Vol. XLVII, No. 9

MISSION SAN JOSE HIGH SCHOOL

VOL. XLVII, NO. 9

June 8, 2012

41717 PALM AVENUE, FREMONT, CA 94539

archives, msjasb.org, layout by staff writer nihar parikh

Summer campus improvements

Pink slips follow up

By Alice Zalan Centerpread Editor

courtesy sandra prairie

Artist sketch of the upcoming 2-story building scheduled for groundbreaking this mid-summer.

By Vipin Dulam Staff Writer The returning students of MSJ might see some changes to their campus by next year. This summer, MSJ has several major projects that are scheduled to take place.

After many years of use, The PWing is finally being planned to be shut-down and renovated. The portables that the school has, situated between the student parking lot and

the M-Wing, are to be replaced by a two-story building that school administration has been working hard to get approved. After over a year of constant effort, the project was finally sanctioned by the Fremont Unified School District (FUSD).

The plans, designs and architectural layouts of the building have been drawn out.

If all goes well and according to schedule, FUSD will put this project out for bids by early summer, and

June 11-13 Final Exams 12:30 pm dismissal

June 13 Last day of school

the ground-breaking for the building is supposed to be scheduled for approximately mid-summer.

“The main problem we’ll be facing is actually the pre-construction: taking away all the portables and laying out the underground piping for the new building to use,” says Principal Sandra Prairie. The actual building itself is pre-built off site and then brought to the construction site for the final interior decoration, similar to how the A-Wing

June 14 Graduation Tak Stadium 7:30 pm

was built in 2010.

The funding for this project is carried out by a mixture of federal and state funds. The state categorizes all projects under two bases: “preferential,” or “non-preferential.”

Sandra Prairie says, “This project was characterized as non-preferential and therefore could not use district bond money specified for

In March of every school year, pink slips are typically passed out district wide to those who may not be hired back. However, this year the Fremont Unified School District (FUSD), as well as other districts, sent out pink slips to, not only those who could potentially be let go, but to all administrators. Rather than a formal declaration of being let go, it was a recognition that reassignment may occur within the administration staff. At a February 22 Board meeting, FUSD decided it was a necessary precaution to hand out the slips as district policy states notification must be out by March 15. At MSJ, four administrators have received notifications: Principal Sandra Prairie, Vice Principal Zack Larsen, Assistant Principal Carli Kim, and Assistant Principal Diana Brumbaugh.

When asked about this new measure, Prairie said, “It offers the district an opportunity for flexibility in case funding doesn’t occur. They’re going to need to make drastic cuts. There needs to be cuts to all levels of district employees and district spending be-

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News in Brief

thestar.com

Queen Elizabeth memorabilia on sale at the Diamond Jubilee in London.

MIT students invent “Liquiglide” Mechanical engineering students at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have invented a substance called “Liquiglide.” Made out of harmless materials, it can be sprayed onto food containers made of anything from plastic to metal. It reduces surfaceto-substance adhesion and eliminates the need for squeezing and pounding, especially in ketchup and mustard bottles. Kripa Varanasi, the professor of mechanical engineering at MIT says, “I never thought a ketchup bottle would make us this famous.”

After 22 years of teaching at Hopkins Junior High and 38 years as an educator, 8th grade Honors Science Teacher Paul Ricks is retiring. Ricks is leaving behind a legacy in the science department and the local community. His dedication to educating students in his many years at Hopkins has undoubtedly contributed to the success of the Hopkins Science Department.

Ricks began his career as an educator in 1974 after he graduated from UC Berkeley. He says that he has always had a passion for education and being in the classroom.

When asked about his most valuable teaching philosophy he said, “Be an independent thinker. Don’t be afraid to delve into new ideas, new ground, and sometimes you have to go against the flow in terms of the way you think. Remember that science is a process it’s not a group of facts.”

As a dedicated teacher, Ricks’ reputation of having a challenging curriculum made a significant impact on many of his students’ lives.

According to past students, Ricks’ challenging teaching methods motivated them to search beyond the textbook. Freshman Kevin Zeng says, “His curriculum goes quite in depth with a bunch of demonstrations and labs that help people understand concepts. It’s not just from a textbook; it’s much more than that.” Ricks acknowledges his challenging teaching methods saying that, “I’d like to think that I’ve convinced some students that they have

rsstecnologia.com

Livermore gains new fame in the periodic table As per the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry, on May 31, element 116 officially became known as Livermorium with the symbol Lv. I t has been named after the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) and the city of Livermore. The name was proposed by scientists at the laboratories that worked together to make the discovery and was officially approved by an international body. The LLNL has played a part in the discovery of six elements, elements 113 to 118, since its foundation in 1952.

the ability to work hard, think critically, and solve scientific problems.”

Although it is still undecided who will take his place in the 8th grade honors program, Ricks believes that his colleagues are capable of continuing to lead a successful program.

Ricks is not only a valuable teacher but a coach for the nationally ranked Hopkins Science Bowl teams. With his guidance, the Hopkins Science Bowl team has consistently placed in the top three nationally every year since 2008.

