Vol. XLVII No. 6

MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL

VOL. XLVII, NO. 6

March 2, 2012

41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539

Challenge Accepted:

Write an album in 29 days

photo by staff writer avery kruger, graphics editor angie wang

staff writer tanya raja

MSJ Songwriter’s Guild members Junior Lilli Choung (Vice President), Junior Lucy Shen (President), and Senior Joshua Wu, above, all wrote 14.5 songs in the month of February to successfully complete the FAWM challenge.

By Tanya Raja Staff Writer

staff writer anna zeng

Junior Brandon Wu, Junior Jeffrey Yuan, and Senior Jeffrey Sun (above) were the top three California competitors in the Cyber Foundations National Competition (below), which tested mastery and knowledge of cyber security. Yuan also placed fifth in the US.

Warriors sweep Cyber Foundations contest

By Anna Zeng Staff Writer MSJ will host an awards ceremony for the exceptional performance of the school’s three state finalists in the Cyber Foundations National Competition, an online examination-based competition testing mastery in cyber security. Junior Jeffrey Yuan ranked fifth in the nation; Yuan, along with Senior Jeffrey Sun and Junior Brandon Wu, accepted trophies for being the top three performers in the state. These three students, along with Senior James Chang, Senior Ronald Kwan, Senior Sumukh Sridhara, Junior Cory Cheung, and Senior Aaron Zhou, placed within the top 25 nationally.

Since the top three scorers in the state and one of the top five scorers in the nation attend MSJ, a representative from Cyber Foundations will come to MSJ to present the awards to the winning students. The date of the ceremony has yet to be arranged.

The Cyber Foundations competition was first hosted in the spring of 2011, where nearly 1,000 students participated against last spring’s finalists James Chang, Brandon Wu, and Senior Edward Wang. This year, students competed against 2,304 students from over 150 schools in 35 different states and territories, from October to November

of 2011. The online competition, hosted by the US Cyber Challenge (USCC), was divided into three modules: networking, op-

See CYBER, NEWS Page 3

February is a month famous for Valentines and an unusual number of days. Unknown to many people, this month is also February Album Writing Month (FAWM). The challenge is simple – write 14 songs in the month of February. Since 2012 is a leap year, the songwriting quota has been increased to 14 ½, with the half-song being a collaboration with another participant.

Members of Songwriter’s Guild, a musical club on campus, successfully participated in the FAWM challenge. Junior Lucy Shen said, “My songwriting quality has really improved, and the FAWM community leaves very helpful comments and feedback.” Junior Lilli Choung said, “I’ve gone from trying different varieties of music to finding something more concrete and my own style.” Both Choung and Shen, along with Seniors Joshua Wu and Jeffrey Sun, participated in the challenge, writing pieces varying from pop songs about pillows

and procrastination to instrumental violin and piano compositions.

Inspired after completing the better-known National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) challenge, in which participants write a 50,000-word novel in November, singer Burr Settles initiated FAWM in February 2004. He got together with three friends and together, they recorded their progress on a blog. In total, the group composed 66 songs in 28 days, with each member surpassing the 14-song goal. They garnered attention from several people who were interested in the project after stumbling across their blog, and due to this expressed interest, Settles created www.FAWM. org to open up the challenge to the public.

Since then, the project has generated almost 40,000 completed songs.

Participants of the FAWM challenge, commonly referred to as “fawmers,” are encouraged to write a variety of songs. Fawmers have acted

See FAWM, NEWS Page 3

Recycling? How about TerraCycling?

By Lindy Zeng Staff Writer MSJ’s Green Club has started a schoolwide project called TerraCycle, named after the company that specializes in green technology and innovations. In February, bins were set up around campus to gather empty potato chip bags. The collected chip bags are then sent to TerraCycle, a company who recycles this garbage by converting the waste into products such as reusable totes and bags. Through this effort, MSJ’s Green Club hopes to promote the idea of a cleaner earth.

TerraCycle was founded in 2001 by Princeton University student Tom Szaky.

He established TerraCycle as a solution for eliminating waste that ends up in landfills.

See GREEN, NEWS Page 4

March 8 Pre-registration forms due to math classes

staff writer lindy zeng

Green Club, above, startedTerraCycle at MSJ, a new schoolwide project geared toward collecting used chip bags and converting them into reusable products.

March 11 Daylight Savings Time begins

March 13-14 California High School Exit Examination

March 23 Minimum Day Early Release at 12:15 pm

2 News

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News in Brief Rowling announces new novel J. K. Rowling, author of the wildly successful Harry Potter bestselling series, has revealed her plans to write her first novel targeting adults. After selling more than 450 million copies of Potter novels worldwide, many anxiously await to see how she will fare in this new genre. Rowling is optimistic and excited to approach this new frontier. “The freedom to explore new territory is a gift that Harry’s success has brought me,” she said, according to BBC. The book’s title and release date have yet to be announced.

hypable.com

J. K. Rowling, above, recently announced her intentions to write a novel targeted towards adults.

Bras join in fight against slavery Kimba Langas, a stay-at-home mom collects unwanted bras for a charity called “Free the Girls” that gives them to young women coming out of sex trafficking in Mozambique, to sell in used clothing markets where bras are a luxury item and a source of income. She is encouraged by volunteers around the country who help her collect bras and is currently trying to raise enough money to ship 25,000 bras 10,000 miles. “Eventually it is going to change,” Langas says. “I know it is...I hope… [my son] will be like, ‘Slavery? What? Oh, I read about it in my textbook.’”

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Free the Girls is a charity striving to help young women coming out of sex trafficking.

Obama visits SF Chinatown On Feb. 16, 2012 President Barack Obama made a surprise visit to San Francisco’s Chinatown and bought takeout from the Great Eastern restaurant. Diners were shocked by his spontaneous visit. Obama stayed for 20 minutes, greeting the diners and taking pictures with them. He paid around $100 for two big bags of dim sum.

The President was in San Francisco fundraising for his campaign through multiple sold-out events.

His visit to the restaurant stirred up controversy after it was revealed that the restaurant still serves shark fin soup even after California outlawed it in October. Obama signed the Shark Conservation Act, which keeps sharks from being grown for their fins, in January 2012.

By Nihar Parikh Staff Writer MSJ Peer Resource hosted a Peer Talk event on Feb. 23, 2012.

The topic, entitled “What Love is Not,” focused on domestic violence in teenage relationships, in response to the Safe Alternatives to Violent Environments (SAVE) organization’s Teen Dating Violence Awareness Month.

SAVE’s mission is to provide solutions to domestic violence through support services, advocacy, and education, and to assist domestic violence victims and their families to end the cycle of violence. This month, they have shifted their focus to address teenage domestic violence.

According to their statistics, approximately one in three high school students have been or will be involved in abusive relationships. In these unhealthy relationships, one partner tries to gain power and control over the other by using different methods of abuse. Some examples of this behavior include extreme possessiveness, use of put-downs, isolation of family and friends, and intimidation.

These actions all occur in a process the organization calls the “Cycle of Violence.” After the honeymoon phase of a relationship is over, the abuser usually builds tension by making their partner feel uncomfortable and wary. When the partner has had enough and tries to change the

situation by mentioning the subject with the abuser, the abuser explodes and uses one or any combination of the forms of abuse, psychological, physical, sexual, or financial, to exert power over their partner.

The Peer Talk’s purpose was to increase awareness of teen domestic violence. Students in Peer Resource have seen several cases of unhealthy relationships in their counseling sessions and referrals, so they felt it necessary to touch upon the topic.

Junior Euni Kim, who co-organized this Peer Talk with Sophomore Praveena Fernes, said, “I do think it’s pretty significant because, despite what everyone says, people in MSJ do get into rela-

mentally harmful substances. She enforced the notion that relationships are all about compromise.

Daly emphasized that with the right planning and prevention, teenage domestic violence can be minimized, and recommended establishing specific support groups and help lines with parents, friends, and teachers.

Females aged 16 to 24 are more vulnerable to intimate partner violence than any other age group, at a rate almost triple the national average. Peer Resource Officer Senior Diya Roy said, “MSJ students aren’t immune to domestic abuse.

We hope this Peer Talk has raised awareness and possibly helped some students address these issues for themselves.” ▪

staff writer anjali kanthilal

New and improved weight room

By Vishak Menon Staff Writer After weeks of planning and effort, MSJ’s new weight room is finally ready for use. The new facility, which was transformed from its former use as an auto garage, is now fully functional and wellequipped. It is located in the EWing next to the woodshop room, and parallel to the track and field below. For years, students have worked out in the weight room located in the gym quad, but it was widely agreed that the space was cramped and unfit to be used as a full gym facility. After searching for a place on campus which would be large enough to support a new weight room, Athletic Director Tom Thomsen decided the garage, which was roughly 1850 sq. ft., would be an ideal location.

After receiving permission from the department in charge of changing the use of facilities, Thomsen began the task of renovating and reshaping this unused space. With the help and support of donations from Mission Pos-

sible, old drains were removed and the floor was fitted with new rubber flooring. Varsity Football Head Coach Sam Baugh also put in many hours to help with the redesigning process. In addition to a fresh coat of paint, now the walls are proudly adorned with a large letter “M” as well as the slogan “Where Championships Begin.”

The new room also features a large bulletin board space which can be used by PE teachers to explain various muscle groups during their weight training unit or by the coaches of teams that conduct regular team workout sessions.

After moving all the equipment from the old room into this new space, the weight room was finally ready to go.

While all the machines are still the same, the new leg room is sure to be appreciated by MSJ athletes every time they step inside.

Junior Brandon Au, an athlete on both the Football and Track teams at MSJ, said, “The new weight room has definitely had a positive impact on me and my fellow workout buddies. Not only

for the feb. 3, 2011 issue

Feature Page 9: Neil DeGrasse Tyson’s name was misspelled.

COMPILED BY STAFF WRITERS JAYNELLE GAO, VISHAK MENON, AND GRACE WU

tionships and yes, some of them do get abusive, though not necessarily physically. We hope to get people just aware of these issues. It’s impossible to make them stop completely, but if people know more about it and know what signs to look for, then maybe they can help us make a difference.”

SAVE representative Erin Daly attended the Peer Talk to facilitate the discussion and suggest ideas on how to spot abusive relationships and how to address them as a friend. She advocated healthy habits like reinforcing trust, openness, love, respect, acceptance, and shared values, and discouraged unhealthy habits like checking in too much, making ultimatums, making the partner feel guilty, and taking

Peer Resource officers Junior Euni Kim and Sophomore Praveena Fernes, above, led the “What Love is Not” Peer Talk to raise awareness of teenage domestic violence.

News Page 5: Raghu Dhara’s name was misspelled.

huffingtonpost.com

Friday, March 2, 2012

Peer Talk: “What Love is Not”

News Page 5: Jeffrey Sun is a senior.

President Obama made a surprise visit to the Great Eastern restaurant in Chinatown.

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A&E Page 18: Justin Bieber’s name was misspelled.

Sports Page 21: The third wrestling captain is David Kim.

Photo Page 24: Paige Barrameda and Darryl Vo were not identified.

is there more space to move about to conduct our plyometric jumping exercise, but also the rearrangement of machines makes the workout flow better. As a result, it has helped me fit more efficient, rigorous workouts into a shorter amount of time. “ With the installation of a stereo, televisions, and new machines added to the room’s arsenal, future student athletes could have a weight room as good as any other at their disposal. In fact, with some minor tweaks here and there, this weight room could end up encouraging athletes to work out for free there in their respec-

tive sports’ offseasons.

According to Vice Principal Zack Larsen, the previous weight room facility located in the gym quad will now be used in coordination with a cardio fitness unit for PE students as well as a place to conduct contemporary dance classes which are offered at MSJ. “It’s also a nice area to get kids of PE classes inside on rainy days to avoid confusion,” Larsen said. But for now, the room which for so long has been a symbol of MSJ’s prestigious sports programs, remains empty, with few remnants of the great athletes who passed through its doors. ▪

staff writer vishak menon

The new weight room in the E-Wing, above, offers added leg room and space to work out in.

Friday, March 2, 2012

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News 3

Kennedy HS interviews Obama

By Frank Chen and Sonali Toppur Centerspread Editor and Staff Writer On January 30, Adam Clark, a senior from John F. Kennedy High School, had the opportunity to talk with President Barack Obama over a live Google+ Hangout. Clark participated in a week-long YouTube competition where each contestant submitted a question for President Obama; he was one of the six selected participants from over 130,000 submissions to interview the President live. A Google van from the Mountain View branch went to Kennedy High School and helped Clark prepare for the interview with President Obama more than 2,000 miles away in the White House’s Roosevelt Room. This was the first virtual town hall that streamed live on the White House You-

Tube Channel.

Clark heard about this competition through one of his friends, who also prompted Clark’s government teacher, Olivia Santillan, to instruct everyone in the class to write a question. Santillan ultimately submitted Clark’s question, which had the majority of student votes. After Clark’s question was selected, Clark, along with Santillan and a few other students from his AP Government class sat down to chat with the president. The president began the conversation by playfully thanking Clark for wearing a tie.

Clark asked the president, “At a time when Americans are struggling to pay for daily necessities, you’ve continued to push higher education for all Americans, but what is your plan to help students pay off all

Obama answers questions from Kennedy High School’s Adam Clark via a Google+ Hangout.

nbcbayarea.com

FAWM | Feb. album continued from page 1 upon this encouragement by creating new challenges, such as the “newspaper” challenge, which requires the participant to write a song based on a recent newspaper headline, or the “one chord” challenge, in which the participant must write an entire song using only one guitar chord. Fawmers are also encouraged to collaborate with other fawmers in writing songs.

FAWM has induced the production of many creations, such as a three-way collaboration between Jefferson Pitcher, Christian Kiefer, and Matthew Gerken. The album Of Great and Mortal Men: 43 Songs for 43 US Presidencies was released in 2008. As the title suggests, each of the 43 songs in the album was written about a president of the US. Each member of the trio wrote 14 songs, collaborating to write the 43rd, which is about then-President George Bush.

FAWM annually produces its own compilation CD series as well. Each compilation consists of songs produced in the corresponding year’s FAWM challenge, and indie-music critics from magazines like PopMatters and Wonkavisions have praised previous releases, such as Of Great and Mortal Men: 43 Songs for 43 U.S. Presidencies.

