their concert that night. After rehearsal, students once again loaded buses to go back to the hotel to have dinner and change into their concert attire. That night, students arrived

By Vipin Dulam Staff Writer

also requires an application consisting of several essays, letters of recommendation, and transcripts. This 2011-12 school year, the Intel STS has received 1,839 applicants in all.

Out of those applicants, the committee has selected 300 students as semifinalists, 40 of whom will become finalists. Rising above all the finalists to claim the number-one prize will be the ultimate champion, receiving the STS’s $100,000 prize.

Out of the 300 who are semifinalists for the year 2012, MSJ has one of its very own students in the race for finalists: Senior Mo Luo. Luo heard about the competition

as a freshman, the year 2009 MSJ Alumna Marianna Mao became an Intel STS finalist and was well noted for her achievement throughout the Bay Area. In the summer between junior and senior year, Mo Luo got into a summer internship with the NASA INSPIRE educational program.

At the Ames Research Center, Luo performed breakthrough research in electrical engineering on a semi-conductor device called the power MOSFET. The power MOSFET is an important component of power circuits, and Luo’s research focused mainly on developing mod-

els and algorithms that let one predict the exact health stage of the power MOSFET until it reaches failure. This research will be very important for applications in nextgeneration spacecrafts and aircrafts in the aerospace industry.

“The power MOSFET is the most commonly used power transistor for all applications under 200 volts, so it has uses just about anywhere where you have a power circuit. But NASA’s specific goal is to use the technology on newer

February 17 No classes

February 20 No classes (President’s day)

February 25 MSJ Boosters Crab Feed 6-10 pm, Newark Pavilion (See Annual Crab Feed, page 2)

See LONDON, NEWS Page 2

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The Lord Mayor of Westminster Lady Catherine Longworth visited MSJ in October 2010 to invite the MSJ band to London.

Intel Science Talent Search: Semifinalist Mo Luo

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Senior Mo Luo, above, was the only MSJ semifinalist in the Intel Science Talent Search.

Every year, high school seniors from all across the country participate in the Intel Science Talent Search (STS), one of the most prestigious science research programs in the country. As a division under the Society for Science & the Public (SSP), the Intel STS is dedicated to awarding students who have taken great strides in the research field of the scientific world. This competition is only for seniors and requires the student to write a report on what they’ve previously researched, and

February 11 Campus Clean up day, 9 am to Noon

See INTEL, NEWS Page 2

2 News

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, February 3, 2012

News in Brief LONDON| MSJ music in the UK continued from page 1 Oldest-ever dinosaur nests Paleontologists have unearthed the oldest known dinosaur resting site, dating to 190 million years ago, in Golden Gate Highlands National Park, South Africa. The site includes adult remains of the species Massospondylus, as well as multiple nests, eggs, and hatchlings. This discovery provides the oldest evidence of highly organized nests in the fossil record. Ten dinosaur nests have been found at the site to date, and researchers suspect many more are still embedded in the South African cliffs and will be eroded out in time through natural weathering processes.

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Paleontologists unearthed the oldest known dinosaur nesting site, artist’s depiction above, in South Africa.

Mushrooms as medicine Rave-goers may be familiar with mushrooms, but there’s little scientific knowledge on what happens to the brain while tripping. A growing number of studies suggest that one of the mushrooms’ hallucinogenic chemical compounds, psilocybin, which decreases activity in the medial prefrontal cortex of the brain and leads to an altered state of consciousness, may hold promise for the treatment for certain mental disorders. Psilocybin is illegal in the US, but scientists have shown that it is helpful for terminally ill cancer patients dealing with anxiety. Preliminary studies on depression are also promising.

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Psilocybin, found in certain mushrooms, may hold promise for treating medical disorders.

“Love shacks” help seabirds mate Scientists and art designers are hoping to reverse the human damage done to Año Nuevo Island off the San Mateo County coast by designing ceramic “love shacks” that help seabirds mate. Año Nuevo is one of the only predator-free islands in California and species such as gulls, cormorants, and terns lay eggs on the island. Human use, drought, and storms stripped the natural vegetation of the area making the soil easily erode away, making it difficult to dig nests. The “love shacks” designed for the rhinoceros auklets consist of a long tunnel and a nest chamber. More than thirty pairs of auklets have moved in since last spring.

at Cadogan Hall for the second time, this time ready to perform for an audience of hundreds.

Bright and early the next morning on New Year’s Eve, participants rode buses to the Tower of London and the Tower Bridge, where they spent the entire morning. For lunch, students took the Underground, the English rapid transit system (similar to the Bay Area’s BART system), to the Jubilee Market, where they ate at shops of their choice. From there, choral and color guard students headed off for rehearsal, while the rest of the group stopped by Harrods for all their high-class shopping needs.

That night, participants attended a New Year’s Eve party thrown in the ball room and watched fireworks on a projector as broadcasted by BBC. On New Year’s Day, Marching Band students woke up and dressed for the parade. After breakfast, they were introduced to the parade route, and before long, they arrived at their staging area and prepared to march in the parade. That morning the band played their parade march “Hands Across the Sea”, as well as other songs such as “I Gotta Feeling”, “Twist and Shout”, and “Carry On My Wayward Son”.

About an hour into the parade, London weather really began to show its true colors. Though the heavy rain drenched their uniforms, it did nothing to dampen the Marching Band’s spirits.

The rest of the trip consisted

of other tourist attractions such as Windsor Castle, the Sherlock Holmes Museum, London’s Science Museum, the Victoria and Albert Museum, Covent Garden, and Camden Market. Students were able to decide which attraction they wanted to see and formed a group with chaperones that toured that area, allowing students to pursue their own sightseeing interests. The last night of the trip, students were treated to a traditional, alcohol-free dinner at the Prince of Wales Pub, followed by a spectacular showing of Matilda the Musical. The next morning, on Jan. 4, 2012, MSJ participants packed their bags and prepared for their flight back to the US. While the London experience was absolutely unforgettable, it’s always good to be home. ▪

Junior Andrew Lee, Drum Major, leads the MSJ Marching Band in the New Year’s Day Parade in London.

Annual Crab Feed

By Kenny Jacoby Staff Writer The annual Crab Feed run by MSJ Boosters, one of MSJ’s largest fundraisers, will take place this year on February 25 from 6-10 pm at Newark Pavilion. Family and friends alike are invited for a delicious evening of crab, pasta, salad, garlic bread, and dessert. A ticket costs $45, and one can elect to donate a portion of that money to a specific MSJ sport, visual art, or

performing art. The remainder of the profits from the tickets goes to MSJ Boosters to support MSJ athletics and fine arts in general.

All of the proceeds from the silent auction and basket raffle go back to the organization that donated the auction or raffle item. The Crab Feed makes for a fun-filled night for people of all ages, and is a great opportunity to give back to MSJ. For the sign-up form and additional information, please visit www.msjhs.org. ▪

MSJ Boosters will hold its annual Crab Feed fundraiser on February 25 at Newark Pavilion.

News Page 3: Fremont’s property crime rate is 24.06.

Feature Page 16: Jin Peng’s name is spelled wrong.

A&E Page 12: Mike Yang is a senior. mercurynews.com

COMPILED BY STAFF WRITERS JAYNELLE GAO, JADE SHI, and LINDY ZENG

courtesy harrison cheng

INTEL | MSJ semifinalist continued from page 1 aircrafts to revolutionize the currently congested aerospace industry in terms of safety,” says Luo. The algorithms that Luo developed will allow scientists to change out parts a couple of hours or days before they fail, instead of having to change them out once in a set period of time. This new development ensures greater efficiency and also avoids the danger of a power circuit failing in an aircraft.

Mo decided to enter the Intel STS after figuring that he had a shot at it with this research. Working closely with his mentors from

NASA, he published his research (for which he was the sole author) and after putting in some extra effort to write up some more essays for the competition itself, he submitted his application.

Modest but yet confident about the next round, Luo is simply happy about the experience of the competition itself. “Because of the strong competition, at first I didn’t expect to win,”comments Luo, “so when I first heard that I was a semifinalist I was in disbelief. But I’m really happy because I’m able to compete against these amazing people who have also done high-level research.” ▪

nasa.gov rawfish.com.au

for the dec. 20, 2011 issue

Scientists hope that ceramic “love shacks” will help seabirds to reproduce.

graphics editor angie wang

MSJ Chorale joins chorale students from around the world in the New Year’s Choral Festival in Cadogan Hall.

A&E Page 13: Zac Efron’s name is spelled wrong.

Luo was a semifinalist in the Intel STS for his research of MOSFET transformers at NASA Ames Research Center (aerial view above) at Moffett Field.

Friday, February 3, 2012

The Smoke Signal

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News 3

Holocaust survivors speak to MSJ

By Sonali Toppur Staff Writer On Jan. 10, 2012, students from the classes of English Teachers Jennifer Moore and Katherine Geers had the opportunity to hear from two survivors of the Holocaust.

Paul Schwartzbart, a returning speaker to MSJ, and George Elbaum, a first-time visitor, both spoke about their recollections and memories of their younger years in the midst of World War II. Paul Schwartzbart was the first to speak, and began by engaging the students in a question and answer session, during which he recounted many anecdotes and short stories. When he was ten, Schwartzbart was separated from his mother in 1943 for his own safety and hidden by the Jewish underground at the Home Reine Elizabeth, a Catholic boys’ school in the Belgian countryside. There he hid for two years and played the role of a Catholic altar boy, successfully managing to keep his true identity a secret.

After the war, Schwartzbart returned home and was able to reunite with his mother.

When asked by a student about his lengthy separation from his parents, Schwartzbart responded, “It felt horrible, desperate, and

staff writer nihar parikh

MSJ students listen attentively to the Holocaust survivors.

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Paul Schwartzbart speaks to MSJ about his experience hiding at the Home Reine Elizabeth during the Holocaust.

hopeless. You had to behave, every waking minute, in a way that you are not. It was a minute-to-minute survival but you went on because survival is a very compelling force.”

In 1988, Schwartzbart recalls being invited to a reunion at the school in which he was hidden during his childhood. When he arrived he was shocked to discover that he was not the only Jewish child to have been hidden at the school. Instead, 87 of the 125 children at the school had been Jewish. Schwartzbart was told that the Belgian Committee for the Rescue of Jews, the group that hid him during the war, had been able to hide around 3,000 children. Of those children, all 3,000 survived.

Belgian police arrested Schwartzbart’s father in May 1940 after the German invasion of the lowlands, and after the war Schwartzbart and his mother were never relayed any information in regards to his whereabouts. It was only on his trip in 1988 that Schwartzbart happened to visit the Nazi archives and finally discovered the fate of his father. He described the archives as chilling and frightening, because he had never seen the “bureaucracy of death” in such a way. From the documentation, Schwartzbart learned that his father had survived a death march to Buchenwald but then died there two months before liberation. “His card said ‘died in

SLWRP Comes to MSJ

By Alekya Rajanala A&E Editor The Service Learning Waste Reduction Project (SLWRP), a “go-green” initiative in schools across Alameda County, is taking root at MSJ through the combined efforts of several teachers and administrators. According to History Teacher Jeff Evans, a leader of the SLWRP at MSJ, the goal of the project is to raise high school students’ awareness of the service learning aspect of environmental protection.

The current team, which hopes to recruit student leaders soon, consists of Social Studies Teachers Jeff Evans, Cate Ruebling, Roxanne Ponsi, Nancy Benton, and Assistant Principal Diana Brumbaugh. One of this year’s main objectives is to host an interactive Service Learning Green Week with the support of MSJ student organizations such as Leadership 2 and Interact. One activity planned for the week-long event is a “Trashy Fashion” show, in which students dress up and flaunt homemade clothing created from salvaged trash articles or other unwanted material. Evans said, “We set the date of the Green Week for the last week of March because it appropriately coincides with Caesar Chavez Day, a day that serves as a tribute to Chavez’s commitment to community service.”

staff writer tanya raja

History Teacher Jeff Evans, above, is a SLWRP leader. SLWRP aims to raise environmental awareness at MSJ.

Through MSJ’s involvement in the SLWRP, the school is provided access to some companies that support waste reduction efforts. On Oct. 26, 2011, one such resource, a company called Earth Team, worked with Ruebling’s freshman Health class in performing a waste audit. The team and the students scavenged through the school’s garbage cans after lunch to sort the trash into different categories and record their findings. Results from the activity, which can be found at www.schools.stopwaste.org, showed that only 18 percent of the waste found in the garbage cans was meant to be sent to a landfill, while the remaining 82 percent was classified as food scraps, untouched food, plastics, paper or metal, and should have been recycled or composted. It is this kind of environmental ignorance that Evans hopes the Service Learning Green Week will curtail.

Other FUSD high schools like Irvington, Kennedy, and American already have well-established waste reduction programs in place, and MSJ’s SLWRP teachers hope that MSJ will soon reach the ranks of such schools in terms of environmental awareness. Evans said, “Our school does have a few programs that encourage recycling and reusing, and hopefully this project will make them more known to students and faculty. For instance, we have a clothing drop-off bin set up in the teacher parking lot, and for every pound of clothing contributed, MSJ’s Special Education Department receives a small donation.”

The SLWRP team has high expectations for the future of the project at MSJ, with ambitious goals like planting a victory garden and establishing a Green Commissioner position in ASB already being discussed. Evans said, “Right now there is so much waste at this school, but I am sure that with the right amount of effort at spreading ‘green’ awareness, MSJ can succeed in reducing the amount of waste sent to the landfill each year.” ▪

1945’ on it,” Schwartzbart said. “I don’t know why they didn’t write ‘murdered’.”

The second speaker, George Elbaum, spoke of his father’s conscription in the Polish army when Elbaum was only one. His father went to fight and was never seen again. When he was around four years old, his mother held a job sewing Nazi uniforms, but this soon became unsafe for them. Elbaum’s mother then dyed her hair blonde, adopted the identity of a deceased Polish woman, and changed her name to match the papers. She then managed to get Elbaum out of the ghetto and into the countryside, where she paid a Polish family to take him in and protect him.

Following this, Elbaum was passed from family to family, and his mother would try to go and visit him whenever possible, usually once a month. Elbaum was able to rejoin his mother in Warsaw in 1944, at age seven. Unfortunately, Elbaum and his mother

were separated again due to the Soviet occupation. Eventually, his mother was able to defect to France, and the mother and son moved to the US. Elbaum shared a childhood recollection with students of having hidden in a shed.