Sophomore Raghu Dhara, captain of the 2010 Science Bowl team which won third place, is appreciative to this day, saying, “He was also a great coach for the two years I was involved in Science Bowl at Hopkins, sacrificing dozens of lunch hours for team practices, and investing his own money for our buzzers.

The successes we achieved could certainly not have been possible without his help. Most importantly, he didn’t teach us what to learn, but how to, which is far more important.” After his retirement, Honors Science Teacher Anja Crickmore and Science Teacher Paul Cornett will take over as Science Bowl coaches.

For Ricks, seeing his students succeed is the most rewarding part of his career, saying, “I can look back and say it has been a very very satisfying career.” He thoroughly enjoys receiving emails from past students telling him about their accomplishments in different fields of study. He always jokes that if any of his students win a Nobel Prize, he would love to be invited to the ceremony

Paperless Maze Day

By Aishwarya Thakur Staff Writer

“Liquiglide,” created by MIT students, eliminates the task of squeezing and pounding associated with ketchup bottles.

MSJ is adapting to the rapidly advancing world by initiating a “Paperless Maze Day.” Forms that are usually received before Maze Day will now be available for parents and students to access on the MSJ website.

As key organizer of this initiative, Mission Possible President Martha Kreeger said, “We are adapting to the 21st century by going paperless. This will make things easier, save money, and parents can have the information for as long as they want.” MSJ wants to make the process of filling out forms for Maze Day easier for the parents as well as for the staff handling it. Parents now only have to fill in their information once instead of multiple times on different forms. The school also will not have to make copies of material to send home to parents. Most of what is sent home is just for information and can easily be read on a computer screen.

The only papers that families will be receiving are a letter explaining the change to a paperless Maze Day, a postcard, and the emergency card. If parents do not receive a postcard, they must re-

quest the office to mail them another one.

A postcard will not be handed to them, as mailing the postcard checks to see if one’s address matches the office’s records.

In July, forms such as the September newsletter, Maze Day schedule, and Boosters signup will be available online for parents. “Those on vacation won’t miss out on receiving the forms and they can even start to view the forms as early as July,” Secretary to the Principal CathyClaiborne said. Those who are worried about not being able to pick up the Maze Day packet from the horseshoe can now easily access these papers online.

No changes, though, will be made to Maze Day itself. Students will still come at a designated time to school to sign up for lockers, take ID pictures, acquaint themselves with the clubs on campus, and get excited over their new schedules.

The only thing that will be different is that students won’t have to carry with them a big envelope with all the forms that they need to turn in.

The beginning of the year can be chaotic, but the Paperless Maze Day organizers are working to make it less so.

This clean, green, and effective procedure is just the first step for MSJ in adapting to the advancing world around us. ▪

for the may 4, 2012 issue News page 1: Joshua Shao is a junior.

News page 2: Anjali Kanthilal’s name was misspelled.

News page 2: News Editors Allan Ko and Mekala Neelakantan wrote “Campus Beautification.”

News page 2: Misaki Murakami’s name was misspelled.

Opinion page 5: Anusha Rijhsinghani drew the “Multicultral Week.” pakmed.net

Livermorium was discovered by the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory on May 31.

COMPILED BY STAFF WRITERS KERRIE WU, SHERRY XIAO, AND LINDY ZENG

Friday, June 8, 2012

Dr. Paul Ricks retires as Hopkins science teacher

By Grace Wu Staff Writer

London celebrates Queen Elizabeth Those in London are celebrating the Diamond Jubilee, a commemoration of Queen Elizabeth II’s 60 years on the throne. The four day festivities will include the Epsom Derby, the Diamond Jubilee Paegent, a concert outside Buckingham Palace, and a special carriage precession through the streets of London, among other things.

Queen Elizabeth is the second longest reigning monarch in the history of Britain, following Queen Victoria who reigned for 63 years. As such, Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897 is the only precedent for this event. The event is expected to bring in $312 million in memorabilia sales.

The Smoke Signal

Opinion page 5: Sherry Xiao drew the “‘Multicultral Food Map.” Opinion page 7: Supriya Yelimeli’s name misspelled.

Centerspread page 13, 16: Anjali Kanthilal took photos.

Centerspread page 14: El Salvador’s flag was misidentified.

Centerspread page 16: Jason Chen wrote “MC Week Food and Fun.”

in Sweden.

Ricks’ decision to retire was an extremely difficult one he says.

When asked what he will miss most about teaching he replied, “The students, no question. I’m always amazed at the levels of thinking of different students. I’ve learned from students that there’s no end to the possibilities of what they can do if they’re willing to go out there and try.” After he retires, he plans to travel with his wife and conduct some independent research.

His devotion to his students and education has recently been recognized as he was nominated as a finalist for the 2012 Comcast SportsNet All-Star Teacher Award, which will be announced on June 27 live from AT&T Park. Ricks says he’s flattered that he was nominated and that Comcast has chosen him to be one of the few finalists out of many great teachers. If he wins, Comcast

SportNets will donate $20,000 to Hopkins Junior High.