To participate in this challenge in the future, discuss song ideas, and ask for lyrics suggestions on the numerous forums of the FAWM community, sign up at www.FAWM. org. Registering requires no fee, but donations are enthusiastically welcomed. FAWM has a Twitter and Facebook page, as well as a call-in radio show. For more information about the project, visit any of these pages or the FAWM website. ▪ Visit www.thesmokesignal.org to hear MSJ FAWM participants’ compositions.

fawm.org

The February Album Writing Month website, shown above, featured a countdown timer (right), a nightly call-in radio show called the FAWMCast (bottom center), a cumulative song counter (bottom left), and weekly songwriting challenges (center).

their student loans?”

Obama answered that he was urging Congress to act so that the interest rates on student loans don’t go up, and that his administration wants to extend existing tax breaks for families. “What we’ve tried to do is make college more affordable without putting a burden on tax payers.”

This YouTube competition offers students the opportunity to actively involve themselves in the nation’s politics. As the country draws closer to the presidential

elections, President Obama opened this line of communication to the public in the hopes of inspiring the younger generation to make themselves more politically aware and informed. “I think it sends a really important message to always try, you never know what’s going to happen, and that your opinion matters,” said Santillan. “I felt really proud of my students. I felt really proud to sit with them while they were having a once-in-a-lifetime experience.” ▪

CYBER | cyber security awards continued from page 1 erating systems, and system administration.

Each module, which focuses on a key field of cyber security, allowed only two weeks to prepare for the exam. The cumulative score of all three examinations determined ranking. Top scorers in the school, state, and nation earn scholarships, trophies, and engravings for their achievements.

The USCC, which runs the competition, is a national coalition of four organizations working together to improve future cyber security by increasing awareness in the “next generation of cyber security professionals.”

The contest has received broad support from federal, state, and local officials, as well as educators, parents, and students. The number of participating students has more than doubled since spring, and officials are nothing but optimistic.

“At the present time, educational options… are few and far between. Public school budgets are being slashed at the same time that the cost of college is skyrocketing. In this most severe environment, Cyber

Foundations is one of the few beacons of educational opportunity for students,” said Erle Hall, a representative from the Department of Education.

Though the Cyber Foundations competition is an entry-level competition, meaning that anybody without any prior knowledge can join, Yuan, Wu, and Sun, the three finalists, have been long-time computer enthusiasts. Since their younger years, they have been constantly learning about the vast field of computer science, by tinkering with the open-source operating system, Linux, figuring out algorithms, and programming in a variety of computer languages. They plan to pursue a future in computer science, but agree that the Computer Science club helped bring them together to participate in many other computer science competitions; some of these are CyberPatriot, American Computer Science League (ACSL), CyberQuests, ImagineCup, and the United States of America Computing Olympiad (USACO). ▪

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Friday, March 2, 2012

Mission Possible plans campus beautification

By Aishwarya Thakur Staff Writer Mission Possible has once again provided MSJ the funds to renovate our campus—which is badly in need of a renewal.

The biggest complaint from students and parents alike is regarding MSJ’s lack of décor. Therefore, after taking students’, parents’, and teachers’ wishes into consideration, this year Mission Possible has decided to add trees and bushes to the area surrounding the library.

This project, set to start at the end of February, will involve planting native California plants on the slopes leading up to the library, facing the M-Wing and the gym. A new irrigation system will also be put in as

the current one hasn’t been used in twentyfive years. Currently, this area is a patch of dirt, but that is set to change come March.

Every year when Mission Possible decides how to spend the money they receive, they consult the teachers and administrators. This year, Vice Principal Zack Larsen proposed the renovation of the area surrounding the library. Then, a Mission Possible committee voted on what they thought would be the best choice and what would benefit the school the most. Mission Possible Treasurer Christina Broadwin said, “We wanted to pick [a project] that would be noticeable and impact a large portion of the population.” She also added that since the landscaping done at the front of the school near the A-Wing was so well-

received by both parents as well as students, they wanted to support something similar this year. “Well, people may ask how this is helping kids academically, but this [renovation] was needed. [One] should have pride in where they go to school and be proud of their campus,” Broadwin said.

Last year, Mission Possible donated $25,000 for the landscaping project and this year they are doing the same. This $25,000 comes solely from parent donations as well as corporate matching funds—money that is matched by companies where parents work. Mission Possible raised two times as much money this year as they did last year.

Broadwin believes it is because parents can see their money actively being used towards the school. She said, “Parents drive by and

see their money in action.”

The more money parents donate, the more Mission Possible can do. This year they are also providing $4,200 worth of basketball backboards as well as $3,000 of weight room equipment. They hope to begin even more projects after their spring budget is finalized. In the future they are looking towards working on the lockers, the girls’ locker room, and any other matters that teachers and administrators feel are pressing issues.

For now, the library renovation is their main project, and is set to finish by the end of March. With all the improvements that Mission Possible and parent donations are making achievable, MSJ is on its way to becoming a beautiful campus once more. ▪

staff writer aishwarya thakur

courtesy zack larsen

Mission Possible plans to plant bushes and trees (artist’s depiction, left) in the area surrounding the library and near the E-Wing to beautify the dirt patches (right). They made the decision based on student, parent, and teacher wishes, and were inspired by the positive response to the new landscaping near the A-Wing.

GREEN | club initiative to make MSJ more eco-friendly continued from page 1

staff writer lindy zeng

courtesy meilinda wang

courtesy melinda wang

them while they are young, they will live to remember,” the representatives from the school urge. “With a little effort and a little time, Zero Waste Lunch at FUSD should be achievable. Go green, FUSD!” In addition to motivation from Chadbourne, there are other sources of inspiration. “At first, we were just looking for a small way to make Mission greener,” the officers say. “We noticed that there were large quantities of waste in the trash bins; waste that actually belonged in the recycling or compost bins.” With the support of the student body, faculty, administration, and the school district, MSJ Green Club also hopes to start a school garden like that of American High School’s.

MSJ’s Green Club started placing bins in classrooms such as Math Teacher Linda Kadis’s in A-3 and Science Teacher Lisa Ishimine’s in M-1 in late February. They are currently expanding into the A- and B-wing cafeterias and the Bell Tower Quad. The club

plans to introduce the collection bins to the entire school as part of History Teacher Jeff Evans’s Service Learning Waste Reduction Project (SLWRP) during Service Learning Green Week at the end of March. With the help of the administration, L2, and the cooperation of the students, the waste can be collected and mailed back to TerraCycle.

The Green Club officers are optimistic about their success. Although a similar plan failed a few years ago, President Erika Cherk responds, “I think it’s really good for the school. At this point, it’s about seeing how the school responds to it. Chadbourne is successful because young children are easier to control.” Because other high schools in the district are also stepping up to meet the challenge, Cherk continues, “It’s up to everyone in the end; everyone has to try to help make it succeed.” To learn more about MSJ’s Green Club and TerraCycle, visit msjgreenclub.wordpress.com. ▪

MSJ’s Green Club placed boxes like the ones above to collect empty potato chip bags for TerraCycle, which converts waste into reusable materials such as tote bags. TerraCycle has already proven successful at Chadbourne Elementary School.

TerraCycle first began producing products such as fertilizer and liquefied worm excrement packaged into used soda bottles. The business grew and expanded internationally into countries such as Norway, Spain, and Switzerland in 2011. The same year, the TerraCycle chapter in Brazil broke the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest recycled sculpture. For Earth Day 2011, the company partnered with Old Navy and Office Depot to collect used pens and flip-flops in order to create recycled “flip-flop” playgrounds made out of the gathered material.

TerraCycle searches for innovative solutions to turn non-recyclable items recyclable, creating new products that preserve or improve the quality of the material, which is also called “upcycling”. The waste collecting programs are termed “brigades” and upcycle the waste into products such as backpacks.

For example, a Capri Sun brigade would collect Capri Sun juice pouches to convert into practical gear, such as duffel bags and

picture frames. Schools or organizations join the brigades and TerraCycle pays $0.02 to the school for every unit of each kind of litter collected.

Green Club received inspiration partly from the enormous success of the TerraCycle program at Chadbourne Elementary School. In September 2011, Chadbourne implemented the “Zero Waste Lunch” program, separating food waste and recyclables from regular trash. Chadbourne also replaced their two-yard blue dumpster with a two-yard green dumpster that is used to collect compostable items. This reduced the amount of waste going into the landfill by 75 percent. The usual 12 to 15 bags of garbage waste is now only around three to four bags. Chadbourne estimates that if every school in the Fremont Unified School District (FUSD) enrolls in the TerraCycle program, about $40,000 to $80,000 could be saved. Volunteers at Chadbourne encourage others to rethink lunch waste as well. “Teach

Friday, March 2, 2012

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Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 47, No. 6 | March 2, 2012 www.thesmokesignal.org

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of Courts!

Second Semester Senior (Citizens)

By Courtney Tam Opinion Editor She sits there dutifully, in the same spot on the black leather sofa every day, checking her message inbox. A senior citizen, her phone model superseding her teenage grandchildren’s 10 times over in sleekness, my grandmother routinely explores all the different applications on her phone. Camera, video recorder, wallpaper archive, and much to my dismay, volume settings that result in 3am telemarketer calls amplified to epic proportions.

You would think that as a senior citizen, she would slow down and take life easy: possibly starting the day off with a relaxing cup of tea and biscuits or catching a showing of a classic film or the latest episode of a drama, but she is just the polar opposite.

The antithesis of laziness, she challenges her mind with the complexity of technology daily: her ever-changing cell phone models, thin laptop, and webcam, taking to care in adjusting it just so that it syncs to her Skype account.

Whether it is totaling two miles on the treadmill and subsequently hiking up the long flight of stairs 30 times, whipping up an entire three-course meal completely with dessert 15 minutes after the slightest mention that I’m hungry, or going out to dinners, brunch, and a party all in the same weekend, she never ceases her activities. All while I’m having a lazy Saturday, sitting on the sofa catching a Harry Potter marathon.

Her age and seniority is not a factor in her daily itinerary— sure she complains about the aches of old age, but she still has the herculean strength to strike flies dead in an instant, move with incredible dexterity and agility to grasp her phone at the slightest whis-

Opinion 5

anthology Constant Self-Improvement is Key

By Anthony Chen

per of a ring, with a teenage penchant for waking up incredibly early and going to sleep in the wee hours of the morning. Her eagerness to venture into new fields (she discovered touch screens on cell phones this week and recently added Friends to her ever-expanding repertoire of television shows) often puts individuals a third of her age to shame.

As we seniors move through second semester at full speed, it’s conceivable to ease into the comfortable condition so often dubbed “senioritis,” living up to the hype after finally attaining “second semester senior” status after seven semesters of toiling through all our laborious academic endeavors.

It’s tempting to maintain an attitude of apathy, as whispers of “nothing I do matters anymore, as long as I pass my classes so I won’t get rescinded” are evidently growing louder in the hallways, but it should not be this way—never mind the upcoming AP tests and that what we learn in college and the future only builds upon what we learned in high school—but it’s our last semester at MSJ: it’s an opportunity to absorb everything we can from our high school community.

It’s something we should all grasp and value as second semester seniors, making the most of our last three months as high school students.

Even though we’re finally second semester seniors, make sure to make the most of our statuses: it’s never too late to try something new, challenge ourselves to learn something complex. and let ourselves fall into a senior-like state.

Oh look, Grandma just picked up the latest issue of Popular Science. Guess she wants to learn about stem cell research now. ▪

Send letters to the editor to opinion@thesmokesignal.org

Opinion Editor In my years here at MSJ I’ve noticed a rather shortsighted mentality concerning competition that is counterproductive to every individual who has it. In the scheme of things, each test is a competition that leads up to competition in grades, competition in extracurricular activities, competition in college admissions, and perhaps competition in life. Viewing it as “you versus the world” though, will only hurt you.

Too often, students care about minute details, like scoring slightly higher than others on a test. There are always those students who, most often in jest, vaunt their higher test scores, but in the big picture none of that matters anyway. So what if you scored a couple points higher or lower than someone else? Tests are a better metric of effort than intelligence, and whether you make the curve for a semester grade is entirely the result of hedging risk (but that’s another story). Comparing yourself to a class of 30, a class of 500, or even a school of 2000 doesn’t matter because there’s a whole world out there. There are schools like Phillips Andover and Whitney High School out there. And what happens when you take the best from the world and put them together?

That’ll happen in college and later on in professional careers.

Until then, you’re stuck here.

Don’t be fazed by minor, day-today swings. To inflate your ego with such miniscule happenings like setting the curve is to delude yourself with images of grandeur;

celebrating the smallest of skirmishes is a great way to forget the war.

The king of ants is still an ant. Ignorance is bliss, but reality is much better for you.

There’s nothing wrong with viewing college admissions as a competition. By the definition of “competition,” that’s what it is. Where people go wrong is when they view it as a zero sum game. Others should not have to lose for you to win; focus on yourself, and not others. With this mentality, it’s hardly even a competition anymore. The point is not to beat others but to improve yourself.

For that kind of mentality to be effective, once again you’ll have to consider the denizens of the world and not just MSJ. The best way to improve is to find people who are better than you in every single way.

Find people who are smarter, stronger, and sexier, and make them role models instead of making excuses about your own life or hating them.

Don’t accept mediocrity, and don’t celebrate mediocrity; keep your ego in check and constantly improve yourself. You’ll go a lot farther this way than tricking yourself and protecting your feelings and pride.

You shouldn’t be doing things simply for college admissions in order to beat others. Don’t do things just to add them to a list for your college application. In the grand scheme of life, it’s a waste of time and effort. Do things you like doing, and invest in yourself; a dash of competition here and there, used correctly, can be an effective supplemental motivator. ▪ Send letters to the editor to

opinion@thesmokesignal.org

A scandal at Claremont McKenna

By Sonali Toppur

actual inflation seems to be “the work of one person.”

Staff Writer The main question now is why the admission dean would risk the integrity and respect of the When Claremont McKenna acknowledged that their admissions dean had inflated the school’s SAT school merely to raise SAT scores by a few points? numbers for six years, the news shook the college Ten points is similar to answering one more quesadmissions world. The news resulted in the elite tion right, changing someone from the 94th perCalifornia liberal arts school being pulled lower on centile to maybe the 95th.

As we look towards the long-term effects of all college ranking lists including the prominent U.S. Weekly. One list, Kiplinger, decided to go as far this scandal on future admissions, it isn’t looking too good for Claremont McKenna. Being dropped as to remove the school from its selection entirely.

However, more worries seem to be stemming from college ranking lists hurts the school by defrom this scandal: if Claremont McKenna reported creasing it’s publicity. Claremont McKenna will faulty SAT scores to the Department of Education, have less exposure to future students, and even if the department could suspend student aid and the they are exposed to the college, it may be in only college’s accreditor could choose to suspend accredi- a negative light. This inflation of SAT scores may tation. This is a common policy on dealing with a prompt some new rules and guidelines around subschool that breaks the Department of Education’s mitting admissions data for colleges nationwide, rules, since it publishes consumer-oriented college reforming data verification methods.