His only glimpse of the outdoors was a small patch of sky in the roof. He watched a Nazi plane fly past and remembered the feeling of amazement he felt at the sight of the plane against the beautiful sky. Ironically this inspired his love for planes, and motivated him to go into aviation.

MSJ teachers strongly feel that the opportunity for students to speak and interact with the survivors is very important. “It’s one thing to study about these events in a book, and another to come in contact with an actual eyewitness to history,” says Geers.

“Opportunities like this allow students to engage in meaningful dialogue with survivors and make them living witnesses.” ▪

George Elbaum describes his childhood in Poland during the Nazi regime.

staff writer nihar parikh

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, February 3, 2012

Nor-Cal CDC DECA Conference

By Anusha Rijhsinghani Staff Writer On Friday, January 13, 71 students from MSJ packed their suitcases and left during lunch for the San Ramon Marriott, where they competed in the District Career Development Conference (Nor-Cal CDC) for DECA. An international organization, DECA has prepared emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management since 1951. High-school students from around the world compete with their business plans at local conferences, in hopes of eventually advancing to the international level.

After competing locally at the regional level, members advance to the State Career Development Conference (SCDC), and finally to the International Career Development Conference (ICDC).

There are a variety of business-related

events that DECA offers to students, suited to meet their unique interests. From promoting a fashion company in an 11-page research report to answering questions about business administration in Quiz Bowl, DECA conferences offer something for everyone. “People have loads of fun meeting new people, learning a lot about business, entrepreneurship, and marketing in general. And this is the best way to learn those very fields: through competitions and interactive learning,” says co-president Vipin Dulam.

These conferences are the perfect opportunity for students to expand their network, as Dulam mentioned, and meet with not only other emerging business leaders but actual entrepreneurs who can give them guidance and advice. At SCDC last year, the spokesman from Men’s Wearhouse came as a guest speaker and told the group about his experiences starting up his business, an inspirational speech for DECA students to hear.

staff writer anusha rijhsinghani

The MSJ DECA team, above, had 39 finalists at the Nor-Cal Career Development Conference at the San Ramon Marriott.

At this Regional conference, the majority of MSJ DECA members participated in two events of their choice-a written event and a role-play event. A written event consists of a business plan, ranging from 11 to 30 pages, depending on the event. The judges evaluate this report along with a 10-15 minute oral presentation and a 100-question exam. In a roleplay, on the other hand, participants are given a situation specific to their event and 10 minutes to prepare, where they are allowed to write any notes they wish to use on a piece of scratch paper. When time is called, they are then sent to a judge’s table to present their ideas to a judge for another 10 minutes. This event is organized similarly to the Impromptu in Speech. Each overall role-play event consists of two of these role-plays and a 100-question exam.

After reaching the hotel on Friday, MSJ students changed into formal business attire and began their DECA experience by taking any tests required for their respective events.

The opening ceremony began later that evening, where the State officers got the 1,303 attendees enthusiastic for the riveting days to come by hosting a talent show and delivering inspiring speeches to their very eager but nerve-wracked audience.

Alert and determined, students woke up bright and early on Saturday morning and began competing until around 5 pm when competition ended. After giving events their all, the participants were able to relax and spend the rest of the day as they pleased, culminating with an “exciting dance to wrap up an amazing two days,” says Junior Darien Lo. The most anticipated part of the weekend, however, was just around the corner: the awards ceremony on Sunday morning. The hard work and determination of MSJ DECA’s members was fully acknowledged, as an in-

credible 39 people made it as finalists of their events, and nine placed in the overall top three, a great success for a still new and upcoming chapter.

Co-president Aieswarya Manicka says, “Overall, I’m extremely satisfied with MSJ DECA’s performance at Nor-Cal! The students greatly exceeded my expectations considering it was their first time competing at a conference and also since there was more competition than ever at this regional conference. We had students placing in the Top 10 of almost all the competitions that we had students competing in. Competitions aside, I think I can speak for all the students who attended Nor-Cal CDC when I say that it was a fun growing experience for us all.”

Members of MSJ DECA are excited to fly to Irvine for SCDC at the end of February, and those who advance to ICDC will make their way to Salt Lake City, Utah at the end of April.

staff writer anusha rijhsinghani

Mayor Wasserman’s Legacy

By Vivian Jair Staff Writer Following a lifetime of dedication to the city of Fremont, Mayor Bob Wasserman passed away on Dec. 29, 2011 at the age of 77. Wasserman was hospitalized for respiratory problems previous to his death. The Fremont community greatly regrets losing him and will forever remember Wasserman for his incredible devotion as both police chief and mayor.

Bob Wasserman’s interest in community service began early on in his life. He graduated from Cal State Los Angeles with a Bachelor of Science degree in Law Enforcement Administration, and served in the US army during the Korean War. Wasserman was the Fremont chief of police from 1976 to 1991. During his years of law enforcement, Wasserman was the president of California Peace Officers’ Association for a term and also received the prestigious “Law En-

articles.sfgate.com

Wasserman was Fremont Mayor from 2004 until 2011.

forcement Executive of the Year” award. In 1992, shortly after retiring from the police force, Wasserman was elected to Fremont’s city council, beginning his political career.

Wasserman was then elected as mayor in 2004, and was re-elected in 2008.

As mayor, Wasserman’s accomplishments included bringing new businesses into Fremont and spurring BART to build a new station in the Warm Springs district, a project that is currently in progress. Wasserman also pushed for the increase of affordable housing in Fremont, ultimately building the Main Street Village and Maple Square Apartments. Additionally, he brought about the Washington Grade Separation project, which was completed in 2010 at the cost of $10 million. The project separated vehicle and pedestrian roads from railroad crossings by building an overpass on Washington Boulevard and an underpass on Paseo Padre Parkway.

Two of Mayor Wasserman’s endeavors in particular earned him the community’s further respect, despite their lack of success.

In 2009, Wasserman asked the Oakland A’s owner Lew Wolff build a baseball stadium in Fremont and consequently move the team over. However, his efforts were swiftly stopped by strong opposition in Oakland.

Wasserman also fought hard to keep the New United Motor Manufacturing Inc. (NUMMI) plant in Fremont from closing.

When the plant nonetheless shut down in April 2010, Wasserman set out to create new jobs and effectively use the land that had been occupied by the NUMMI factory.

“Wasserman left a 35-year history of accomplishments and did what he said he would do—give us an honest day’s work,” said Former Fire Chief Dan Lydon. “He lived every

day for the city of Fremont and left his fingerprints on the city” Mayor Bob Wasserman’s funeral was held on Jan. 1, 2012, in the Harbor Lights Church. It was attended by approximately 500 people. Meanwhile, Vice Mayor Anu Natarajan will take on Wasserman’s role as interim mayor until the city council decides how to fill the vacancy. According to a press release from city officials, the city council will appoint the new mayor within 60 days of Wasserman’s death. Nevertheless, it is indisputable that although Bob Wasserman now rests in peace, his legacy will continue to live on with the spirit of Fremont’s people forever. ▪

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Wasserman shaped Fremont in many ways, from pushing for a new BART station to bringing about the Washington Grade Separation project.

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Wasserman, second from right, with fellow councilmembers at the Ribbon Cutting ceremony for the Washington Boulevard Grade Separation Project.

Friday, February 3, 2012

The Smoke Signal

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News 5

Intramural Science Bowl debuts at MSJ

By Jaynelle Gao Staff Writer From January 9 to January 20, a group of MSJ Academic Challenge students carried out the first-ever Academic Challenge Intramural Display of Skill in SciBowl (ACIDoSiS) after the club was banned from all offsite competitions for the 2011-12 school year. Over summer break, Senior Mo Luo came up with the idea for an on-campus tournament that would help Academic Challenge maintain the qualities it has always engendered from competing in offsite tournaments. “We knew that Academic Challenge wouldn’t be able to compete this year but we wanted to give underclassmen an experience of Science Bowl,” he said.

A couple months after Luo proposed the idea to Senior Science Bowl captain Jonathan Melville, it started becoming a reality.

Preparations for ACIDoSiS began back in

mid-fall and were finished up around November to December. The MSJ’s Science Bowl A-team for 2010-11, comprised of Melville, Luo, and Juniors Audrey Huang, Adi Jung, and Raymond Liu, had contributed about 120 Science Bowl questions each in order to create the bank of questions used in the competition. The dedication of Junior Wesley Chou, Junior Nicholas Hoffman, and MSJ alumni Vito Prasad, Youngjun Na, Jeffrey Li, and Jared Shen also made ACIDoSiS possible.

To participate, MSJ students formed teams, made up of three people: one captain and two other players. A total of eight teams signed up. ACIDoSiS ran on a double elimination bracket, which meant that each team could lose twice before it was out of the running. All rounds of the tournament took place at lunch in various classrooms and were conducted in the presence of a reader (also known as a moderator),

staff writer jaynelle gao

Neil Desai, 11; Calvin Leung, 11; and Krishna Bharathala, 10 of Team Your Fellow Americans focus intently on the questions.

timekeeper, and a scorekeeper. Each round consisted of two eight-minute halves with a two-minute break in between. In this time duration, the two teams competing against each other used a buzzer system and earned points by answering a series of toss-up and bonus questions that covered such subject areas as biology, chemistry, earth science, physics, math, and astronomy. The competition followed all official National Science Bowl rules in order to simulate, as realistically as possible, the circumstances players would be in if they were really competing at the national level.

ACIDoSiS started the first Monday after Winter Break and for the following two weeks, two of the eight participating teams have met every weekday during lunch to compete. On Friday, January 20, The Quiz Bowl Kids Who Don’t Know Science (Team TQBKWDKS), comprised of Junior Captain Jenny Fu, Junior Jeffrey Sun, and Senior Richard Zhang, beat Team BSB, comprised of Junior Captain Margaret Shen, Sophomore Raghu Dahra, and Senior Siddarth Sen, 110 to 56 in the final match. TQBKWDKS was awarded $150 and BSB $60, monetary prizes that came from the $20 registration fee each team paid to enter the competition.

Academic Challenge was banned from competitions including National Science Bowl, National Ocean Sciences Bowl, Wondercup, Quizbowl, and National History Bowl this year because of inappropriate behavior conducted by teams last year. The club’s primary concern is incoming freshmen, who will be at a disadvantage next year because they will not have had any experience as freshmen competitively practicing or preparing for regionals. Huang said, “We’re holding ACIDoSiS this year because we want to expose underclassmen, as well as

staff writer jaynelle gao

Junior Adi Jung, one of the ACIDoSiS organizers, reads science bowl questions to players.

upperclassmen, to this competitive environment which many of us have thrived in. In the past, this competitiveness has undermined the primary goal of Science Bowl – to learn while enjoying what we’re doing – by causing internal and external tensions to develop between peers and opponent schools.

Learning about science should be an absorbing expedition, and not just a tensionand tear-filled competition. ACIDoSiS strips away the negative factors to create an extremely positive learning environment.”

ACIDoSiS has come to a close this year and has been an overall success. After eight days of matches, Physics Teacher Peter Geschke said, “I thought this worked out great and if we can, I think we would do it again next year. This competition allowed more kids to participate and the kids who participated really liked doing this.” ▪

Kepler’s search: alien planets ets share their solar system, Kepler-20, with three larger planets. The system is unlike our solar system where the larger, gaseous planets orbit separately from the smaller, rocky planets: Kepler-20 planets alternate between large and small. As a result, NASA astronomers are interested in how this solar system formed. Data from this discovery and others are helping astronomers gauge the diversity and structure of planetary systems in our galaxy, which is the overall objective of the Ke-

pler project. “I think [the discoveries] allow us to realize that the world is bigger than we care to think,” says Sophomore Patrick Zeng, who has been following the project’s findings.

Though the mission has not found any ideal planets, NASA researchers are hoping to find one within two years. “We are hoping to announce in the next two years the discovery of an Earth-size, habitable exoplanet,” Kepler team member David Charbonneau said to National Geographic. ▪

kepler.nasa.gov

Kepler-20e and Kepler-20f were the first Earth-sized exoplanets discovered (size comparison above), but are too close to their star to support life.

By Kerrie Wu Staff Writer NASA’s Kepler mission provided data that led astronomers to discover three new exoplanets orbiting a star called KOI-961.

With radii .78, .73, and .57 times the size of Earth’s, these new planets are the smallest planets NASA has ever found outside our solar system. They orbit a red dwarf just 70 percent larger than Jupiter so closely that they are also part of the smallest solar system recorded. Though the new planets are thought to be rocky like Earth, their close orbit makes it impossible for liquid water to exist on their surfaces. Since red dwarfs are the most common type of star in the Milky Way galaxy, the discovery suggests that many more rocky planets are out there.

This recent discovery follows many more milestone findings using data from NASA’s Kepler program. “Astronomers are just beginning to confirm thousands of planet candidates uncovered by Kepler so far,” says Kepler program scientist Doug Hudgins.

The Kepler spacecraft was launched on March 6, 2009 to keep watch on more than

150,000 stars for dips in brightness that may signify a planet passing in front of it. Since its launch, the mission has confirmed many planetary systems that demonstrate the diversity of systems in our galaxy.

At a meeting of the American Astronomical Society in January, where the three rocky planets were announced, astronomers also announced two new planets that orbit, not one, but two stars. The discovery of these new circumbinary planets, along with a planet found in 2011 in a similar system, suggest that planets orbiting two stars are not uncommon in our galaxy. It also widens the category of possibly habitable planets.

More findings from last year include the first planet found in the habitable zone, the area in a solar system where liquid water can exist on a planet. Though the planet is over two times the size of earth and probably isn’t a rocky planet, it has a similar orbit of around 290 days and proves that planets in the habitable zone exist.

A Dec. 20, 2011 discovery revealed two Earth-sized planets orbiting a sun like ours, which confirmed that the Kepler spacecraft can detect Earth-sized planets. The two plan-

kepler.nasa.gov

The NASA Kepler mission has discovered a wide variety of planets orbiting other stars (artist’s depiction above).

6 Opinion

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Smoke Signal

Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 47, No. 5 | February 3, 2012 www.thesmokesignal.org

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An Old Love

By Courtney Tam Opinion Editor It was definitely not love at first sight.

The first impression was not a great one: sharp and biting, the demeanor was far from suave, the style seemingly messy and disheveled, with faded denim and rusting, tarnished metal buttons. Put simply, I did not like the overall appearance of things.

