VOL. XLVI, NO. 3
MVALs gone By Elisa Ting Editor-in-Chief
Christensen, Outstanding Arts Educator By Rebecca Dutta and Sida Lu Staff Writers
During the last five years, athletic directors of the Mission Valley Athletic League (MVAL) have been contemplating the need for the Shaughnessy playoffs at the end of the season. Last spring, the athletic directors and principals of MVAL high schools decided to cancel the playoffs for every team sport but still keep the playoffs for individual sports. Teams vary in opinion about the importance of Shaughnessy as some teams will be greatly affected in seeding for the North Coast Section (NCS) games, while other sports will see minimal affects to their season. In the past, Shaughnessy playoffs were hosted at the high school with the best season record. The format consisted of the number one team
See MVALS, SPORTS Page 15
‘White Christmas’ for MSJ
NOVEMBER 19, 2010
MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL
staff writer leland bernstein
Art Teacher Edie Christensen addresses the class.
MSJ’s Visual and Performing Arts Department Chair Edie Christensen was recently awarded recognition as the 2010 Outstanding Secondary Visual Art Educator. This award, sponsored by California Art Education Association (CAEA) is a state level award that had a variety of contestants from museum curators to all levels of school educators in California. A major accomplishment, Christensen’s recognition brings her one step closer to her goal of encouraging students to explore their visions through the fine arts. Christensen has been teaching Art for 18 years, 15 of which have been spent developing the Art curriculum at MSJ. When she first arrived at MSJ, the art program was strictly limited to just Art I. After feeling that the students at MSJ needed more exposure to the humanities and more opportunity to imagine, visualize, and construct, Christensen decided to create the AP Art program as well as Art II , Art III , and Art IV classes. The selection process was a long one, as Christensen was first nominated by the president of the CAEA and then asked to submit her resume and all pertinent examples of her work. Christensen decided to display her students’ work and sent in pictures of the murals her students have painted around MSJ, art submitted to Phoenix magazine, and the mural her students painted for Kaiser Permanente Hospital as part of a service learning project. Christensen credits her students for helping her win this award, saying, “None
By Mary Lan Staff Writer The classic holiday song “White Christmas” by Irving Berlin inspired a movie, and then a play adaptation that will be performed in MSJ’s Little Theater in December. So what is the story behind such a timeless song? Set after World War II, the story introduces Bob Wallace (Karthik Ramen) and Phil Davis ( Jonathan Barouch), army buddies who have become a very successful song and dance duo. They scout for a sister act, and find Betty Haynes (Amy Mendoca) and Judy (Lizzie Bode). Judy and Phil both notice the romantic tension between the socially reserved Bob and Betty, so they attempt to play matchmaker with a plan to meet at the girls’ next performance in Vermont. Instead of boarding separate trains and going on separate paths, Phil tricks Bob into
See WHITE XMAS, A&E Page 13
‘Man on Moon II’ defies gravity By Maya Ramachandran Staff Writer Kid Cudi burst onto the music scene with Billboard hit “Day ‘N’ Nite”. His music, part rap, part R&B, was praised as revolutionary due to its inability to be classified. Cudi continues his “Man on the Moon” series with his second studio album, Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager, and it doesn’t disappoint. Cudi begins this personal album with “Scott Mescudi vs. The World,” featuring Cee-Lo Green of Gnarls Barkley fame. The title foreshadows the contents of the album, a 17-song dedication to the angels and demons of Cudi’s reality. The title song is immediately followed up with a description of
See KID CUDI, A&E Page 11
staff writer leland bernstein
From left to right: Junior Charlotte Miller listens to Christensen critique her painting; Junior Karmay Hung listens to Christensen lecture; student work lines classroom walls.
of this would be possible without [my students]; they are the ones that make life easier for me with their talent.” Many of her students win competitions every year, such as the Coca Cola Contest, which resulted in a new computer for the Art department. Besides guiding her students to victory in art competitions, Christensen is also very active in the art community. She wrote the syllabus for AP Studio Art and AP Design, chaired events such as the Teacher as Artist exhibition and the Annual District Art Exhibit, and featured her own art nationally at the Tica Chicago Art Institute Group Show in Chicago, Illinois. Christensen will receive this distinguished award at the Awards Breakfast at the CAEA Conference on Nov. 21, 2010, where she plans to give a speech about supporting the arts. She has also been invited to compete at Regionals at a conference in March and at Nationals later on in the year and received over $1000 in stipends to cover her costs for attending these events. “You take art with you,” said Christensen about her desire to raise art awareness. “You will always have it for the rest of your life; it is self-expressive and I hope more people will realize that.” ▪
MSJ alumna honors Brucker By Mekala Neelakantan Staff Writer On Nov. 10, 2010, MSJ Math Department Chairman and Teacher Charlie Brucker received a certificate from the Teacher Tribute Initiative (TTI), an organization sponsored by Stanford University. The TTI gives all incoming Stanford freshmen a chance to recognize any former teacher or mentor who guided him or her intellectually, academically, socially, and personally. Brucker was nominated by Catherine Lu, MSJ alumna Class of 2010, to receive this prestigious honor for his contributions to her student life. Like many students at
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Math Teacher Charlie Brucker listens attentively to a student’s question during his lecture.
MSJ, Lu felt that Brucker always had a smile on his face and never failed to keep his door open for students with questions and concerns. Brucker himself was not quite sure of the description of the award, as he did not hear the announcement made by Principal Sandra Prairie. Nevertheless, when asked about his thoughts on receiving such an award, he said “That’s what it’s all about. The teachers at Mission are so lucky to have Mission students…and, my door is always open. I just want to get the students into the colleges of their dreams.” ▪
December 12 November 22-26 December 3-18 December 8 • Thanksgiving Break • Fall Musical in •Chorale Winter •Family Game Night, 7 NO SCHOOL the Little Theatre Concert in C-120 pm in the FUSD boardroom
2 News
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News in Brief Rap doesn’t rule Police in Tehran have arrested several members of underground rap groups. The police raided vacant homes that several young boys and girls had been using to record and videotape illegal rap music for different websites and satellite networks. In Iran, rap and rock music are seen as un-Islamic. Police Chief Hussain Sajedinia has accused Iran’s underground rap scene of spreading profanity and poisoning young minds. At this time it is unknown how many rappers were arrested or what they were charged with.
The Smoke Signal
Genocide week brings understanding By Alekya Rajanala Staff Writer During this past week, MSJ’s Ethnic Race Relations Committee (ERRC) organization and the Students Taking Action Against Darfur (STAND) club joined forces to host the second annual Genocide Awareness Week. This event raises awareness of genocide around the world and encourages students to protest the violence. Last year, ERRC spotlighted both past and present genocides, covering most of the major mass killings in world history. However, this year ERRC and STAND focused their attention on current genocides, including Darfur, Burma, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Somalia. Together, the
groups are trying to increase support for the anti-genocide cause and plan to send a petition to the Fremont City Council backing an anti-genocide measure. The activities during Genocide Awareness Week included a Hand Wall (a poster in which students could add their handprints and signatures), posters explaining major genocides, and a Die-In. STAND President Junior Charlotte Miller said, “The Die-In is an activity in which participants lie on the ground and hold posters to raise awareness and symbolize those taken by genocides.” By educating students about the atrocities being committed around the world, ERRC and STAND hope to inspire the MSJ community to take a stand against genocide. ▪
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Erfan is an Iranian-born rapper who has written songs about the difficulties of growing up in Iran. He moved to the US at age 16.
Google reaches for the sky Google is already global, but it is now broadening its reach to outer space. Although the company isn’t heading out to the moon and stars, it is entering the troposphere by providing free, in-flight internet service to select commercial airlines. Virgin America, Delta, and AirTran will all offer their domestic passengers the luxury of browsing the web from 30,000 feet in the air. Google’s offer runs from Nov. 20, 2010 to Jan. 2, 2011.
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Posters line the walls of the bell tower quad to promote awareness of past and present genocides worldwide.
Fremont’s Got Talent 2010 Youth Showcase By Edward Nguyen Staff Writer The Fremont’s Got Talent Showcase is an annual fall event. The youth showcase, led by the Fremont Youth Advisory Commission, gives teens in Fremont and surrounding communities the opportunity to perform live on stage, win prizes, and receive offers to perform at other city events throughout the year. The 2010 Fremont’s Got Talent main event will be today, November 19 at the Fremont Teen Center. This year, past participants, like Junior Priya Vijaykumar, will guest judge the talent show. In past years, this youth showcase has been graced by bizarre and fabulous acts. One notable performer and winner of the Teen Talent Showcase was Miss Alameda County 2009 winner, Katie O’Brien, who performed a song she composed. Many different dance groups have performed at the showcase in past years. Last year, two cultural Indian dance groups performed at the event. In addition to those acts, martial arts, Michael Jackson spoofs, and ballet were also crowd favorites. Last year, new rules allowed younger kids to participate in a formerly teen-only talent show.
By Nihar Parikh Staff Writer Three months ago, 33 miners went to work on a normal Thursday afternoon underneath the Atacama Desert in Chile. On October 13, they emerged from under the earth as national heroes and international celebrities.
have made direct appeals to the media. “I personally want to ask you to have a lot of patience with us, to have a lot of delicacy, if I can put it that way, because the truth is… we’re facing a new life,” he said. “And although you might not believe it, it’s very difficult for us,” he continued, breaking down in tears.
from revealing the most intimate details about the disagreements. They also have hired an accountant to ensure that they share the spoils of their celebrity status equally. However, not all the impacts of the miners’ new lives are purely negative. Upon climbing out of their rescue capsule, they immediately received personalized Oakley
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“Los 33,” as the rescued miners have been dubbed, emerged from their rescue capsule to a life filled with hoards of publicity and media attention. They were mobbed by reporters, authors, film makers, all desperate for more information to bring back to their respective organizations around the world. Most of the miners are dealing with the pressure quite well, but some, such as Mario Sepulveda,
One way the miners are dealing with their newfound fame is by sticking together. While underground, the group created a “pact of silence,” deciding to withhold certain information from the media. Certain miners have leaked that they separated into three groups because of fighting and often engaged in physical confrontations during the first few days, but a “blood” pact stopped the group
sunglasses. The miners have asked for as little as $40 to upwards of $25,000 for interviews. They each have received over $15,000 in their bank accounts from donations, and have been offered trips to Greece, England, and Spain, to name just a few countries. Last week, they were invited to the Chilean presidential palace as honorary guests and played a friendly soccer match against the president and other of-
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A miner greets his wife after being rescued. The miners were extracted from the mine one by one in a narrow, cylindrical capsule hanging form a crane. The successful rescue sparked a wave of national pride in Chile.
for the november 5, 2010 issue
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Former BART police officer Johannes Mehserle’s trial was held in Los Angeles. COMPILED BY STAFF WRITERS ANTHONY CHEN, SAVINA KHANGURA AND ELLIE WONG
However, this year there will be two different tiers that are age dependent. This change has opened Fremont’s Youth Showcase to any kids who want the chance to polish their skills, but it has also increased competition for space on the main event. Participants in the talent show have also been awarded with prizes for participating and winning the
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Teens pose with their instruments after performing in a talent show.
contest. Winners normally receive gift cards for gas, food, and other supplies. All participants get the chance to perform at Fremont events; Youth Showcase participants have performed for events like the Kids and Kites Festival, Band Nights, and East Bay Blend teen center shows. ▪ For tickets or more information about the November 19 Teen Talent showcase, contact Rena Dein at rdein@fremont.gov or call (510) 494-4344.