This incident offers a warning to all prospective data on its college navigation site and doesn’t want students who place a great deal of importance on the validity of their data to be in question.

Former admission Dean Richard Vos inflated college rank and data. After all, Claremont McKClaremont McKenna’s annual SAT scores by 10 enna isn’t the first college to be caught attempting to 20 points per test section. According to a state- to boost rank and attract higher caliber students. ment from President Pamela Gann, “For the fall Clemson University went under fire for purposely 2010 class, which is the most recent year that has increasing the number of small classes at the exbeen reported generally to the public, the [college] pense of expanding already large classes, since havreported a combined median of 1,410 [out of a pos- ing many classes with fewer than 20 students can sible 1600 on the SAT’s math and critical reading boost rank sizably. Baylor University practically sections] when the actual should have been 1,400, bribed its incoming freshman to retake the SAT, and reported a 75th percentile score of 1,510 when raising the school’s average SAT scores by 10 points.

Colleges realize the value of a high rank and the actual should have been 1,480.”

Claremont McKenna’s decision to acknowledge the following publicity, so they attempt to climb as the scandal instead of denying it has made the case high up on the list as possible. As long as students less serious. WASC President Ralph A. Wolff notes understand that the system is human, and that that the falsified data don’t mask any fundamental there are people behind those reported figures, they weakness at Claremont McKenna, it just makes al- can appropriately judge how much value college ready good test scores look a little better. Also, the rank really is. ▪

staff writer vivian jair

staff writer anusha rijhsinghani

6 Opinion

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Gifted and talented:

The Smoke Signal

Friday, March 2, 2012

testing too early?

Each spring, all third grade students may participate in FUSD assessment for gifted children. Test scores within the 98th and 99th percentile range are required for GATE identification under the Intellectual category. FUSD says about its GATE program, “it is our responsibility to provide [GATE identified] students with the necessary support and high quality differentiated learning opportunities, which enables each student to fully develop his/her unique individual potential.” According to the National Association for Gifted Children (NAGC), gifted children are those “who show, or have the potential for showing an exceptional level of performance in one or more areas of expression.”

By Jaynelle Gao Staff Writer

Children enrolled at elementary schools in FUSD go through only a few years of education until they reach third grade and take a test as a part of screening to be GATE identified.

Those who pass are GATE identified and are considered to be gifted and talented, if being able to attain high scores on a test given to 8 and 9-year-olds qualifies as showing attributes of giftedness and deserving of a differentiated learning environment. However, even under the highly unlikely circumstance that this “intelligence” test does accurately predict children’s abilities to achieve their full potential in high school honors classes, it would take at least a full five years from the time that they took the GATE test to even get to high school, so testing them at such a young age is probably not in their best interest.

According to FUSD, elementary schools use cluster grouping, which constitutes typically one or more clusters of six to eight GATE identified students within a regular classroom setting so that the students are clustered together, rather than scattered amongst classrooms. They also receive “appropriately differentiated instruction.” This is essentially splitting the grade school population into two groups that should be kept together. Labeling children as “gifted” while they are still young and segregating them from their peers to be included in a gifted program is only depriving them of social skills that are needed in the real world. It is more important for academically successful children to be allowed to integrate themselves with and learn from peers who may or may not be as academically proficient but are talented in ways that can’t be measured by early “gifted and talented” tests.

The disparity between GATE identified students and regular students becomes more

fixed intelligence can undermine a person’s ability to succeed. She says, “Many people who believe in fixed intelligence also think you shouldn’t need hard work to do well…The fallacy comes when people generalize…that effort on any task, even very hard ones, implies low ability.” What everyone should keep in mind is that whether someone is GATE identified does not and should not lead him or her to degrade himself, or to view set backs as personal failures rather than opportunities for growth. If it even exists at all, fixed intelligence does nothing for a person if he doesn’t work hard.

“Giftedness” does not go far in the real world.

The low reliability of early childhood testing and the setbacks it induces to children’s social and affective growth should lead FUSD to at least reconsider when they administer GATE-qualifying tests. Postponement, along with a students’ change in attitude toward the “gifted” label, would decrease a future high school student’s feelings of incompetence, elitism, and stress. ▪

apparent in junior high when honors classes are available. This is an opportunity for everyone in the grade to scope out who is “smart” and who is not just by looking at what classes someone is taking. When a student is labeled as “gifted,” people’s expectations of him change and academic intelligence becomes a part of his identity. But if he fails to meet those expectations there is a good chance his self-esteem will drop because everyone expects him to do well. On the other hand, if he does live up to others’ expectations, he may develop an inflated ego and an underdeveloped work ethic and start to believe that his talent is capable of carrying him to success.

A major goal is to prevent students from becoming like either case, and just postponing the GATE test in elementary may not be enough. Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck, who spent her career studying the mentalities that lead to success, observed that believing in

“Back when I was in elementary school, I thought it was ridiculous to test a child for how ‘gifted’ he/she was...a lot of kids at the time let GATE affect their self esteem-positively or negatively. Honestly, I can't remember the GATE program really having an impact on my education, especially since now anyone can qualify for Honors/AP classes in high school, where it actually matters.”

- Leena Yin, 11 “When I took the GATE test in the second grade, I just barely missed the passing score by around 2 points. The fact that I'm not GATE identified actually made it a lot more difficult for me to take certain honors and advanced classes, which sucks a lot because that one score I received over 8 years ago is now holding me back from challenging myself in high school.”

- Amanda Hong, 11 “The objective of the GATE program is to provide differentiated, yet challenging programs for students of different abilities. I think differentiated (and challenging) educational programs must be accessible to all students regardless of GATE/Honors qualification. So, I like that AP courses are available for all students who are genuinely interested in a particular subject matter.”

-Sai Kumar, Chemistry Teacher centerspread editor frank chen

“The GATE program has been a great source of motivation for me because I am pressured to challenge myself through the classes' elevated level. However, sometimes I feel that a lot of people brag or place too much importance on the fact that they're in GATE. This discourages students who are not in GATE, creating a greater gap between GATE and non-GATE students.”

- Catherine Wang, 9

By Anjali Kanthilal Staff Writer

The purpose of the GATE program is to “meet the unique advanced learning needs of gifted children… studies have demonstrated that students who are not challenged in their early education settings can plateau intellectually.”

GATE testing is done early on in elementary school to prepare students for honors level classes later on in their academic career.

If one is GATE identified in third grade, they are automatically placed in higher level classes starting in fourth grade. These selected students are placed in “Gifted” reading and math programs. Though these are only subtle changes in an elementary school, they build up over time, and become more effective starting in Junior High and High School when a GATE student is automatically placed in honors level courses. It is key that students get tested as early as possible.

According to www.parentguidebook.com, testing a four and a half year old child or older will provide stable results for the student. Studies have shown that after this age the results are similar. This information is supported by other websites concerning early GATE testing.

The FUSD GATE Program has made a list characterizing high achievers versus gifted students. They state that these “high-achieving” students are often “rule followers.” They are able to read situations, know what is expected, and carry out expectations to a high level.”

GATE students are expected to be above standards at all times, and should be able to do so with ease. Early testing gives the students a chance to see that it is okay to “push the limits” and lets them mature along with the program.

The Gifted and Talented Program provides a more challenging education for public school students who perform higher (or get better

test scores) than others their age. The students must be able to prove themselves by their behavior, and not just academically. According to the FUSD GATE Program, “It is the districts’ goal to provide equitable, high quality differentiated learning opportunities for the GATE identified students to reach their full affective and academic potential.” The GATE Program states that every child is unique, and it tries to bring out the best qualities in every student.

From my personal experience, an honors class just goes more in-depth than a college prep course. These CP courses also test students more on textbook material rather than lab work, or articles outside of class. Many of these classes also have the same book, just the amount of material covered and the intensity, or depth, of the questions on a test varies.

One of the best parts about the GATE

program is the fact that if one is not so called “GATE identified”, they can become eligible for Honors Classes by other means. If a student attains an A or a B in a certain class and scores at an advanced level on the Californa Assesment tests (STAR), the student can be placed in Honors classes if they qualify. A child can be tested as early as the third grade, but has the chance to still enroll in Honors classes later if the student and his or her parent believes it will benefit the student and they qualify based on the above. Of course, not every student will pass the test, but this gives the school a chance to see what students need to be challenged.

Being tested for GATE early on is beneficial to a student’s learning. By taking more challenging classes throughout his or her academic career, starting with elementary school, students identified early on as GATE students will be better prepared for the academic rigor ahead. ▪

Friday, March 2, 2012

The Smoke Signal

iBooks 2 expensive

By Kyle Qian Staff Writer

On Jan. 19, 2012, to the joy of hunchbacked students everywhere, Apple announced iBooks 2 for the iPad, which will feature interactive, digitized textbooks. Primarily targeting the K-12 audience, iBooks 2 seeks to bring “a more dynamic, engaging, and truly interactive way to read and learn”.

Can it be? A world in which learning about vertebrae doesn’t require breaking our own?

The integration of technology has for a long time been the next frontier for education, and this textbook initiative by Apple, if successful, will undoubtedly be the next step towards a true 21st century education. It seems like a win-win scenario, but behind the glossy metallic finish of the millions of iPads sold worldwide, seems to lie the question in the back of everyone’s minds: how are we going to pay for this?

Apple’s Volume Purchase Program will allow educational institutions to purchase digitized textbooks in volume, but tucked away at the very end of the FAQs reads this little caveat: “In the case of books, the student as the end user must redeem the book using his or her own Apple ID, and the student owns the book”. At $15 apiece, the textbooks may seem cheaper than their $75 paper counterparts, but considering that a paper textbook could last well over five years, purchasing a new e-textbook for every student every year quickly closes the price gap. Add to that, the cost of buying

an iPad ($500) for every student and providing tech support, as well as the fact that an iPad can’t survive a coffee spill like a biology book can. Furthermore, Apple has an annoyingly expensive (for customers) habit of releasing new toys every single year, so by the time five years have passed, the current iPad will more than likely be obsolete, assuming they’ve all survived to begin with.

Alternatives? Of course there are some! Well… kind of. The iBooks Author tool that allows anyone to create e-books and textbooks does indeed use the popular ePub format, but Apple has slyly tweaked it so that it is essentially incompatible with anything other than Apple products.

Furthermore, in what was called “greedy and evil”

by Ed Bott, a writer for www. geek.com ZDNet.com, a business technology news website published by CBS Interactive, the End User License Agreement for iBooks stipulates that anything written in the iBook format can only be sold through the iTunes store, from which Apple receives a 30 percent cut. If Apple rejects a book, it cannot be legally sold anywhere else.

The idea that Apple is truly committed to the betterment of education seems dubious at best.

In a California district like FUSD that already struggles with budget cuts, teacher salaries, and class sizes, paying for thousands of iPads isn’t going to be on the agenda anytime soon. As Avram Piltch of Fox News writes, “It’s a [system] so expensive that it will only help the privileged few.”

Even with the supposed good intentions of expanding technology to classrooms, Apple has a long way to go. At this point, the promise just seems too good to be true. ▪

EDITORIAL: College Admissions The Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board High school students are almost adults, and thus we should be learning to take care of ourselves. Counselors are not and should not be holding our hands every step of the way on the journey to college. What counselors can do is guide us in the right direction, and they’ve been doing a terrific job of it. Counselors need to serve the entire student body, and not everyone is striving to attend an Ivy League; each year 15 to 18 percent of the student body goes to community college, and around 25 percent of the student body goes to a state school. For those that do have their sights set on a school like Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, or MIT, it’s important to take a moment and to understand why. Is it the stellar education we’ll receive, or do we strive to attend top-tier universities for their reputation?

MSJ is indubitably caught in “Ivy-mania”.

Though the student body and the alumni networks may certainly be stronger and more wellconnected, when it comes to education, the merits of an Ivy League vary depending on the major and future career of choice. If we do pursue some kind of postgraduate study, whether a PhD, MD, JD, MBA, or some other degree, the graduate school is the first thing future employers will see; our undergraduate education will not be the primary focus. If, however, we only intend to pursue a Bachelors degree, we need to place more emphasis on the strength of certain majors at certain institutions. UC Berkeley is stronger than many Ivy League schools in engineering. Research will provide us with information on the backbone of programs and schools to which we apply; we can’t just base our decisions on reputation alone.

Through research, we’re going to figure out what colleges have strong programs in areas we’d like to pursue using resources like Naviance.

However, taking that information into consideration is much easier said than done. So many apply to Ivy Leagues for the bragging rights.

That means hours of writing, for both us and our counselors, applications fees, and more stress

than necessary, all for inflating egos. More often than not, we won’t get in.

We can’t ask of ourselves the impossible. Not everyone will rank nationally in competitions.

College applications should not be about molding ourselves to fit the schools. As students and young adults, we should have the sensibility to be realistic about our undergraduate education.

Keeping the above in mind, there are many cases where it would be greatly beneficial to attend an Ivy League. For example, major investment banks tend to recruit mostly from Ivy League schools.

The network we can potentially gain is priceless, especially for fields involving business or political science. So if you’re dead set on getting into an Ivy League, go forth and learn everything you can.

It’s important to be realistic; some great resources to get a general idea of the profiles of admitted students are various “decisions” threads in forums on the internet. Keep in mind that “hooks” such as being an underrepresented minority or a legacy student can cause quite a bit of variation in admission standard. Be realistic.

In the end, nobody will be able to convince us that attending Harvard may not be a good choice, and nobody can guarantee that attending Harvard may even be a choice - not your parents, not this editorial, and not your counselors. There is no silver bullet. Do your research; don’t wait until senior year to look into possible colleges. Consider real-life advantages of attending Harvard’s undergrad program; there may not be as many as you’d think. Apply to colleges that you show a genuine interest in; put your efforts into schools that fit you the way you are. Though virtually no one can guarantee admission to top-tier schools, do what you can to maximize your chances wherever you want to apply. We all want to succeed, but worrying about things we can’t control won’t do us any good. ▪ Send letters to the editors at opinion@thesmokesignal.org by March 9, 2012 or comment online at www.thesmokesignal.org.

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Opinion 7

Foxconn under fire

By Grace Wu Staff Writer

Recently The New York Times released an investigative report on working conditions in Foxconn, a major electronics manufacturer for many large corporations such as Apple.