As much as I tried to avoid the vexation, it seemed to pop up everywhere I went. After several judgmental months, my observations led me to a different conclusion. Perhaps it was not unkemptness but rugged handsomeness, not rough on the edges but a diamond in the rough. As everyone knows, hate easily morphs into love on junior high grounds.

It was difficult to ignore the irresistible charm: no other pencil bag I had encountered had been so chivalrous as to hold all twenty-five pencils, seven highlighters, two erasers, and scientific calculator of mine. It accompanied me to all my classes, sat with me as I studied for upcoming exams, never leaving my side. It soon appeared to be impossible to live without my denim pencil bag.

But as time so often does, my trusty companion’s appearance unfortunately succumbed to the weathers of time. It began to acquire obnoxiously neon highlighter stains, ink blotches that looked like age spots, even a newfound, irksome habit of tugging at my long hair with its faulty zipper. Friends and family told me it was time to play the role of a heartbreaker: it was time for a relationship with a new, better pencil bag. Time to upgrade.

Thus I began to create opportunities to “accidentally” leave it behind. I reasoned that since a break up was inevitable, I might as well make it a painless one. I took it out at the library, all my classes, and even study sessions and project meetings.

The Smoke Signal

Friday, February 3, 2011

anthology The Uninformed Majority

By Anthony Chen

But no matter how forgetful I was, it always found its way back to me.

Perhaps it began to realize that it was unloved, for one day it just disappeared.

After all, denim pencil bags have their dignity too. It left, without a trace, without me fretting over where I could leave it next: a thoughtless, easy separation without my slightest input.

But wait. How was this fair? I wasn’t ready for this yet. How could it have just left without my permission? Thus I began my frantic search for my pencil bag. Had I left it in my backpack? Class? Starbucks?

I searched high and low around home, retraced all my steps, but to no avail.

I mourned the loss any way a girl would: bowls of Cookies ‘n’ Cream ice cream, Godiva chocolates, and rocking out to breakup anthems. After a good week of wallowing in my sorrows and a Friends marathon, I decided it was time to move on.

I soon found myself a new pencil bag: pale pink and cotton, it was aesthetically pleasing and served its purpose, leaving me quite happy with my rebound choice.

As months passed, I was perfectly content and loved my new bag, when it, that pencil bag, decided to waltz right back into my life.

While cleaning my room, I noticed a slight metallic glint from the corner. My stomach filled with butterflies as I looked closer: sitting beneath my desk, there it was, almost pouting in solitude. But it seemed to be a miracle—perhaps love is in fact blind—it was clean and new, just as it had been in the beginning of our relationship.

I grasped the denim bag, overjoyed at the reconciliation.

I found my old love, and we lived a happily ever after. ▪

Send letters to the editor to opinion@thesmokesignal.org

Opinion Editor A friend of mine in Alabama posted a photo to Facebook of a sticker saying, “In 2007 when OBAMA was elected – gas was $1.70 per gallon. How’s that hope and change working out for you?”

She was, being intelligent, critical of the misguided and shortsighted message, but sadly most Americans are susceptible to such false marketing techniques.

Such a ploy is indicative of a larger and rather embarrassing trend in US politics. The average US citizen has no idea what’s going on in the nation and in the world, and increasingly, neither do our politicians. We pride ourselves in being an advanced country, but democracy is useless when the majority is uninformed, or worse, misinformed by well-funded propaganda campaigns run by corporations.

Politicians, even well-meaning ones, have had to turn to sensationalist statements in debates and accusatory ads targeting specific, unimportant speed bumps in their fellow politicians’ careers. There have been too many factually incorrect statements made already.

We have to stop giving comedians so much new material. This situation is quite sad, and it’s not entirely their fault; if we, as American voters, are swayed so easily, then we’re the problem.

Many American voters are uncompromising and tend to become polarized on seemingly significant issues. We get worked up over nothing. It’s laughable, really. One minor skeleton in the closet can

bring down a reasonable platform.

It’s like deciding not to be someone’s friend because of their religion, or because they helped stop a bullying incident in the past.

Another glaring problem is simply the sheer lack of knowledge that persists. Americans who don’t even know on a basic level how the internet works can’t possibly understand the implications of the Stop Online Piracy Act and the Protect IP Act. Of course it’s much easier to rally behind the hateful war cry, “Bomb the terrorists!” It’s much, much harder to go out and learn about the complicated political and social situation and history of the Middle East. We have to fully understand how the average citizen over there feels. The financial industry will not be punished for the recent recession because Americans don’t understand the financial industry and the power that it has. Most Americans don’t even know US history. It’s a sad state of affairs.

US citizens also tend to blame the current president for current problems, not realizing that many were caused by previous presidents. The much-maligned Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP), the $700 billion bailout, was actually signed into law by President Bush, not President Obama. Deregulation of the financial industry began years and years ago. There are probably many more secret problems that have been taken care of that the general public is not aware of.

How are we going to fix this? You can help by educating yourself. ▪ Send letters to the editor to

opinion@thesmokesignal.org

But you pinky promised!

By Jason Chen Staff Writer

When Barack Obama was elected in 2008, he promised sweeping changes to a variety of controversial issues that have plagued the US for years.

Included among the many promises are plans to better improve the quality and affordability of health care. Obama also announced plans to bring home all troops in Iraq, permanently end US intervention in Iraq, and close Guantanamo Bay forever. He encouraged greater scientific innovation by issuing generous grants to various companies and private projects. Did Obama compromise his promises to boost his reelection status? Probably, as Obama’s actions seem to suggest so.

First, lets delve into Obama’s plan to provide affordable health care for every single person living in the US. His plan required the implementation of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. This statute promised to increase medical coverage and decrease cost for every policy purchased.

However, 23 million Americans still remain uninsured. Policy costs are also rising by one to three percent because of requirements for increased benefits. This result is an antithesis of Obama’s promise that his new law would “lower premiums by up to $2,500 for a typical family per year.” First promise...busted.

During Obama’s Iowa caucus victory speech in January 2008, Obama promised he would be a “president who ends this war in Iraq and finally brings our troops home.” This time, Obama stayed true to his promise by formally announcing the withdrawal of the last 4,000 troops stationed in Iraq by the end of the year. This news comes amid controversy that the Iraqi army is ill equipped to defend itself against the continuing insurgency.

Despite this concern, Obama remains adamant

in his plan to accomplish his original plan. Looks like you aced this one, Mr. President.

When elections rolled around in 2008, the future of Guantanamo Bay was one of the most heavily scrutinized topics on hand. In response, Obama declared he would shut down the prison permanently for the foreseeable future. But why are 171 inmates still detained at Guantanamo?

We don’t know yet, but certainly Obama has strayed from his word. Another promise…busted.

The scientific innovation and discovery portion of Obama’s plan consisted of one chief promise.

In this promise, Obama proclaimed he would “be a president who harnesses the ingenuity of farmers and scientists and entrepreneurs to free this nation from the tyranny of oil once and for all.”

This statement immediately enamored many voters vision towards the future. However, somebody must have reverse-engineered Obama’s mindset because the United States was still consuming 8.1 million barrels of oil per day in November 2011.

There just doesn’t seem to be an end to the oil crisis we face because Obama clearly isn’t fully committed to his original promise. Strike three… another bust.

Judging by Obama’s performance record over the last four years, does he deserve yet another shot at fulfilling his promises? Probably not. His three to one ratio of breaking promises certainly doesn’t look like a good statistic on election night.

Florida, which contains 27 electoral votes, is already starting to sway towards Mitt Romney and the Republican Party. A staggering 54 percent of Florida voters disapprove of Obama, well above the national average. Therefore, the loss of Florida just might sway Obama from victory to defeat.

The future certainly looks bleak for Obama and the Democrats unless something extraordinary happens. ▪

staff writer kevin he

staff writer anusha rijhsinghani

Friday, February 3, 2011

The Smoke Signal

EDITORIAL: Warrior pride The Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board

“I hate school.”

The rallying cry of beleaguered students all over the world and especially here at MSJ. We’ve certainly said it as we have slaved late into the night. Be honest, you’ve said it too. It’s a catchy phrase and it’s so much easier to lump all your dissatisfactions with your classes into three simple words.

“I hate school.”

But somewhere, lost in translation, are the real things you hate. You hate waking up for school. You hate schoolwork. But you don’t hate school. You like school.

It’s that silly little feeling you get in the middle of summer, after you haven’t seen all of your friends together in a while.

You like school. Of course, this is a totally “geekish” thing to say and for fear of looking “nerdy,” nobody says it. And that’s a shame.

Many MSJ alumni came to visit around winter break and many of them wore their college gear with pride. They excitedly described how the student body turned into a frenzied mess at sporting events, feverishly supporting their school and classmates—“Homecoming on steroids” they called it. Amazingly enough, somewhere in the small gap between high school and college, liking school became a “cool” thing. As the alumni strutted their stuff around campus, there always seemed to be sense of respect and awe radiating from high-schoolers as they spotted impressive college gear.

“Wow... he goes to Harvard? And she attends USC? Dang!”

And almost as if the alumni can read your mind, they walk a little straighter and smile a little bit bigger.

It’s true. Attending the very best institutions in the nation should be cause for pride.

At MSJ, there’s a well-documented “Mission Bubble.” But much less welldocumented is the presence of smaller individual bubbles, little bubbles of

selfishness and “me-first.” This attitude has gradually become part of the culture here at MSJ, creating a united campus in name only. Everybody criticizes, but few really care.

Did you know MSJ is one of the top 10 public schools in all of America? You attend one of the best institutions in the most advanced country in the world. Yet when was the last time you saw someone proudly rocking MSJ gear? When was the last time you went to a sporting event to support your team, and not for extra credit?

When was the last time you participated in Green and White Friday, which is also every Friday?

No matter where we end up in life, MSJ will always be in our past—so why not create some fond memories to look back on in our short time here? Show your appreciation for the amount of work our athletes put into their sports daily rather than judge their end result. Go to their games, cheer them on, and represent your school with pride. Try staying on campus during lunch one Friday and attend a Friday Activity or cheer through a Sports Assembly. Drag your friends to the dances; you only get 16 in a lifetime, so don’t rely on “next time.” Wear green. Leave that derogatory MSJ comment unsaid.

Have pride in your high-school.

One small step at a time, we can change this MSJ culture.

We’re proud to be MSJ Warriors.

You should be too. ▪

Send letters to the editors at opinion@thesmokesignal.org by February 24, 2012 or comment online at www.thesmokesignal.org.

www.thesmokesignal.org

“AR”e you reading?

By Jade Shi Staff Writer

Accelerated Reader is a software program created in 1986 to supply teachers with access to immediate feedback of student reading comprehension based on Reading Practice Assessments. Part of the reason why AR is still popular in schools is that, for teachers of younger students or students in less fortunate circumstances, the AR program is helpful; at least it gets students to begin reading. But for the students who have long held a high regard and love for reading, AR fosters exactly the mentality it tries to overcome.

Due in part to the higher socioeconomic status of the Mission District, the majority of students here are very capable of reading novels for their superficial meanings, the main bulk of AR assessment tests. Noting this, it is certainly commendable that Hopkins Jr. High English teachers encourage students to challenge themselves in the case of outside reading, but as is evident when they enter high school, many students have challenged themselves for the wrong reasons, not reading for enjoyment.

According to Hopkins English Teacher Angie Parke, all eighth grade students are required to read 22 books per year. Although there is undoubtedly merit in reading a large number of books, just how many of these books are students truly understanding? This emphasis on quantity over quality in literature may prove more harmful than helpful. In the scramble to complete the quota of books, many students find themselves tempted by the lure of instant gratification from sparknotes.com and other test prep review sites. This is particularly true if they have been challenged to aim for the highest point level books and the most difficult books on the list, many of which are part the high school reading curriculum.

Although junior high students are often capable of reading lower high school level books for basic content, they are generally neither prepared nor motivated to understand the subject matter and commentary the books present. High school Freshman English teachers are often frustrated when students come into class with misconceptions about books they think they understand because they felt impelled to read the books for AR. English Teacher John Boegman notes a greater issue in that the AR program does not encourage and in many cases adversely

affects students’ analytical reading capabilities.

A glaring issue in the political spectrum today is the lack of critical analysis of political and media bias in the general public. Without having developed the ability to critically read in the world beyond, the next generation is crippled in its growth.

As part of a request by the Hopkins English Department for feedback from the teachers of the MSJ English Department on the general preparedness of incoming freshmen, a recent poll was conducted by the MSJ English Department on the love of reading AR fostered in students, with a total of 461 freshmen, sophomores, and juniors surveyed. Fifty-six percent of students voted that AR ‘took away from their love for recreational reading’, thirty-six percent said AR ‘did nothing to alter their love of reading’, and only eight percent said AR ‘enhanced their love of reading.’

Part of the reason why a majority of students do not support the efforts of the AR program is that AR replaces the intrinsic reward of reading with extrinsic rewards—points given for a specific number of books read and tested on, amounting to ten percent of the overall grade in the class. The AR program breaks down reading into a point system, which for many students feels demeaning and counterproductive.

Librarian Maile Ferreira suggests Hopkins Jr. High adopt an incentive program appropriate for its grade levels that is similar to that of Ardenwood Elementary School, which has a higher student check-out rate of books than any other elementary school in the district. Students at Ardenwood are encouraged to read through incentives that have nothing to do with grades.

If students read a number of pages in a book of their choosing, or a number of books, they are rewarded with small prizes or actions of the staff and faculty; the Principal would sing a song, or work on the roof for a day.

Ideally, MSJ English teachers would like to get rid of the AR program as a whole, but strongly suggest having the high school reading level books removed from the list of books junior high students can read. They also advocate decreasing the grade portion that AR counts for, so students won’t feel quite so inclined to read the books with the highest point values. ▪

National defense (against) authorization act

By Vishal Bajpai Staff Writer

What did Nazi Germany, the USSR, Pol-Pot’s Cambodia, and Fascist Italy have in common? Each of those countries had suppressive governments that were able to indefinitely arrest citizens without trial or cause, to torture at will, and to keep certain information out of the hands of the citizenry.