There is no doubt that Ricks is a beloved teacher who will be missed by students, teachers, and the whole community. Ricks was not only a science teacher but also a long time boy’s basketball coach at Hopkins.

Ricks’ retirement is bittersweet for many past students, many are sorry for future generations who will not be able to interact with such a respected and compassionate teacher.

His instrumental efforts to improve the Hopkins science department, encourage students to appreciate science, teach students to think critically and for themselves, and his dedication to his students and basketball players will never be forgotten throughout the community.

As for some last words of wisdom: Ricks says, “Don’t be a sheep; there’s no limit to what you can achieve when you think on your own.” ▪

science.energy.gov

From left: Rohan Mathuria (10), Secretary Steven Chu, Raghu Dhara (10), Hemang Jangle (9), and Coach Paul Ricks at the 2010 National Science Bowl.

CAMPUS | improvements continued from page 1 construction, but fortunately, the FUSD decided to use its unallocated funds to sanction this project.” Once the State funding comes in, it will replenish that portion of FUSD’s funds.

Other problems that arise from the construction can easily be taken care of. “The student parking lot will be in need of re-paving…but that and re-doing the blacktop shouldn’t be a big problem,” says Sandra Prairie. This building would be the first two-story building on our campus, and would also introduce a brand new handicap accessible classroom, that the school currently lacks.

Another big project that MSJ will be seeing this summer is fixing the phone-system problem that the school is facing. Technicians will have to address a central connection problem at first and then reboot each phone on campus, one by one. The central phone system went through a software breakdown disabling each phone from communicating with each other.

Mission Possible has plans to

formulate reports and project proposals over the summer to submit to FUSD for approval by next fall.

One of the projects they have in mind is refurbishing the driveway into the student parking lot. There are plans to re-pave the road and put in trees on the sides for its beautification.

Vice Principal Zack Larsen, a member of Mission Possible, is working hard to get this and other projects sanctioned by next year. His motivation stems from his desire to reflect the brilliant high achieving students we are, not only through our test scores, but also by improving our campus’s neatness and beauty.

“One of my friends who was visiting from the San Ramon school district was surprised that such a highly ranked school would have a campus so old and mid-tier facilities,” says Larsen, “that’s when I realized that campus beautification is an integral part of keeping everyone happy: the staff as well as the students. They’ll love their school, and appreciate where they are every day.” ▪

Friday, June 8, 2012

The Smoke Signal

PINK| notifications continued from page 1 cause when you look at it, school per say, over 90 percent of the budget goes to salaries so if you’re going to make any cuts you’re going to have to modify the salary schedule.”

As it is, if these reassignments do go through there will be many changes to the school and community. Principal Prairie said, “We’re [administrators] not worried about losing our jobs. We are more concerned about what the potential might be. For us, and for all the high schools, it’s a safety factor. When you have 2200 kids there are so many new requirements in terms of IEPs, 504s, and requirements for the district in terms of funding sources that have to be overseen.” It seems as if there may be more consequences for the students. With a potentially diminishing number of administrators, as well as teachers, the student to teacher ratio will increase from the current 28 to one and the ability of administrators to look after students will be reduced.

Not only can this potentially affect the student body, but it increases the amount of work done by the administrators left. The FUSD already has a meager budget as well as one of the smallest administrative teams of surrounding districts. With the increase in workload there is a higher chance of mistakes, fatigue, and stress.

However, a solution may be at hand. In November of this year, a ballot proposed as part of Governor Jerry Brown’s attempt to minimize the amount of cutting done to the education budget will be voted on. If approved, these tax hikes would diminish the deficit from $16 million to $9 million; its effects would include less administrators and teachers losing jobs. As of now, schools and districts are running out of ways to minimize the loss of teachers and administrators. The situation at MSJ will have to wait until the upcoming school year to see if any changes will actually be implemented. ▪

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News 3

Police dogs to search FUSD campuses

By Matt Farberov Staff Writer On April 25, the FUSD School Board voted 3-2 to approve a new program in which Fremont Police Department K-9 units will be allowed on FUSD campuses. The specially trained dogs will be used to search for narcotics and illegal weapons on campus.

Beginning next fall, police dogs will be visiting each FUSD campus several times a year to conduct random searches of cars in the school lots and lockers. The dogs will not be allowed to search the bodies or backpacks of students. School Resource Officer Gregory Pipp said, “Ideally it would be when students are in class. We want to make sure that it is as little of a distraction as can be.”

Students and some teachers have expressed concern about the necessity of the district-wide program. “It’s unnecessary for this campus” said Government Teacher Jaime Richards. According to Pipp, the program

will not cost the district nor the Fremont Police Department any additional money.

The police dogs that will be utilized and their handlers are already fully paid members of the police force. Checking schools will just be another assignment for the officers. “We aren’t charging the school district. It’s just part of our relationship” said Pipp.