The article focused on Foxconn’s factories in China, reporting on conditions in the factories and Apple’s role in the conditions. The article sparked widespread criticism and even protest from the mass media, but it’s easy to criticize from the comfort of our spacious workplaces and $4,200 average monthly salary. In order to understand the whole story, we must take a look at the circumstances that the Chinese workers face. We can’t simply compare American conditions to those conditions.

Despite the poor conditions outlined in the article, thousands of eager Chinese workers lined up for hours on January 30 in Zhengzhou, China for jobs in Foxconn’s Zhengzhou campus. The base salary of 1,650 Yuan (US$261) may just be the cost of an iPod touch in America, but in China, a Foxconn job is seen as lucrative. The workers know that the salary at Foxconn is much higher than those offered by other companies.

The reality is that Foxconn’s conditions are idyllic compared to other small factories in China, where workers usually sleep under their work stations and can’t afford to rent apartments that are complementary at Foxconn.

The company provides food and shelter at no cost to the workers, along with their monthly salary. Their living facilities resemble a city.

Thousands of workers live in dorms and eat at industrial cafeterias. The company even offers onsite counseling for their workers, providing psychological counseling for those in need.

Foxconn gained notoriety for attempted suicides but their suicide rates are low compared

to China’s suicide rate. Last year there were 18 suicides out of 700,000 Foxconn workers. Meanwhile according to the World Health Organization, 14 out of 100,000 people committed suicide per year in China. One of the hopeful workers in line said,“Working conditions in smaller factories are even worse (than Foxconn). They have even longer work hours. The major reason is that suppliers are not at the top of the value chain and major brands can easily replace them. Also, workers in China do not have labor unions, and the Chinese government always protects the large companies.”

How can working conditions improve in China? As the worker said, improvements can only be made with the support of the Chinese government. Currently, the Chinese government protects the interest of the corporations due to fear of losing billions in revenue from manufacturing, the biggest source of jobs in China. In fact, many cities in China offer a staggering amount in incentives and tax cuts to corporations in hopes of boosting the economy through manufacturing.

In an idealistic world, human labor rights would be a standard but working conditions will inevitably vary. Before feeling guilty and swearing to never buy another Apple product again, consider this: the only way that the less fortunate can move up is if they are given an opportunity to. Foxconn’s factories are presenting much better opportunities than were offered before. Through international trade China has been introduced to the global market; minimum wage and therefore standard of living will rise. According to official data released by the Chinese government, minimum wage has increased 12.5 percent every year from 2005 to 2010. The government has also planned to raise minimum wages 13 percent per year through 2015. In the foreseeable future China will work towards standardized labor laws, but without opportunity there is no potential for growth. ▪

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Friday, March 2, 2012

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Friday, March 2, 2012

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Feature 9

Man Survival Guide: Pumping iron

The Exercises These are some simple body weight exercises to help build some muscle mass on your new lean and mean frame. The exercises hit upon the main muscle groups and are interchangeable with similar exercises. If you want, you can switch them up to focus on a specific area. Make sure you are using proper form and are doing them slowly.

Squats: These should be done with a straight vertical back, lowering until your knees are bent at a right angle with the ground. You should try to keep your knees over your toes and your back vertical. Do up to five reps of 30 each.

Aerobic Exercise: This is where you should start, your heart needs to be ready for the exertion of more intense exercise. An added plus is that this is the best way to shed pounds.

Anything that you can think of that makes you breathe harder can be aerobic exercise.

Some of the easiest to start doing are running, swimming, biking, even playing Frisbee.

The goal is to get your heart pounding. You should be getting a minimum of an hour of aerobic exercise every day, or longer depending on your fitness level. As with every physical activity you do, make sure you are ready for it. Drink lots of water and stay loose.

By Connor Williams Staff Writer

Alright men, you know what’s coming. The days are getting longer and the girls have been alerted on a primal level by the rain, that spring is coming. All of this means that pretty soon they will be able to see that holiday fluff. So what can you do? You can: move to Alaska(no one will ever see you in a swim suit again), have your brain put into a robot (no one judges robots, OR ELSE), or actually get back in shape.

Here are some guidelines on how to jump start your fitness routine. You should start easy, maybe go for a small jog or on a hike with friends. Then, as you get more comfortable, go for something a little bigger. You also have to make sure that you are eating food that will actually help you, not hurt you. Yes, I know that means no more delicious Panda Express.

Push Ups: Place yourself in a plank position, hands slightly more than shoulder width apart. Then lower yourself until your arms are at right angles. As you lower yourself, pinch your shoulder blades together.

Make sure that your back and legs stay in a line. Do four reps of 25 to start out.

After Workout Habits: Getting exercise is important, but so is eating right or resting; you won’t get all of the benefits without these.

To get a little extra protein after a workout, try chocolate milk and a peanut and honey sandwich, or a granola bar. These are all healthy and yummy ways to eat right.

Pull Ups: Obviously these require a pull up bar, or any other sturdy thing to hang off of. You should place your hands about shoulder width apart with your palms facing you.

Then smoothly lift your chin over the bar and smoothly let yourself down. Do three reps of six (you can have a friend lift your feet if you need help finishing).

Sit Ups: Lay face up on the ground with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.

Sometimes it helps to have a friend hold your feet so you don’t move them. Cross your arms over your chest or hold your head in your hands, then raise your shoulders and body so that your elbows can touch your knees. Do four reps of 30 each.

Hydration is another concern; if you don’t drink enough you won’t operate right. This is easily fixed if you carry a water bottle with you.

After excessive exercise in hotter conditions you will need more water to replenish your lost fluids. graphics by staff writer sherry xiao

This is it. You have put in the time, the effort, and even sacrificed a little bit. You have earned a body that you can be proud of. Now all you have to do is maintain it and show it off (for the ladies). Go and enjoy yourselves men.

Rest is another factor many athletes forget about. You need time to let your body heal after hard work. This can mean light exercise, like walking, or the obvious one: sleep. Another way to get the most out of your resting time is to loosen your muscles through massage or yoga. ▪

Smoke Signal Review: AP Books

By Rachel Choi Staff Writer

Now that we’re well into second semester and more test prep books are magically appearing in the arms of students, the Smoke Signal offers a handy guide to the most popular AP review books for the most popular tests.

AP Chinese Language and Culture

AP Statistics

Barron’s The only test preparation book for AP Chinese by a major company seems to be Barron’s, as Princeton Review and Kaplan don’t offer any yet. One advantage of this book is that it presents questions in both traditional and simplified characters, as the actual test does. There are two practice tests, and audio CDs that accompany the book offer practice material for the listening and speaking sections of the test.

Rating: 4/5 stars Amazon:$19.79

Barron’s Though Barron’s books are often criticized for being too verbose and complicated, the general consensus seems to be that for AP Statistics, Barron’s is the best choice. The book features one diagnostic test and five practice tests. (If you opt to buy the CD-ROM as well, that includes two more practice tests.) The book divides the information into four themes, which are further divided into fifteen topics.

Rating: 4/5 stars Amazon: $11.55 With CD $19.75

AP Biology

CliffsNotes For AP Biology, most reviewers online seem to agree that CliffsNotes is the best choice, as it includes subject review, lab review, and two practice tests. It is, however, more than 200 pages shorter than the Barron’s AP Biology book, which may be good or bad.

Rating 5/5 stars Amazon:$9.60

AP Psychology

Barron’s Barron’s AP Psychology book seems to be a popular pick for its subject review and practice tests. It also offers test-taking tips and studying strategies. If two practice tests aren’t enough for you, you can always opt to buy the version with the additional CD-ROM, which has two more practice tests.

Rating: 5/5 stars Amazon:$9.63 With CD: $19.79

AP Human Geography

Barron’s For AP Human Geography, it seems that Barron’s has done pretty well. It has two practice exams, a diagnostic test, and subject review. As with most Barron’s books, there is also the option of purchasing an additional CD-ROM that contains two more practice tests—with automatic scoring.

Rating: 4/5 stars Amazon: $11.04 With CD: $21.89 walmartimages.com

10 Feature

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Room E1B Teacher: Jean Dotson Every year, a class of 25 students work together to produce MSJ’s yearbook, the Costanoan. The yearbook staff, working in four to five design teams, decides on an overarching theme and creates the yearbook from scratch. Each design team is responsible for a certain number of pages to turn out in six weeks. The empty layouts are fleshed out with content such as pictures, quotes, and text blurbs to create pages, which are turned in to the appropriate section editors on deadline. Edits are made, and the pages are then sent to the printer who sends back a tentative copy of the section called a proof.

The proof is then edited, and the finalized pages are sent back to the printer who sends back the final product. Each year, the yearbook staff looks for a diverse group of talented new students to help create the wide range of material found in the yearbook.

The Costanoan is looking for photographers, page designers, writers, entrepreneurs, and techies, among others; more details can be found on the application.

The application can be picked up in the yearbook room, E1B, or downloaded from their website at msjyearbook.tumblr.com. The application is due back to yearbook by March 5, interviews are scheduled around mid-March, and decisions are announced at the end of March.

The number of staff openings varies from year to year depending on the number of seniors graduating, but generally no more than 15 new staff members are accepted annually, including one freshman selected from the Hopkins yearbook staff.

Last year, more than 25 students applied.

When asked about what qualities she’s looking for in the incoming staff, Costanoan Editor-in-Chief Harpreet Gill said, “Hardworking, outgoing, dedicated, [and] talented. That’s pretty much it.

If you’re dedicated, even if you’re not amazing and you work at it, you can get that skill.”

Room B31 Advisor: Jeff Evans MSJ Television (MSJTV) is a student-run organization that produces a monthly school newscast. MSJTV puts in countless hours of effort to create each broadcast, which are ultimately what students see once a month during read. The entire MSJTV staff first meets in B31 to pitch story ideas. Anybody is welcome to participate in the meeting. Then, student journalists and videographers from a list of recruits are assigned their stories by the Directors of Journalism and Directors of Videography. Weekly meetings keep directors updated with the developing stories as the recruits cover their stories. The completed video is sent to the Directors of Post-Production, who then assign a number of students to edit. Every broadcast’s anchor filming is done in one meeting at a scriptwriter’s or anchor’s house; like all other video segments, anchor footage is assigned to students to edit. Finished segments are sent to the Executive Producers to compile into the final episode, which is burned onto more than 60 DVDs to distribute throughout the school. Other notable roles include the Public Relations Officer, Art Director, Webmasters, Treasurer, and Secretary.

Unlike the other student organizations mentioned on this page, MSJTV is not a class and is completely student-run. Anyone is eligible to join MSJTV at any time; expressing interest to the Directors or Executive Producers, and then attending meetings, will earn one a spot on the list of recruits. Anchor positions will require applications, which are available upon request. Director positions also require applications; these can be sent at the end of the year, also upon request.

Executive Producers Kevin Zhai and Sida Lu are looking for potential recruits that are willing to learn and eager to volunteer, so whether you enjoy asking questions, handling cameras, or editing videos, check out MSJTV!

By Sherry Xiao and Anna Zeng Staff Writers It’s application season! As pre-registration nears, students will be on the prowl for a chance to get into the student organization of their dreams. But what if you’re not sure about what to go for? Here’s a look at five of MSJ’s most notable student organizations and classes that require applications.

Room N9 Teacher : Sandra Cohen The Smoke Signal releases one issue every month, nine months a year. Each issue follows a cycle that begins with beats and story ideas. On the first day of the cycle, members pitch story ideas for the upcoming issue and report on their beats. Beats are different parts of the school or community, for example the Math Department or Kennedy High School,that Journalism I students are assigned to keep up to date with throughout the year.

Section editors, who are exclusively Journalism II and III students, decide which articles will run in the paper and assign writers to specific stories. Writers are usually given around a week to write before stories are due back to editors. The work writers do in this week will vary depending on the type of story but often includes interviewing sources and doing research in person and online. During this time, students can also sign up to take photos for events being covered. Rough drafts undergo a series of edits before they are resubmitted as final drafts. Once the final drafts are in, the workload shifts from the writers to the editors.

Editors create page layouts, make any necessary changes to articles, and compile a finalized PDF file of the newspaper to send to the printer. Meanwhile, Journalism I students participate in classroom discussions on current events and other related activities. Several days after the file is sent, the printer delivers the papers to the journalism classroom and papers are distributed throughout the school.

The Smoke Signal is looking for students interested in writing, reporting, or photography to apply for its staff next year. Applications are available online at www.thesmokesignal.org, and are due back to N9 by March 5. Based on their written applications, prospective students will be selected for interviews with an Editor-in-Chief and members of the editorial board. Last year, around 60 students applied and 27 were accepted. This year’s decisions will be announced at the end of March.

The Smoke Signal

Friday, March 2, 2012

Room N7 and N8 Teacher: Ben Breazeale L2 is responsible for organizing a host of different activities around campus. Sports Assemblies? That’s L2. Megan Nicole Concert? Also L2. Blood Drive? L2 once more.

The 41 members of L2 are organized into 11 committees of two to five students. Students can choose to join the Sports, Family Festival, Homecoming and Multicultural, Community and Charity Fashion Show, A-Team, Student-Teacher Relations, Publicity, Student Store, Elections, Campus Beautification, or Tech Committees.

While the titles of some committees are fairly self-explanatory, they often fail to capture the scope of the committees’ work. For example, the Sports Committee is not only in charge of the school’s seasonal sports assemblies, it is also responsible for promoting MSJ sports teams’ game days and hosting the Ultimate Frisbee and 3v3 Basketball Tournaments. The Family Festival Committee is responsible for everything from finding a euro-bungee to finding performers to contacting sponsors. The committees work separately for the most part, but L2 is ultimately responsible for organizing Homecoming Week, Multicultural Week, the canned food drive, blood drives, the Charity Fashion Show, Friday Activities, teacher luncheons, dances, ASB elections, campus beautification efforts, and a number of other miscellaneous events.

Some of the committees also help manage ASB’s internal matters. The Publicity Committee manages the ASB website, www. msjasb.org, the L2 Facebook page, the L2 Flickr photostream, and makes posters for ASB events. The Tech Committee sets up music, microphones, and Powerpoint presentations at L2 events. The Campus Beautification Committee, in addition to planting trees and overseeing campus improvements, manages L2’s storage space.

For those interested, applications for L2 will be available online and in N7. Every year, between 80 and 100 students apply for L2, and 23 are accepted, not including the ASB and class officers who are required to take L2. All applicants are granted interviews with the ASB officers.

ASB Vice President Allison Tong says, “[We are looking for students who are] hard working, passionate, confident, can lead by example, and have the goal to give the student body an engaging experience during their time at MSJ.”