So are we at moving to the level of Nazi Germany, or the USSR, or Pol-Pot’s Cambodia, or a Fascist Italy? We may not be quite there yet, but we are working hard to get there. On Dec. 31, 2011 President Barack Obama signed into law the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). The NDAA gives the federal branch broad and unchecked power to arrest any US citizen suspected of terrorism indefinitely. These convicts would not get a trial, the government would need no warrant, and the only thing keeping Obama from arresting any and all who dissent is his good will. But the NDAA didn’t come out of nowhere; civil rights in America have been under constant attack.

Supporters of the NDAA are quick to point out that it is simply codifying law that has been practice for the last ten years. The Bush administration arrested non-citizens and citizens alike, without warrant or accusation, and held them without bail in Guantanamo or other military prisons. Obama carried on the tradition and arrested more individuals than Bush had. By codifying the law, Congress and Obama have made a contentious issue into an unjust law. Even if you don’t believe Obama is capable of misusing his power, keep in mind that the NDAA makes indefinite detention legal. Any president after Obama, until the law is finally repealed, has this power.

wikipedia.org

This represents a new direction for the US, as the government limits freedoms more and more in order to keep us “safe.” The Patriot Act allowed warrantless federal wiretapping en masse. The Bush administration, and then the Obama administration, has exercised the government’s ability to assassinate individual US citizens without warrants. SOPA and PIPA give the government and corporations enormous power to change the internet. By the end of 2012 you could be arrested for no reason, tortured at Guantanamo Bay, held indefinitely, and not even be able to complain about it on the internet. But does any of this make us safer?

It doesn’t. If someone is dangerous and can hurt US citizens, and the government is sure enough about it that they are ready to detain and torture the individual, surely there is proof. If there is proof then it should be able

Opinion 7

Detainees in the Guantanamo Bay detention camp.

to stand up in a court of law. There is no way we can’t afford to give an American citizen a fair trial for a crime as hefty as terrorism.

Odder still, it is a liberal that claims we can’t.

Obama is supposed to be the voice of change, the Democrats are supposed to be the people’s party. Liberals crusade for human and civil rights, pride themselves with retaining human dignity, and try their hardest to treat all fairly and justly. So why the sudden switch to supporting the NDAA? This bill passed the House and the Senate, the Senate has a Democratic majority. Even John Kerry, one of the most liberal Democrats in Senate, voted yes. Why is this happening? Because Democrats can get away with it, by voting yes on a bill like this liberals in the Senate can trade for a yes on another bill a conservative would normally vote no on. No one will hold them

accountable because no one will remember when election time comes along. And indeed no one ever does. Incumbency rates are high, even with Congress only having nine percent approval rates.

So what can we, as citizens, do to undo the wrong that has been done? Let our elected representatives know we disapprove, that we will not support them in future elections if they fail to repeal the NDAA. Most Seniors will be able to vote by November, and anyone who can’t can still call in, voice their disapproval, and encourage others to do the same. The NDAA threatens our most fundamental liberty, freedom. And no one should be fine with or indifferent about that.

The government should be allowed to kill US citizens who pose a credible threat to US security, but is a warrant really too much to ask? Military detention can and should be used on dangerous terror suspects, but aren’t we all guaranteed a trial by our peers? We derive our rights from our humanity; it says so in the constitution. The government doesn’t grant us rights, it doesn’t begrudgingly hand them over to us, we are born with them, they are ours to claim, to use, to enjoy. Our right to freedom from improper imprisonment isn’t one the government chooses to give us, it is ours to demand and to exercise. The fight against terror can’t become a fight against our rights; sadly that is what it is becoming. ▪

8 Opinion

www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, February 3, 2011

Private school admissions

pro

By Nihar Parikh Staff Writer

Every private school college admission representative starts with the now much clichéd line, “There really is no formula to gain admission to our university.” Immediately, high schools students in the audience groan because that one very line makes determining or guaranteeing their college aspirations almost impossible. Most private institutions accept students based not on tangible goals like grades and standardized tests but on the impression they receive from the complete package of the individual. This holistic ap-

proach might make high school counselors, parents, and students’ lives a bit more convoluted, but this method, under further analysis, seems perfectly logical.

What do high school students learn from getting good grades and scoring well on tests? They learn how to adapt their mind to store large amounts of information for a short period of time. They learn how to exert the least amount of effort to obtain the best grade or score. All these skills are only useful in the process of learning, if even that; they have no bearing on real life success.

This fact is exemplified in two interesting trends: the personalities and backgrounds of some of the world’s most successful modern innovators and the success of former athletes in the workplace. Almost all of the world’s successful men and women have one thing in common, a passion. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg received good grades and strong scores when attending high school and Harvard University, but he chose to spend most of his free time exploring the intricacies of computer science. Before embarking on Facebook, the website that made him billions, he, just for fun, created an instant messaging and a media playing software, in addition to pursuing fencing and a classical education. This passion and well-roundedness showed Harvard University that he had the talent and drive to revolutionize the world, a quality that most definitely would

contribute to the school’s success. In retrospect, if he had focused his time on only maintaining his grades and scores, it is hard to make the case that he would have become even remotely as successful as he is today.

Athletics are extremely common in all high schools, but the top achieving students usually have no inclination that participating in one will aid in their college admission or boost their starting salary. However, almost ironically, statistics have shown that former athletes perform better in the workplace, garnering high pay. One factor may be that athletes are highly competitive and therefore compete for high-paying jobs, but more significantly, they are already instilled with workplace values like teamwork, shared commitment, decision-making under pressure, and leadership. These, combined with a competent knowledge of the specialized skill, are extremely attractive to employers.

Private institutions recognize this and use continued athletics as a strong addition to any application.

To some extent, private schools are taking a risk by accepting some students that haven’t proved their academic excellence compared to their peers, but that is a risk they are willing to take. They would

rather have ten students out of each class achieve “super successful” status than all of their students doing moderately well. They also feel that these students, being more driven and passionate, will have lower “failure” rates. As private corporations, it’s just good business.

Prospective students should stop griping over the private school admission process; they should instead use it to their advantage. It is unlikely that more than a handful would prefer cooping themselves up in a room studying for the next test over pursuing something they love, so this offers the perfect opportunity for students to break out of the limited academic bubble and explore other opportunities. It is not only enjoyable, it also just might be the ticket to that dream school. ▪

By Lindy Zeng Staff Writer

With most of the seniors’ college applications completed and many eagerly anticipating results, there are thoughts being raised about the current application process and its potential flaws and strengths. Admissions officers look for possible students through test scores, grades, letters of recommendation, extracurricular activities, and personal statements.

The history behind the present private school admission process is linked back to the 1920s, when the administration of schools such as Harvard, Yale, and Princeton sought to limit the rapidly growing number of Jewish students into the school system. The adminis-

tration decided to shift its focus from solely test scores to other aspects of the applicants’ life, mainly extracurricular activities, athletic ability, and leadership qualities. This new way of admitting students indeed lowered the number of Jewish applicants into Ivy League schools, but despite those statistics, the method has remained relatively unchanged to this day.

The idea of this type of admission was founded on immoral and discriminating principles. In the attempt

to limit the number of Jewish students into the schools, the 14th amendment, which states that all people, regardless of race, are promised “equal protection of the laws” was violated. Additionally, the judgment of “athletic ability” and “extracurricular activities” discriminated against the handicapped and the needy.

In the 1950s, there appeared to be a trend where the admissions committee admitted students based off of appearance and “masculinity”, because as the Yale admissions board put it, “there was apparently something manly and distinctive about him…we just thought he

con

was more of a guy.” This selective and highly subjective procedure raises questions like “why should athletic ability and personality matter?” The most simple and objective process behind admissions should be based only on intellect shown via test scores.

Many say that success in life cannot be determined by SAT scores and other such tests. But what is success? Good grades? A high-paying job? A study at all UC (University of California) schools performed an analysis of over 81,000 students that entered the UC system and demonstrated that high SAT I and SAT II scores correlated with “success”—freshman grades. Another study showed that the statistical correlation coefficient (which ranges from -1 to +1) between college grades and SAT scores was about r=0.42, which signifies a moderately positive relationship.

There is a major weakness in the current admissions process. Many argue that SAT scores do not offer a complete and accurate representation of applicants, but without test scores in the picture, more importance would be placed on things such as extracurricular activities and high school grades. These measures have flaws—grades fluctuate depending on the courses taken and the student will engage in meaningless activities just for the sake of writing it on their application. If an admissions officer were to judge students based off of these easily manipulated requirements, there would be too many variables to consider. It would be wrong to not acknowledge faults in tests such as the SAT. However, test scores are the least subjective way for admissions officers to judge applicants without bias. They are objective and universally understood.

And, as ABC News’ article states, the SAT “sometimes provides a way for the bright, yet socially inept student to be recognized.” ▪

Let’s play leap week

By Aishwarya Thakur Staff Writer

Remember the knuckle counting system to remember how many days each month has? The peaks stand for 31 days, dips for 30 day. This mnemonic has been in place since the creation of the Gregorian calendar by Pope Gregory nearly 400 years ago. Everybody around the world uses the Gregorian calendar: a 365 day calendar with an extra day occurring every four years. We learned why leap years occur back in kindergarten, calculated those frustrating math problems that ask “how old will Bernie be if his birthday is on a leap day,” or “what day of the week will February 3 be 17 years from now?”

Two Johns Hopkins University professors, economist Steve Hanke and astrophysicist Richard Henry, proposed a calendar with 364 days in a year with a “leap week” every five to six years. This “leap week” is added so that the seasons stay in sync with the months and summer doesn’t eventually end up earlier than it should be.

Therefore the months come in packages of three.

The three months comprise a 91 day cycle, with the first two months having 30 days each and the third month having 31 days. This means that every date of the year would fall on the same day every single year.

This is good news for economists who calculate interest rates for a three month cycle.

Now three months are a uniform 91 days, and not the varying 90 to 92 days prescribed by the Gregorian calendar. Economists can save time by avoiding the long-winded and archaic method required for the calculation of interest rates.

Christmas and New Year’s Day would also fall on Sunday and not mid-week, which results in a two-week market dip; sales are much higher when people can go last-minute shopping on weekends.

Businesses and organizations also don’t have to schedule holiday schedules every year. In fact, UC

Berkeley has to start setting up a calendar five years in advance just because the process is so complicated.

Money and time would be saved according to the Hanke-Henry Permanent Calendar.

However, there will always be those who complain about any new changes, and for a change as big as this—one that could change the way we think about days, months, and years—rightly so. But the number one complaint seems trivial. People find having their birthdays fall on different days of the week every year exciting. Switching to the Hanke-Henry Calendar could condemn one to have a birthday on the same day. Forever.

In response to these exclamations, Henry said, “You’re free to celebrate [your birthday] when you want! What the devil difference does it make what it says on the calendar?” It’s okay to get all your birthday wishes on one day and celebrate on a more convenient day; we already do this anyway.

Henry and Hanke’ have opened the door to unnerving change. They have suggested other radical ideas, such as the worldwide standardization of following Greenwich Mean Time. According to this, those of us in the US would go to sleep at 7 am, and those in Fiji would have Monday turn into Tuesday in the middle of the day. In response to the strangeness, Henry and Hanke’s explanation was that it doesn’t matter what the clock says; it’s just a measure of time.

If this calendar is adapted, (no moves to adapt it have been taken yet), soon enough the “old” Gregorian calendar and days like Daylight Savings will be just something to read about in history books. Just as the world adapted from Julius Ceasar’s calendar to Pope Gregory’s new calendar, the world will soon acclimate to new, simpler, more efficient methods of life. With any change comes trepidation and weirdness (going to sleep at 7 am?), but new mnemonics can always be created, right? ▪

Friday, February 3, 2012

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

Advice from a Senior

Diary, I Think I’m in Love ;

By Leland Bernstein Staff Writer

By Kyle Qian Staff Writer

Wednesday, January 18 3:29 AM Dear Diary, It’s been so long, I haven’t seen her face; I’m trying to be strong, but my strength is washing away. We used to talk every night before drifting off to sleep. We’d talk about our lives, our hopes, our dreams; we explored the world together through our thoughts. I know I should be studying for next week’s finals, but I can’t help but wonder how she’s doing.

Thursday, January 19 2:50 AM Dear Diary, Perhaps we’re better off. My parents have always complained that I spend too much time with her. They were angry that I never had enough time on weekends because we’d always be together. Maybe it’s for the better.

Maybe, but I still think about her. I still remember the sight of her messy hair and smell of her perfume. It smelled like detergent for some reason. I like that.

Friday, January 20 7:40 AM Dear Diary, I saw her earlier this morning, and I just didn’t have the guts to say hi. I couldn’t tell if she noticed me. I couldn’t stop staring. She was so gorgeous with her hair all fluffed up and dainty, but she looked so lonely.

Feature 9

Sunday, January 22 6:29 PM Dear Diary, She was the first one to wish me a happy birthday today. I couldn’t look her in the face as I told her I had finals next week and didn’t have time to talk. Or at least I think that was her. I’m such an idiot. Maybe I’m just imagining things. Maybe I’d fallen asleep at the desk again.

Thursday, January 26 5:20 AM Dear Diary, It’s the middle of finals and yet again she’s nowhere to be seen. This is all my fault. I know I need to work hard in school and get into a good college, but at what cost? She has been nothing but good to me all these years. I remember back in freshman year I had all the time in the world to spend with her, but I never took the opportunity to make her feel special.

That was then, and now I don’t even have enough time to apologize.

Saturday, January 28 11:30 AM Dear Diary, This is the best day of my life! Now that finals are over, she said she’d give me another chance! I promised never to abandon her ever again. and we spent the most restful time sleeping on Friday night. She’s my dream-maker, my stress-breaker, and the reason for the teardrops on my biology book.

I love you, pillow. ▪

This may or may not come to you as a surprise, but how you spend your four years in high school can possibly determine what you will do and how you will act for the rest of your life. I don’t pretend to know everything about high school but I do know ways to make things better for yourself in the long run.

Work Smarter, not Harder The value of working and studying hard is something you’ll have to learn for yourself because in the end it’s YOUR work and YOU decide when and how it gets done. However, too many times you hear students saying how they stayed up past one in the morning to study for some enormous test. Some people have legitimate reasons such as sports or jobs that consume their time. But a better use of time rather than studying by yourself and being distracted is studying with people who want to succeed as much as you do; or try a tutoring place. Because at either one, you will have people making sure you’re on task as well as people that can correctly answer every question you have.