Miners rescued after 69 days underground
Jet-setters on three airlines will be able to take advantage of in-flight internet thanks to Google’s special offer.
Sentencing sparks protests in Oakland On Friday, November 5, protests in Oakland in the residential neighborhoods near Lake Merritt left property damaged and police officers injured. The protests began after BART police officer Johannes Mehserle was given the minimum two-year sentence for the involuntary manslaughter of Oscar Grant III. Before November 5, protests had already caused $4 million in damages, according to City Administrator Dan Lindheim. Oakland requested that BART pay for some of the damages, but BART has not yet agreed to do so.
Friday, November 19, 2010
• On News page 1, Senior Bill Cheng’s name is misspelled. • On News page 2, Staff Writer Sida Lu contributed to News in Brief. • On Feature page 8, Kha Lu’s name is misspelled. • On Photo page 10, Staff Writer Aishwarya Thakur took photos at the Homecoming dance. • On Sports page 21, in the article “Boys’ Water Polo Easily Handles American,” Alex Hancock is a freshman and Ryan Tang is a junior. • On Sports page 22, in the article “Team Spotlight: Cross Country,” Junior Erika Cherk and Senior Alison Lenci’s names were misspelled. The Smoke Signal regrets the errors.
ficials involved in the rescue. At the moment, it is not clear if the miners will hold true to their agreement. Some have already made it clear that the bidding has begun for their own personal accounts. Jessica Chilla, wife of Darío Segovia, was quite direct on her stance in the matter. “He is charging for interviews as compensation. He is physically and psychologically exhausted and will not recover for at least a month,” she said. “He will not give interviews for free, not now or later.” MSJ’s response to the incident is quite divided. Some MSJ students feel that the miners deserve the attention, status, and wealth, while others feel that there are more pressing issues in Chile and the world at large that need to be addressed. Sophomore Tanuj Chowdury said, “I don’t see why the media is paying so much attention to the miners. There was just an earthquake in the area as well.” Freshman Sahil Bansal said, “The miners deserve all [the attention] they have been given.” Only time will tell how the miners will adapt to their new lifestyle, but one thing is certain: their lives have been changed forever. ▪
Friday, November 19, 2010
The Smoke Signal
AP tests revamped for 2011 By Allan Ko Staff Writer
The College Board announced on August 16 that, starting in May 2011, students will no longer be penalized for wrong answers on the multiple-choice portion of the Advanced Placement (AP) exams. Thus, the multiple-choice raw score
and AP World History courses will take effect for the 2011-12 school year. Additionally, the College Board says on its website that “enhancements are also under way in AP science courses and exams,” and has published a draft version of a revised AP Biology curriculum, which restructures the course
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will be based only on the number of questions answered correctly, with both incorrect and blank answers counting for zero points. Previously, a wrong answer on a question would deduct a fraction of a point to discourage random guessing. Along with this change, the College Board has also released plans to redesign the structure of many of the AP courses, in order to develop “an increased emphasis on conceptual understanding and disciplinespecific skills, resulting in fewer and more complex multiple-choice questions,” said a spokeswoman to USA Today. According to the College Board, plans to change the AP French Language and Culture, AP German Language and Culture,
around four “big ideas,” seven “science practices,” and a stronger focus on computational thinking. The changes to the science programs will take place “no sooner than the 2012-13 academic year,” and the specific details will be announced in the fall of 2010. With these changes, the College Board aims to “sharpen understanding of essential concepts and provide the most robust scientific fundamentals.” Furthermore, the format of the short-answer portion of the AP Calculus AB and BC tests has been changed to include two parts, one of which contains two problems and requires a graphing calculator and the other of which has four problems and does not allow a cal-
culator. College Board Executive Director of Communications Jennifer Topiel said that the change in format is intended to help the exam better cover the broad range of concepts and topics in calculus. The original purpose of the “formula scoring” system, in which wrong answers are penalized, was to discourage random guessing. The point deduction for each wrong answer was calculated so that if a student guessed randomly on every multiple-choice question on the test, the expected raw score would be zero, with the penalties for the wrong answers canceling the points obtained for lucky guesses. Topiel explained the switch to “rights scoring,” where no points are deducted for wrong answers, saying that “existing research confirms that both formula scoring…and rights scoring…are valid scoring procedures. The AP program’s change to rights scoring enables us to more efficiently make many changes to the AP program at once.” The AP tests will continue to be scored based on how well college students performed on pre-tested AP questions. The composite score, which is the one-to-five final score on a test, is determined so that an AP score of five is equivalent to that of an average college student earning an A in the subject. Similarly, scores of four, three, two, or one correspond to those of a college student earning a B, C, D, or F. Thus, the change in the AP tests’ scoring method is not expected to drastically affect future years’ test scores. ▪
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News 3
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By Frank Chen Staff Writer On October 13, the Parent Representative Advisory Assembly (PRAA) held its monthly meeting in FUSD’s Education Center to approve a later start time for high schools in the 2011-12 school year. The PRAA hopes that this idea, which originated in 2009, will ultimately benefit high school students in FUSD. “I think it is a good thing,” MSJ Principal Sandra Prairie said about the decision, “because here at Mission, our kids don’t get enough sleep. Does [a later start time] mean they might get enough sleep? We hope so.” In the fall of 2009, the PRAA created a survey about later start times, which was placed on the FUSD website for about two months in early 2010. In March 2010, the survey results were posted, showing that a majority of parents and students favored a 25 minute time change to a school day that started at 8:00 am and ended at 3:00 pm. According to FUSD Superintendent Dr. Jim Morris, the favored time change has been approved and passed. Most MSJ parents are satisfied with the decision to change the schedule. “I think it is great to move the start times back a bit for teenagers, and the adjustment they are making is just enough to get them a little more sleep without messing up the sports and after
school schedules too dramatically,” said MSJ parent Christina Broadwin. “I am glad that the district is putting our kids’ health and sleep as a priority.” Like most parents, Broadwin is very concerned about her child’s sleep schedule. According to scientific data, as children enter puberty, their biological clocks change in a way that makes it difficult for them to fall asleep and wake up early. By approving the late start time, PRAA hopes that it will give students the extra 30 minutes of sleep that they need. Even though the majority of people favored the time change, there are others who are less enthusiastic. “This time change will shift our athletic competition,” said MSJ Athletic Director Tom Thomsen. “We compete against schools like Logan and Newark and they’re not going to wait for us if we’re late. We’ll have to pull students out of class. The students will not be happy and the teachers will not be happy.” The new time schedule will take effect next September. Meanwhile, MSJ parents, students, and teachers are hoping that this decision will have a positive effect in the future. “I’m optimistic… with reservations,” Prairie said, “because I’m hoping this will allow students to get more sleep. Half an hour of solid sleep does make a difference with a lot of people.” ▪
4 Opinion
the
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Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 46, No. 3 | November 19, 2010
Roger That
Editors-in-Chief Alissa Gwynn, Elisa Ting News Gurleen Chadha, Megan McLaughlin Opinion Roger Chen, Arthur Jeng Feature Sonia Dhawan, Audrey Wu Centerspread Aileen Lu, Tina Tseng A&E Vishal Yadav, Jordan Zhang Sports Grace Han, Amit Patankar Graphics Sarah Li, Cassie Zhang Web Mary Lan, Richie Zeng Tech Vaishaal Shankar, Kevin Zhai Business Ravneet Kaur Circulation Matt Farberov Fundraising Stephenie Yuan Marketing Jamie Lin Ads Rebecca Dutta, Joy Xu Events Chelsea Dass, Mekala Neelakantan, Diya Roy
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Vishal Bajpai, Ditha Balaji, Leland Bernstein, Anthony Chen, Frank Chen, Sloka Gundala, Andrew Han, Savina Khangura, Allan Ko, Sida Lu, Edward Nguyen, Nihar Parikh, Alekya Rajanala, Maya Ramachandran, Omar El Sadany, Sanjna Shukla, Courtney Tam, Jonathon Teng, Aishwarya Thakur, Angie Wang, Ginger Werner, Connor Williams, Ellie Wong, Michael Wu, Alice Zalan
Advisor Sandra Cohen Send letters to the editor to opinion@the smokesignal.org. Letters under 300 words may be considered for publication and must include a full name and school affiliation. The Smoke Signal reserves the right to edit for clarity and length.