Room B33 Teacher: Jaime Richards Peer Resource is a seventh period class dedicated to helping others. Students learn to live a better life and help others do the same. The class runs on “peers helping peers”, as Social Studies Teacher Jaime Richards said. At the beginning of the year, each student counselor is assigned a “buddy”. The student counselor and his/her “buddy” will talk about anything and everything constantly throughout the year. Each week, student counselors will update each other about their respective buddies and learn how to better help them. In addition, Richards’s “Life Lesson” lectures run two or three times per week, helping students understand and deal with themselves and their peers.

The class is further enriched by visits from psychologists, suicide hotline operators, and other individuals from a range of professions dedicated to improving social well-being. The class organizes Red Ribbon Week, the Hero Wall, and Peer Talk Days, which are gatherings for MSJ students to speak out about stress, parental divorce, relationships, depression, and other student issues.

All current MSJ students are encouraged to apply, but Richards is on the lookout for compassionate, empathetic students with an aura of creativity and reliability. Last year, approximately 75 applications were sent in, and 29 students entered the class. Richards anticipates beginning the application process in mid-April, after Spring Break. Make sure to listen for it in the morning announcements!

photo by graphics editor kevin zhai

Friday, March 2, 2012

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Ad 11

12 Centerspread

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Temple Run Price: Free -iPhone

Angry Birds Price: $0.99 (full version) -iPhone, Android

Temple Run, the endless running adventure game, is the most addicting iPhone game yet. Jump, slide, and maneuver through the ancient temple walls and collect coins, but don’t get caught by the evil demon monkeys! The store enables you to buy and upgrade powerups, characters, and backgrounds, using the coins you collect on your runs.

The more you spend in the store, the easier it is to improve your high score.

Since the next upgrade or objective seems to always be just within reach, this game is nearly impossible to put down.

Oh no! Those dirty pigs are stealing the birds’ eggs! Quick, the only way to stop them is to sling-shot the angry birds at the pigs’ towers of defense.

The top game in over 50 countries, Angry Birds is the ultimate combination of both fun and strategy.

Media Apps

Instagram Price: Free -iPhone

Spotify Price: Free -iPhone, Android

The title says it all: “Doodle Jump – BE WARNED: Insanely Addictive!”

Jump higher and higher until you drop to your death in one of the highest grossing games in app history.

Doodle Jump Price: $0.99 (full version) -iPhone, Android

Fruit Ninja Price: $1.26 (full version) -iPhone, Android

Pandora Price: Free -iPhone, Android

Unlike many app games, Fruit Ninja does not come with instant success.

There is a gradual learning curve that comes with slicing various juicy fruits in mid-air to produce massive high scores. Remember to go for multifruit combos for maximum points!

Friday, March 2, 2012

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Centerspread 13

By Sai Chilakapati, Catherine Ho, Kenny Jacoby, Vivian Jair and Jin Peng Staff Writers

As Smartphone markets are growing at a rapid rate, it is becoming harder for users to keep up with the pace of growth. Thus, the Smoke Signal has selected the best apps in each of our categories to provide readers an insight into the best apps on the market.

Most Addictive

Friday, March 2, 2012

The Smoke Signal

Camera Plus Pro Price: $1.99 -iPhone, Android

Instagram allows its users to apply 16 creative filters to photos, each consisting of different shaded and textured themes. Instagram can stimulate tiltshifting to turn any photo into a neat, stylized square with a wide range of borders to choose from, including filters to make photos black and white and sepia.

It also allows users to make their own creation and share it through Facebook, Flickr, Twitter and other social networks.

It is a very simple and fun way to stylize your photos to anything you would like .

Spotify provides music, a necessity in today’s society. With Spotify, you can access (but not download) over 13 million songs and find any music you wish to hear from some of the main stream pop, hip hop and R&B to any old or new music. It streams music from a online database, so in order to access the music, you will need internet.

Pandora is an option for listening to over 750 radio stations directly from your iPhone, iOS, or Android device. It helps provide a huge variety of music with a fast, glitch-free operation. Be sure to take the time to get this app!

Camera Plus Pro lets users apply a variety of edits to their photos—including enhancing, colorizing, or changing the tones. Camera Plus has 21 new Photo filters, and 9 Distortion effects.

It’s a simple way to get good results!

Brain Games

Words with Friends Price: $2.99 (full version) -iPhone, Android

Doodle Fit Price: $1.49 (full version); Free on Apple devices -iPhone, Android

Charadium II Price: $1.99 (full version) -iPhone, Android

The Moron Test Price: $0.99 (full version) -iPhone, Android

Combining entertainment with word knowledge, Words with Friends is much more fun than the title implies. Similar to Scrabble, players create words off of their opponent’s, leading up to mind-boggling chains. With powerful multiplier tiles, the game becomes a strategy-infused dash to the finish. One can play many games at once—with either friends or random opponents— and can close and resume at any time.

There are two versions: a free one with ads, and a paid version without.

With over 200 levels and numerous theme packs, Doodle Fit presents the seemingly-simple task of aligning blocks into a larger shape with enjoyable graphics.

It is free on Apple devices, but costs $1.49 on Android phones.

Like the name implies, Charadium II is an online version of charades.

One player draws a given word while other random players try to guess the object as fast as possible.

This game will always be very fun!

The Moron Test puts one’s true intelligence to the test, throwing tricky and imaginative challenges at the player. Some individual sections are free, but in order to play the entire game, one must pay $0.99.

Productivity

WhatsApp Messenger Price: $0.99 -iPhone, Android

Battery Boost Magic Price: $1.99 -Android

Apple Pages Price: $9.99 -iPhone

Flashlight Price: Free -iPhone, Android

Need to text to your friends for free?

The WhatsApp, which is available in the Andriod, Apple, Blackberry, and Nokia markets, allows users to send unlimited messages to friends, who have this app, anywhere in the world for free. This app, which costs only $0.99, is a money saver that can help users avoid pesky and over-priced texting charges. Keeping in touch will be easy with this app!

Frustrated that your smartphone’s battery life can’t last through the day?

The Battery Boost Magic app monitors your phone’s activity and suggests tips that enhance battery life The app also guides the phone through its charging by either speeding up the charging process or by charging gradually.

Need to do your homework on the go? The Apple Pages app allows users to create, edit, and view documents anywhere. Coupled with iCloud software, edited or newly created documents can be directly sent to a computer of choice or can be directly printed from the iPhone.

The flashlight app is a must-have app for all smart phone users. This app is great for reading books in the night, finding keys in the dark and for other activities which require having a bulky flashlight at hand. With this app users don’t need to carry around a huge flashlight to illuminate their surroundings.

Must-Have (Utility)

Advanced Task Killer Price: Free -Android

PdaNet Price: Free -iPhone, Android

Dropbox Price: Free -iPhone, Android

the Smoke Signal Price: Free -iPhone, Android

With Advanced Task Killer, you can keep your phone from being bogged down by applications which continue to run as background services even after you exit them. This will save you a lot of battery as well as data, and is a lot more convenient to use than many of the stock task managers phones provide you with.

PdaNet is a highly useful app that allows you to tether your phone to your computer without the need for rooting. By connecting your phone to your computer with a USB cable, you can use the 4G or 3G service available on your smartphone to access the internet from your computer.

Dropbox is a fantastic app that allows you to share files among all your devices, meaning that you can access saved files and music on your computer through your phone. If you’re ever afraid of forgetting any file or document on your laptop or phone, just “drop” it in your Dropbox folder.

Now also available for Android, the Smoke Signal app is the easiest way to stay updated on what’s going on around MSJ. With online exclusives, archives of issues, and a calendar with detailed events all at your fingertips, there has never been a better way to stay tuned to school events.

apple.com, guardian.co.uk, jdwalt.com, market.android.com

14 Ad www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, March 2, 2012

Friday, March 2, 2012

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Feature 15

‘Swagged-Out’ Room Step 1: COLOR Plain boring walls are indicative of a plain boring personality. Let your inner animal go wild and throw some paint on those walls.

There are several ways you can achieve this.

The traditional method is to simply buy a few gallons of paint, grab a brush, and get Tom Sawyer’ing. If you choose that route, please don’t be afraid to venture away from the most common (and dull) colors. Leave the “eggshell matte” and “graywash blue” behind and go for something a bit more vibrant! It’s your room; let it speak to all who enter. Bright orange, neon green, and red/white or blue/ yellow contrast are some extravagant suggestions. For more daring individuals, a great way to paint is to simply take a brush, dip it in an arbitrary color, and splatter everything in sight.

By Matt Farberov Staff Writer

Do you wake up in the morning feeling nothing like P. Diddy? Does your day include little to no swagger? Do you come home to a bleak and dreary existence which rivals that of dust mites? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, then what you need is a swag upgrade. The best place to start is with your man-cave, your lair, your domain; yes indeed, your room. These are the 5 Simple Steps to a Swagged-Out Room!

Step 2: DECORATION Let your room be an expression of your character. If your walls are empty or, even worse, if you have just one lonely painting, you need to add some zest to your domain.

Try adding a few posters of celebrities, supermodels, or equally attractive automobiles.

After you add a few larger posters, “go big with the small”. Add some family pictures or pictures of friends. Anything to get rid of that boring space will suffice.

Step 3: SOUND If you are planning to invite people in to your zone, you better be well equipped.

Go to Walmart and buy a basic $30 speaker set and you won’t regret it. In this day and age, laptop speakers just don’t cut it, let alone the measly speaker on your phone.

Install your new sound system close to your bed and make sure that if there is a subwoofer, it’s placed directly under your bed to ensure that it gives the bed a little extra bounce.

dreamstudioblog.argosynconsole.com, theneonpanda.com, simping.com, totalyhomedecor.com, graphic by graphics editor angie wang

If you follow these 5 simple steps, your room, your life, and your future will undoubtedly reach their maximum swagger potential in no time!

Step 4: THEME Everyone’s life has a theme, and accordingly, so should his or her room. Whether your theme is sports, shoes, technology, partying, or Hello Kitty, your room should reflect who you are as a person. If you are a star quarterback, don’t be afraid to show off some of those trophies or medals. Likewise, if you are a mad scientist, go ahead and showcase your achievements, not necessarily with a laboratory in your closet, but a certificate or plaque will do. One thing to be wary about when adding to your theme is that no one appreciates an obsession. As mentioned, the star quarterback should definitely showcase his achievements, but if the entire room is caked with narcissistic pictures of himself, his trophies, his awards, and maybe a few pictures of Tebow or Manning, it comes off as a bit compulsive.

Step 5: APPEAL You aren’t a pig, so don’t live like one. As a high school student you should behave as one. Clean up your own filth. Don’t leave piles of nonsense lying around and hope that mommy will pick it up for you. Independence and the ability to proactively clean up after yourself are key to succeeding in life. If your boyfriend or girlfriend comes in to your room and is forced to traverse mountains of shirts, socks, and whatnot, you should be ashamed.

Appeal is the last, but most certainly not the least important step in the process. Just like how you wouldn’t parade around town smelling like a garbage dump, your room shouldn’t either. Your part of the house should be the pride of the home, not the eye sore of the family. Invest in some Febreze, a broom, and perhaps a vacuum cleaner to get that halfeaten pizza out from under your bed. ▪

16 Feature www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, March 2, 2012

MSJ LUNCH HOTSPOTS

By Angie Wang & Supriya Yelimeli Graphics Editor & Staff Writer

We know you get sick and tired of MSJ lunches. It’s not as if the increase in price is an extra incentive to purchase from our school vendors. Here are a few popular lunch spots worth your time... and money.

Daily Bagel Cafe

Chipotle Mexican Grill

Address: 5565 Automall Pkwy Type of food: Mexican food; burritos, tacos, salads Distance: 3.7 miles Travel time: 10 minutes Order time: 15 minutes Price range: $7-$10 Most popular orders: Steak Burrito, Steak Burrito Bowl, Chips and Guac Chipotle may not be the most authentic of Mexican foods, but it’s still very popular among MSJ students. Lunch is only so long, so if you’re running low on time, be sure to take advantage of Chipotle’s fax orders and iPhone order options!

Mission Burger

Address: 135 Anza St Type of food: American; burgers, sandwiches, fast food Distance: 1.5 miles Travel time: 5 minutes Order time: 15 minutes Price range: $2-$5 Most popular orders: Teriyaki Burger, Chocolate Malt, Onion Rings We’ve all sped past it, but the lucky ones are those who have been able to stop and eat at Mission Burger.

While you’re waiting (and waiting, and waiting) for your order (teriyaki burger with a side of onion rings), note Mission Burger’s popularity with your fellow MSJ classmates and engage in casual conversation.

(commonly known as Bagel Shop) Address: 40061 Mission Blvd Type of food: American; bagels, croissants, sandwiches, donuts Distance: 1.6 miles Travel time: 6 minutes Order time: 5 minutes Price range: $1-$4 Most popular orders: Donuts, BLT Croissant Sandwich, Coffee You’ve spent half your lunch period frantically finishing your chemistry report, and now you’re hungry. Not to fear, Bagel Shop is here! Just a little over a mile and a half away, Bagel Shop has a unique selection of sandwiches on your choice of a bagel, a croissant, or wheat bread. Though it’s a small shop, don’t underestimate what its employees can whip up behind the counter.

Verde Tea Expresso Bar

Address: 47954 Warm Springs Blvd Type of food: Chinese; milk tea, boba tea Distance: 9 miles Travel time: 10 minutes Order time: 15 minutes Price range: $5-$8 Most popular orders: Pearl Tea, Popcorn Chicken, Coconut Toast Taking advantage of long lunch periods during Multicultural Week? Verde is a great stop if you want some quality milk tea and boba. A little on the expensive side, Verde’s prices are worth the size of the drink. Verde is especially notable for its tub-sized tea. If you’re craving sweets, be sure to try the coconut toast.

Look out for specials and happy hour!

Super Taco

Address: 40798 Fremont Blvd Type of food: Mexican; tacos, burritos Distance: 3 miles Travel time: 10 minutes Order time: 10 minutes Price range: $5-$7 Most popular orders: Carne Asada, Super Burrito On a scale of one to Chipotle, Super Taco ranks highly among various Mexican restaurants in Fremont. If you decide to take an adventure down Fremont Boulevard, try to stop by Super Taco for nothing less than (you guessed it) a Super Taco!

Ask for a complimentary serving of the legendary “green sauce”, a spicy addition that is tasteful but not overpowering.