Pace Yourself If I tell you not to take more than two AP classes a year, you’re going to do it anyway and have a completely miserable year. If you are interested in all those AP subjects then try taking them all over two, maybe even three, years. I had a junior year packed with AP Bio, AP Psych, and honors precalc – and that was starting to push my limits. I’m almost 100% certain that if you’re reading this, you’re a much better student than I am but don’t make things impossible for yourself. If you only have a

casual interest in history, please don’t take APUSH, it will eat you alive. Don’t take multiple AP courses to try to impress colleges, they’re more impressed if you have a declared major and have taken classes to show you care about that major. This doesn’t even have to apply to AP courses, don’t feel bad about moving out of honors classes. While it may sting to not be in the same class with your friends, the intensity of the class is greatly reduced and if you find yourself liking the subject you can try to take the AP version of it. And a last reminder, don’t wait to start taking language classes for sophomore year, it’s weird to be the lone senior in a room of underclassmen.

Don’t Follow All the Advice You Hear I know, this is slightly ironic coming from the person trying to give you advice.

The person that knows you best – your study habits (or non-habits), work ethic, etc. etc. – is you. Your parents and friends may know you pretty well too, and give you advice they think might help you – but if something just isn’t working for you. don’t keep bashing your head into a brick wall. Go out, find something that works, and come back and tear down that brick wall. ▪

seMemes Update av

graphics by centerspread editor frank chen

graphics by centerspread editor frank chen

By Connor Williams Staff Writer

“Fus Ro Dah” are the words used in a dragon shout that summons a powerful force in Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. The earliest known parodies of this meme were used with trailer footage from the video game attached to FAIL videos.

"Neil DeGrass Tyson" is a cartoon of the popular astrophysisist throwing up his hands. This is seen at the end of a comic when someone is taking themselves way too seriously, and so "we have a badass of over here".

“I Know That Feel Bro” is a reaction image showing two bros embracing each other. This image is used to show sympathy and compassion to another person.

Memes; we know them, we love them, but what are they really? Dictionary.com tells us that a meme is a cultural item that is transmitted by repetition, and in a modern context that usually means via Reddit or Tumblr. Memes can come from all media sources, but we love the ones that make us wince. Anything is game: horrible music videos (sorry Ms. Black), popular video games (FUS RO DAH!), and especially unfortunate pictures with funny captions. A meme can come from anywhere, and strike silently, then disappear into the dark corners of the internet without a trace. ▪

u k d s r o a f j l

"Not Sure If..." this meme comes from the popular tv show Futurama, the main character Fry shows deep consentration and confusion while looking at something. Usually phrased as Not sure if... or if..."

v n k q b m ;

“Me Gusta” is a rage comic face which is used to respond to a disgusting or an awkward event. It is understood as “I like it” in English.

"Clean All the Things" originated from the web comic Hyperbole and a Half. It is usually used to show when someone is really excited about somthing, and therefore does said activity to excess.

The phrase “took an arrow to the knee” also came from the game Skyrim, and the ferocious wolf over a shining background serves to provide comic exaggeration.

Obama Rage Face is a rage comic face that uses a photo taken from Barack Obama’s visit to the Queen of England at Buckingham Palace. This face is used to express approval. knowyourmeme.com

10 Feature

www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Valentine’s Day Celebrations

Manaswini Avvari, Classical Dancer

By Courtney Tam Opinion Editor

By Jin Peng Staff Writer

Go Green Instead of buying clichéd roses comprised of hazardous pesticides and thorns of infidelity, go green this year and give your true love a heart of broccoli. That’s right. There’s a reason why they’re called “broccoli hearts,” and that’s because no other floral arrangement can beat the embodiment of passion and caring that the broccoli holds, disregarding the cauliflower. Known by ravenous eaters and scientists alike as the “The Crown Jewel of Nutrition”, tell that special someone how much of a diamond in the rough they are to you, and how his or her character is so full of the “nutrition” needed for a healthy relationship. By all means, let your soul mate know that you consider him or her organic and untainted by the poisons of society, and that the broccoli is actually a three-in-one package. Well suited for wedding jewelry given that times are tough, the gift is also a great snack in comparison to fatty rubbish such as chocolate. Suggest to your love to stir-fry the broccoli, since upon being cooked it releases special vitamins that are not present in its raw state, implying that as attractive as he or she is on the outside, there is also beauty present within.

Forever Alone?

Who says Valentine’s Day needs to be a mutual occasion? If you’re not engaged in any kind of remotely intimate relationship with anybody, there’s no need to feel left out. Instead, take this day to enjoy yourself in a manner that couples can only dream of. Stroll casually into any restaurant and sit yourself in a visible proximity to any pair of lovebirds, and proceed to treat yourself to desserts and succulent sweets to your heart’s desire. Be sure to watch through your peripheral vision as the couple observing your fondling of strawberries dipped in choco-

Friday, February 3, 2012

late fondue is torn between one’s desire to dine in your footsteps and the other’s willingness to pay the bill. Alas, be proud and enjoy a day in which you realize that between the two in a relationship, there is always some sort of give and take, but with the freedom of being alone, life is all yours for the taking. Before the day ends, go buy some cards and flowers, and as cashiers give you a wink and ask you “For that special someone?” be sure to laugh hysterically before thanking them for the compliment and in a modest tone, “Really though, I’m not that special.”

Valentine Clutch Poor memory? Inability to mark calendars? There’s no need to worry! If you happen to forget its Valentine’s Day, here are some easy methods to spend the day that are sure to be effective.

For a Girl: -Romantic Evening -Romantic Candles -Romantic Flowers -Romantic Setting -Romantic Food -Romantic Music -Romantic Gift -Romantic Scent -Romantic Face -Romantic Romance -Make Sure Everything is Perfect -Romantic Perfection For a Guy: -Tell him “Happy Valentine’s Day!” -Blink and smile -Add some more intimacy if needed -Repeat if the effect starts to wear off ▪

Manaswini Avvari, 12, a Classical Indian Kuchipudi dancer, has been selected to perform in Miami for YoungArts Week. YoungArts, sponsored by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts, recognizes 150 of the nation’s top artists ranging from 17 to 18 years old annually and brings them together for a week for a unique opportunity to perform at the Gusman Center. She shared with the Smoke Signal the highlights of her dance career and involvement with the YoungArts program.

Smoke Signal: How long have you been dancing? How did you get involved?

Manaswinini Avvari: I started Kuchipudi when I was around eight or nine. I was actually not interested in dance until about two years later. I had no idea that I would develop such a liking to it.

SS: Are there any memorable moments from your dance career that you would like to share?

MA: YoungArts week definitely tops the charts. Applying for the program was a huge deal for me because it was the first time I had ever done anything that intense.

I have performed with my group in the San Francisco Ethnic Dance Festivals for two years and was invited to Irvine to perform in the Ektaa Center.

In the summer of 2011, I performed in India in a highly prestigious temple in Hyderabad. I also gave my dance debut in August, which lasted for about two and half hours, called Rangapravesham. It took more than 40 hours a week to train for this program and it was then that I realized that my future lay in this art form. My dance debut was also an important milestone for me and it definitely marks the beginning of my career.

SS: Can you tell us about the YoungArts

Notable MSJ Alumni

photo courtesy of manaswini avvari

Program you are involved in?

MA: YoungArts’s mission is to identify emerging artists, provide educational enrichment and assistance in their pursuit of the arts, and to raise the appreciation for and support of the arts in American society. I am a candidate for the Presidential Scholar Award, which is the highest Arts Award in the nation appointed by the President of the United States. I got a call sometime in December and I was told that I was a national finalist in Dance. I went to YoungArts week from Jan. 8- 15, 2012 in Miami, Florida, all expenses paid, and it was one of the best experiences I have ever had. I took master classes from actor Robert Redford, artistic director Bill T. Jones, and the American Ballet dancer and choreographer, Jacques d’Amboise.

The YoungArts program has more than 16,000 alumni, some of which include Nicki Minaj, choreographer Desmond Richardson, and actress Vanessa Williams.

SS: Is YoungArts a one-time participation event or is it something that you will continue with for the years to come?

MA: YoungArts week is only a one-time event as it is only meant for high school seniors. You can definitely return as a Resident Advisor or as a performing alumna. ▪

By Grace Wu Staff Writer

Ever wondered what MSJ students accomplish after they graduate? Aside from internationally recognized alumna Kristi Yamaguchi, you may not have heard about the impressive accomplishments of MSJ’s very own alumni. Many are distinguished professionals in a variety of fields such as animation, athletics, and technology. Here are just a few of our notable alumni:

Don Hertzfeldt Don Hertzfeldt, Class of 1994, is currently a world renowned animator, director, producer, and writer. He is one of the most popular independent animators. Filmmaker magazine named him as one of their "Top 25 Filmmakers to Watch". Hertzfeldt’s films have collectively received over a hundred awards and have been featured in over a thousand theatres and film festivals around the world. In 2001 one of his animated films, Rejected, was nominated for an Oscar. At the 2007 Sundance Film Festival he was given the Jury Award for Short Filmmaking for his animated film, Everything Will Be Ok. He is, at the age of 33, the youngest person to receive the San Francisco International Film Festival's Lifetime Achievement Award for his "unique contributions to film and animation". His animated films are stylistically distinct and usually feature hand-drawn stick figures. Hertzfeldt is currently on a theatrical tour to promote his latest film, It's Such a Beautiful Day. To watch his animated films visit bitterfilms.com Kevin Tan Kevin Tan, Class of 2000, is an accomplished gymnast. Tan started gymnastics at the age of six and is currently an assistant coach for Penn State’s gymnastics team. He was one of the top collegiate gymnasts winning multiple NCAA championships and All-American honors. In 2008 he was the first male Chinese American to be named a member of the

dent body he says, “Enjoy what you do.

Life is short and every second is an opportunity. It can always be worse.” As for future career plans Tan says, “I graduated Penn State with a degree in finance and plan to maybe open up my own business at some point. Eventually I would like to move back to the Bay Area.”

U.S. Olympic team for Gymnastics. As captain, he led his team to a bronze medal in the 2008 Beijing Olympics. In March 2011, Tan formally retired from competitive gymnastics.

When asked how MSJ has set him up for success, he replied, “Mission offered opportunity. Whether it was subject matter or socialization, there was a place to learn. I can't say I was the most studious person, but I tried to keep my options open and I ended up learning quite a bit.

Mission gave me knowledge, responsibility, and time management skills needed for my success.” To aspiring athletes he advises, “Be coachable. It never hurts to take advice; you can always make what you want of it later. Set realistic goals, near and far. That way you are accountable for your actions and don't stall. The hardest days to get moving are the most important ones. Progress measures as an average so every day counts, as well as every week, month, and year. If you can succeed on a bad day, of course you can succeed on a good day.” To the MSJ stu-

Joe Lonsdale Joe Lonsdale, Class of 2000, is a successful entrepreneur, investor, and philanthropist. After graduating with a Computer Science degree from Stanford, he cofounded Palantir Technologies, a multibillion dollar private company which develops mission-critical analysis systems used by the FBI and various financial corporations. He has cofounded multiple companies such as Addepar, a company that hopes to change global wealth management, and Backplane, a new platform for self-expression. Lonsdale currently serves as CEO of Addepar and is a chairman of Zanbato, a platform for buyers and sellers of infrastructure to manage capital.

His diverse philanthropic work includes founding and serving on the board of multiple organizations like CACS.org, which works towards making the government more transparent and accountable.

When asked how going to MSJ helped with his success, Lonsdale replied, “MSJ has great teachers and a great academic environment -- I particularly remember a few favorites, including Mr. Geschke who had to put up with me as a student two different years, and many oth-

ers. But what was most important about MSJ for me was my peers; the fact that I was surrounded by so many intelligent, motivated, and hard-working friends.”

Lonsdale also gave advice for anyone aspiring for a successful career saying, “To succeed in technology you need to love it and study hard to be a great technologist -- these days, I think Computer Science(CS) is the most important area of technology and that you should start learning it at a young age (in high school at latest). But it's not enough just to be a CS star -- you need to have other passions, and to develop your qualitative abilities as well.

The most successful people are rarely strong in just one area, and this is especially true for leaders in the field of technology.” To the MSJ student body, he says, “Never take the ‘safe path’ versus the path that excites you -- nobody ever starved to death by taking a risk nowadays.” As for his future career plans, Lonsdale says “I am putting together a large technology investment fund, building Addepar into a multi-billion dollar company that transforms the financial industry, and continuing to advise Palantir. And I have many friends from my time at MSJ at both Palantir and Addepar!” ▪

trialx.com, forbes.com, merge.com

Friday, February 3, 2012

The Smoke Signal

Men

Valentine’s Day, to millions of Americans, is a time of feeling lonely and a realization that you want a significant other.

It’s true that in high school, relationships aren’t as common or serious as they are for those who are in their twenties. With that said, our youth is all the more reason to go out on a limb to try to do something special for someone, even if there is no significant other at the time.

Instead of remembering that there’s no special person, why not play that “It’s Valentine’s Day” card? Yes, it is easier said than done, because rejection isn’t any less burdensome on February 14 than it is any other day of the year. The worst part for all the guys is that with all of the social networking sites becoming increasingly popular, girls see so many cute and adorable things that guys do for girls on Valentine’s Day. Unfortunately for the guys, this officially raises the bar for everyone trying to impress a girl.

So not only do guys have to swallow their pride, they must go above and beyond the generic box of chocolates and dozen roses for a girl that might have them in that infamous “friend zone” almost every guy has nightmares about. Then what's a guy going to have going through his head? People are going to talk about a failed attempt at a date. It sucks, but the choice is between that silly memory that no one cares about after a matter of days or living with that feeling of what could have been. It truly depends how much the guy likes the girl, or how desperately he wants to start talking to her.

If a girl is constantly on a guy's mind, then shouldn't he just make a move on the most romantic day of the year?

That tough choice may never come, because not every guy that is single has

www.thesmokesignal.org

Feature 11

Be My Valentine ,Women

By Brandon Fuhs & Hannah Shih Staff Writers

that girl in their sights to impress. One way or another, a guy will know someone who does want to do something special on the 14th, and the least a guy could do for his friend is help anyway he can in order for this special occasion to have great meaning.

There are still ways to get something out of this holiday even if a guy is complacent with his dating status.