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Gold Diggers
By Roger Chen Opinion Editor
When news of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s release hit my live feed, I first thought it was a badly done joke, something akin to Steve Jobs using a PC. One of the world’s greatest proponents of democracy, placed under various forms of imprisonment for fifteen out of the past twenty-one years, finally free? I wanted to believe, but was afraid of having something so awesome dashed to pieces. As more and more stories from reputable news sources hit the Internet, I found myself no longer a doubter but a believer, one in joy and hope for a better future. I remember watching the movie “Beyond Rangoon” in my freshman English class and seeing Suu Kyi, although portrayed by an actor, stand up against the Burmese junta as a symbol of hope for the civilian Burmese population. That movie was produced back in 1995. Although she was freed weeks after “Beyond Rangoon” ran in Europe, she was placed under house arrest again in 2000 under some trumped up charge, and remained that way up until last Saturday. It’s highly doubtful that Suu Kyi has been freed due to continual international pressure. Instead, she’s probably been freed because the junta-backed United Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) felt that their “landslide victory” in Burma’s recent election gave them sufficient power to control Suu Kyi and her supporters if necessary, never mind the election-rigging. The USDP’s 80% control of parliament, which continues to be filled
By Arthur Jeng with retired generals, gives them the legislative edge to stack laws in their favor. Even if Suu Kyi and her National League of Democracy (NLD) wins a general election (as they did in 1990), the military could easily refuse to hand over power and continue as life has always been. Disregarding underlying motives, however, there’s no doubt that Suu Kyi has, and continues to be, an avid proponent for democracy. Her captivity may have robbed her of years of her life, but she still has her iron will to fight for what she believes in. She’s what every person, especially today’s politicians, should be: willing to undergo personal sacrifice for the betterment of the country. What do we believe in and hold dear, like Suu Kyi and her love for her country and its people? What sacrifices are we willing to endure to make this world a better place? People like Suu Kyi go to extraordinary lengths and stand out because of their actions, but even if we are unable or unwilling to endure what Suu Kyi has faced to make an impact on such an enormous magnitude, our actions can have just as much of an impact in our local environments. There are aspects of all our worlds that we would like to exert change on. It’s up to us to act as upstanders in our own ways and be the visionaries for our own causes. Humans may have caused a lot of the world’s problems, but us humans can solve them too, giving us hope for a better future as Suu Kyi has. After all, we’re all human. ▪ Send letters to the editor to opinion@thesmokesignal.org
I <3 Boobies By Ginger Werner Staff Writer
Many people have seen the “I Heart Boobies” bracelets on the wrists of their peers. But other than eliciting a few giggles from friends, the bracelets mean much more. Fifty percent of all the proceeds go to the Keep A Breast Foundation, and they come in a wide variety of colors. They serve as a fashion statement, are cause for a good laugh, and help support breast cancer. But in dealing with such an important matter, the Breast Cancer Society seems to be starting a trend among teenagers and not accomplishing much more than that. “I think when people buy the wristbands their intentions are not necessarily genuine. Although it is supporting a good cause, I feel like people buy it simply because it is a trend,” said Senior Theresa Liu. Some school districts are strongly opposed to the bracelets, and schools in Fresno and Clovis have prohibited their students from wearing the accessories. A person is diagnosed with breast cancer every 11 minutes. It is the second biggest cause of death for women other than lung cancer, and over 12,000 people lose their lives to it every year. Breast cancer is obviously a serious matter, but the Breast Cancer Foundation seems to be making light of the
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situation in order to raise awareness about the issue. Another humorous attempt at raising awareness about breast cancer was a Facebook campaign on Oct. 7, 2010. It encouraged users to make cryptic, suggestive status updates to promote Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The statuses simply stated where a woman enjoyed keeping her purse. The phrase was simple, “I like it on the ___.” Users and fans substituted words like floor, kitchen table, stairs, and couch, and raised many eyebrows in the process. But what did this movement actually accomplish for the Breast Cancer Society? Other than providing amusing commentary on Facebook, the brief www.zumeiz.com fad failed to advocate and accomplish its intended purpose. Sure, it made “I like it on the floor” one of the top most searched internet phrases of the month, but it seems to have come up short of actually helping the cause. People may get tired of being constantly asked for donations, and this is a unique approach to the matter. Some may not agree with this method of promoting the matter, but nevertheless, this tactic does have great potential for increasing consciousness about Breast Cancer, and can be used for a variety of other issues. After all, who can object to such a worthy cause? ▪
Opinion Editor
Take a moment away from your math textbook and ponder where you’re heading in life (unless you’re a senior, in which case minimize CalcChat for a bit to do what you already do 24/7). Many of us aspire to become doctors, engineers, and businesspeople like our parents. No surprise there, considering MSJ is so math and science-oriented. What is surprising, though, is the contempt displayed towards the usual motive for heading into these professions: money. “Follow your passion and not the money.” We hear this often. Don’t follow this creed? Sorry, then, you’re a ladder-climbing moneygrubber who will undoubtedly regret everything one day. For the people that are following their passions and making lucrative salaries, kudos to you. But for the rest of us, what’s wrong with respecting the green? Like most kids, I’d rather work overtime playing Pokémon than refinancing someone’s house. Obviously, even if I enjoy catching all 493 Pokémon and training them to level 99, being a Pokémon master wouldn’t be a smart career choice. Yeah, it’s an extreme example, but the point holds: the same way we all have friends who are fantastic buckets of fun to hang out with but huge pains to work with, some of our passions are best exercised as hobbies, not careers. There’s the argument that if you work in a job you’re passionate about, you’ll eventually rise through the ranks or create something revolutionary and end up more successful than if you stick to a monetarily
safe but less enjoyable job. This is sometimes true, and once again, kudos to these lucky people. But luck is a key word here. No matter how hard-working some of us are, the fact is that not everyone can be a Warren Buffet or a Slumdog Millionaire. For me, I would rather first find a stable job even if it’s not as fun to me as Pokémon and ensure my future kids get all the art lessons and soccer camps they can ever wish for. Speaking of future family, isn’t sacrificing their financial security for your own passion a little selfish? Many of our parents sacrificed their passions for us. They became engineers, doctors, and businesspeople to not just put a roof over our head but a bigger, more comfortable one than the wooden sheets they had when they were growing up (or so they say). Not only that, but you get an entire bedroom, complete with a closet filled with brand name clothes. A computer. A car. Some leisure money. I’m not telling you to trash your passions to blindly follow money. Remember: one reason our parents worked so hard was to give us the opportunities and choices that they didn’t have. And good luck getting anywhere with a job you really despise. But let’s tone down on the condescension for those who choose money over passion. If they like a job, if they’re good at it, and if it pays well, then by all means, they should go for it with pride. Even if they don’t love it as much as they do their Pikachu’s. ▪ Send letters to the editor to opinion@thesmokesignal.org
Bringing Sanity Back By Megan McLaughlin News Editor
The day before Halloween, political pundits Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert (pronounced COAL-bear) held simultaneous rallies on the National Mall in Washington DC. Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity and Colbert’s March to Keep Fear Alive were a response to Glenn Back’s Rally to Restore Honor in August. Against the backdrop of the Capitol building, the combined rallies featured the two comedians and a variety of musical guests. While Stewart and Colbert profess to be nothing more than comics and their shows are on Comedy Central, much of the content is political. Stewart’s audience is quite liberal, and Colbert’s audience is attracted to his flamboyantly conservative on-air character. Both of their shows are largely commentary on politician’s various foibles, gaffes, and faux-pas. However, neither man is afraid of offending anyone. The Daily Show with Jon Stewart recently hosted President Barack Obama, of whom Stewart asked as many tough questions as a television personality may ask of a sitting President. Colbert testified before a congressional committee on the state of migrant farmworkers in America after a short feature on them on his show, The Colbert Report. However, Stewart’s final words were the most telling: he derided the 24-hour news media because “if we amplify everything, we hear nothing.” In America today, everything is pushed
into the consumer’s face, talking heads rant from the TV and garish ads cover benches, buses, and bathrooms. Two comedians have been left to try and get America back on track. That is what Stewart and Colbert try to do with pointed segments and episodes like “Indecision 2008,” election coverage, and “The Word,” a cleverly assembled rant on a current event. The problem is not with Stewart and Colbert’s respective entrances into the ring of news media—because as much as they claim to be comedians, they, especially Stewart, are relied upon for news. It is that Americans are forced to depend on them rather than on journalists and officials for honest news. Politics in America have become less about the truth and more about popularity. The Founding Fathers formed our democracy with the idea that everyone would have a voice in their own government; Lincoln promised “government of the people, for the people, by the people shall not perish from this earth.” Who are we to make Honest Abe into a liar? Whether or not we agree with our elected officials, they must be respected and trusted until proven incompetent. The vilification of our representatives only makes them more afraid to cross party lines and forge compromises, which results in no budget, suspended programs, and more partisanship. If America is to maintain her place as a world superpower, we cannot depend on two comedians to preach sanity and moderation. We must follow Stewart and Colbert’s example to keep Honest Abe honest, and to keep our government functioning. ▪
Friday, November 19, 2010
The Smoke Signal
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Opinion 5
Laptop Program Smackdown
Yes we can By Andrew Han Staff Writer
Starting in 2011, Mission is planning to allow students to bring laptops to school. The idea was first proposed by Principal Sandra Prairie. “Technology should be embedded into our classroom system,” she says. As the world continues to develop at such a rapid pace, it would be imprudent to reject technological advances for our education system. An integration of laptops into the school curriculum would surely result in more benefits than disadvantages, if only given enough time and effort to proceed. A study was done in a Pleasanton middle school in which a group of academically “equal” students (in terms of test scores, performance in school, etc) were placed into two groups: one that used laptops in an everyday classroom setting and one that did not. After a period of time, researchers noted a considerable discrepancy between those in the laptop program and those not in the program. Those who had used laptops during this period had considerably higher test scores than those who had not. If Mission students were given the opportunity to use laptops in school, they could very well yield the same results. The integration of laptops cut down on paper use in classrooms and expedite the learning process. Horizons are dramatically expanded as students learn crucial research techniques by finding primary sources, articles, and literature online. The laptop program will “melt the walls of the classroom, and what becomes the classroom is the World Wide Web,” says Prairie, as online animations and simulations become reg-
No we can’t
versus
ularly used educational tools. Online peer and teacher editing, note-taking, and quizzes save time and provide instant feedback, helping students understand material more efficiently. Parents and administrators are worried about issues such as theft, improper use, learning curve, overflow of bandwidth, over-reliance, damage, and perhaps most of all, cost. But there are several viable solutions to these problems. The administration will most likely set up a liability contract with the students as well as training for students and teachers alike. As for cost, all that is fundamentally required in a laptop for school use is a word processor and access to the Internet. Both of these features can be found in netbooks, which are cheaper alternatives to laptops. The laptop program is a potential breakthrough in how we learn, and the benefits that it has to offer outweigh the risks. As Vice-Principal Zack Larsen says, “21st century learners need 21st century methods,” and it is important to make this transition to newer, more advanced learning methods. ▪
By Rebecca Dutta Staff Writer
MSJ has proposed a new idea to implement a laptop program that would, among other things, allow teachers to electronically send notes, saving students the time of having to copy them down in class. What are the chances of a student actually reading these online notes? Very slim. Taking notes by hand allows students to think while writing, resulting in higher comprehension and less superficial reading. We already have six textbooks to read, why should we read lectures as well? School board officials and parents who support this program would like to emphasize that this is an optional program; students who cannot find access to a laptop, for whatgraphics editor cassie zhang ever reason, will not be required to bring one. What they don’t consider is that this would make the teacher’s job five times harder because not all students would be able to research online or have access to electronic notes. Each day in
class, some students would have to wait patiently for their peers’ internet connection to stabilize so that class could resume. Some say that teachers could allow sharing of laptops, but that is obviously a naïve plan in a high school setting. The probability of high school students sharing a laptop while working solely on school work is extremely slim and idealistic, let alone be productive while essentially sharing the same pencil. On that note, one of the biggest complaints against the laptop program has been students’ lack of focus that will result from naively providing them a laptop in class. If students already have so many electronic distractions without laptops, imagine all the things they could do with laptops. Principal Sandra Prairie assures that strict regulations will be placed to restrict websites such as Facebook, but not everything can be restricted. Willing students can easily find a way to sneak past the rules while teachers are too consumed with trying to get the technology to work. In fact many of the students at Harker High School admitted that the biggest problem with laptop usage in class is the horrible lack of focus. Even in our high- middle class society, not all parents will be willing to provide students with laptops, and unless the school requires students to bring them, curriculums will become a mess. Given FUSD’s economic situation, it is unlikely that they can tap into resources to provide even a quarter of our students with laptops. If Mission is bent on passing the laptop idea, they should either find a way to obtain the necessary resources or not take on the program at all. ▪