Panera Bread

Address: 43317 Christy St Type of food: American: soup, sandwiches, paninis, salads Distance: 4 miles Travel time: 11 minutes Order time: 10 minutes Price range: $7-$10 Most popular orders: Mac & Cheese, Steak Balsamico, Mediterranean Veggie, Tomato & Mozzarella Looking for less grease? Panera is the place to go. Panera’s atmosphere is a little classier than Mission Burger’s. While you’re there, try its famous Mac and Cheese, coupled with a soup or salad of your choice. If Panera’s indoor seating is totally occupado, ask for the meal to go.

graphics by staff writer kevin he

Friday, March 2, 2012

The Smoke Signal

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By Kerrie Wu Staff Writer

Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss, authored over forty inspirational children’s books prized for their clever simplicity and ability to capture young minds with words and whimsical characters. In honor of Dr. Seuss, March 2 is Read Across America Day.

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“National Reading Day is important, but it’s more important to pay attention to what we read. I think National Reading Day should be every day.” -English Teacher Brian Rath

“I think some of Dr. Seuss’s morals, such as patience from Horton Hears a Who, has taught me the small but important things in daily life.” -Tiffany Chang, 9

Read Across America Day commemorates the birthday of the beloved Dr. Seuss. Since the publication of his first children’s book To Think That I Saw It On Mulberry Street in 1937, Dr. Seuss’s contributions to children’s literature have been the first exposure to reading for many. On this day librarians, teachers, parents, and community organizations host events in the spirit of bringing young readers into the world of literature and are encouraged to read to young children. In classrooms across the country, children are cooking green eggs and ham, constructing red-and–white striped tall hats, and sitting down in circles to journey into a vivid world of literary imagination. Universal Studios has also released an animated rendition of Dr. Seuss’s The Lorax on March 2, just in time for his 108th birthday.

“One Fish, Two Fish, Red Fish, Blue Fish was the first book I read front to back, all by myself. I was four years old and it took me three days. I was so happy and proud I finally finished it. I spent the next day telling everyone I met, even random strangers in the supermarket, about my amazing accomplishment.”

-Silvia Zannetti, 11

ANSWERS: 1. GREEN EGGS AND HAM, 2. FOX IN SOCKS, 3. HORTON HEARS A WHO, 4. HOW THE GRINCH STOLE CHRISTMAS theritards.com

By Kevin He Staff Writer

The Smoke Signal was able to grab a couple moments with Senior Brandon Chen of the Ritards (pronounced rih-TARDS), an allmale acapella group that recently rocketed to fame after being invited to a private audition for the popular television show America’s Got Talent this past month. Though the Ritards have been performing since 2004, it wasn’t until their recent show in Reno for the radio station KTSF and their invitation to America’s Got Talent that the group began to attract significant media attention. Luckily, we were able to ask them some questions about their history, style, and future before they go on to become the next chart-topping musical sensation.

Smoke Signal: Where did you come up with the name “The Ritards”?

Brandon Chen: The group was founded out of five members from Bay Area Crystal Children’s Choir. At the beginning, the group was nameless, and cofounder Jason Chou from Monta Vista High temporarily named it the “hot choir guys group.” Since many other acapella groups had punny names, eventually Jason came up with “The Ritards,” and the name has stuck due to its play on the musical term ritardando.

SS: Do you have a favorite musical style?

SS: How did the Ritards’ private audition for America’s Got Talent go?

BC: The audition went really well. We don’t know whether we made it to the next round of auditions yet, but we performed well. Even if we don’t make it through, the invitation for the private audition in itself can be seen as a huge step for the group. It shows that we are finally breaking through and getting more and more attention from the media and the entertainment industry.

SS: Do you have a most memorable and most embarrassing performance?

BC: We have been gaining more and more recognition from local organizations, and we have even been paid for a few. Recently, we were invited to perform for two days at a Lantern Festival in Reno. We were offered free rooms and meals for a weekend stay at a resort in Reno. Last year, we also performed in Union Square for hundreds of people. One embarrassing performance I remember was when we performed while missing a couple of members last week. In order to keep the show going, we had to quickly make up something to sing. It turned out much better than we expected, but obviously it wasn’t our best performance.

SS: How can fans reach you/request performances?

BC: We can be contacted through our Facebook page or website www.theritards.com.

You can also check out some of our performances on our Youtube channel www.youtube.com/theritards. ▪

In a town made of plastic and metal, twelve-year-old Ted lives surrounded by artificial plants and high city walls, isolated from the beauty of nature. When he finds out about the love of his life’s most precious dream—to see a real Truffula Tree— he jumps at the chance to win her heart and embarks on a wild, exhilarating quest to find the elusive Lorax, a legendary creature who acts as the guardian of nature. Only after learning its story will he find the critically endangered Truffula Tree and win Audrey’s heart. As they journey together, Ted discovers more about the Lorax’s struggle to defend his forests and joins him in the fight to protect nature from the terrors of destructive industrialism.

“A quote I live by religiously is, ‘Those that mind don’t matter and those that matter don’t mind.’

It helps me out at This adaptation of Dr. Seuss’s classic chilthe toughest times!” dren’s book The Lorax features 3D animated -Jason Vu, 11 computer graphics that preserve Dr. Seuss’s “I remember, signature art style and is voiced by pop figures after reading The such as Disney star Zac Efron as the main Lorax in third character Ted and Grammy award-winner grade, I gained Taylor Swift as Audrey, his love interest. a greater sense of Universal Studios hopes to promote awareenvironmental protec- ness for environmental protection, posting tion. I did not even notice the “green” tips on The Lorax movie website and subtle implications of Dr. Seuss, partnering with numerous companies that and I always loved hearing his stories hope to advertise eco-friendly products and during circle time.” -Richard Liang, 10 activities with the movie. ▪

“Green Eggs and Ham was pretty much one of my most favorite books when I was little.

Dr. Seuss’s books were always clever and made me laugh.”

-Neha Nayak, 11

boxfont.com, imdb.com, drseuss.com, thelorax.com, moviewallpapers.com

The Ritards BC: The current group members enjoy music ranging from Korean pop to alternative rock to R&B. We each have different preferences, and this usually shows in the wide variety of genres we perform. For example, we have performed “We Intertwined” by The Hush Sound, “This Love” by Maroon 5, and “Sir Duke” by Stevie Wonder.

Arts & Entertainment 17

By Ditha Balaji Staff Writer

A blast from the past, West Wind Capitol 6 Drive-In, located just off of I-680 in San Jose at 3630 Hillcap Avenue, is a great place to watch new movies in a different atmosphere. They serve up a “double-feature” option where you pay roughly $7, or a $5 special on Tuesday, to watch two recently-released movies. Open every day rain or shine, the drive-in begins its movies around when the sun sets, and continues the shows till around 2 am. One of the only drive-ins left in the country, West Wind prides itself with the largest screens nationwide, which loom up to 65 feet in the air.

Upon entering the drive-in, you must navigate through what seems to be a maze of other cars and ditches, making the ride up to your screen a bit tumultuous. You might want to arrive early in order to get a spot close to the middle of the viewing area, as plenty of movie-goers bring large trucks and other massive vehicles. Flashlights are a must, especially if you wish to buy snacks, which are purchased across the drive-in in an arcadelike complex, due to the lack of lighting in the area. You could also save a bit of cash by bringing refreshments from home. Remem-

ber to leave the car with friends due to the somewhat unreliable area and the company present being somewhat mixed. Then you simply tune in to the radio station they provide, (which plays the sound for the movie), get cozy in your blanket, sit back and enjoy.

Although the drive to San Jose is quite lengthy, it is well worth it to watch two movies for the price of one in a regular theatre.

At first, sitting in your car to enjoy a movie seems fully pleasant, yet eventually your neck begins to hurt as you have to anchor your head to see the screen. Your views are often obstructed by other cars or the people in the front seat of your own car. Ultimately, the drive-in does not possess the same comfort that accompanies a traditional theatre. But nothing can surpass the comfort and charm that comes with snuggling up in a few warm blankets in the trunk of a car watching your favorite actors and actresses on the big screen.

Even though it may not be a regular alternative to traditional theatres, it is well-worth a couple visits, especially if you are aiming to save money. West Wind Capitol 6 DriveIn is an enjoyable time accompanied with unique memories and experiences that can only come from a visit to a drive-in. So strap yourself and a couple of friends in the car and drive over to enjoy a movie like the Flintstones did! ▪

openaircinema.us

18 Arts & Entertainment

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, March 2, 2012

‘Scars and Stories’ Slightly Frayed Not ‘Safe’ from boredom

By Vishal Bajpai Staff Writer

americansongwriter.com

By Jade Shi Staff Writer

On February 7, 2012, rock band The Fray released its third studio album, Scars and Stories. Comprised of the same piano ballads and soft rock that once entranced many old fans, Scars and Stories presents itself as a safe and likeable album for old Fray lovers, but won’t convert any non-lovers. Although stylistically it’s not an innovative album, Scars and Stories manages to tell interweaved tales of heartbreak, loss, and love through surprising lyrics that explore historical events and the human condition.

The first single, “Heartbeat”, released November 16, 2011, was written by lead singer Isaac Slade during his visit to Rwanda. A personal friend of the Rwandan president, Slade stated: “I’m sitting with one of the guys who was responsible for ending one of the worst genocides of our time…it’s like

I saw the whole song in my head, of this guy coming in and taking a country by the hand, like feeling for the pulse…You just feel this electricity, this buzz, coming back to this country that’s come back to life.” “Heartbeat” utilizes an upbeat tempo, strong guitar chords, and a sentimental piano-ballad melody to tell its story.

Another song, “Munich” was written for a particle collider in France and Switzerland, a test to define what creates gravity, and what it means for the world. The lyrics describe change of the most terrifying form, rattling accustomed standards of life. The song filters in soothing violin melodies, along with the usual piano, guitar, and drums.

“1961” was written about the Berlin Wall and the divide it created between what ought to have been one unified city. With a strong guitar track and accompaniment, the song effectively parallels the

A- ‘Different Kind of Truth’

vanhalen.com

By Vipin Dulam Staff Writer

Van Halen may be considered old by some hard rock fans, but with their newest album released February 7, the band proved that they definitely have not lost their genuine musical touch. Named A Different Kind of Truth, the band follows the hard rock and heavy metal musical styles typical of Van Halen. Despite being the band’s first album in fourteen years, A Different Kind of Truth was a great piece of musical work. The bassist Wolfgang Van Halen did an amazing job in many of the songs in this album, especially in “Tattoo” and “As Is.” His performance combined with lead vocalist David Lee Roth’s carried out exceptionally well.

A lot of the songs on the album started off with staccato and ended with thrilling guitar solos. Alex Van Halen’s drumming consisted of a wide variety of rhythms and maintained perfect consistency with the bass guitarist.

The song “Honeybabysweetiedoll” was one of the only songs in the album that leaned more toward heavy metal, with less vocals and more focus on bass. On the other end of the spectrum, the song “You and Your Blues” most represented hard rock in its musical style.

Many of the songs had a sudden shift from mellow, soft tunes to hard rock. Although this is a common characteristic of most Van Halen work, it didn’t work well in the song “Big River.” The abruptness of the change didn’t match the solo that came up right after it.

Overall, Van Halen lived up to its name. Apart from carrying out their legacy, the three Van Halen brothers performed very well with their lead vocalist David Lee Roth, and had perfect synchrony throughout this album.

Van Halen released a great album, and showed us that the words, “Once a great musician, always a great musician” are definitely true. ▪ Rating: A-

divide of the city and the loss of a brother, but ninety miles apart.

Each song in the album, though similar in musical quality, exhibits an underlying, deeper meaning than that which the lyrics seemingly present. However, these meanings are usually not evident without a larger background story, so the album appears slightly bland in its artistic liberties.

Every song, regardless of the background story behind it, presents a story of love and a relationship between people, about affection both lost and found. Emotions are passionate and heartfelt, and there is just enough variation in the style of the songs to provoke casual interest in the listener, but not quite enough to rid it of a formulaic feeling. Regardless, despite their similarities, the musical qualities of the songs of Scars and Stories are enjoyable and expressively enthralling. ▪ Rating: B+

Daniel Espinosa’s Safe House begins in South Africa with Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington) being put under arrest at a safe house, which is guarded by Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds). Frost is a rogue CIA agent who possesses a file of high importance to the CIA, and Weston’s job is to find the file, and deliver it to his superiors.

After a couple of water boarding scenes, a group of rebels attack the safe house. In the resulting confusion Weston commandeers a civilian vehicle and, with Frost in the trunk, evades the rebels in a high speed chase around Cape Town.

From that point on the movie quickly disintegrates into fastpaced fight, chase, and explosion scenes. Frost escapes from Weston’s custody and starts a wild goose chase around Cape Town.

Safe House struggles with a predictable, and awfully trite script, hard to follow action scenes, and feeble attempts to attract a more varied audience by awkwardly injecting scenes with Weston’s girlfriend.

a

Broken ‘Vow’

By Hannah Shih Staff Writer

Despite a star-studded cast, five directors, and beautiful sets, the much anticipated movie, The Vow, directed by Michael Sucsy, fell short of expectations.

The film begins with a glimpse into the married life of Paige (Rachel McAdams) and Leo (Channing Tatum). One snowy day, Paige removes her seatbelt at a red light on the way home from the movies to share a passionate kiss with Leo when a truck slams into their car. Due to her split second decision, she is propelled through the windshield and suffers extensive brain damage. When she awakes in the hospital after the accident, Leo is stunned to find she has forgotten

The script has obvious problems.

The movie follows many other fast paced secret agent films, admittedly these movies are usually good. But, when you watch a similar script played over and over with different characters for 20 years it gets dull fast. The Bourne trilogy, and many James Bond films are not only more creative than Safe House but also are better put together.

That brings us to our next issue, the action scenes are really hard to follow. You can’t always tell who’s punching whom, or when, or how.

But that’s part of the action movie experience. Safe House, however, takes confusion to the next level.

Awkward camera shifts and bad lighting makes it hard to tell if there is a fight going on at all.

Finally, Weston’s scenes where he calls his girlfriend, or meets her, are unnecessary and seem to be put in either to just take up time, or to add a lighter layer to the otherwise fast paced movie.

Washington and Reynolds give an incredible performance in Safe House, but the movie still falls flat due to its trite script, bad editing, and awkward scenes. ▪ Rating: C

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the last five years of her life, and in fact believes she is engaged to her ex-fiancé Jeremy. Leo fights off her long estranged parents to convince her to come back to their home, and try to remember their life in familiar surroundings. However, after a few days, Paige reverts back to the life of her memories. She is frustrated with the numerous discrepancies between her memories of a law school prep life and the freely artistic, chaotic life the stranger, who claimed to be her husband, alleged they led together.