Valentine’s Day is that one day a year where you can do something a little crazy for a girl, and there's always that chance of becoming famous on the multiple social networking websites. It may not be easy, but try to think of one quote that mentions life being anywhere close to being easy. Exactly. ▪

Behind the sweet façade of plastic pink and red decorations from the dollar store and cards depicting dangerously armed naked babies looms a monster. This is a demon capable of making girls all over the world feel as desirable and charming as that huge, red zit that appeared on your nose on picture day. We call this deceiving holiday Valentine’s Day, otherwise known as Singles Awareness Day. Remember kindergarden and those valentines we had to pass out to everyone in the class, even that annoying boy who threw sand and chased people around the playground? Well, those were the easy days. Now that we’re in high school, and we’re “big kids”, we’re supposed to be able to stomach

the disappointment of not receiving our very own 52 cent box of conversation hearts. Forcing ourselves to smile while walking alone amidst the seemingly endless march of smitten couples seems to get harder every year, especially with the building montage of failed Valentine’s Days playing through our minds.

With Disney and Hollywood telling us to expect airplanes spelling out our names in the sky or a private orchestra, Valentine’s Day can even be disappointing for people with a special someone to celebrate with. Nowadays, every store we walk into is determined to do their part for our economy by selling highly overpriced chocolate, flowers, and jewelry.

We girls all hope to receive something from guys, but most of us likely anticipate drowning our sorrows in clearance chocolate we bought ourselves the day after Valentine’s Day. Do you look forward to wringing your hands in despair while hearing a close friend rave about her private candlelit dinner at an exclusive restaurant? What about leaving early in order to pretend to have a hot date, only to go home and surf Facebook for hours, watching the rest of the world check in at all kinds of nice places? This year, break the vicious cycle and instead of having a Ben&Jerry pity party by yourself, invite a few other single friends and head out to an arcade or a bowling alley to have some fun. Perhaps if you can gather the courage, you could even ask that cute guy who sits next to you in chemistry if he wants to go see the newest romantic comedy. Who says girls have to sit around and wait for guys to notice them? Most importantly, keep in mind that the love celebrated on Valentine’s Day isn’t just romantic love. Love of all sorts is also included, so don’t forget your parents, siblings, or even the mailman who waves to you every day.

Have an awesome Valentine’s Day everyone! ▪ graphics by centerspread editor frank chen

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CROSSWORD PUZZLE

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Across:

Down:

1. both an acid and a base (hard)

1. Chinese calculators (medium)

9. University of Ala___ (easy)

2. milliarcsecond, abbr (easy)

10. New Orleans, Louisiana (easy)

3. premenstrual syndrome (easy)

12. US Polo ____ (easy)

4. Vietnam's capital (medium)

13. an attack ___ hominem (medium)

5. coffee alternative (easy)

14. pomegranate drink (medium)

6. ___-n-out (easy)

15. Windows 7, Ubuntu (medium)

7. policeman (easy)

17. role-playing, abbr (easy)

8. inclined planes (medium)

18. Class of '13 homecoming theme (easy)

11. "Folk____" (medium)

24. Iowa, abbr (medium)

15. orange juice; or, Simpson (easy)

25. PM's partner (easy)

16. father and ___ (medium)

26. What "Hey Jude" and "Land of 1000 Danc-

19. the knights who say ___ (hard)

es" have in common (hard)

20. I'm sorry, ___, I'm afraid I can't do that. (hard)

27. Virginia, abbr (easy)

21. 1800s political cartoonist (hard)

29. Samarium, abbr (medium)

22. reload if you run out of it (medium)

30. metric units (medium)

23. Space Shuttles, Voyager, Cassini (medium)

32. traditionally sold to freshmen (easy)

28. Telegraph ___ in Oakland (hard)

37. Los Angeles (easy)

31. I am, you are, he ___ (easy)

38. Electronic Arts (easy)

32. vote into office (easy)

39. Mendeleev's prefix for predicted elements

33. body of water (easy)

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34. ___ battery (medium)

41. expression of deliciousness (medium)

35. 88 keys (easy)

43. an exposition of axes might be termed 36. chocolate+marshmallow+graham cookie+campfire this (medium)

(easy)

46. Large Hadron Collider organization (hard)

40. AP Studio ____ (easy)

48. French black (medium)

42. Inception antagonist (easy) 44. exclusive or (hard) 45. picture, abbr (easy) 47. not yes (easy)

Friday, February 3, 2012

By Allan Ko, Avery Kruger, Vishak Menon, & News Editor & Staff Writers

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Centerspread 13

Now that finals are over, you probably need extra motivation to keep yourself from falling into a stupor.

The Smoke Signal presents you with an opportunity to exercise your brain with these word games! Sit back and relax with a cup of coffee and a pen, and enjoy solving the puzzles. Don’t hesitate to collaborate with a few friends and enjoy your coffee break! The first person to finish will win a gift card and anyone else who turns it in by 3 pm Monday, February 6, will be eligible for a raffle to win many fun prizes! So go ahead, and have fun! Submit your paper to room N9 with your name and your third period class.

Tanya Raja

WORD JUMBLE

UZZLE Answer:

ANSWER:

ANSWER:

ANSWER:

ANSWER:

Graphic by Staff Writer Anusha Rijhsinghani

ANSWER:

TRIVIA QUESTIONS What room houses the Smoke Signal?

How many people are on the Smoke Signal editorial board?

ANSWER:

In what year was the first Smoke Signal published?

What image is in the Smoke Signal Masthead?

Ad 14 www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, February 3, 2012

Friday, February 3, 2012

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

Photo 15

photos by graphics editor angie wang

16 Arts & Entertainment

www.thesmokesignal.org

Friday, February 3, 2012

The Smoke Signal

THE HUNGER GAMES The Hunger Games (film) March 23, 2012 Katniss Everdeen: Jennifer Lawrence (XMen: First Class, Winter’s Bone) Peeta Mellark: Josh Hutcherson ( Journey to the Center of the Earth, Cirque du Freak) Gale Hawthorne: Liam Hemsworth (The Last Song) Prim Everdeen: Willow Shields “It’s addicting! By the fifth page, I was hooked and I’ve been obsessed ever since.” -Beth Scrutton, 10

By Anjali Kanthilal & Alekya Rajanala Staff Writer & A&E Editor

The first novel of Suzanne Collins’ The Hunger Games series was published in 2008, where it spent more than 130 weeks at the top of the New York Times and USA Today bestseller lists. The Smoke Signal gives you a bird’s eyeview of the series and its popularity.

Reaping day has arrived, the day when one unlucky boy and girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen are chosen from each of the twelve districts of Panem to compete in the Hunger Games, a nationally televised show of adventure and survival. When Katniss Everdeen’s younger sister Prim is chosen as a representative of District Twelve, Katniss, terrified for her sisters’ life, immediately volunteers as a tribute for what seems like a sure death sentence.

Together, the two tributes Katniss and Peeta Mellark go through a terrible journey of training to kill teenagers, gaining sponsors to help them survive in the arena, and attempting to stay alive.

Everyone wants to survive and be a hero, but only one will get out alive. Author Suzanne Collins takes her readers on a road of tragedy, romance, and adventure.

No one knows who will win. It is a small war of “kill or be killed.” Will Katniss survive? Will Peeta survive? Who will go back home to their loved ones as a hero? Happy reading, and “May the odds be ever in your favor!”

“I really like the development of characters, although I wish the author didn’t kill off so many people.” -Chin Chang, 11

“It’s a great book for all bookworms who love action and adventure.”

-Jordan Allred, 10 Alekya: The Hunger Games books have recently seen a sharp hike in popularity, especially since news of the movie adaptation was announced early last year.

What do you think might be the reason for the trilogy’s success?

Anjali: Well, it is certainly a book for all ages! I call it a mashup of Harry Potter and Twilight with lots of adventure.

Alekya: Definitely! By attractively combining action, drama, politics, and romance, the author Suzanne Collins has created a series that can appeal to a broad range of readers, without barriers of gender, age, and culture.

Anjali: For more information and to join the fan following, check out the official Hunger Games website, www.thehungergames.co.uk, and look out for the first movie coming up in March. ▪

“I wish the book concentrated more on the humanity aspect of killing; the characters make it seem like killing people is absolutely nothing. I expected an action novel, not a sob story.” -Anita Alem, 11

aceshowbiz.com, wearemoviegeeks.com, timeinc.net, thehungergamesmovie.com

A HARDER LOOK AT METAL ALTERNATIVE

By Matt Farberov Staff Writer

A Day to Remember

MELT YOUR FACE

August Burns Red

Acacia Strain

White noise, deafening screeching, horrible yelling, and embarrassment to music is what many people say about bands such as A Day to Remember, All That Remains, and August Burns Red. If people would take a minute to delve deeper into the sounds of hard rock and metal, they might find something more pleasant.

As mainstream music terrorizes listeners, a wonderful genre of music is often overlooked.

When someone hears the term, “metal,” his or her mind usually jumps to images of painted faces, demonic growling, and spikes or chains, not unlike the oldies images of KISS, Ozzy Osbourne, or Slayer. What many do not realize is that metal has numerous subgenres with an extensive range of taste.

Easy-going listeners can tune into alternative or punk bands such as The Offspring or Sum 41. These “metal” bands contrast tremendously with the intense flavors found in the faster, heavier tones of Bring Me The Horizon, As I Lay Dying, or Asking Alexandria.

For people that prefer a throwback to the good ol’ days of high-pitch vocals, they can experiment with Chiodos, Of Mice and Men, Pierce The Veil, or dare venture even further back into metal history.

Many vocally conscious listeners question how the recognizable low guttural yell came about. It began in the late 1990s as a new breed of metal emerged when bands deviated away from the standard high pitched scream that was trademark of groups such as Guns’

N’ Roses, and began to experiment with lower, heavier tones. One of the first bands to hit the mainstream stage using low guttural vocals was Slipknot, a group from Des Moines, Iowa, infamous for their masked attire and brutal lyrics. Soon though, after the smoke cleared and the makeup washed off, bands such as Slipknot distanced themselves from the eccentric hair, makeup, and clothing, opting for a much more socially acceptable look.

Sadly, many listeners are unable to look past the obvious screams but do tend to enjoy the fast or heavy guitar and drum sets. To them a group called Emarosa, which uses metal sounds coupled with mostly clean vocals, is recommended.

The most frequent objection to metal is the lyrics of popular metal songs. “It’s just yelling about how much life sucks, and how they hate the world and blah blah,” is a common response. This cannot be any further from the truth, demonstrated by songs like “To Plant a Seed” by We Came As Romans, or “All I Want” by A Day To Remember, both undeniably heavy, but inspiring songs.

Despite metal’s infamy, and often socially objectionable brutality, the genre lives on.

A testament to the survival of metal can be seen everywhere around the Bay Area with major tours such as Vans’ Warped Tour, Gamechangers Festival, and Mayhem Festival making stops quite frequently. At these festivals, one is guaranteed to find a band to satiate their desire for off-the-charts music.

For those seeking an introduction into the wonderful world of metal, here are some recommendations. ▪

OLD SCHOOL

Of Mice and Men

DIVERSE

Slipknot

Asking Alexandria

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Friday, February 3, 2012

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

‘Contraband’ on the black market

Arts & Entertainment 17

Human A-gain

album. Unlike some of the other songs, “Ghost” has a clear climactic chorus, which is a welcome change after a few artistic, but not as excitOn January 24, indie-pop sing- ing, selections. Later, with “In the er-songwriter Ingrid Michaelson Sea,” Michaelson explores her rock released her fifth studio album, side, with drum and electric guitar Human Again. In an interview in instrumentals. The final track of April 2011, Michaelson said of her the album, “The End of the World” album, “I feel like it’s time to stand showcases Michaelson’s wide vocal up and really sing. [This record] is range and artfully concludes the fiercer and not as childlike.” With album. strong songs like “This is War,” MiLike Michaelson’s work, the chaelson makes clear the captivat- album cover is also unique. The ing power and strength of her new painting of a girl and a cat was album. painted specifically for the album The album opens with the song by Joe Sorren, one of Michaelson’s filmofilia.com the audience must suspend disbe- “Fire,” a relatively fast-paced song favorite artists. lief in order to be fully absorbed. with significant string instrumenThe album is an eclectic mixChris frequently acts on hunches tals. The constant beat of the violins ture; some songs show Michaelthat always seem to pay dividends. creates an atmosphere of excite- son’s ability to sing as if she were In addition, virtually every nail- ment and energy that makes “Fire” talking, whereas others allow her biting scene is accompanied by a one of the best songs in the album. to express her full vocal range. She narrow escape, making the plotline On the other hand, the song “Blood explores a variety of genres through somewhat predictable. However, if Brothers” has a stronger country this album. In this new album, Mione can set aside his or her realistic feel, with guitar background music chaelson pushes her boundaries, limitations, then the thrilling action and a slower pace. Consistent with while staying true to her identity scenes and captivating plot twists Michaelson’s previous works, both as a singer-songwriter by evoking songs reflect the deep thinking that emotion in listeners through her will not fail to excite.

While Wahlberg’s performance went into her lyrics. thoughtful lyrics. With a variety of “Ghost,” which was released exciting and artful songs, this alis slightly lackluster, the antagonistic supporting role of Ribisi is more earlier in November 2011, is one bum does not disappoint. ▪ than enough to compensate. The of the most powerful songs in this Rating: Avideography in the film is highly impressive, with its camera angles and perspectives going in and out of focus, making it seem as though the audience is accompanying the characters on all their adventures.

All in all, Contraband is a checkmark in the win-column for action enthusiasts. But movie-watchers beware—those who can’t handle it may be experiencing firsthand the early symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. ▪ Rating: B+ ingridmichaelson.com

By Rachel Choi Staff Writer

By Kenny Jacoby Staff Writer

Contraband, directed by Baltasar Kormákur, recently finished first at the box office polls, grossing over $24 million in its opening weekend.

Starring tough guy Mark Wahlberg, the movie is an action-packed adventure loaded with violence, foul play, crime, and highly dangerous stunts—in other words, it is an action-lover’s bread and butter.

The film begins on a merchant ship, which is quickly swarmed by helicopters and boats filled with officers from the US Customs and Borders Protection. As the officers board and begin to search the ship, a young man named Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) races out of his bunk and throws a duffel bag filled with illegal drugs off the side of the boat and into the water. It is later learned that Andy is the brother-in-law of Chris Farraday (Wahlberg), who was a legendary smuggler back in the day. Andy, who is much younger than Chris, is by no means legendary—his failed run-in with the

drugs at the beginning of the movie gets him into big trouble with his boss, Tim Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi).