Currency Tensions staff writer allan ko
China has artificially kept the Yuan from gaining value compared to the US dollar. Some economic experts argue that the US needs to take a harsher stance and protect its industry, while others argue that attacking China’s policies will lead to a trade war, which would damage both economies. By Anthony Chen Staff Writer
The House of Representatives passed a bill on September 29, giving the Obama administration the power to enact tariffs on almost all Chinese goods imported into the US. The bill was designed not to create a law but to confront China over its currency policy. Republicans and Democrats both voted overwhelmingly for the bill; this bipartisan movement represents the latest shift in the mind set of policy makers. But, the bill has a dangerous effect: it causes tensions between the US and China to worsen, and could lead to a disastrous trade war. China has shown that it will react aggressively to tariffs. In September 2009 Obama enacted a tariff on Chinese tires in order to help the struggling US tire industry. In retaliation, China launched an investigation into the US’s involvement in its poultry industry by looking for unfair subsidies and other advantages. After news of the House bill was announced, China enacted a tariff on US poultry of up to 105 percent. Tariffs and countertariffs will decrease trade and raise prices of many items to obscene levels; both economies will suffer greatly if a trade war starts. The tire tariff even turned out to be useless, according to the USChina Business Council; many US companies simply turned to other foreign suppliers with cheaper prices instead of US tire companies. Another misconception is that the currency policy caused the trade imbalance between China and the US. In reality, Chinese laborers are paid less than American laborers, so China can sell goods for a cheaper price. China’s government also has far more control over domestic
economic matters than the US does, and thus it can provide subsidies much faster than the US, further driving down the price of goods. Changing the currency policy won’t affect US exports dramatically. The most egregious reason used to justify our confrontations with China is China’s US debt holdings of $868.4 billion. To raise money, the US government issues debt, or treasuries (similar to getting a loan). After a certain amount of time, the debt is repaid along with interest. In order for China’s currency policy to work, though, China must invest in US treasuries because it is one of the only ways to keep the Yuan devalued. Thus, China’s buying of US treasuries is a win-win situation; China gets to enforce its currency policy, and we get cash pumped into our economy. Some fear that if China sold all of the US debt, the US economy would suffer. However, China simply won’t sell the treasuries because it needs them to enforce its own currency policy. Attacking China’s economic policies may be popular among politicians now, but it is useless and dangerous. Sometimes tariffs don’t even work, and even if the currency policy was rescinded, our economy will not magically improve. The only real consequence is that tensions will deepen between China and the US, and a trade war could start. We need to focus more on legislation that will have an immediate effect on the economy at home. ▪
By Amit Patankar Sports Editor
China’s strained economic relationship with the US is complicated. Since both sides seek to manipulate numbers, China’s Yuan value and the actual value of US debt to China can only be estimated due to lack of reliable information from both governments. However, China has artificially set the value of the Yuan to be lower than the dollar. The rate today is about seven Yuan to one US dollar. Despite this, most economists say that if the Yuan was allowed to rise by itself, it would be nearly equivalent to the dollar. The reason that the Yuan is worth so little in comparison to the dollar lies China’s vast dollar reserves. The Chinese were printing Yuan and withholding dollars, makgraphics editor cassie zhang ing the Yuan seem more abundant than it actually is. Now it’s difficult to understand why a country would want to artificially lower it’s currency in value. The reason is that once a country has a lower currency value, it’s goods become cheaper. With companies around the world using the dollar, which has a higher value in business, the same product from a company in the US would cost more than the same product if it was made in China. This led to a massive influx of Chinese products in the US market, easily beating out American made products. In light of the recent recession, America
wants to return to its position as an industrial power by increasing manufacturing and selling more American products domestically. However, when the average American is given the choice of “buying American”, he sacrifices patriotism to save money. The recession makes Chinese products even more likely to sell. Now America is taking a stance against Chinese products with stricter restrictions on imports and even going as far as threatening sanctions. The solution is not so easy. China holds an enormous amount of US debt and it is essential for the US to maintain good relations with China if we want them to keep investing in US debt. So we must decide: US jobs and exports or China’s investment in US debt. In lieu of the recent proposed sanctions and tariffs against them, the Chinese have threatened to also ban US imports into China. The US government must choose US economic power over all else. If the US is to sanction China, US consumers will eventually turn to US products. Although they will spend more, this will spur the manufacturing economy and that in turn will produce more jobs. It might even be a good thing that China stops investing in US dollars. We will gain control of our own economy, stimulate the economy, and also take control of our own assets. Although this sounds easy now, the road to economic independence will be difficult. It will be difficult to pull out of a recession with a market with high priced products and no profits from our imports to China. Although a strong economic stance might hurt the US now, it’s the best approach to combat the recession and the failing economy in the long run. ▪
6 Feature
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The Smoke Signal
Thanksgiving around the
Friday, November 19, 2010
By Chelsea Dass, Mekala Neelakantan & Ellie Wong Staff Writers
United Kingdom
CANADA
The second Monday of October marks Thanksgiving Day in Canada. The very first Canadian Thanksgiving was celebrated when Martin Frobisher, an explorer from England, safely arrived in the New World in 1578. Some European settlers later celebrated Thanksgiving in Canada to mark the end of an abundant harvest season. Except for a different date and historical significance, Thanksgiving in Canada and in the United States is very similar. Both countries celebrate Thanksgiving with parades, family gatherings, and plenty of turkey.
Though the Harvest Festival is not an official holiday in Britain, it is one of the oldest, dating all the way back to 1843. In that year Reverend Robert Hawker invited parishioners to a special thanksgiving service at a church in Cornwall. This eventually brought about the tradition of decorating churches with home-grown produce. In olden times, the first sheaf of corn would be offered to the god of fertility to ensure a good coming harvest. Sacrificing an animal, usually a hare, would be done when cutting the last sheaf of corn, which is thought to contain the god of fertility’s spirit. The Harvest Festival gives thanks for a successful harvest of the past and occurs near or on the day of the harvest moon, the full moon closest to the autumn equinox.
Australia
While Americans celebrate their Thanksgiving, Australians celebrate the Apple and Grape Festival, a celebration honoring the fruits grown in Australia’s granite belt, a major wine region. It began in 1964 under the name Apple Blossom Festival, and has grown into a three to four day celebration, with events such as the Apple Pie, Cake, and Jam Competition, the “Return to Cloudland” Gala Ball, and the Grand Parade. In addition, the festival involves the crowning of that year’s Apple and Grape Ambassador, as well as a magnificent fireworks display.
africa In Africa, the Yam Festival, held after the August rainy season, serves as an equal to the American Thanksgiving. Celebrated primarily in Ghana and Nigeria, the Yam Festival commemorates the harvest of the yam root vegetable, which is the first crop to be harvested. During the festival, amidst dancing and singing, the yams are offered to gods and ancestors and are then distributed throughout the villages. This is a way of thanking the gods and ancestors for the harvest.
malaysia
india
The State of Goa, located in western India, has its own unique Thanksgiving celebration. While not all of India celebrates Ladin (also known as Ladainha), Catholic and Christian families in Goa usually set aside August 15 to thank God for their material and spiritual wealth. Preparation for Ladin usually begins with buying wheat, gram (a type of chickpea), wine, candles, and colored tinsel. The gram is often soaked in wine for a day then broiled. The broiled gram is then usually mixed with shredded coconut. Families show their thanks by constructing decorative altars, singing, and praying.
Ka'amatan is a harvest festival from the Malaysian state of Sabah and is mainly observed by its largest ethnic group, the Kadazan-Dusuns. It is annually celebrated throughout the month of May, beginning with the high priestess/priest of the Kadazan-Dusuns offering thanks to the spirit of rice paddy. Rice is so significant and respected in this culture because it embodies the spirit of life. Bambaazon, the overall creator, is given a variety of food offerings during this festival, like fermented rice wrapped in leaves (tondut) and rice wine (tapai). The Malaysian harvest festival is a joyous time with many activities like the traditional sport of buffalo racing, music, singing, dance, and rice wine competitions, and a beauty queen contest.
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Feature 7
A Holiday Field Guide to Relatives By Aileen Lu Centerspread Editor
Family time isn’t necessarily fun time, especially during Thanksgiving. For those new to the holiday reunion scene, I have penned this illustrated guide to help you understand the different kinds of wildlife – I mean relatives – out there.
The Fatally Jolly Grandmother The Stranger
The matriarch of the family, the Fatally Jolly Grandmother can be expected to give the best presents and hugs out of all relatives. However, she has one flaw: she cannot comprehend the concept of a full stomach. To her, “I’m stuffed, thank you” is a request for another generous helping of mashed potatoes, and “I’m not hungry anymore, really!” makes her guffaw and spoon more chickpeas into your protesting mouth.
This person attends every single holiday family party, but you have no clue how he’s related to you. All he seems to do is consume large amounts of food, much to the Fatally Jolly Grandmother’s delight.
The Overachieving Cousin
The Perpetually Drunk Uncle If any form of alcohol is being served at dinner, rest assured the Perpetually Drunk Uncle is gulping it down like water. Prominent physical characteristics include his flushing-red complexion and slurred nonsensical comments. Despite his intoxication, the Perpetually Drunk Uncle tends to provide great merriment during karaoke sessions. However, to escape embarrassment, avoid being within his vicinity until he passes out on the living room couch.
The Bratty Niece
The Aunt of Backhanded Compliments
Usually only a minor nuisance, the Bratty Niece, will transform into the embodiment of evil during the holiday season. With the adults too busy to be pestered, she will turn her sadistic attention towards you. The Bratty Niece subsequently subjects you to cruel and unusual punishments, such as endless Hannah Montana re-runs and dress-up with Bratz dolls. Any complaints about these acts of torture will garner her uncontrollable wailing and glares from parents.
This woman is the most lethal relative you could potentially meet at this year’s family reunion. She strikes swiftly, leaving her victims pondering the implications of her verbal attacks. Common veiled jibes include “You look prettier than I expected!” and “You bear a striking resemblance to your Uncle Jenkins, you know, the one who had that nasty facial fungal infection.”
The Overachieving Cousin can be easily described as a smarter, betterlooking version of yourself. He can speak eight languages, has won numerous awards for his revolutionary scientific findings, and volunteers at the pet shelter on weekends. Sometimes he is accompanied by the Aunt of Backhanded Compliments, who flaunts his achievements in every conversation. At this point, expect to be mercilessly compared to the Overachieving Cousin by your woeful parents.
centerspread editor aileen lu
Black Friday Hotspots By Aishwarya Thakur Staff Writer
Whether you are getting ready for the holiday season or shopping for your annual clothing or electronics, Black Friday is not one to miss for money-savers. The day after Thanksgiving, or Black Friday, is one of the busiest shopping days of the year. The name originates back when sales accounts were done in red and black ink—red ink for losses and black ink for profits. Due to the immense amount of sales on the day after Thanksgiving, there was more black ink in all of the accountants’ sales books, and thus the name “Black Friday” came into existence. This year, big and small companies alike are hosting many “door-buster” deals. If you have a long Christmas wish-list, then this is the time to let your parents know so that they can actually get you what you like. Electronics Best Buy is one of the major retailers that provides great deals on Black Friday. If you want a new LG Chocolate Touch for an upcoming birthday or as a Christmas present, then your parents should be happy to know that they can get this phone for free on Black Friday if they sign up for a two-year contract with Verizon Wireless. The Xbox 360 and its six additional games are also on sale for $299.99 at Best Buy. GameStop has a “two for one” price on various videogames, and Fry’s, Office Max, and Target have some great deals as well on laptops and LCD televisions. Most of us want new iPhones or Macs, but unfortunately Apple isn’t known for its Black Friday sales; the sales prices aren’t that much different from its regular prices. However, if you are planning on buying any electronic product, get ready to wake up at 4 AM to stand in a long line. The best deals on Black Friday are in the electronics aisle, so know what you want and make a mad dash for it as soon as the doors open—hence the name “door-buster deals.”
cincysavers.com
Clothing If you’re looking for a jacket for less, make sure to stop by H&M at the Great Mall where they will be offering a 30% discount. Great Mall in Milpitas also has many shops that open the night of Thanksgiving itself for those who wish to start shopping early. JC Penney and Macy’s are a few department stores that have huge Black Friday clearance sales. You could snag many clothes for half the normal price with their “buy one, get one free” deals. Aéropostale has t-shirts for $5 and their other products are discounted significantly. Other brand name shops, such as Abercrombie and Fitch, Hollister, Wet Seal, and Forever 21 have a few sales, but these usually end at 11 AM; so if you want to grab a hold of some good clothes, make sure to be there bright and early. If you’re planning on a Black Friday shopping spree this year, make sure you look at the advertisements for the stores you wish to visit so you know exactly what you want. As soon as Thanksgiving dinner is over, set your alarm so you can wake up on time and not miss out on some “early bird specials”. Remember, most deals end at 11 AM, so it would be wise to forgo those new boots and put on some running shoes. This may not sound exciting, but when you come home with bags of goodies, Black Friday will certainly turn into a holiday tradition for you and your family. Also, don’t fret if you miss something, there’s always Cyber Monday—the Monday after Black Friday when great deals can be found online. ▪ churchtimes.co.uk
8 Centerspread
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Centerspread 9
There are many special aspects of our school that we usually just take for granted, such as our three prolific publications, the brilliant students, and even our unique demographics. But when exactly did our award-winning publications first fly off the press? Which illustrious people hail from our hallways? The Smoke Signal dug up some fascinating facts from MSJ’s long history in order to answer these questions and more.