As news of the plan spread throughout MSJ, many students expressed outrage and concern over their privacy. Sophomore John Hazam asked, “Are they legally allowed to do that?” Indeed, with the school board’s approval, the program is legal because any and all pupils or their property is subject to search while at public school. Sophomore Zeki Yasar said, “We have rights, it’s a bad idea.”

Despite Yasar’s point, students are not protected under search and seizure clauses whilst at school. Public schools have the unique right to conduct searches of any individual or their property so long as they are on campus.

Regardless of the legality of the program, Se-

articles.nydailynews.com

nior Class Secretary Nealay Vasavda said, “It’s an unnecessary invasion of privacy.” Senior Candice Tandiono echoed his point, “I don’t think it’s necessary because we don’t have a drug issue here.”

MSJ students were not the only ones concerned over the new plan. Irvington High Junior Erica Tietz said, “Without a prevalent use of drugs on school grounds, I find it fairly useless to put time and effort into fixing a problem that doesn’t seem too serious to begin with.” School Board trustee Bryan Gebhardt, who voted against the plan, said in an interview with the Argus, “I would much prefer that we exhaust every other option before we consider random searches like this, and I’m not supportive at this time,” he said. “I think there’s enough controversy around this, and it’s enough of an invasion (of privacy) of the vast majority of our students that are doing nothing wrong.” Trustee Larry Sweeney questioned the necessity of the program.

“Our problem with drugs and alcohol is a real problem,” he said. “I don’t know if it rises to this level.”

The new program is being rolled out, not so much as a response to drug issues, but more as a new normal practice. Pipp explained that we are simply “following a trend in district policy.” Schools throughout the Bay Area such as in Livermore, Pleasanton, and Newark have implemented similar plans throughout the past year. “It’s a tool. It would be nice to use that tool to help keep the school safe” said Pipp, “[The program] is one of those things that you’re following industry standard” he said.

The minutes from the April 25 meeting where the decision took place are available on the FUSD website, www.fremont.k12. ca.us along with a draft of the plan. The unannounced K-9 visits are scheduled to begin at the start of the 2012-2013 school year. ▪

Spotlight: Robertson High School

Sierra LaMar case progresses

By Andrew Han Editor-in-Chief

By Kerrie Wu Staff Writer

On March 16, Sierra LaMar, a sophomore at Sobrato High School in Morgan Hill, CA, went missing on the way to school. Shortly after her disappearance, authorities found LaMar’s cell phone a few blocks from her usual bus stop, as well as her pink Juicy brand bag, containing a neatly folded T-shirt and pants.

On May 21, police arrested 21-year old Antolin Garcia-Torres in front of a Morgan Hill Safeway store. The next day, Sheriff Laurie Smith of the Santa Clara County Sheriff ’s Department announced that Garcia-Torres was charged with the alleged murder and kidnapping of Sierra LaMar. “We developed this through our investigation based on direct and circumstantial evidence, including forensic analysis conducted by the Santa Clara County DA’s crime lab,” Sheriff Smith said in a press conference. Investigators had placed Garcia-Torres on 24-hour surveillance beginning last March, after DNA evidence from LaMar’s bag suggested his involvement. He is also a suspect in a series of three unsolved assaults in March 2009.

Those who know Garcia-Torres recently commented that they were surprised by the charges against him. “They’re making him look like a monster when he’s not,” said Alondra Garcia, his sister. Kenneth Piccolo, a former high school English teacher of Garcia Torres, described him as “always respectful, very polite” and a “bigger-than-life presence on campus; very social.”

LaMar’s parents, despite the charges, have not given up hopes of finding their daughter alive. “We continue to pray until she is found,” Marlene LaMar, Sierra’s

Robertson High School (RHS) is the only continuation high school serving the Fremont Unified School District. It offers an alternative high school education for young people who find it difficult to succeed in a traditional comprehensive high school setting and have fallen behind in credits, often due to attendance problems and missing class often.

RHS has many characteristics that make it ideal for students struggling in comprehensive high schools. RHS is a small school featuring small class sizes, with a student to teacher ratio of 22 to 1, and the campus includes a daycare for parenting students who may want to be close to their child during the day. RHS follows a trimester schedule with three grading periods each year, which allows students to earn up to 90 credits (18 courses) a school year as opposed to 60 credits (12 courses) on a semester schedule. Students can gain additional credits from extra classes on campus, at ROP, or at adult school, or stay at RHS for a fifth year if they believe an extra year would give them enough credits to graduate. These extra opportunities help students make up past credit deficiencies.

From the 2007-08 school year to the close of the 2010-11 school year, RHS has made many improvements evident in data, increasing the average number of credits each student completes per school year from 25 to 61 and the number of graduates each year from 48 to

morganhilltimes.com

Antolin Garcia-Torres has been charged with alleged murder and the kidnapping of Sierra Lamar.

mother, told local media. “Our search is not going to end. As a mother I’m hopeful. Her body has not been found and that gives me hope.” Investigators, however, said they are sure that Sierra is dead, but are continuing to look for clues leading to her body. Her parents pleaded with Garcia-Torres to disclose more information regarding Sierra. “I do have a plea to the perpetrator. Please give the information that you have...” Marlene LaMar said.