Briggs threatens to kill Andy as a result of his costly failed mission, that is, if Andy cannot pay him back the lost money.

Neither Andy nor Chris has the funds to pay Briggs back for the failed mission, so Chris resorts to what he knows best: smuggling.

While Chris ventures to Panama to retrieve millions of dollars in counterfeit bills, his wife and two sons remain at home—dangerously close to the wrath of Briggs.

Chris puts his best friend Sebastian in charge of protecting his family from Briggs, but it is not long before things go horribly awry. Chris is having a much harder time than he anticipated bringing back the contraband, and Briggs quickly grows impatient. One unfortunate event follows another, and each one leads ever so much closer to the deaths of Chris and his family.

Comtraband does not fail to keep its viewers on the edge of their seats. Like any good action film,

Under the Radar: Angels and Airwaves

modlife.com

By Vipin Dulam Staff Writer

Although the album Love, Pt. 2 by the band Angels and Airwaves was released in early November, it wasn’t until mid-January that it started to gain popularity. The album is a spin-off of the original album Love, a moderate hit.

Angels and Airwaves have had several successful albums before, and they are quite a popular band across the country. In this new album, A&A has a total of 11 songs, each of them sharing some similarities with previous albums and at the same time performing something unique. The new album has quite

a few new turns in their guitar solos. The beginnings of the songs are generally mellower but also share a commonality with the rest of the track. Lead singer, Tom Delonge really outdoes himself in this new album. In most of the songs, the music has an abrupt change from the beginning segment to the rest of the piece. Keeping up with that change is a quite a challenge but Delonge was able to maneuver his vocals to fit the tune behind him.

The vocals of Love Pt. 2 is really what carries the album to a great finish in all of its songs. Most of them finish off with a potent longlasting vocal note. The Angels and Airwaves are quite famed for their drummer Ilan Rubin, and his performance throughout Love, Pt. 2 has perfect synchrony with the rest of the band and is especially a great match for the guitar piece.

Overall, Love, Pt. 2 is a great album to listen to when you’re relaxing or taking a break from a long day. Its music is electrifying and it has been reported that because of its unique style of neo-progressive rock, the album has attracted many new listeners that were originally mainstream fans. ▪ Rating: A-

‘Man’ In A Precarious Position

By Anna Zeng Staff Writer

We behold a man, contemplating a leap of faith at the limits of the New York skyline. The title simply cannot be any more straightforward than Man on a Ledge.

The film opens with fugitive Nick Cassidy (Sam Worthington) stepping out onto a ledge forty floors high, threatening to jump if negotiator Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks) is not summoned to the scene. As Cassidy protests innocence and appeals to the crowd gathering below, Mercer quickly realizes that there is more than meets the eye for this jumper. Cassidy’s public stunt turns out to be an elaborate cover for his brother, Joey ( Jamie Bell), and his girlfriend Angie (Génesis Rodríguez) to prove his innocence. Since Nick was wrongfully sentenced to 25 years for stealing a million-dollar diamond from real estate tycoon David Englander (Ed Harris), Nick has to prove to the public that Englander still possesses the diamond.

Director Asger Leth, known for his documentary Ghosts of Cité Soleil, delivered an oddly formulaic conspiracy production for his debut in commercial film. With rigid,

inexperienced structuring, simpler elements of the story are cluttered with flashbacks, detracting from the impact of the tale.

The weakest link of the movie lies in the plot, written by TV screenwriter Pablo F. Fenjves. An impatience to unravel the story leads to a slew of clichés, a lack of depth, and an easily predicable ending. Plot holes adorn the plotline like a bad case of acne; add in that basketful of red herrings, and you get a film in a precarious position.

However, the inexperience of

both the screenwriter and director is somewhat made up with a talented cinematographer and solid cast. Coupled with Paul Cameron’s cinematography, solid performances from Kyra Sedgwick, Elizabeth Banks, Jamie Bell and Ed Harris kept the film alive with quirks and, at times, overzealous acting. With Ed Harris’s classic evil-billionaire smirk, Man on a Ledge is a commendable production: good enough for a weekend movie rental. ▪ Rating: B-

cnn.com

18 Arts & Entertainment

www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, February 3, 2012

MSJ Phoenix’s Annual Poetry Slam

By Kyle Qian Staff Writer

Phoenix, MSJ’s art and literary magazine, held their annual Winter Poetry Slam on January 27 at Mission Coffee. The event kicked off with a bang as Senior Adam Homann led with a series of catchy synthpop beats played live on his keyboard. The show then followed up with two vocal performances, first by Gabe Tiburcio, and later by sisters Sneha and Rasika Patkar. Gabe, the lead vocalist and guitarist in a local band called Social Stereo, played and sang two

songs from his band’s recently released EP. The audience was then treated to a medley of pop songs by Freshman Sneha, who handled the vocals, and Junior Rasika, who played a soulful saxophone accompaniment.

Up next was MSJ’s very own Syncopasian a cappella group. Using just their voices to create complex melodies, harmonies, and sound effects, Syncopasian performed both group songs and featured two solo performances by Sophomore Amber Ma and Senior Nathan Suh. Halfway through the night, Phoenix held the Poetry Contest, in which performers recited poems they have written themselves or poems of their favorite poets.

The performers included Sophomores Vivian Jair and Tammy Tseng, Juniors Allan Ko and Lizz Wu, and Seniors Lakshmi Subbaraj, Connor Williams, and Justin Chen.

After the audience finished absorbing a round of passionate poetry, it was back to music as the first band of the evening, 3AM, set up to perform two of their

songs, “Crossroads” and “Nights Like These”.

Seniors Vincent Tian and Nathan Suh also shook things up again by performing one of their own humorous raps. The event then continued with several more pop song performances from Senior Priya Vijaykumar along with Juniors Eamon Jahani, Shivani Ariathurai, Mars Sartori, Ciara Lunger, and Marie Andersen, and Sophomores Austin Lee and Dana Gurion. Songs covered included “Rolling in the Deep”, “The One That Got Away”, “Collide”, and “Sunday Morning”.

Up next was the experimental hip-hop band from Livermore, Multiple Organisms.

The band had a lot of equipment to setup, but when they finally played their first note, the audience was astonished by the sheer overwhelming energy of the bass,drums,and vocals.

The next performance, Senior Andrew Han’s classical guitar solo, provided for another change of pace as the audience switched gears to quiet down and listen.

Reid Saw a Ghost, the third and last band of the evening, played songs of the unique

genre of Xylophone Rock. Their upcoming EP is scheduled to be released spring 2012.

Last but not least, the final performance was a cover of Jason Mraz’s “Lucky” by Sophomore Paige Barrameda and Juniors Eric Lam and Darryl Vo. To conclude the evening, Phoenix named Justin Chen to be the winner of the Poetry Contest for his captivating performance of his original poem, “Roadblock”.

With the rigors of finals at a close, Mission Coffee quickly filled to standing room only and remained lively for the entire show. All

staff writers vivian jair, kyle qian & tanya raja

Megan Nicole, Youtube Artist

By Nihar Parikh & Tanya Raja Staff Writers

The Smoke Signal sat down with Megan Nicole before her concert on January 30, 2012. L2 and the administration hosted the concert as a reward for MSJ’s recognition as a top math and science high school in the nation. Nicole released her first Youtube video two years ago and since then has become an established artist.

Smoke Signal: What inspired you to start singing?

Megan Nicole: I have always enjoyed singing. My dad got me a karaoke machine when I was in fourth grade and I kept messing around with that. I discovered that I really love singing and that it was something I wanted to pursue.

SS: Who are your musical inspirations?

MN: Some of the artists I look up to include Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Bruno Mars. I really like Katy Perry’s creativity when it comes to the different themes she has, like the candy canes. Lady Gaga has a very crazy vocal range and is a very talented pianist.

SS: Why did you decide to go the Youtube route?

MN: When I first put a Youtube video up, I wasn’t doing it with intentions to become famous. My dad really encouraged me to post a video of me singing and playing guitar, and it has slowly built up. It has been a crazy past year and I have been blessed with many amazing opportunities from Youtube alone. graphics editor angie wang

SS: How is it to work with other artists?

MN: I really enjoy working with other You-

tubers because it’s really cool to make friends with people who are doing the same things as you are. Some collaborations coming up include Tyler Ward, Epic, Jason Chen, Tiffany Alvord, and Boyce Avenue.

SS: What is the funniest fan experience you have ever had?

MN: I sang at a junior high once, and honestly I really wasn’t that big on Youtube yet.

I used the bathroom there and while I was washing my hands, these girls came in, saw me, and screamed. That was weird because they just screamed and ran away, but then a minute later they brought all these people in and were telling everyone that I was in the bathroom. All these people started rushing in so they brought in security guards to bring me out. That never happened to me before.

SS: What are you looking forward to?

MN: I am definitely looking forward to more originals this year, and one day, I want to be at Justin Beiber’s level, performing all around the world and sharing my music with others.

SS: Do you listen to a lot of the Top 40 songs you cover?

MN: I have a mixed music taste. Honestly, I don’t listen to a lot of radio. I was telling a friend about a song I was planning to cover and she said, “That song is so old.” I’m not that in the loop. However, it has helped me develop a fan base, and now that I have that, I can cover more songs that I personally enjoy as well. Well, I take that back, I always pick out songs I enjoy singing.

SS: What advice would you give to aspiring artists?

MN: My best advice would just be to start a Youtube channel., a great way to share music. I would suggest covering songs that are hot on Billboard charts because those are the songs that are being searched on Youtube.

Just take any and every opportunity you can to perform, whether at a school talent show– my first performance was my fourth grade talent show–or open mics, another really cool way to get out and share your music. photo by graphics editor angie wang

Friday, February 3, 2012

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

By Sai Chilakapati Staff Writer

By Supriya Yelimeli Staff Writer

This year the 84th annual Academy Awards will be held in Los Angeles’s Kodak Theatre, hosted by American actor and eight-time host, Billy Crystal.

The awards show, more popularly known as the Oscars, will air on the ABC network on February 26. This esteemed event, which began in 1929, strives to honor the year’s best movies with awards ranging from popular movies to foreign and indie films. In preparation for the prestigious awards show, the Smoke Signal set out make some of its own predictions.

The Artist The Descendants Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close The Help Hugo Midnight in Paris Moneyball The Tree of Life War Horse

Best Picture

Directed by Michel Hazanavicius, this French love story is about the transition of silent movies to “talkie” movies and the resulting tumult in the career and life of an actor named George Valentin (Jean Dujardin). Along the way he is forced to accept the change and meets up-and-coming actress Peppy Miller (Bérénice Bejo) who helps him embrace the new era.

Best Actor

Demián Bichir A Better Life George Clooney The Descendants Jean Dujardin The Artist Gary Oldman Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Brad Pitt Moneyball

Brad Pitt gives an inspiring performance in Moneyball as Billy Beane, the general manager of a struggling Oakland A’s baseball team. During the course of the movie Beane attempts to put together an all-star team with a limited budget and the help of a Yale graduate (Jonah Hill). Pitt’s portrayal of real-life Billy Beane demonstrates true perseverance and the will to succeed despite the circumstances.

Glenn Close Albert Nobbs Viola Davis The Help Rooney Mara The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo Meryl Streep The Iron Lady Michelle Williams My Week With Marilyn

Best Actress

The 54th Grammy Awards will be taking place on February 12 at the Staples Center in L.A. The Grammy’s, a three-hour primetime event that kicks off with the red carpet ceremony, announces the year’s best musicians and artists. This year, Foo Fighters, Nicki Minaj, Taylor Swift, Jason Aldean, Kelly Clarkson, and Bruno Mars will perform and keep viewers entertained in the midst of the much-anticipated awards. Below are the nominations for the main categories plus the Smoke Signal’s picks for each award.

21 Adele Wasting Light Foo Fighters Born This Way Lady Gaga Doo-Wops & Hooligans Bruno Mars Loud Rihanna

Best Album

21 has outperformed every other album nominated for this award. It has set numerous records in domestic and international charts, sold a record 4.6 million copies alone in the U.S. and has even appeared in the Guinness Book of World Records for her records set in the UK charts. 21 is a more upbeat and contemporary album that compliments her more solemn debut album. Her broad topics, lyrical strength, and Adele’s vocal performance combined to produce a truly deserving Grammy Award-Winning Album.

Best Record

Rolling In The Deep Adele Holocene Bon Iver Grenade Bruno Mars The Cave Mumford & Sons Firework Katy Perry

“Grenade” stayed on top of the Billboard Top 100 for 36 weeks. Internationally “Grenade” received much of the same accolade and led to the popularity of his album Doo-Wops & Hooligans. “Grenade” represents Bruno Mars strong vocal abilities which complemented perfectly for this emotional and heartbreaking song to create a truly Grammy-Award winning song. But based on previous upsets it would not be a surprise if “Rolling in the Deep” by Adele or “Holocene”

by Bon Iver pull off the win.

Best Song

“All Of The Lights” “The Cave” “Grenade” “Holocene” “Rolling In The Deep”

In My Week with Marilyn, Michelle Williams plays the celebrated and enigmatic Marilyn Monroe. The movie follows the story of her affair with Colin Clark (Eddie Redmayne), an assistant on the set of A Prince and a Showgirl. When Clark shows Monroe his lifestyle, she is able to escape the pressures and stress of her Hollywood lifestyle and experience real freedom for one week. Williams successfully embodies the character and brings to the screen the charm and wittiness reminiscent of Monroe’s golden age.

Best Director

Arts & Entertainment 19

The Artist Michel Hazanavicius The Descendants Alexander Payne Hugo Martin Scorsese Midnight in Paris Woody Allen The Tree of Life Terrence Malick

Martin Scorsese’s adaptation of Brian Selznick’s award-winning novel, The Invention of Hugo Cabaret, is a magical fantasy following the journey of a young boy named Hugo after his father’s death. Hugo (Asa Butterfield) attempts to survive as an orphan and makes many friends, including a young girl named Isabelle (Chloë Grace Moretz), along his quest to finish his dad’s last invention.

“Holocene” deserves to win this award for the beauty of the song’s lyrics. The lyrics bring hope to listeners that they are special and worth something in the world. In a sense the lyrics allude to the notion that the self plays a bigger role in the world. But popular and upbeat and contemporary songs like “Rolling in the Deep” and “Grenade” are also close contenders for this award.