By Maya Ramachandran Staff Writer
1885 Fremont’s first fire department is organized. By Alekya Rajanala Staff Writer
Have you ever wondered what Fremont was like back in the day? Take a peek at this timeline of our city’s past! 3000-2000 BC Humans first begin to settle in the hills of Fremont and the Bay Area. The majority of this population is made up of huntergatherers. 400 AD The Ohlone tribe, known as the Costanoan, establishes villages in what is now known as the city of Fremont. Evidence of the existence of these Native Americans can be seen by the ancient shell mounds (huge piles of human food waste) they left behind. 1797 The Mission San Jose church is established by the Spanish. The size of the community in the area begins to grow. 1840s General John C. Frémont maps a trail through Mission Pass to give American settlers access to the East Bay area. Our city is soon named after this famous “Pathfinder.” 1856 The first post office opens in Fremont. 1868 A 6.8-magnitude earthquake on the Hayward Fault—one of the most destructive in California history—wreaks havoc on the Bay Area community. Thirty people are killed, and there is major property damage.
1912 Essanay-West Studios, a silent film company, is set up in Fremont, and silent film legend Charlie Chaplin films 14 short comedies here. To this day, the Niles district of Fremont is believed to be the origin of California’s motion picture industry. 1941 Japanese-Americans living in Fremont are evacuated to internment camps after the Pearl Harbor bombing during World War II. 1956 The separate towns of Mission San Jose, Niles, Irvington, Centerville, and Warm Springs (originally known as the Washington Township) join to form the city of Fremont. 1964 Mission San Jose High School is established. The campus is designed for about 1,600 to 1,800 students. 1993 Jaipur, India becomes Fremont’s sister city, joining a list of four other cities. The purpose of initiating the Sister City program is to raise cultural awareness and develop harmony between countries around the world. 2007 The San Francisco Bay Area becomes one of the three places in the U.S. with the greatest concentration of Asian-Americans. 2009 MSJ is ranked number 36 on U.S. News and World Report’s list of “Best High Schools in the Nation.” ▪
Ever since its establishment, MSJ has been faithfully accompanied by its publications. Phoenix, the Smoke Signal, and Costanoan are the three major works produced entirely by students every year. They all have unique identities that evolved over the course of their respective histories. Phoenix It is unknown when Phoenix was founded. The magazine began as a bound anthology of a single English class’ writings, and it evolved over the years into MSJ’s art and literary magazine. Interest in the publication died out for a few years, but, like its namesake, Phoenix was reborn from its ashes with the help of AP English teacher Cherylle Lindsey. Fifteen years ago, two of Lindsey’s students wanted a way to experience the publishing world after they failed to join the journalism class. Lindsey decided to restart Phoenix as a way to create more opportunities for her students and her creative writing class. Although it is the smallest of the school’s three publications, it is
still an important way for students to express themselves through art, poetry, photography, and writing. An annual magazine, Phoenix is totally self-sufficient and student-run, with MSJ students’ contributions of original work as the content of the publication. The publication pushes the envelope and exposes the artistic side of MSJ that people don’t usually see. The next time you pick up a Phoenix, proceed with an open mind because, as stated in the 2004 edition, “In the world of Phoenix, there is no limit.” The Smoke Signal The Native American Ohlones used to employ smoke signals in order to send messages, specifically between warriors. So, the Smoke Signal is a fitting title for MSJ’s newspaper, which can be considered a method of communication between Warriors as well. Volume one of the newspaper was published in 1965. Now on volume 46, the newspaper is still a major part of MSJ student life, even if it has changed drastically since the first issue. In the beginning, the newspaper was
Costanoan The Costanoan began with the start of MSJ and was the first yearbook in 1965 at the end of the first school year. Keeping with the Native American theme of the high school, “Costanoan” is the general name for the large group of coastal Native Americans living in this area, including the Ohlones and the Miwuks. Greatly anticipated by the entire school, this 300-page
1994 edition of Phoenix
1975 issue of the Smoke Signal
1989 Costanoan yearbook
Kristi Yamaguchi
By Leland Bernstein Staff Writer
Gary Plummer - Class of 1978 Born in Fremont, Gary Plummer was linebacker for two NFL teams and one United States Football League team. After playing college football at UC Berkeley, he played for the Oakland Invaders of the USFL for three years. When the USFL ended in 1985, Plummer signed with the San Diego Chargers until 1994 when he switched to play with the 49ers. There, he played his last four seasons and in Super Bowl XXIX for the 49ers’ win over his old team, the Chargers. Gary In 1997 he retired with an impressive 1,029 tackles, five Plummer sacks, and six interceptions. One year later Plummer became a color analyst for KNBR 49ers game broadcasts and continues to do so. Kevin Turner - Class of 1976 Another football player, Turner started his football career at the University of the Pacific as a linebacker. From 1980 to 1982, Turner played for four teams: the New York Giants, the Washington Redskins, the Seattle Seahawks, and the Cleveland Browns. Joe McVein - Class of 1974 Another athelete listed on the rim of the gym quad, McVein played in
Fremont Blvd. and Mowry Ave. in 1956
compilation of the school year requires a lot of work. In the summer before the school year, students from the future yearbook class go to a three-day camp and brainstorm the conceptual and visual ideas for the new Costanoan. This is where the members of the yearbook collaborate and decide on the theme for the book, with previous themes including Spectrum, Clarity, and Re:generation. Over the years, the Costanoan has evolved along with technology and the changing demographic of MSJ students. The first yearbooks were made by cutting and pasting pictures onto a large piece of paper and photographing the page. Even the content was different, with the football team getting eight pages of coverage and the homecoming court receiving four. But now, with technological advances, all work is done with Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator, and layouts from the publisher. Overall, the yearbook class and its advisor work hard to create a book that accurately portrays the school year and represents MSJ as a whole. ▪
written by a group of ten students and had only four pages. The sections were limited to News, Feature, and Sports, with few pictures and no color. Now, the publication ranges from 16 to 24 pages, with new sections including Arts and Entertainment, Centerspread, and Opinion. Advances in technology have changed the newspaper over the years by adding color photography and a website, but the changing student body has affected the newspaper the most. The history of the newspaper shows that it is dynamic, and it will continue to change and evolve as MSJ grows.
the 1984 and 1988 summer Olympics in Los Angeles and Seoul for handball. Although the team did not win a medal in either year, McVein was a starting right guard for the team in their games.
Kristi Yamaguchi - Class of 1989 Definitely a well known local, Yamaguchi was the 1992 Olympic gold medalist in women’s singles figure skating and took first in the world figure skating championships in 1991 and 1992. She also was the celebrity champion in Dancing with the Stars in 2008. Interestingly, Yamaguchi only attended MSJ her freshman year, but she received her diploma from our school. Dina Ruiz-Eastwood - Class of 1983 Eastwood once anchored for Ohlone College Television and currently anchors for KSBW-TV in the Salinas Valley and Monterey peninsula. She married filmmaker and director Clint Eastwood on March 31, 1996, and has acted in two of his films, True Crime and Blood Work. She also manages Overtone, a South African acapella band that sang in her husband’s film Invictus. ▪
By Matt Farberov Staff Writer
Since entering into adolescence we have been a part of the well-known but misunderstood “Mission Bubble.” MSJ’s crushing academic pressure, lack of exposure to the harshness of the outside world and overall sheltering of their students has caused the development of the “Mission Bubble.” There are seven Caucasian students out of over 30 in my Precalculus class. This unusual ratio does not follow the school norm of about four Caucasians out of 30 students. Somehow atop our pedestal of SATs and Academic Performance Indexes (APIs), we still wonder about the world outside of our academic shell. How is it that Fremont, the city known for its multiethnic culture and diversity, can have an FUSD student demographic of over 50 percent Asian? Is the dominant Asian population responsible for our ascent to number 36 in the nation? And how did such an incredible gap in demographics and academics between Fremont schools come to be? My theory is socioeconomic self-segregation. Studies have shown that people of similar income, ethnicity, and race tend to group themselves together. This movement may be the cause for such wide divides in demographics as is the case with Mission San Jose. The Mission attendance area has become an enclave of affluence bent on success. With MSJ at the forefront of academic excellence, it is only natural that successful families will
Dina Ruiz-Eastwood
want to send their kids to such a prestigious school (for free.) This interest in the MSJ area began with an increased Asian immigration around 1997. As the socioeconomic statuses of Mission residents began to climb, so did the school’s scores, and so did housing prices. Following the 2000 Census ranking of number nine in highest mortgage costs, families began moving away to cheaper, less competitive, and more diverse schools. As the middle class African American and Caucasian populations of MSJ declined, homes became available and Asian families were quickly filling the gaps. By 2000, Fremont was ranked number three in the U.S. for Asian population percentage (38.9%). By 2008, median housing costs in MSJ’s 94539 zip code surpassed other Fremont zip codes by at least $200,000. And so we arrive at today, a nationally recognized school with impressive SAT scores, high economic status, and very expensive housing. The demographics and geography of the mysterious “Mission Bubble” are the result of a minority organizing itself into a specific area and over time becoming the majority. Within 15 years, the inhabitants of this self-segregated population began to form their own way of doing things and own sense of the world outside our academic enclave. Soon our students will enter the world outside and realize that things are very different. ▪
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Arts & Entertainment 11
Mighty Fine ‘Megamind’ “Due Date” is no “Hangover” By Alice Zalan Staff Writer
As far as animated movies go, there has never been a movie quite as unique as Megamind. The movie starts with Megamind, a lovely giantheaded blue colored alien, falling through the sky, trying to grab what resembles a gun. He then pauses in midair, and starts to recount all the events that led him to this unusual circumstance. Will Ferrell, as the voice of Megamind, does an exceptional job portraying his quirks and his inability to say certain words, mispronouncing “Metro City,” as “Metrocity,” which rhymes with atrocity. Megamind’s arch nemesis in the beginning is Metro Man (Brad Pitt), who is everything Megamind is not: brave, strong, and handsome. But one day, Megamind finds himself without an enemy, and his days start to become wearisome. With the help of his good friend Minion (David Cross), Megamind hatches the ingenious plan of creating a new “good guy”, a young man who is rechristened Tighten, so that he won’t be bored. Obviously, this plan fails, and Megamind spends the rest of the time running around trying to solve his mess. At the same time, Megamind pursues a romantic relationship with Roxanne Ritchi (voiced by Tina Fey), a young and spunky news reporter who’s distaste for Megamind slowly grows into feelings of love. The road to Megamind’s depiction of his fall-
ing moment in the opening scene is filled with lots of laughs and tons of wonderful animation. Megamind is a “predictable” villain; saws, alligators, and weapons are too simple for him to use on his victims, so he uses a small spider as a change. He also feels the need for dramatic costumes, even outfitting himself in a “super” outfit, which is too tight, too blue, and too awkward. Small moments like this liven up the movie and add special touches. However, some of the details are a tad bit too familiar to those in The Incredibles, such as the similarities between both Tighten’s and Syndromes red hair and super hero outfits. Megamind also has to compete with the fact that it is the second movie to come out this year that portrays the evil villain as comedic, following Despicable Me. Despite all this, Megamind definitely comes out on top. It combines a mix of humor and tragedy to form the ideal main character, and the fact that Megamind’s head is large and a vivid blue color keeps attention on the screen. Although the plot lacks slightly in comparison to other animated/action movies, the effects and superb acting make up for it all. The director of this movie could not have chosen more perfect comedians for all the roles. Megamind is a light hearted movie that, though meant purely for enjoyment, shows that everyone has goodness in them. ▪ Rating: B+
Introducing the friendliest, bluest supervillain Megamind.