“Lead us to Sierra and end this nightmare. Come forward and say where she is and end this nightmare for us as a family.”

Marc Klaas, founder of the KlaasKids foundation (an organization that seeks to prevent crimes against children), has been organizing volunteer searches since Sierra disappeared. Klaas said that until Sierra’s body is found, he and his volunteers will continue conducting searches “in hopes of finding Sierra alive.” ▪

91. RHS has also increased its Academic Performance Index from 443 in 2007 to 568 in 2011, and the average daily attendance from 77 percent to 89 percent in the past few years.

According to RHS Principal Salvador Herrera, some of the changes that helped bring about these improvements included only enrolling students at three scheduled intakes, instead of letting comprehensive high schools send students at any time in the school year.

Teachers also make pacing guides and go deeper into the most essential concepts, rather than cover more concepts quickly. Another factor is creating a culture where students feel safe and have a sense of belonging, as well as connecting with the teacher and engaging in class. “If you build a good program that engages students, they’re going to learn and they’re going to come to school,” says Herrera.

Despite being a credit recovery program at the core, RHS has a sports program that coordinates basketball, volleyball, and softball teams to compete against other local continuation high schools, and also has an annual Multicultural Week, Spirit Week, and prom. There are often organized games during lunch and barbeques for the whole school and for students who are doing especially well in classes. “ I know there is a stigma out in the community that the bad kids [go to Robertson] and it’s not a good place to be, but once students get here, they think differently and are happy to be here,” says Herrera. ▪

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of Courts!

The Finale

By Courtney Tam Opinion Editor

college. The freedom, the incredible expanse of topics to explore It’s finally over.

Our four years of toiling over in classes, and the world renowned high school coursework late at professors to learn from seemed so night, studying for SAT and Ad- appealing, but at the same time, I vanced Placement exams with could not rid myself of the fear of mounds of prep books, and at- settling into an entirely different tending high school social func- universe for another four years.

As I sat at the kitchen table, tions, experiences commonly associated with high school have telling (probably for the hundreth come to what, on the brink of time) my father about my feeling summer, seems like a screeching slightly nostalgic and sad towards the end of my high school career halt.

Commenced are the daily as he was munching on dinner, he countdowns, rapidly growing in calmly and simply said, “Courtney, an exponential fashion are the it’s not the end. It’s only the beginanxiety and exicitement—all ning of a great number of years to towards the last day of school come.”

His words reminded me that I and the day throngs of graduating students clad in crisp white had no reason to be caught up in and forest green robes proudly a (slightly depressing) position in conquer their way across a stage. which I felt like I was in the midst But what’s ending is a major of a rapidly ending finale of a era in each graduating student’s lengthy, expansive film. There is no life: the comfort of a multi-year reason to feel sad, there is no reasphere, the daily routine of high son to feel as though all is lost, and there is no reason to feel as though school life.

I’d be kidding myself, prob- college and the vast future instanably along with many other in- taneously equates to a blank slate, a dividuals, if I proclaimed that I complete unknown.

Rather, that fear should be wistnever felt a pang of fear, a pang of sadness at closing the first fully grasped and channeled into a major chapter in my academic completely justified, nervous encareer and taking what seemed ergy and excitement for what the to be miniscule steps a while future holds.

This epic, four-year long jourago into a future of unknown and mystery. My graduation, an ney to a grand finale in our lives event that I’ve envisioned for so is only one of the many doors we long, has finally arrived in a time close as we open another to a great period of less than a week; quite future. Congratulations to the class frankly, I am not prepared for its of 2012 and the best of luck in the future. ▪ arrival in any way or manner.

But after animatedly learnSend letters to the editor to ing more and more about the college experience, I soon began opinion@thesmokesignal.org to feel hopelessly excited for

EDITORIAL: Dress Code Violations

Opinion 5

anthology Time is Precious

By Anthony Chen Opinion Editor

When I look back upon my high school career I see more than just the achievements on paper; there is a background to everything that has happened, and there are especially glaring inefficiencies. I’m sure you’ve been told how much time you waste on Facebook, playing video games, watching Youtube, or whatnot, but it’s really only when you look back upon your four years here that you truly realize how stupidly wasteful you were with your precious time. Such a feeling really only hits when your time is gone.

It’s one of my only regrets of high school, and I suppose everyone has it to some extent. Anyone claiming to be 100 percent efficient is a phony or a motivational speaker, especially if they claim to be some sales pitch number like “120 percent efficient.” Let’s be realistic here; 120 percent efficiency isn’t physically possible, and 100 percent efficiency will kill you. So we might try to hit, say, 80 percent, but such a concentrated effort is tiring and hard to maintain. So we drift off course and instead watch a TED talk, or a movie trailer, or maybe just another cat video.

It’s easy to expend such little effort, and that’s what makes it so egregiously harmful for you.