Best New Artist The Band Perry Bon Iver J. Cole Nicki Minaj Skrillex Nicki Minaj is not only a popular choice among Grammy voters but also the most successful in comparison to all of the other nominations. She had a successful recording year and has gained popular fame throughout the U.S. Her astounding vocal play on the lyrics as well as down-right originality of her album songs helped her create a successful year that deserves to be capped off with the Grammy’s New Artist Award. Skrillex and Bon Iver are also close contenders for this award and might pull the win off with enough votes.

freewallpapers.com, psdgraphics.com, upcoming-movies.com, googleusercontent.com, vimg.net, csmonitor.com, adele.tv, brunomars.com, boniver.org, mypinkfriday.com

Friday, February 3, 2012

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

By Sai Chilakapati Staff Writer

–

AFC Champs

NFC Champs

New England Patriots

New England Patriots pulled off a stellar 23-20 victory over the Baltimore Ravens to get into Super Bowl XLVI. The Patriots will face a mental test if they hope to win the Super Bowl: Patriots will enter the Super Bowl as a favorite, being a number one seed, but they must forget about their previous losses against Giants in order to win. Offensively the Patriots have a clear advantage because of Tom Brady’s ability to move around in the pocket and create plays. Also, he has a wide range of weapons to go to, from widereceivers like Welker to their revolutionized tight-ends like Gronkowski. Defense has improved significantly since the regular season, but in comparison to New York Giants defensively Patriots are at a disadvantage.

Thus it is up to Tom Brady to make sure he has a responsive offensive drive to compliment for their defensive disadvantage.

Sports 17

New York Giants

“I predict that the Patriots will win because they are confident and have a very strong defense line.

They will give Brady a lot of time to complete the pass. Brady, along with the wide receivers, will keep the scores high and the game interesting.”

-Shehzad Serang, 10

“The Patriots will win because the Giants didn’t even deserve to go to the Super Bowl in the first place.”

-Swaraj Sharma, 11

The New York Giants pulled off a thrilling 20-17 OT win over the San Francisco 49ers to advance to Super Bowl XLVI. Their win over the undefeated Patriots in Super Bowl XLII provides a clear mental advantage despite being underdogs. With this confidence and a toned espn.com “I hate Tom Brady. My two teams and optimized offense the Giants have a big lost. I’m not happy.” -World chance in beating the Patriots. The Giants have History Teacher Jason Cain stronger offensive weapons like Victor Cruz who stepped up his game phenomenally with Hakeem Nicks out in the NFC championship “I think the Giants will win because they game. The Giants also have a renewed, stronger, are red hot. The protection by the defense is and more dangerous defense that showed what amazing and Eli Manning has his game on,. they can do by stopping Alex Smith in all of Wide receivers Victor Cruz and Hakeem his third down conversion tries in the NFC title Nicks are key play makers on offense; so are game. Overall the Giants have a solid offense running backs Brandon Jacobs and Ahmad and defense, but in the end it is up to Eli ManBradshaw.” -Sudharson Kathiresan, 12 ning to create plays and counter every Patriots offensive drive. ▪

By Jaynelle Gao and Jonathon Teng Staff Writers

Boys’ Basketball

After a relatively successful preseason in which the basketball team finished 8-8, the team has now started league. Due to the loss of six seniors last year, the team is coping with this loss by developing quickly. Senior captain Param Bhatter said, “Over the preseason, the underclassmen had the opportunity to gain experience and have begun to step up in the league games.” One of the highlights during the season was their early win against Irvington. Against Irvington, the team performed excellently, shutting down the Vikings. Despite a huge home crowd at Irvington’s gym, Mission won by 24 points.

Wrestling

Even though they lost many seniors last year, the wrestling team is back in action. Some notable performances have been from the three captains, Senior Corbin Lee (three tournaments won, ranked 9th in the state of California), Senior Will Booth (3 tournaments won, honorable mention in the state), and Senior Kim (1 tournament won, ranked in the state). Juniors Alex Dornfest and Vinay Pathania have been doing well also, taking home medals at three of the four tournaments. Senior Corbin Lee said, “We have an extremely inexperienced team, with many freshman, and several first-year juniors and seniors. However, I’m looking forward for them to grow and get better as the season progresses, and Mission Wrestling will have a resurgence if all the young guys stay committed.” Currently, the wrestlers are preparing for the MSJ Invitational, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the state from February 3rd-4th.

Girls’ Soccer

Girls’ Soccer started training a few months ago and with only two returning seniors, there was a lot of the pressure on the younger players.

Since then, they have proven that they are capable of rising to the challenge. Senior Captain Ellie Wong says, “While we may not finish with an undefeated season, we are steadily improving. And because of the strides we are making today, Mission will be a powerhouse in the future.”

Boys’ Soccer

Due to the loss of many seniors last year, the Varsity Boys’ Soccer team is relatively young. As a result, the team suffered heavy losses and did not win any games during preseason. During the season, the team also was afflicted with many injuries, including three returning Varsity starters breaking bones and missing most of the preseason. Junior Captain Kenny Jacoby said, “This is mainly a rebuilding year, which is why in preseason we did a lot of experimenting, but in the regular season we really started playing some quality soccer.” With strong performances against Logan, Washington, Irvington, and Kennedy, the team has been able to establish their strong presence in the league. On January 13, the team beat Kennedy 4-2. Jacoby added, “Even though our team may be young, we have high hopes for the rest of this season.”

Girls’ Basketball

Girls’ Basketball kicked off the season with their league opener, in which they won 41-32 against Logan, the team that tied with MSJ for the league championship last year. Throughout the season, the MSJ players worked hard at every practice to rebuild the team after eight seniors graduated last year. Their efforts paid off when they placed first at the Seaside Tournament out of 16 teams. Girls’ Basketball is also qualified to play in NCS and is looking forward to Senior Night on Valentine’s Day. ▪

photos by staff writers catherine ho, anjali kathilal, hannah shih, tanya raja, and ditha balaji

18 Sports

www.thesmokesignal.org

By Sanjna Shukla and Omar El-Sadany Sports Editors

Mike singletary: the hero of the 49ers.

As we look back at the season that was, and forward to the playoff game(s) still left to come, many people might be left wondering how this amazing season, and now postseason, came to pass.

First, let’s call it like it is: the 2011 San Francisco 49ers were a surprise. While they were rarely St. Louis Rams bad, they haven’t exactly been anything close to good for a while now. After dominating the NFC West almost since its formation (including 21 playoff appearances and 16 division titles over the first three decades), there has been a noticeable absence of success as of late.

With the NFC West as weak as it is right now, a realistic improvement of just two wins could have very well led to a playoff berth. Ten wins might have even been pushing it, and 13-3 was as good as a fantasy. But as September wore into October, and October yielded to November and December, 13-3 became a reality, not the pipe dream of some delusional die-hard pining for the glory days, for The Catch, for backto-back Super Bowls, for the good old days of the boys in scarlet and gold.

The boys are back, and after defeating the Saints in the first round of the playoffs, it is clear that they mean business. The resurgence has (finally) come. But to whom

wordpress.com

Mike Singletary, with his signature antics and off-the-wall ideas, has been one of the most controversial coaches in the entire league

can we look to give credit for this remarkable turnaround? We’ll tell you who: Mike Singletary. Yes, that Mike Singletary.

Samurai Mike, Mr. Heart of the Defense himself. Call us crazy, but here’s exactly why Mike Singletary is the hero that San Francisco needed.

English historian Thomas Fuller provided us with the adage that it is always darkest before the dawn. A new dawn has come to the storied franchise by the Bay, and Mike Singletary provided us with the darkness requisite for this new age. If Mike Nolan had not shoved the team off of the proverbial cliff, and Singletary had not been there to skillfully guide it into the ground, this turnaround never would have been possible. Without the indelible mark made over the last decade on the team by the previous two head coaches, 13-3 would have been an average performance, not a

The Smoke Signal

cause for celebration. And who likes to be average? Not the San Francisco 49ers. And most definitely not the fans.

Mike Singletary helped restore the fans respect for winning. Before he came around, winning was taken for granted. Wildcard berths were like socks for Christmas: not exactly wanted, but appreciated nonetheless. Earning NFC West titles were seen as just another annual event, like the draft, or the start of training camp. But thanks to the hard work of Coach Singletary, the fans can finally appreciate these things again. 49ers’ fans now know what the fans of other franchises feel like on a regular basis, and are more than ready to return to the norm of the previous decades.

However, and perhaps most importantly, I present you with Mike Singletary’s greatest single accomplishment: the hiring of Jim Harbaugh. Had it not been for Singletary’s lackluster performance as a head coach, Jed York may never have been driven to consider Harbaugh as his next head coach. When Singletary was crowned as head coach of the 49ers, fans were hopeful, too hopeful. The team was stacked, and Singletary was supposed to be able to bring players like Vernon Davis and Alex Smith to their highest potential. Needless to say, Singletary failed at his task big time, but we should be thankful. If he had been even remotely triumphant, Harbaugh would never have been hired, and we would not be in the midst of 49er Fever.

In all seriousness, Singletary ACTUALLY did some good things, well mainly

Friday, February 3, 2012

only one. He instilled a sense of professionalism in Vernon Davis that Niner fans thought they would never see. Singletary, in his first game as interim head coach, benched Davis for an unnecessary foul, claiming that team players shouldn’t act the way that Davis did. Vernon Davis, previously famous as the diva of the team was, in his own words, “put in his place” by Mike Singletary. When Davis scored that fateful touchdown in the final minutes of the game against the Saints, we saw a new side of him as he ran off the field wiping his tears, into the arms of Jim Harbaugh.

During his tenure, Mike Singletary gave us many things, most of which we could have done without. He left us with a .462 winning percentage, a string of childish antics in the locker room, irresponsible decisions in training camp, and a newfound respect for quality coaching. But most importantly, he led the franchise on the path to Jim Harbaugh, the path back to success.

So thank you Mike. Please, take the game ball. You deserve it. ▪

daylife.com

Jim Harbaugh celebrates with Vernon Davis after the fateful touchdown that led the team to unforeseen success.

Game Coverage: Girls’

By Vishak Menon Staff Writer

By Ditha Balaji Staff Writer

On Friday, January 27, the Mission San Jose Warriors faced their toughest opponent of the season: the James Logan Colts.

Both teams hold outstanding records, brick-wall defenses, and the best offenses in the MVAL. During the first quarter of the game, the Colts and Warriors started strong, with both teams scoring risky baskets. The quarter ended with the Warriors down, 9-12.; both teams playing brilliant offensively and putting up an equally sturdy defense. Fouls abounded among the Colts as the aggressive players simply did not let go of the ball, and would not allow MSJ a piece of it either. Nearing the end of the quarter, both teams showed immaculate focus, with their best players on the floor maneuvering incredible plays. In the second quarter of the game, the Warriors made a comeback, leading 25-15. MSJ’s Junior Alexa Iwatani scored numerous baskets, ultimately putting MSJ in the lead. The crowd was on edge as the referees called one foul after another, due to the draconian plays both teams issued. During the intense third quarter, both teams played relentlessly, with many turnovers and fouls. The third quarter ended with the Lady Warriors losing their lead, 32-30. MSJ seemed to lose spirit in the midst of the fourth quarter, missing one shot after the other. Coach Doug Sakamoto called many timeouts and substitutions attempting to put the Warriors in the lead again. They still battled it out till the end. Sadly, MSJ lost 36-45, as Logan made many last-minute shots. Alexa

staff writer ditha balaji

Iwatani was top-scorer with 14 points and Grace Lee was a close second with 10. MSJ played beautifully and managed to finish strong, regardless of the taunting Logan fans. The referees also made many arguable calls due to the number of fouls both teams pulled. Free throws occurred after almost every basket. Being the most anticipated home game of the season, MSJ saw a huge turnout. The crowd supported the team till the end, calling out fouls and encouraging the Warriors, providing the back-up they needed to face this challenge. The next home game, which is also Senior Night, is on February 14 against the Washington Huskies. ▪

For years, Junior Akshay Agharkar has been practicing his moves on the ice. While growing up, he fell in love with the sport of ice hockey and has been competing in local leagues ever since. His dedication and drive have propelled him past opponents and into some of the highest ranking teams in the state.

Smoke Signal: How long have you been playing hockey?

Akshay Agharkar: I began playing when I was five years old, which would make that 11 years now. My family and I used to live in Boston, and my cousins, who were fans, brought me along to a Boston Bruins game and I thought that hockey was something that I wanted to try.

SS: What are some of the teams you have played on in the past few years?

AA: I played in San Jose for four years and in the last two I was MVP of the league.

Last year I played for the Oakland Bears and was captain of my team. This year I was picked for the Santa Clara Blackhawks and we placed first in Northern California. I also play for the NorCal Selects Team which is like the all-star team in northern California.

I have competed in tournaments across the US and in Canada in places like Rochester, Dallas, Valencia, San Diego, and Toronto.

SS: What position do you play?

AA: I play first line center, which is where the best offensive players are put. My team depends on me and the rest of the first line to score most of the goals.

SS: Do you have any pregame rituals?

AA: Actually I do. I take a 47 minute nap, then shower, and finally eat some fried chicken. It was just something that I started doing, so now it has become a habit before every game.

SS: Is it sometimes hard for you to balance school and hockey?

AA: Yeah sometimes it can definitely get tough. On days when I have a practice or even two practices in one afternoon, it makes it hard to come home and finish all my work.

But I usually manage to get everything done on time.

SS: What is the most memorable game/team experience you have had playing hockey?

AA: Just a few weeks ago, over winter break, my team, the Santa Clara Blackhawks beat the Valencia All Stars 23-0. I play in a traveling league where the age group is of kids between 16 and 17 so to beat a really good team like that has definitely been a highlight for me.

SS: Do you see yourself playing hockey after high school?

AA: Yeah hopefully I will be able to play hockey for a D1 college, which is definitely my goal right now. Hopefully I will be able to play for Boston College and get back to kind of where it all started for me. And of course my dream is to someday compete with the best in the National Hockey League (NHL).

▪

staff writer ditha balaji

Senior Ilene Tsao looks for an opening against the Colts.

staff writer vishak menon

Akshay Agharkar is MSJ’s resident ice hockey p[layer.

Friday, February 3, 2012

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Friday, February 3, 2012

photos by staff writers vivian jair and tanya raja, graphics editor angie wang, courtesy harrison cheng