KID CUDI continued from page 1
Kid Cudi’s revolution
the album’s purpose, the “Revolution of Evolution.” REVOFEV shows Cudi’s willingness to push boundaries with his second album, using new styles and sounds in order to cement himself as the leader of a new age of rap. The album stays true to Cudi’s grungy style of describing his views of the world around him while adding new layers to his music. Like “Pursuit of Happiness,” “Mr. Rager” is performed in Cudi’s unique monotone between singing and rap. His words are thought-provoking and emotive, in contrast with the otherworldly rhythms in the background. Admittedly, after a few songs, the depressing nature of Cudi’s style gets a little tedious. Songs like “Mojo So Dope” and “Like the End” tend to drag on, but usually Cudi’s signature style adds to the emotional undercurrent of his songs, providing substance and realism. “Erase Me,” an album standout, features Kanye West and proves to be an upbeat break from Cudi’s crooning vocals. Kanye West, along with Mary J. Blige, Cee-Lo Green, and St. Vincent are welcome additions to Kid Cudi’s album, adding variety and interest, especially when the songs get a little trying. Overall, Man on the Moon II: The Legend of Mr. Rager is a mashup of the old and the new, showing the evolution of Kid Cudi’s music. While some songs succeed in their attempt to change the norm, others do not hit the mark, acting merely as fillers until the next song. The album is a decent intermediary, a steppingstone if you will, on Kid Cudi’s revolutionary evolution of the music world. ▪ Rating: B
megamind.com
Peter (Robert Downey Jr.) tries to steer while Ethan (Zach Galifianakis) sleeps at the wheel.
By Jamie Lin Staff Writer
Due Date opens with everyday architect and expecting father Peter Highman (Robert Downey, Jr.) reflecting on a strange dream he had the night before. While the dream is strange, it is nothing compared to everything that follows. All too ready to leave Atlanta, he rushes to the airport to catch the L.A. flight and return home in time for the scheduled Csection of his wife Sarah (Michelle Monaghan). However, a nonstop occurrence of unlikely and unfortunate events lands him on the no-fly list. He is then stuck with the cause of all his troubles, aspiring actor Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis), who offers to drive him across the country. Left only with his Blackberry and a stuffed monkey he plans to present to his son, Peter reluctantly joins Ethan. From there the movie descends into typical road trip, buddy comedy fare. However, since Due Date has been marketed as a comedy from the guys behind The Hangover, naturally comparisons are made to the hit film. Sadly, Due Date falls way below expectations.
‘ROMEO & JULIET’ REBORN
Jets and Sharks lift their hands in unison.
By Sida Lu Staff Writer
Even the most timeless of classics can become tiring and clichéd and Romeo and Juliet is certainly no exception. Who else is tired of the same “Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo?” lament? Arthur Laurents remedies this with West Side Story by taking the hackneyed Romeo and Juliet and adding a fresh, twist to the familiar love story. The original West Side Story was well received when it first debuted on Broadway, so it’s no surprise that Director David Saint’s West Side Story revival at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco has met with similar enthusiasm, quickly selling out every available showing. Within seconds of the open-
sanfranciscosentinel.com
ing “Prologue,” Saint’s rendition immediately showed why. The Jets were introduced to the audience one by one as figures slowly emerged from the shadows to unison snapping. This surprising and slightly unsettling entrance set the tone for an overall dark performance and commanded the audiences’ attention. The superb athletic ballet and incredible synchronization that followed assured the audience that their money was well spent and that they were in for quite a show. Of course, a production is only as good as its actors and they did not disappoint. The actors built on a successful entrance and proceeded to deliver powerful, emotion-filled lines that drove the story. Action (Drew Foster) gave the play a sense of urgency with
duedatemovie.warnerbros.com
The Hangover’s Phil, the rational, pitiable semi-jerk, is replaced with Peter, who is rational but more jerk than pitiable. Meanwhile, Zach Galifianakis, brilliant as Alan in The Hangover, once again fills the role of immature man-child. But Ethan, more child than man, garners far less laughter than his Hangover counterpart. Admittedly, Due Date is funny. It does have those raunchy, screwball, crazy moments that made The Hangover such a success. But in trying to bring emotion and heart to his post-Hangover effort, director Todd Phillips loses his way. He attempts to make Due Date more “responsible adult” than just a crazy boys’ adventure, but what made his previous films so enjoyable is precisely that recklessness of his characters. Furthermore, while Due Date does have a similar strain of humor, most of the scenes induce more cringes and winces than laughs. With characters difficult to sympathize with and events way too unlikely, even by Murphy’s Law, Due Date has audiences wishing the date would just come and go already. ▪ Rating: C+ his hot-headedness, Riff ( Joseph J. Simeone) showed everyone the purity buried beneath the gang’s tough shell, and the flamboyant couple Bernardo (German Santiago ) and Anita (Michelle Aravena) provided emotional, playful, and unconditional love. Santiago and Aravena’s chemistry would ultimately overshadow the romance between Tony (Kyle Harris) and Maria (Ali Ewoldt) who were not quite able to capture the same intensity. What made West Side Story really stand out were the various vocal performances paired with masterful choreography as the musical numbers maintained the mood and carried the emotion from scene to scene. “Jet Song” and “I Feel Pretty” were two particularly catchy tunes that had the audience singing along long after the play had ended. The newly added Spanish songs and dialogue, although reflective of the Sharks’ Puerto Rican background, ended up detracting from the overall performance as they provided jarring halts to the flow of the story to those who were unable to make sense of the language. No play is complete without the appropriate set to complement the cast. A new portrayal of 1950s New York with a more ominous setting than the movie was introduced. This new setting, however, worked out beautifully as it created more suspense and seriousness to the actions of the two gangs as well as provided the effective contrast to the bright and shining world of peace that Tony and Maria wanted to escape to in “Somewhere.” Nitpickers may point out the slightly lackluster leading couple or the hit-or-miss Spanish songs but even the most critical of viewers would agree that West Side Story is an amazing love story that nobody should miss out on. ▪ Rating: A-
12 Arts & Entertainment
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The Smoke Signal
Friday, November 19, 2010
By Savina Khangura, Courtney Tam, and Joy Xu Staff Writers
Harry Potter is a series of seven fantasy novels by J.K. Rowling that has become so much more than just a collection of books. Harry Potter has become a mania obsession for many of the millions of fans all over the world. The series has garnered critical acclaim and intense popularity with all age. The obsession has become known as “Pottermania” and the books’ popularity bloomed into an immense and enthusiastic fan support spreading internationally over the internet. Now that the movie franchise, the last bit of Harry Potter, is coming to a close with the first part of the seventh movie coming out today, The Smoke Signal is doing a tribute to this magical series.
Red Hair, freckles, and hand-me-down robes; must be a Weasley. Ron Weasley is commonly known as Harry Potter’s sidekick in the books. He is the most immature and insensitive of the Potter-WeasleyGranger trio. Though he’s loved by many, over the years Ron begins to act more temperamental from spending most of his life in the shadow of Harry Potter. In the first four books, Ron is content with standing on the sideline, because he doesn’t truly understand his role in the wizarding community yet. By the trio’s sixth school year at Hogwarts, Ron tries to make a name for himself. He tries out for the quidditch team as keeper, but by the seventh book he discovers that this isn’t enough. His resentment towards Harry Potter, the leader, plays out in the seventh book as the trio’s friendship is put through the hardest challenge it has ever faced.
-So many fans visit King’s Cross station to take pictures of platforms 9 and 10 that the station management erected a sign that says “Platform 9 ¾”.
Harry Potter, a hero of our generation. While he must worry about the evil Lord Voldemort attacking him and his friends at each turn of a corridor, he has to also deal with maintaining his relationships with his two best friends, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley. There is also the school bully, Draco Malfoy, and potential love interests, Cho Chang and Ginny Weasley, to be dealt with. Harry Potter is a young hero, that many idealize for having the strength to conquer all of these issues. Harry’s unselfish and honorable character is kept consistent throughout the books, as he fights to protect his loved ones, like Sirius. At the end of the sixth book, he even puts his differences aside to save his enemy, Draco Malfoy, even though he was the reason that Dumbledore died. His flaws of arrogance and anger don’t make him into a cruel boy like Draco though, instead they make him into the strong fighter he needs to be to save the wizarding world.
FUN FACTS -There is a Harry Potter museum planned for 2012 in the UK.
-India’s owls ha ve been declared a threatened sp ecies, in part at the request Har ry Potter fans.
d JK ter an e same t o P ry th -Har ng share . i l w ly 31 Ro ay: Ju d h t r bi
Harry is born.
Harry first sets foot on Hogwarts.
An intelligent, courageous, and quirky girl, Hermione Granger is one of the three main protagonists in the Harry Potter series. She is of Muggle birth; her dentist parents are purely non-magical and have no magical education. Because of her ancestry, Hermione retains a strong mindset that places her in the revered Gryffindor house and allows her to exceed past her peers exponentially in academics. Hermione’s competitiveness and determination to succeed causes her to appear slightly bossy and overconfident to some, causing them to misunderstand her character and alienate her. In the first novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, she, Harry, and Ron, do not become friends until they undergo a traumatizing experience with the giant, slobbering troll on Halloween. The trio’s bond only strengthens after their multitude of perilous adventures in the following novels.
ol motto -The Hogwarts scho nquam nu s ien rm is Draco do Latin titillandus which is a Sleeping for “Never Tickle Dragon.”
Harry enters Chamber of Secrets, defeats Tom Riddle.
Voldemort regains his body, returning to power.
J.K. Rowling is the esteemed author of the seven Harry Potter novels. Born on July 31, 1965 in Chipping Sodbury, Gloucestershire, England, Rowling began her writing career at the tender age of six. She attended Wyedean School and College and Exeter University, and in 1990, went to Portugal to teach English. There, she married her first husband, Jorge Arantes, a Portuguese journalist, with whom she had her first child, Jessica, in 1993. After they divorced, she and Jessica relocated to Edinburgh, Scotland where, as a single mother, Rowling lived on social welfare. It was then that she was prompted to resume a manuscript she had begun on a train to London in 1990—Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. When the novel was completed, Rowling’s agent spent nearly a year searching for a publisher, Bloomsbury purchased the publication rights in 1996. The publication of her novels has brought her great success, numerous accolades, and great fortune, as she is the thirteenth wealthiest woman in Great Britain.
Harry defeats Voldemort.
Main characters send their own kids off to Hogwarts.
Snape kills Dumbledore, revealed as HalfBlood Prince.