The Vow had the potential to be a meaningful and tear-jerking tale, but the calculated emotionalism and predetermined happy ending to the story made its plot flat and predictable. Leo’s continuous preach-

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ing about the beauty of falling in love all over again was optimistic, and was one of the only touching aspects of the film. The majority of the film was focused on Paige’s battle to rediscover herself rather than on the romantic aspect of Paige and Leo finding their way back to each other. Though this is not necessarily a bad thing, this emphasis departs from the marketed Hallmark romance that viewers expected.

Laden with clichés and sentimental quotes, the film rings artificially at certain moments; despite the inspiration from a real life couple. The plot seems unoriginal and familiar even with the great amount of talent involved. McAdams and Tatum follow through on their script, but seem to make no connection with their roles, simply performing in a lackluster way. Despite the solid, emotional acting expected

by McAdams, the story does not come alive, and will be viewed more as a feel good film, forgotten before even exiting the theater rather than one that is worth remembering and mentioning. This movie is the epitome of the chick flick, and it is truly no coincidence that it opened on February 10, not long before Valentine’s Day. However, boys, save your money and take your dates to a different flick. Trust me, you will all thank me later. ▪ Rating: C+

Friday, March 2, 2012

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Arts & Entertainment 19

Restaurant Review: Loving Hut

By Alekya Rajanala & Angie Wang A&E Editor & Graphics Editor

Loving Hut, nestled in an Asian shopping center in Milpitas, boasts a unique spread of vegan dishes infused with Thai, Malaysian, and Chinese culinary influences. This small, informal restaurant uses organic, meatless ingredients, none of which are derived from animal products. Loving Hut serves as a great place for date night, an outing with friends, or family dinner. The Smoke Signal’s editorial board decided to make a trip out to Loving Hut to ‘dip their toes’ into the vegan syle of life.

photos by graphics editors angie wang & kevin zhai

Ambiance: Loving Hut’s brightly painted walls and subtle decor functioned to create a pleasant overall atmosphere. The restaurant was welllit and decorated, but the to-go counter at the front of the restaurant definitely took away from the overall formality of the restaurant.

In addition, the room was cluttered with tables and did not provide the privacy the name “Loving Hut” suggests. In an attempt to encourage vegetarianism, several wall hangings proudly displayed photographs of famous vegetarians, including Demi Moore, Ellen DeGeneres, and Albert Einstein. Though well-decorated, Loving Hut’s furnishings were not especially notable.

Rating:

Service: We found that the staff was generally helpful and easy to communicate with. Considering we had a large party (of thirteen), the fact that the waiters were open to our every request was all the more impressive. Since we had made a reservation, we were told that our table was ready the moment we arrived.

However, we did notice that even guests who had not called ahead of time were escorted to their tables almost immediately. One of the waitresses was particularly on top of things; as soon as one of us drained our glasses, she appeared at our table with a pitcher right away. The speed of service was certainly commendable, with dishes arriving without delay.

Rating:

Re-Released Movies

By Jason Chen Staff Writer

blogspot.com, fortunecity.com, lionking.org

With the invention of 3D technology as well as improvements in picture and sound quality, the box office has recently experienced a spike in the number of re-released movies. Let’s take a look at some of the industry’s most successful films that are being re-released today.

The Lion King 3D The Lion King became an instant hit when it first hit theatres in 1994 thanks to its poignant storyline about Simba’s desire to save his home. As of 2011, the film earned $952 million, which ranks number one of all time in gross income for a 2D animated film.

Looking to revive interest in the film, Disney re-released the film on September 16, 2011 in 3D. Immediately, the film began seeing success, ranked number one at the box office for two weeks in a row. By the end of the film’s run in January 2012, it generated $94.2 million, which ranks it as one of the most successful re-releases in history. The film’s success served as a catalyst for Disney’s plan to re-release other classics like Finding Nemo and The Little Mermaid starting in 2012.

Titanic 3D The second highest grossing film of alltime, Titanic was released to modest expectations in 1997. At first, the film looked like a huge bust as it initially generated little interest while filming cost an unprecedented $200

million. However, the film gradually took off and by March 1998, Titanic shattered the one billion dollar mark in earnings. The film’s success is attributed to the love story between Jack Dawson (Leonardo Di Caprio) and Rose DeWitt Bukater (Kate Winslet) that moved the emotions of millions of fans worldwide.

Hoping to recreate the film’s previous success, Paramount Pictures plans to re-release Titanic in 3D on April 6, 2012.

Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace 3D Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace wasn’t released until 1999 and was the fourth Star Wars film. However, the anticipation for the film led to huge sales at the box office. As of 2011, the film has earned $924 million worldwide, making it the highest earning Star Wars film ever. The film follows Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) and his apprentice ObiWan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) as they try to protect Queen Amidala while she tries to find a peaceful end to a large-scale interplanetary trade dispute. Fans got to re-experience the wonder at theatres again with the re-release of the film in 3D on February 10.

The film industry’s decision to go hightech will definitely benefit moviegoers everywhere. Better sound and graphics effects combined with 3D technology provide a drastically different theatre experience compared to ten years ago. Re-releasing also grants film producers the opportunity of fine-tuning the movie for better flow. For example, newly implemented characters in Star Wars I: The Phantom Menace greatly improved the audience’s comprehension of the plot.

Therefore, fans get to re-enjoy these classics in a new light. Likewise, since many of these films came out more than a decade ago, rereleasing gives the new generation a renewed opportunity of watching the film for the first time at the theatre. Re-releasing movies is a win-win for everyone: producers get extra income while the fans get treated to a different experience of the film. ▪

Food: We hurriedly ordered by handing the waitress a list of dishes we’d chosen from their comprehensive menu. The staff was able to decipher our notes and serve us the food in an appropriate order. Our favorites include Golden Era, soy protein chunks, pan fried with garlic; Spicy Cha Cha, yam flour crescents seasoned with spices; Kung Pao Tofu; and Pad Thai. The Golden Era was especially tasty, with palatable spice that was zesty yet not overwhelming. The Pad Thai was also notable for its unique balance and blend of flavors that allowed each ingredient to contribute to the dish. However, dishes such as Happy Crispy Rice lacked the zing needed to deem it tastier than ordinary rice. Though obviously the food contained no meat, we constantly referred to dishes as “mock-chicken” and the like because of the dishes’ tendency to closely resemble meat in taste and texture.

For dessert, we ordered three dishes of cherry chocolate-chip Deep Fried Ice Cream to split among the thirteen of us. Neither the dish’s aesthetics nor its size was lacking.

Served with slices of apple, orange, and carrot, as well as a sizable amount of chocolate syrup, the Deep Fried Ice Cream certainly

made a lasting impression on our party as a whole.

Rating: Pricing: Loving Hut’s pricing is on the high end, but generally not without good reason.

Though $7.95 is a bit pricey for a serving of ice cream, the Deep Fried Ice Cream easily served four. The Ocean Basket, at $12.95, seemed a bit overpriced, considering that no real seafood was actually used. The Kung Pao Tofu ($10.95) came on a sizable platter, but the dish was mostly filled with other vegetables rather than the tofu we had ordered; The Golden Era, also $10.95, came with more lettuce than tofu chunks.

Rating: Loving Hut was definitely pricey, but the food was flavorful and would appeal even to ardent meat-lovers. We found that we got what we paid for, and those of us who tried vegan food for the first time left with lasting impressions. For more information, visit www.vegetarianhouse.us/lovinghut.us. ▪ Rating:

20 Sports

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Coaches’ Corner: Baseball

By Brandon Fuhs Staff Writer

Coach Steven Griggs is in his second year as the Varsity head coach of the baseball team at MSJ. In his first year, he led the team to a 15-9 record, coaching the team to their first NCS appearance in 19 years. This is Griggs’ 18th year of coaching, as he tries to take a team to NCS for the 16th time in his coaching career. He was named coach of the week last year by Cal-Hi Sports after MSJ beat NCS champions James Logan High School 1-0. As a reward, he and the entire varsity team went to an Oakland A’s game and a $500 donation was made out to the baseball program.

Smoke Signal: When and why did you start playing baseball?

Steven Griggs: I started when I was five years old when I first came to the US from Japan. My father signed me up in anything that I stood a chance at, which in my case, was baseball. I sucked at everything else....

SS: Where have you played?

SG: I played in South Bronx Little League along with playing ball for the local Eagles Aerie club. This continued until I was 12 and then I played Little League still, but switched to American League travel ball.

I continued on to high school ball for four years then on to the Naval Academy for four years. I have played in the Tri-City men’s league, the Peninsula Mexican league and the South Bay Men’s league since getting out of the Navy, I’ve played for 18 and up, 27 and up, and 35 and up teams.

SS: What positions did you play?

SG: I was a second baseman for the early days. I shifted to pitcher and catcher until my sophomore year in high school when I had a shoulder injury. I was then and am still a catcher.

SS: Where have you previously coached?

SG: I have coached in numerous schools and baseball programs from Little Leagues, Babe Ruth, American Legion, and high schools. I have coached at San Lorenzo (twice), San Leandro, Arroyo (twice), Oakland Military Institution, Las Lomas, St Ignatius, San Francisco Waldorf, and now at MSJ. SS: What are your coaching achievements?

SG: Over the years I have had seven players drafted by major league teams, another eight got partial or full scholarships to college, and in my best year had 14 out of 14 senior players go onto college with 7 making college baseball programs.

SS: Why did you come to MSJ? SG: I came to MSJ to take a Division 1 program that was probably in the lowest condition it could be and challenge the players, parents, program, school, and community into turning it back into a leading area baseball program.

SS: How do you plan to continue your success at MSJ? SG: The way I coach and manage the program will hopefully develop it into a mature working community baseball program.

I always like to reiterate that it’s not me that’s making NCS. The players are the ones that put in the hard work, I’m just along for the ride. ▪

The Smoke Signal

All You Need to Know: Track and Field

By Avery Kruger Staff Writer

MSJ’s Track and Field attracts a wide variety of athletes. From jumps to sprints to long distance, many people are often confused by the different events, so the Smoke Signal featured an event-to-event spotlight of a typical meet.

Sprints/Long Distance: 100m: A sprint along the straight side of the track which requires speed and strength.

Due to the miniscule differences in finishing times, athletes must lean across the finish line to ensure their win.

staff writer brandon fuhs

performance, and a dropped baton may lead to disqualification.

Hurdles: 110m hurdles: Runners must hurdle over 10 high hurdles in this sprint. Good form and speed are necessary to perform well.

300m hurdles: The 10 hurdles in this race are lower and spaced farther apart than in the 110m, but technique is still an important factor.

Many runners must count their steps as they run to ensure they can hurdle with the correct leg when they get to the hurdle.

200m: This sprint starts on the curve of the track and finishes at the end of the next straight. Very similar in terms of technique to the 100m.

Jumps: Long Jump: Jumpers sprint down a runway and make a single leap into a sand pit. As with all other jumps, athletes must take measured strides so they can jump from the correct point.

400m: One lap around the track. Basically an extended sprint, runners must avoid “hitting the wall”, or running out of energy with about 100m left.

Triple Jump: Similar to the long jump, but athletes take a hop, a skip and then a leap into the pit. The jumps start farther back on the runway so the athlete can land in the pit.

800m: Two laps around the track. Requires more endurance than sprints, but still requires speed. Tactics play a role in the race, and runners are likely to draft off of leaders and then beat them in the final sprint.

High Jump: Athletes jump over consecutively higher bars into a pit. Making use of techniques like the Fosbury Flop and the Western Roll, jumpers must practice perfect form; even a slightly misplaced leg could hit the bar and disqualify the jump.

1600m: Four laps around the track, and almost exactly a mile. The 1600m is often a tactical affair; the win often depends on the strengths of runners’ finishing kicks, or final sprints.

3200m: Twice as long as the 1600m, it is an endurance race. Staying with the front pack of runners is important, as even a small gap can make catching up difficult both mentally and physically.

Steven Griggs plans to develop the team for future years.

Friday March 2, 2012

Relays: The 4x100 and 4x400 are the most common relays. Athletes hand off a baton to the next runner after completing their section, or leg, of the race. The hand-off is crucial to

Throws and Pole Vault: Discus: Throwers throw a metal disk, or discus, as far as possible. By executing a spin, throwers can launch the discus far, but the technique requires a lot of balance and rhythm.

Shot Put: Throwers throw a heavy metal ball, or shot, as far as possible. Using a technique similar to that of the discus, throwers can build rotational speed and torque to throw farther.

Pole Vault: Vaulters aim to get over a bar like in the high jump, but use a fiberglass pole to boost them into the air. Pole vaulters must have strength, speed, and balance to perform well. ▪

Friday, March 2,2012

The Smoke Signal

By Sanjna Shukla and Omar El-Sadany Sports Editors

Lincorrect I was a cynic, a non-be-Lin-ever. When Facebook informed that 32 friends posted about Jeremy Lin, I smirked to myself at their naiveté. As #Linsanity dominated Twitter, I pitied all my colleagues who were jumping on a bandwagon that I was sure would implode as quickly and abruptly as it developed. Surely one good cameo off the bench against the 8-17 New Jersey Nets did not transcend one into the level of superstardom.

But then came Lin’s first career start.

28 points, 8 assists. And then his second.

23 points, 10 assists. While still supremely confident that this was just a flash in a pan, I thought, at least it’ll make a good story.

And what a story has it been. Raised in the Bay Area, Lin, a Taiwanese-American citizen, eventually captained local Palo Alto High School to the Division II State Championships his senior year. Despite being named first-team All-State and Northern California Division II Player of the Year, the scholarship offers didn’t come.

His dream school, Stanford University, just across the street from his high school couldn’t guarantee him a spot on the team.

Eventually he settled on Harvard, a school that had graduated more Presidents of the US than it has NBA players. Despite massive success at Harvard, Lin remained

gamer-stack.com

Jeremy Lin’s story has astounded and inspired the masses, basketball and non-basketball fans alike.

undrafted in the 2010 NBA draft, with the Golden State Warriors claiming him off the waivers in a move that many cited as a publicity stunt to attract the team’s huge Bay Area Asian-American following, rather than an actual testament to Lin’s basketball ability. And, to an extent, that proved true. Despite receiving among the loudest of cheers during the player introductions, Lin played sparingly, spending time in the D-League, and only featuring for the Warriors in garbage time; his career-high 13 point performance came on the last day of the season in a meaningless blowout of the Portland Trail Blazers. And with the Warriors attempting to clear out cap space before the start of the 2011-12 season, Lin was released. Eventually signed by the Rockets, Lin lasted 12 days before being cut the day before the season started.