When I was going through high school I was honestly convinced at some points in time that I was at my limit in terms of time management and I was doing as much work as possible. I was delusional. I think I’m a workaholic, to be honest, but even then I missed out on a lot of useful time for recreation (or work) by simply being inefficient and mixing work and play. The mind wanders, transitions are not as fast as you may want them

to be, and all of a sudden homework is taking twice as long as it should, it’s late, you’re tired, and you decide to watch a movie, or get all emotionally worked up and write a disparaging or melancholic Tumblr post. Late nights are strange times filled with questionable judgment.

Lack of sleep will do that to you, which does bring me to my next point.

Have you ever seen the picture floating around on the internet that says something along the lines of “Academics, Social Life, Sleep: Pick Two?” Don’t think like that. It’s merely an enabling mechanism, a poor excuse to allow yourself to continue meandering on in life while you throw small bits of it away. You can have all three and pull it off successfully, but it takes effort. It takes sound judgment. You can exercise neither after pulling an all-nighter (well, some people can, but not after the second all-nighter). Sleeping late used to be cool in maybe junior high, but nowadays, and especially when we’re in college, sleep is precious. Stop shopping online if you know you’re not going to buy anything. Or at least designate a time for it, after you get your priorities straight. Ignoring them for a bit of indulgence is like a heroin addict ignoring the glaring problems of the future. Not as bad, of course, but the self-destructive behavior is similar.

I have some bad habits, and looking back I wish I could’ve worked more and played more. I’ve had my fair share of both, but there could’ve been much more. So I urge all you underclassmen: be efficient, don’t waste time, work hard, and play hard. You can have it all and so much more. ▪ Send letters to the editor to

opinion@thesmokesignal.org

A Graphic Opinion of the Smoke Signal Editorial Board

staff writer jade shi

Send letters to the editors at opinion@thesmokesignal.org. staff writer kevin he

6 Opinion

somalia: gaming to save youth? www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, June 8, 2012

Last month, the Associated Press released a story revolving around a unique solution to a rather problematic dilemma. Somalian teens are gaming to avoid war. Ever since the Somalian branch of the al-Qaeda terrorist organization, the al-Shabab, began anchoring its global presence, it has been ushering teenagers to join the revolutionary cause. These young men are restless for change and excitement, eventually deciding to join al-Shabab to ease their discontentment. The recruitment of teenage and pre-teen boys continues; but now, it must compete with the video game.

Parents and teachers argue that keeping the children occupied with games will save them from the al-Shabab, but this leads to yet another dilemma: does gaming really help?

CON:

By Anna Zeng Staff Writer

Gaming has popularly carried the characteristics of short-term gain but long-term loss. Gamers immerse themselves in virtual worlds and challenge themselves in order to gain joy of accomplishment from these programmed experiences. This short-term gain is related to temporary improvements in mood, but is hailed to be detrimental to long-term development, mainly in the form of poor time management and increased violence.

However, these issues only occur in addicted gamers; in moderation, video gaming presents a range of benefits that make games loveable in both the short term and the long term.

For one, gaming saves lives in the Middle East.

Teenagers, who might otherwise join a branch organization of al-Qaeda, are staying home and enjoying their lack of physical destruction. But wait! Somalian youth are caught between the choice of fighting or gaming, but education is undoubtedly the best way to keep children off the streets. Why is education no longer an option?

Let’s go to the basic issue: al-Shabab looks for teenage boys in secondary school to recruit members. Commu-

nity paranoia spread once recruiters started prowling around campuses. A United Nations report from last year said that schools were major year-round attractions for militant recruiters. About 50 schools were shut down in southern Somalia alone, in fear of skirmishes between government and al-Shabab forces arising from the refusal to follow recruitment demands.

The Somalian parents’ general consensus is right: gaming is the lesser of two evils. Without the option of safely attending school, teenagers would have to turn to an alternate activity to occupy their time without endangering their lives by joining the al-Shabab.

The irresistible pull to complete a new quest, set a high score, or defeat a virtual opponent has proved strong enough to keep children away from the presence of militant recruiters.

The lesser-of-the-two-evils logic also holds true in the US. Some may believe that violent video gaming influences children’s minds to act the same way in real life, causing an increase in youth violence. However, federal crime statistics from the Department of Justice reveal that current juvenile crime rates are about 40 percent lower than the rate 15 years ago. Though major technological advancements have contributed to

the reduction in crime rate, none of these contributions have as dramatic an impact as gaming. If gaming has been negatively influencing children, the juvenile crime statistics should reflect a consistent increase in crime, even after considering how gaming keeps youth off the streets. Since the mid-90s, the juvenile crime rate has been decreasing every year except the year of the housing market crash.

Video games actually have little to do with teenage time management. A 2007 study monitoring time management of over a thousand teenagers yielded an astonishing set of observations. There is largely no relation between the amount of time spent gaming and the amount of time playing sports or doing homework.

Though a relationship was found between gaming and social interaction, the study showed that increased gaming actually improves the amount of social interaction. Any minor decreases in time allocated towards homework were not observed as spending less effort on academics, but as possible increases in efficiency.