Based on the date on Lily and James Potter’s grave in book seven. hp-lexicon.org, studiotwentyeight.net, amazon.com, jimbotts.com, layout by graphics editor sarah li
Friday, November 19, 2010
The Smoke Signal
www.thesmokesignal.org
I CAN HAS MEMES?
Arts & Entertainment 13
By Vaishaal Shankar and Kevin Zhai Staff Writers
The classical definition of a meme is an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture. What that really means is that anything that is inexplicably popular, that spreads like wildfire – a short clip of a muscular African American man talking about Old Spice, a person awestruck by double rainbows, or Rick Astley singing “Never gonna give you up” – is a meme. Mudkips have taken the internet by storm.
An eagle walking on water inspires jealousy with his talent.
Viral Videos
Watching Youtube has become America’s new favorite past time. The addictive nature of some of the mind numbing clips is puzzling to say the least. This new wave of viral videos isn’t popular for its artistic merit, but rather its simplistic nature and broad appeal. We are no longer satisfied by the song “Chocolate Rain”; we just want to hear the Pokemon Mudkip reciting its name for ten minutes. Each successive generation of these videos is becoming more rudimentary than the previous was. In the early days of the internet it was common for videos to be tailored for a niche audience, such as “Star Wars Rap” and still be considered “viral”. Now the standards have “risen”, to be viral, a video must be, short, sweet, and often stupid.
Language
Phrases tossed around in real life such as “cool story, bro” or “owned” originated from images or wry posts contributed anonymously on imageboards such as 4chan and demonstrate the evolution of language in the texting and IMing generation. Memes contribute short phrases that Internet users instantly associate with emotions or actions. “Haters gonna hate,” for example, gives an aura of confidence along with a mental image of a strutting walk. Memes are a large part of Internet culture and are used in everyday conversation as inside jokes and a way to demonstrate one’s knowledge of current Internet events. The Internet introduces a new agent for language evolution and is transforming the way language can evolve.
Isaiah Mustafa’s Old Spice ads have become wildly popular over the internet.
Images
The “Forever Alone” character emotionally reacts to his loneliness.
There are many different forms of static memes that appear on the Internet. The most popular forms are 4-panel exploitables and image macros. 4-panel exploitables use an empty comic template in which the punchline is a character with a grotesquely emotional face. A popular example of a 4-panel character is “Forever Alone.” These comics tell simple stories that many can relate to on a personal level, such as stubbing a toe or getting placed in the friend zone. These characters have become the next level of emoticons, displaying a much wider range of emotions and with much more impact than a colon and parentheses can. Image macros are pictures with large text in all capital letters superimposed on top. The most mainstream example of an image macro is the lolcat, which uses cats in comical situations and poor English for humorous effect, but image macros can also state witty observations and advice. For example, Philosoraptor ponders: If actions speak louder than words, why is the pen mightier than the sword? Overall, image macros and 4-panel exploitables provides a way for Internet users to demonstrate their cleverness and communicate stories visually.
Philosoraptor ponders a paradox.
blogs.sun-sentinel.com, geekosystem.com, knowyourmeme.com, memegenerator.net
White X-mas
A must see family show
continued from page 1
taking the wrong train. But what happens when the girls accidentally stumble upon them? What will result in the uncomfortable tension that arises? More complications ruin the imagined reunion; Vermont greets the passengers with a setting of surprisingly warm weather for around Christmas time, with guests of the inn (where the performance is scheduled) leaving. With a series of misunderstandings and romantic mix-ups, the performers try to come up with an act that will attract guests, hopefully in time for a “White Christmas”. This is the first time the drama department is staging a winter musical rather than the usual fall play. “The seniors were especially upset: ‘we do musicals in the spring!’ My answer was, ‘how can you do White Christmas in the spring?” laughs Ms. Riley, production head. Another first in musicals is the feature of our school’s award-winning jazz band as part of an integral performance, playing center stage as the entire cast sings along. This is a new concept to originally staged, older musicals.
The attractions of “White Christmas” lie in the impressive song and dance production numbers. Ms. Riley personally asked theater alumni Justin Isla to choreograph the musical. He comments, “It’s a lot of fun. The dances incorporate jazz, tap, and ballroom with a feeling that takes you back to older Hollywood times; it’s a musical not in the sense of modern takes like Glee or High School Musical.” To achieve a brilliant performance, an unusual ensemble cast of 57 students sing, act, and dance with not one, not two, but six lead actors. “Come if you’re looking for a good Christmas show. It’s great for a family or date night,” says Lizzie Bode, student director. Bring a friend, bring the family—and come see this heartwarming musical performance to start off your holiday cheer on December 3,4,10,16, and 18 at 8:00 pm or December 11 and 18 at 2:00 pm. Ticket prices are $12 for general admission or $10 for Universal Performers members, children under 12, and senior citizens. ▪
14 Sports
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The Smoke Signal
Friday, November 19, 2010
On the Road to
March Madness By Jonathon Teng Staff Writer By Grace Han & Amit Patankar Sports Editors
STRIKE THREE: “Jumping on the Bandwagon” A few weeks ago, the campus was filled with MSJ students who were decked out in orange and black to celebrate the Giants’ World Series victory. As a whole, Giants fans were so ecstatic after the team’s first title since it moved to San Francisco that an estimated 500,000 people showed up to the victory parade, most likely more. But how many of these people stuck with the Giants when they went 72-90 in 2008 and were just another Bay Area team that couldn’t get their act together? The truth of the matter is that many of the half-million fans, including a portion at our school, are bandwagoners. A quarter of them probably don’t even know who “The Freak” is. Although many people in the Bay Area did support the Giants in
digitalsportsdaily.com
An estimated half a million fans gathered in San Francisco to cheer on the Giants during their victory parade.
their historic victory, most of them would be lying if they really expected the Giants to make it all the way in August. For a team of misfits and rookies like the Giants, a title run was truly unpredictable. Most people
from the Bay Area just content that a local team has finally won a championship. In sports, it’s easy to follow the crowd and support a team that will stock up on victories and make the playoffs year after year, especially when your team isn’t meeting high standards. This summer, after Lebron James and Chris Bosh announced their move to Miami, jersey sales and tickets for the Heat skyrocketed. The combination of all-stars James, Bosh, and Dwyane Wade on the same team attracted many bandwagoners who sided with the Heat in hopes that “their team” would dethrone the Lakers and win this year’s championship. The sad fact is that most of new Heat fans aren’t even in Miami. They’re from cities where the local team can’t even make the playoffs. The reason that bandwagoning has become so prevalent within the sports community is that people want to experience the pleasure of investing their efforts in success. It’s okay to support a team that’s not local as long as you remain loyal year after year. In the case of teams like the Cleveland Browns or Memphis Grizzlies, it’s understandable that fans may focus their interest on another team to sooth their woes from cheering for such dismal teams. Championship droughts for decades make fans lose faith in their local team’s general managment and players. However, switching to another team just because they have a winning season is downright dishonest. Only by staying true to their team will fans be able to fully experience the joy that comes when years of disappointment are allayed by a final victory. Real fans stick with their team through both success and failure, and when their team eventually hoists the championship trophy, they can proudly and honestly say that they knew their day would come. ▪
The 2010-11 NCAA College Basketball season has just begun. Like every other year, new, talented recruits shine and powerhouse teams dominate the league. With preseason finished in each of the leagues, rankings have highlighted certain teams that are expected to once again excel. Here are some teams that look to play a big factor when March comes around. Duke As the defending national champions, the Blue Devils began the season the same way they ended last year: ranked number one in the preseason College Basketball Top 25 Coaches Poll. Despite the losses of team captains Jon Scheyer and Lance Thomas, along
si.com
Duke Freshman Kyrie Irving hopes to add to the Blue Devils’ success this season.
with senior Brian Zoubek, Duke has many key returning players including Nolan Smith and Kyle Singler. A huge addition is Kyrie Irving, a super-star freshman who dazzled during their first exhibition game victory against St. Augustine. Yet again, Duke boasts a solid team that will definitely be a highly anticipated contender in the upcoming season. Michigan State Last year, Michigan State lost to Butler by
two points in the 2010 Final Four. This year is a different story. MSU only lost one player in the offseason, Raymar Morgan, meaning that this team is perhaps the most experienced force coming into the season. Star point guard Kalin Lucas is back from his injury and talented freshman Adreian Payne should be able to replace Morgan’s role. If MSU can compete at the same intensity as last season, they can certainly emerge as one of the top teams. Purdue They had a trio of star seniors. Everything was pointing in the direction of a national championship for the Purdue Boilermakers—until Robbie Hummel, arguably their best player, tore his ACL for the second straight year. With the injury, their chances for a title have significantly dwindled. However, still with two of the best players in the league, JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore, they will have a good shot at becoming league champions of the Big Ten. Kansas State Even after losing phenomenal guard Denis Clemente, the Wildcats boast preseason AllAmerican Jacob Pullen, who will continue the team’s explosive offense from last season. Their offense will be further solidified by a supreme frontcourt composed of Wally Judge, Freddy Asprilla, and Curtis Kelly. Due to their combination of athleticism and experience, Kansas State should be watched out for by teams all over the country. Year after year, NCAA College Basketball has always been distinguished for the surprises and upsets it generates. Again, this season is packed with exceptional rookies and returning star players, who have formed many high-caliber teams that will duke it out for the number one rank. However, the final challenge that truly awaits them is at the March Madness 2011 Tournament: a formidable tournament where giants fall and underdogs rise to glory. As the season continues, we can only sit and wait to see who comes out on top. ▪
Friday, November 19, 2010
The Smoke Signal
www.thesmokesignal.org
Gymnastics
MVALs | Shaughnessy Playoffs Cancelled
Dominates at MVALs By Grace Han Sports Editor
In their final meet of the season, the MSJ Gymnastics team wrote the perfect ending to their storied season. After compiling a league high 25 members (including four boys), the squad put together a season in which they went undefeated and regained the league title, dis-
sports editor grace han
Junior Leona Zhu (far left), Senior Trina Duarte (third from left), Sophomore Ariel Cheng (third from right) and Senior Victoria Wong (far right) pose will their Elite all-around medals.
sports editor grace han
Sophomore Ariel Cheng dazzles the crowd in her floor routine.