Stem Cell Therapy in Sports

By Supriya Yelimeli Staff Writer

Stem cell therapy is a medical procedure that involves introducing new cells into damaged tissue in order to treat disease or injury.

This new method takes embryonic tissue from umbilical blood by positions it in the wounded areas. Although currently doctors are only using the therapy for speeding up the healing response, they will soon be able to heal stress fractures and muscle strains. This new form of medicine is allowing star athletes to extend their careers by years, but there are inherent risks to the operation and its success can be a gamble compared to more well known procedures.

Colts’ Quarterback Peyton Manning recently traveled to Europe to receive stem cell therapy, as it is not yet approved in the U.S. While the NFL does not prohibit stem cell therapy - “unless a banned substance is used as part of the procedure,” said an NFL spokesman - it is still very much a developing science and could produce harmful aftereffects.

Besides the issue of safety, the treatment is controversial because it begins to cross the line between healing injuries and enhancing performance. With the introduction of regenerative therapy, every athlete will be in line for the treatment. Along with Peyton Manning, Yankees pitcher Bartolo Colon underwent surgery last year that involved using stem cells to help regenerate tissue in his shoulder and elbow. Colon is now on pace for one of the best seasons he’s had in years, which raises questions about the effects of the surgery.

nysports.com

Bartolo Colon’s career has been revived with stem-cell therapy.

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In came the New York Knicks, and despite injuries to both Baron Davis and Iman Shumpert, Lin failed to see much of the court, only featuring for 55 minutes in the Knicks first 23 games; he was again sent down to the D-League- it seemed as if the previous season’s trend would continue, with the second-year player failing to make much of an impact in the league. But with the Knicks struggling and Lin facing the threat of being cut for the third time in a matter of months, Coach Mike D’Antoni gave Lin his chance against the Nets, and he took it with 25 points and 7 assists off the bench to give the team the spark they were looking for, potentially saving his job Still, I was not satisfied. Countless scouts had seen him play. Both the Warriors and the Rockets had had plenty of time to observe him. Even the Knicks were skeptical, only playing him as a wildcard, a lastditch attempt. There was a reason this man was crashing on teammate Landry Fields’ couch. Simply put, non-conference players did not succeed in the NBA. Lin’s recent Ivy League-NBA predecessors are Jerome Allen and Chris Dudley. I didn’t know who they were either.

And then came the 38 point performance against the Los Angeles Lakers on National television, with Lin singlehandedly bringing Madison Square Garden, the Mecca of professional basketball back to life, with the crowd chanting “MVP” every time he stepped to the foul line. He succeeded that with the game winning three

sports.popcrunch.com

Although it can’t be proved that the surgery gives a gained advantage, the treatment seems in line with the use of steroids and other performance enhancers. Organizations such as the NFL and MLB have also begun investigations on the use of Human Growth Hormone (HGH) in the therapy.

The sports industry benefits greatly from the quick healing opportunity presented by stem cell therapy, but the ethics of the procedures come into question when considering that this form of medicine is still very new. Many of the patients are used as guinea pigs for a developing science- one that may involve the use of performance enhancers.

Because the treatment is the latest and greatest, people have not subjected it to the same scrutiny given to other sports medicines. Stem cell therapy has definitely proven itself effective, but it must be examined and thoroughly researched by the coaches and organizations that allow their athletes to carry out with the process. While the use of steroids is wrong, athletes have gotten used to this process, and with this new, shrouded treatment, a loophole has appeared in their favor. With new medicine and technology come new ways to work around the system and proper measures should be taken to ensure the integrity and safety of our athletes. ▪

pointer with 0.5 seconds on the clock against the Toronto Raptors. That was followed with a career high 14 assists against the Dallas Mavericks. And before I knew it, I found myself drawn in to the mania I had openly criticized only days before.

It’s easy to like Lin, the consummate underdog: a local Asian American kid who unconventionally sought out his dream.

Throughout his meteoric rise, Lin has remained grounded and humble, an attribute his teammates and coaches constantly attest too. He even rejected an appearance on the Late Night Show with David Letterman, preferring to keep a low and modest profile.

Unfortunately, many have tried downplaying Lin’s success due to the novelty of his race in professional basketball. While Floyd Mayweather and others may discredit Lin’s accomplishments, the numbers speak for themselves. 20 points and seven assists are outstanding statistics, regardless of race.

Jeremy Lin still has a lot of work to do to consistently succeed in the league. A closer look reveals that his turnovers and shot selection need improvement. Additionally many concerns have been raised on Lin’s ability to succeed with Carmelo Anthony or Amar’e Stoudemire as the focal point in the offense. But for now, I’m content to hop on the bandwagon and appreciate the ride wherever this young man’s career goes.

I was wrong about Jeremy Lin once. You can bet that won’t happen again. ▪

NBA Beasts and Busts

By Jonathon Teng Staff Writer

Aside from today’s sports headlines, who are the players making a name for themselves or those who have been forgotten? Here are a few players to pass up and a few to take note of.

Peyton Manning has been a beneficiary of stem cell therapy.

Sports 21

Busts Jimmer Fredette Gaining national fame during his college basketball years at Brigham Young University, Fredette averaged nearly 28.9 ppg and 4.3 apg during his senior year. However, he has done nothing to live up to the high expectations as the former best player in college. Selected as the 10th pick in last year’s NBA draft to the Sacramento Kings, Fredette has been shooting a 33 percent overall from the field. Currently, Fredette has not proven his doubters wrong upon entering the NBA, and is not doing anything to change their beliefs.

Greg Oden Considered as one of the biggest busts in NBA history, especially since he was picked over Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant in the 2007 NBA Draft, Greg Oden has yet to step on the court this season. Oden has unluckily experienced three “season-ending” injuries, but the Portland Trail Blazers have still bound him with a contract, hoping that he would play this year. However, Oden has experienced another setback in his rehabilitation and his hopes of playing are simply further placing doubt in Trail Blazers fans’ hearts.

Kwame Brown When Kwame Brown was chosen as first pickin the 2001 NBA Draft by the Washington Wizards, hopes were high. Contrary to his high prestige at that time, Brown has been a waste of money to all the teams he’s encountered. Also, Brown is infamous for being one of the few players to have ever been booed by his own home court fans. Unfortunately, Brown now plays for our Golden State Warriors, but is injured and out for three months.

Beasts LaMarcus Aldridge One of the most underrated players on one of the most unnoticed teams in the NBA is forward LaMarcus Aldridge. Averaging nearly 23.8 ppg and 8.6 rpg, Aldridge has an array of skills in his arsenal. His soft touch allows him to act as a threat on the perimeter and his 6’11’’ stature allows him to dominate down in the block. His selection for the 2012 NBA AllStar Reserve Team is well deserved and his stellar performance has allowed the Blazers to be strong contenders for the playoffs.

Kevin Love Love is by far the most multi-talented big man in the league. His amazing prowess from the three-point line and formidable strength in the post makes him a nightmare for any team to guard. Also, Love’s defensive stats, 13.7 rpg average (second highest in the league) paired with his 25.0 ppg average (fourth highest in the league), simply reinforce his dominance in the game. His high basketball IQ and passion for the game have allowed the Minnesota Timberwolves to achieve a 13-15 record.

Blake Griffin Ever since veteran Point Guard Chris Paul was traded to the L.A. Clippers, Blake Griffin’s legend as one of the greatest dunkers in NBA history has grown. His unbelievable athletic abilities have allowed him to punish any defenders in the paint and also perform a dunk-contest show every game he completes in. Griffin’s 21.6 ppg and 11.20 rpg average statistics has significantly contributed to the Clippers and they have suddenly grown into an NBA Finals contender. Griffin continues to dazzle fans with his superhero leaps and hulking talent that make him to be nothing short of what one would call, a beast. ▪

silverscreenandroll.com

Greg Oden’s injuries have derailed a promising career.

22 Sports

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The Smoke Signal

Friday March 2, 2012

By Connor Williams Staff Writer

The trainers are designed to provide comfort and support for the runner to allow them to practice. They end up sacrificing weight for protection against running injury. Trainers are the most common among those. They do have the virtue of a light weight design making them similar to flats.

Madison

100 m

Avery 14.93 sec

400 m

75.13 sec

87.13 sec

14.74 sec

You probably have been hearing a lot lately about a revolution occurring in running. People have stopped wearing shoes, on purpose, to help their running. The idea behind this is that shoes do not allow or feet to land as they would naturally with no shoe, so wearing no shoes works with the body’s natural biomechanical shock absorbing system.

To ease the transition into barefoot running shoe companies have developed a new kind of running shoe. Instead of going with a classical cushioned sole with a raised heel, these new shoes try to mimic how the foot falls without a shoe on. Some examples are the Vibram Five Fingers, the Nike Free Runs, or the New Balance Minimus.

Although barefoot-style shoes are the latest trend, we decided to stick to three traditional types of running shoes.To test to see if all these varieties are up to snuff we have done a side by side comparison of classical trainers to racing flats, as well as spikes.

We tested out these shoes by having Seniors Madison Hirsch and Avery Kruger run 100 meters and 400 meters and then comparing their times.

The spikes take to minimal style of flats and add the advantage of traction. The spikes are designed for track races on a rubber track, as opposed to the “all terrain” treads on flats.They are also used for shorter distances than flats are used for, specifically sprint events. These shoes literally have spikes to allow for a great grip on the rubber surface of the track.

Madison

100 m

Avery 11.65 sec

400 m

65.37 sec

70.24 sec

The flats drastically reduce weight. These are used for Cross Country races, usually at least 3 miles in distance over pavement, grass, gravel, or dirt. The weight of the shoecan cut time off of these races, at the price of stability and support. This means that it is a lot easier to roll your ankle or have your arches collapse. While the time is reduced, the risk increases.

Avery 100 m

15.64 sec

Madison 14.54 sec

400 m

68.64 sec

83.74 sec

After comparing Avery and Madison’s times with the different styles of shoes, we conclude that traditional spikes are the most suited for track and field purposes. Although flats are designed to be more lightweight and easier to run with, when it came to long distance they fell a little too flat.

The difference between the trainers and flats were indistuingishable when it came to 100 meters, but the trainers had the slowest times for the 400 meters. Overall, the spikes provided the fastest times for both short and long distance. ▪

14.42 sec

photos by staff writer connor williams

By Kenny Jacoby and Avery Kruger Staff Writers

MSJ Athletics has been a powerhouse in MVAL since its beginnings, winning 15 AllSports trophies since 1964. From 1974 to 1982, MSJ captured eight straight All-Sports trophies, during which time the football, basketball, track and field, swimming, tennis, baseball, and cross-country teams all won numerous MVAL championships. We all know about the recent success stories of MSJ’s tennis, swimming, and water polo teams, but to most of us, many of the names across the gym quad and banners inside the gym remain a mystery to us.

and David Rodriguez, who later became an AllAmerican in cross country, got second in the 3200. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, many other MSJ athletes performed strongly, including pole vault school record-holder and current MSJ pole vaulting coach Sean Jones, school record-holding jumper Mike Johnson, and hurdler Eric Allen. The school performed so well at higher levels because of its mix of talented and dedicated athletes, according to former track coach Jack Marden.

Football:

Track:

In the 1997 and 1998 school years, MSJ’s track team was at high tide. The team finished 2nd and 3rd place at the CIF state championships in each year respectively. The team did especially well due to its strength in all three categories of track and field, running, jumping and throwing. In the 1997 season, the team performed particularly well at the state meet. Jon Stevens, who went on to win both the 800m and 1600m races the next year, won the 1600m race while Drew Ostler placed second in the 800m

football team was ranked ninth in the state’s 3-A rankings, but did not go on to win NCS. Nevertheless, the team had an impressive 9-0-1 record through the regular season.

Baseball:

MSJ Baseball had some of its glory days at the same time that the football team was having huge success. Johnny Abrego, who was an essential player on the 1980 football team, was a true multi-sport athlete. Not only did Abrego win the Kenco Company Award for his accomplishments in football, but he also became the 20th pick in the first round of the 1981 MLB annual draft, selected by the Philadelphia Phillies. After a brief MLB career, Abrego retired from professional baseball, but has recently coached teams at Niles-Centerville Little League in Fremont.

Four players from the 1986 football team played on the same baseball team that won NCS the spring before, including backup quarterback/ defensive back and relief pitcher Rick Volpatti.

Volpatti was recently a baseball coach at Mission San Jose Little League based at John Gomes Elementary School.

Wrestling:

Wrestling:

In 1992, Keith Richards was selected to the All-American High School Dream Team for wrestling by USA Magazine. 1992 was Richards’ senior year at MSJ, and in that year he amassed a 49-1 record. He also set the MSJ single-season record that year for most pins, with 35, and least times taken down, with four—both are records that still stand today. Over his four years at MSJ, Richards had a 170-3 individual record.

Mark Trice, another legendary MSJ wrestler, was named All-American in the 1987-88 school year. Trice was also a star of the 1986 football team, but most of his individual accomplishments came in wrestling. He was elected to the California High School Hall of Fame for his wrestling achievements in the CIF State Championships in the 1986 Junior Freestyle and the 1988 Junior Greco-Roman. Trice was a fourtime MVAL champion, three-time NCS medalist, and three-time state medalist. He finished with a 42-1 record in 1988, and with a career record of 164-11. Trice went on to coach various teams. Trice still holds the MSJ record for career takedowns, among others.

Sports success has been a tradition at MSJ for more than four decades, and continues to be one today. MSJ has won two All-Sports trophies in the last three years, and has a very bright future in athletics. With multiple MVAL championships having already come this year, MSJ looks to add yet another All-Sports trophy to its collection. ▪

sfgate.com

Gary Plummer, an MSJ alumnus, went on to win a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers.

David Rogriguez was an All-American in cross country.

iwacc.org

From 1973 to 1986 MSJ Football won seven MVAL championships. In 1977, MSJ became the first team in MVAL history to move on and place first in NCS in the 3-A division, the largest classification at the time. This legendary team was led by linebacker Gary Plummer, who went on to play for and win a Super Bowl with the San Francisco 49ers. In 1980, MSJ football placed second in NCS, led by linebacker Joe Krakoski. Krakoski went on to be drafted into the NFL by the Houston Oilers. In 1986, the

bleacherreport.com

Johnny Abrego graduated to enjoy a brief MLB career with the Philadelphia Phillies and Chicago Cubs. thestarnews.com

Mark Trice now coaches at high schools throughout California.

Friday March 2, 2012

The Smoke Signal

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Sports 23

24 Photo

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, March 2, 2012

photos by staff writers grace wu, sheery xiao, hannah shih, and tanya raja and graphics editor angie wang