Gaming is just another medium of entertainment, like books, television, radio, and Internet, but it also keeps people out of trouble and aids in time management. In the case of Somali youth, video games may be instrumental is saving their lives. ▪

PRO:

By Kevin He Staff Writer

While the popular opinion in most first world countries is that video games promote only lethargy, violence, and ill-mannered behavior, the parents of many teenagers in war-torn Somalia have come to the conclusion that video games are a proper alternative to the very real violence outside. While video games have indeed been proven effective in keeping the teenagers off the streets, they have also been enticing the few students that once still went to school to instead spend their days lounging about in video game parlors or before their home television sets.

The al-Shabab militia’s forced recruitment tactics have scared many parents into actually encouraging their children to either stay at home or to pay regular visits to video game parlors. But how long until the al-Shabab militia begins using these crowded video game parlors as their

new recruitment grounds? In fact, the high-energy action-packed world of video games may just be the perfect tool for the al-Shabab. Students seeking the violence and excitement of video games, or perhaps the means to procure more video games, may turn to the al-Shabab as a potential outlet for warlike misconceptions.

The stigma against video games is not without reasons. While these games are generally harmless in moderate amounts, these students are using gaming as a complete alternative for school, spending several hours a day in front of their brightly colored pixels.

How long before these students begin to view their games as a necessary part of their daily lives, rather than a temporary preventative measure? Even worse, how long before video games simply become another problem with which the Somalian parents have to cope with, in addition to the inevitable resurgence of military recruitment? Eventually, these students will become lethargic, listless, and easy prey for the alShabab. Should these teenagers risk being coerced into militant groups, or should their parents allow them to succumb to the indolent and unpromising

world of video game addiction, blindly believing that this temporary drug will somehow prevent the al-Shabab from simply changing their recruitment methods?

While video games are effective at keeping the teenagers away from the schools, they fail to provide a solution to the real problem at hand. As video game arcade owner Ahmed Aden said, “We started with two screens and now we have eight. Business is booming,” but how long before business for the al-Shabab starts booming as well, and at the very same arcades? Video game parlors are just a new replacement for schools as a gathering ground for which the al-Shabab militia will find potential recruits. In the end, there is no clear path to take, and no single solution to this unfortunate scenario. Video games can only bring harm to the strife-stricken students of Somalia, and, worst of all, they cannot be a solution. ▪

graphics by staff writer kevin he, www.modulusbuildingsystems.co.uk

Friday, June 8, 2012

The Smoke Signal

Too traditional?

By Vishal Bajpai Staff Writer

No one could have predicted the importance social issues would play in this year’s presidential election. Pundits and analysts had all agreed that the economy would be the main focus of every campaign. Americans, they said, cared much more about the ailing economy and other issues tied to economic disparity and the shrinking middle class.

Originally the coverage of birth control in insurance plans wasn’t a big ticket issue.

It would appear discretely in a not-in-your-face page of The New York Times and many Americans didn’t even know such a debate was occurring. However, Rush Limbaugh brought it center stage when he called Sandra Fluke, a Georgetown University student, “a whore” for her participation in the issue at Georgetown.

Since then the issue has been in front of all of us and the Republican Party has made their stance clear. Republicans are against contraception, abortion, and sex education.

Their stance is problematic, not only because it takes feminism back to the early 1900s, but also because it aggravates and exacerbates the issues that they claim to be solving.

Republicans claim they want to lower teen pregnancies and abortions, and most liberals agree with them on that. No one wants an abortion or wants a teenage pregnancy, but sometimes a situation arises and it is necessary. The obvious next question is how we minimize these situations.

Studies show that the more sexual education a child receives, the more they are taught about contraceptives like condoms or the birth control pill, the less likely they are to have unwanted pregnancies. And this should be obvious. No matter how much schools, pastors, and parents preach about abstinence, teenagers who want to have sex, will have sex. The only thing we can really do about it is make sure they are responsible enough to have safe sex, and this is why birth control and sexual education need to be freely and amply available.

The absence of sexual education only leads to facilitate more unwanted pregnancies and thus more aborstaff writer avery kruger tions.

Even if abortions are illegal, they occur. Rich people fly to other countries with more “women friendly” legislation to get their abortions, while the poor go to back alley abortion clinics where infection and death are more likely. That is the only difference when you make abortion illegal.

But the Republican Party isn’t stupid. Obviously this information that a high school senior has is available to them as well. So then what possibly could be their reasoning?

The reason Republicans rally against abortion and contraceptives and sexual education is because it secures their largest voting demographic: Evangelical Christians. By selling away women’s reproductive health to their constituents, Republicans can get elected by harping on social issues that, for all intents and purposes, were once sorted out in the 1960’s instead of focusing on and articulating the growing economic peril and inequities that exist. ▪

www.thesmokesignal.org

Opinion 7

Politics across the pond

By Rachel Choi Staff Writer

Recently, European elections have been full of changes. Nicolas Sarkozy’s defeat in France and the parliamentary elections in Greece, in which voters categorically refused to vote for major party candidates, are clear examples. The protests going on in Russia also show that the country is not the same as it was in 2008, when Putin stepped down from the office of president. So what can we conclude from these changes?