mantling their competition. Their performance at MVALs on Saturday, November 6 was no different. A year full of hard work and commitment paid off as the team took home six of the ten first place Varsity and Elite individual medals and swept both all-around titles. A day filled with dazzling routines was highlighted by a few of MSJ’s best. On floor, Senior Elite Captain Trina Duarte and Sopho-
more Ariel Cheng performed what first year Head Coach Valerie Saito called “picture perfect” floor exercises and were rewarded with the top scores of 9.55 and 9.6, respectively. Sophomore Shalini Chakrabarty and Freshman Doen Lee completed kips for the first time on the uneven bars, a move where the gymnast swings her legs below the bar before pulling herself up. Freshman Stephanie Chin had a great overall performance and finished with the Varsity all-around title, totaling a score of 33.9. On the Elite side, Duarte placed first on beam (9.2) and Cheng finished on top for both uneven bars (9.35) and floor. The two, together with Seniors Victoria Wong and Josephine Suen, Junior Leona Zhu, and Sophomore Melina Robinson, went on to place in six of the top
Professional Gamers: Professional Athletes? By Richie Zeng Staff Writer
Competitive electronic sports (E-Sports) have been around for several decades. From its humble beginnings in local arcade Pacman tournaments, professional gaming has grown into a global phenomenon. Korean Starcraft players like Lee Jae-Dong have massive international followings and Halo pros like Tom Taylor (TSquared) have graced the faces of millions of Dr. Pepper bottles worldwide. Though public awareness of professional gaming is growing, it still remains a relatively niche topic. ESports are essentially competitive videogame tournaments with huge prize pools. Although there is no official league, many tournaments such as World Cyber Games or Major League Gaming offer lucrative money incentives and prestige to their strongest competitors. These high yield tournaments regularly attract professional gamers from all over the world. The result is an intense competition filled with sweat, tears, and cheers; it’s not surprising that many fanatics consider these games to be real sports. Generally, a sport is defined as a competitive physical activity. Considering that definition, E-Sports, though they are competitive, are not real sports. Competitive gaming does have many qualities that make it similar to real sports. Gamers can sometimes be just as dedicated as someone playing in the NBA or NFL, perhaps even more so considering that most gamers don’t make the millions that professional athletes do. They play games professionally because they have a passion to do so, and their tournament earnings
are just enough for them to survive with. Pro gaming leagues do not have a set age limit, and as a result, many high school students can participate professionally at a high level. These young competitors follow strict practice schedules similar to adult professionals. They make the decision from a young age to pursue professional gaming as a career, and as a result show more dedication towards their “sport” than do many high school athletes who choose to only play during their academic career.
nine spots in the Elite all-around. After securing the all-around victory with a score of 36.325 in her last meet, Duarte said the end to her high school gymnastics career was bittersweet, but is glad she was able to “finish off with a bang.” Both Duarte and Senior Varsity Captain Rachel McMullen headed a squad that “began as little groups but came out as a true team.” Saito praised the leadership of both her captains and admitted she “didn’t know it was possible for such a big group to be so tight knit.” With the help of assistant coaches Laurel Masatsugu and Matt Perez, Saito ensured the team would excel by bumping up each gymnast’s skill level week by week. With the many young talents that remain, Saito says there is still much to look forward to for next year. ▪
for Team Sports
continued from page 1
playing the number four team and number two team playing the number three team. The playoffs usually happened over a course of two days, during the last week of the season. This caused teams to sometimes play three or four matches in one week, increasing the chances of injury and fatigue in athletes. “Because of league playoffs, [teams] had to play too many games in a week,” said Athletic Director Tom Thomsen. Teams that will have Shaughnessy cancelled this year include: Girls/ Boys Volleyball, Girls/Boys Water Polo, Girls/Boys Basketball, Girls/ Boys Soccer, Baseball, and Softball. Teams that remain unaffected from the new rule are: Girls/Boys Tennis, Gymnastics, Girls/Boys Cross Country, Wrestling, Badminton, Girls/Boys Swimming, Track and Field, and Boys Golf. Because playoffs have been cancelled for some sports, the seven MVAL schools will need to pay a total of about $4,000 for athletics out of their own funds to make up for the loss of money made during playoff ticket sales. Additionally, teams with close records will not have a chance to play a final match to determine NCS seeding. The team with the best season record automatically advances to NCS regardless of how close their record is to the second place team. In the past, Shaughnessy records were used to strengthen coaches’ arguments at the end-of-the-season meeting where MVAL coaches met to discuss which teams could advance to
NCS. For example, if the number two team defeats the number one team in Shaughnessy, the number two team coach could argue that his or her team should have a chance to play in NCS since they defeated the number one team. Now that playoffs are cancelled, teams on the fringe of advancing will have a lower chance of entering NCS. However, instead of meeting, coaches now submit an at-large application to the athletic committee. The committee will judge which teams should advance to NCS, considering the team’s season record and the difficulty of the opposing teams. For example, if a Division I school has a phenomenal record but only because it played Division III schools, the committee will see that the opponents are not up to par with the competitive standards for the Division I school and not be as likely to give the team a high seeding. Shaughnessy playoffs range in impact from sport to sport and some coaches see the playoffs as a way to push their borderline team over the edge for advancement into NCS. Even with the cancellation of Shaughnessy in some sports, MVAL will remain the only league in NCS that still holds the end-of-the-season playoffs. “Maybe we need to follow suit [with the other schools in NCS] and see what happens,” said Thomsen. The impact of the change is yet to be determined until after this year as many team athletes experience their first year without playoffs at the end of the season. ▪
Girls’ Volleyball: Senior Night By Sida Lu Staff Writer
On Tuesday, November 2, Seniors Maggie Chang, Tiffany Huynh, Ashlyn Iwatani, Madhu Joshi, Elisa Ting, and Vivian Zhang played their last game on the Mission home floor in a hard-fought match against the second-seeded Washington Huskies. Before the match began, however, the seniors were showered with gifts and love from their fans, family, and fellow teammates in the traditional senior night proceedings.
momentum with three consecutive kills. From there, Ting and Junior Maya Ramachandran took over with a combined five kills, two blocks, and one ace to put the Huskies away for good, 25-22. Despite falling behind early in the third game, the Warriors rallied behind their combined serving and aerial attack to pull within one, 9-10. Huynh kept her team in the game with timely kills to prevent the Huskies from mounting a run. Mission’s middle attack also opened up as Ramachandran and Joshi decimated Washington’s passing corps.
nytimes.com
Str8 Rippin, the 2008 Halo 3 National Champions, is a popular MLG team with a large fanbase.
The competitiveness is the reason some say E-Sports are classified as real sports, but the fact is that the most athletic activity gamers would ever achieve from a videogame would be a good thumb exercise. That’s not to say, however, that physical health is not important to a professional gamer. They are very health conscious and follow regular workout schedules to keep them fit. As Taylor puts it, “It’s all about the mental benefits of feeling healthy.” E-Sports are definitely intensely competitive, but saying that they are sports is a stretch. Play for fun, play as a hobby, play because you love it, but don’t play videogames because you plan to dedicate your life to playing professionally. ▪
Sports 15
staff writer sida lu
From left to right: Seniors Vivian Zhang, Tiffany Huynh, Elisa Ting, Madhu Joshi, Maggie Chang, and Ashlyn Iwatani played their last game on their home court.
Frivolous thoughts had to be quickly put aside as the Huskies came roaring out of the gate. Led by Captain Chessie Santeramo and 6’3’’ star hitter Konami Yokoyama, Washington quickly took a 9-3 lead in the first game. Despite great hustle plays by the Warriors, shaky passing prevented their offense from getting into a rhythm and the Huskies took the opening game, 15-25. After some inspirational words from Head Coach Daniel Yang in the huddle, the Warriors quickly regained their composure to maintain a slim lead over the Huskies for much of the second game. Sophomore Shannon Chua gave MSJ the
The middle attack, coupled with unforced sloppy errors by the Huskies allowed MSJ to catch up, 19-20. After pushing the score to 22-23, the Warriors called a time out to rally for the final push. Unfortunately, they couldn’t succeed as Yokoyama crushed two more line drives and the Huskies prevailed, 25-22. Building on their previous momentum, the Huskies came out strong to build a 12-9 lead and threatened to finish off MSJ. But the Warriors once again showed their resiliency and banded together to go on a 4-0 run to take the lead, 13-12. However, they were shaken up on a series of non calls and the momen-
staff writer sida lu
Senior Tiffany Huynh and Junior Maya Ramachandran go for the block.
tum shifted as Washington took a dominating 22-15 lead. Slowing down after playing four long games, the Warriors looked to put up one last stand. Ting’s pinpoint serves and Huynh and Ramachandran’s frontline play helped Mission pull within 22-24 after a 7-2 run. Still, they ultimately came up short as Yokoyama ended the game with a roof block straight into the ground. MSJ lost the match, three games to one. Despite the loss, the Lady Warriors walked off the court with heads held high as the home crowd showered them with applause. Tearful goodbyes soon followed as the six seniors truly realized that their playing days in the Mission gym were over. Said Huynh after the game, “Although we are a young team with a new coach, the intensity and hard work we put forth every day is what sets us apart from other teams. I definitely wasn’t expecting to do as well as we did over the season and I’m truly happy to be part of this team I like to call my second family.” The Warriors eventually moved on to play in NCS as the ninth seed and lost to Heritage High School in four hard fought games. They finished 16-12 overall. ▪
16 Sports
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The Girls’ Water Polo team has always been competitive, and this season was no exception. This year’s team was filled with many returning juniors and seniors and has been led by Captains Juniors Laura Conn and Tatiana McCuaig and Senior Anna Kim. After racking up eight wins and only two losses, both against longtime rival Washington, the team was able to place second in league. The team also managed to grab a sixth seed at NCS, where they advanced to the second round before losing to Foothill High School.
With Senior Captains Sonia Fan and Sahana Kribakaran leading the way, the Girls’ Tennis Team had a fantastic season with a league record of 11-1. Although they weren’t able to defend their NCS team title from last year, they did move on to the second round in the tournament and performed very well at MVALs. “We’re really happy we won the league title…it’s been a very good season,” said Fan.
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The Girls’ Golf team has had an excellent season with a record of 10-2. Headed by Captains Junior Taneesh Sra and Senior Jorgie Wu, the team won every tournament they attended, placed first in MVALs and sixth at NCS. Sra said, “I think that this was one of the best seasons that MSJ has had in seven years. For a while we were undefeated. We worked really hard over the summer and had some great victories in tournaments and meets.”
Friday, November 19, 2010
Even with a relatively young team, the Girls’ Volleyball team finished 8-4 in league play and 1612 overall. Under the leadership of Senior Captains Elisa Ting and Tiffany Huynh, the team ended the season ranked third in MVAL and received a ninth seed in NCS, advancing to the tournament for the third straight year. They also brought home the second place trophy in the Dougherty Valley Tournament earlier this season. Although six seniors will be graduating, the team has high hopes for the upcoming year.
By Connor Williams and Michael Wu Staff Writers
After losing many seniors from the previous season, the Boys’ Water Polo team has used this season as an opportunity to give younger players more playing time, accumulating a solid record none-theless. Seniors Anson Fan and Grant Huang have guided the team to 6-4, good for third place in league. “We improved from last year, but we still have a very young team so we are looking forward to more success next year,” said Fan.
The Varsity Football team has had a surprising showing this fall season. With an upset win over De Anza High School with a score of 27-6, the team has gone 1-9 across the entire season. Next year’s Varsity squad is expected to be solid as many players from a strong JV team are moving up into Varsity. Head Coach Rob VanDeusen was proud of his players’ effort this season and said, “This was a group of players that have worked all year and never quit no matter what the situation was.”
As traditional powerhouses in Cross Country, both the Boys’ and Girls’ teams have retained strong lineups this Fall season. With the boys finishing 4-2 and the girls 3-3, both teams remained poised to make an impact at MVAL finals and finished off another impressive season. At MVALs boys placed fourth and the girls placed second. “This was one of our best years and groups. Both of the varsity teams bonded really well. We are looking forward to see how we fare in NCS.” said Head Coach Jack Marden.
A season of long hard work paid off as the gymnastics team was able to finish with a 4-0 record and win MVALs. Senior Captains Trina Duarte and Rachel McMullen said “We won all four meets, giving us the league title. The best part was the addition of all the members we got this year. At MVALs we had everyone place first in every division. It was a great season overall.”
layout by graphics editor sarah li, photos by smoke signal staff and courtesy jorgie wu and blair ackerland, tuxxtreme.deviantart.com