First, it’s clear that the citizens of several countries in Western Europe are against the idea of drastic cuts in government spending. Sarkozy, who had earlier agreed to Chancellor of Germany Angela Merkel’s austere policies, was defeated at the ballot box. Instead, Francois Hollande, a candidate from the Socialist Party who called for heightened taxes on the rich as a step toward economic growth, won by a narrow margin. The major party parliamentary candidates in Greece who had agreed to austere economic policies were defeated in elections as well. The citizens of Greece and France feel the need for economic improvement, and they are willing to abandon the familiar to get it. This is even more clearly evidenced by the fact that for the first time, Greece’s extremist, far right political group, Golden Dawn, gained 21 seats in Parliament in the elections this year. Golden Dawn is a group that has members who are alleged to carry out Nazi salutes.

Another lucid reality is that the political cli-

mate in Russia has changed. On March 5, the day after Putin was elected president, thousands of people publicly protested for their rights in Moscow. Recently, as a result of Putin’s inauguration on May 7, protesters have once again become more active in their work. In response, Putin ordered police to search Moscow on the day he was inaugurated, detaining anyone suspected to be an anti-Putin activist, identifiable by a symbolic white ribbon. These police officers even dashed through public places such as, breaking cups in the process. Yet, the protesters march on. With the right help from the international community, the Russian Spring may arrive soon.

There is a culture of reform going on around the world today. The enthusiasm is comparable to that of the American protesters of the 1960s.

The people of Russia are no longer willing to be under Putin’s control, despite his efforts to control rioters by using police forces as well as his efforts to annul all political reforms previously instituted by the last president, Dmitri Medvedev. In Western Europe as well, voters are rejecting hardline, stringent economic policies, the logic being that a country must be allowed to grow economically before it can resolve any of its problems. As Election Day quickly approaches for Americans, it will be important for our country to watch and learn from the rest of the world as we progress with our own struggles and politics. ▪

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8 Feature

www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, June 8, 2012

College Laptops

By Jin Peng Staff Writer

With the beginning of college looming in the near future, the Smoke Signal has compiled a brief list of notable laptops that are worth considering as you take on a new stage in your lives as college students.

saversappliancedepot.com

laptopinfoz.com

gdgt.com

amazon.com

13-inch 128GB MacBook Air

Dell Inspiron 15 N5040

Asus Zenbook UX31E

Battalion 101 X7200

MacBooks have always been at the pricier end of available laptops on the market, but the 13-inch 128GB MacBook Air should be your choice of selection if you are looking for the most reasonably-priced Apple laptop.

Lightweight, fast, it encompasses the signature Apple experience with a sleek interface and top-notch aesthetic design. Apple’s all new operating system, OS X Mountain Lion, will be arriving this summer, ensuring that this Macbook Air will be worth your money.

Sometimes, simple is best. The Dell Inspiron 15 is perfect if you’re the kind of student that wants no more than what’s needed, as this computer is fully able to meet up to essential everyday computing, from documents, messaging, music, all for as low as $300. Customizable in many colors and designs, the Dell Inspiron is light on your budget without sacrificing utility.

Utilizing Intel’s new Ultrabook model, This sleek fellow boasts an extremely swift start up time of two seconds and is one of the thinnest and lightest PC’s to have been produced, weighing in at less than three pounds. It also contains USB 3.0, allowing a transfer rate of up to ten times faster than most other computers which use USB 2.0 for external hardware. The anticipated late 2012 arrival of Windows 8 should also be an extra perk to the Zenbook too look forward to.

Bring in the powerhouse capability of a fully rigged gaming desktop with the flexibility of a laptop with the Battalion 101 X7200. If you foresee your upcoming classes to have high demand in multi-media processing, or you require a computer capable of handling intense graphics and memory usage, the Battalion is the best in its field. For under $2000, this monster of a machine carries high-end graphics and the best of processors for the most extensive games and software.

Dimensions: 0.11-0.68 inches x 12.8 inches x 8.94 inches Weight: 2.96 pounds Processor: 1.7 GHz Intel Core i5 Dual Core with 3MB shared L3 cache Memory: 4GB of 1333MHz DDR3 Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 3000 processor

Dimensions: 1.24-1.36 inches x 14.8 inches x 10.24 inches Weight: 5.2 pounds Processor:Intel Pentium Dual Core P6200 Memory: 4GB Single Channel DDR3 1333MHz Graphics: Intel HD Graphics

Dimensions: 0.11-0.67 inches x 12.8 inches x 8.8 inches Weight: 2.86 pounds Processor: Intel Core i5 2557M Processor Memory: 1333 MHz DDR3 SDRAM Graphics: Integrated Intel HD Graphics 3000

Dimensions: 2.38 inches x 16.50 inches x 11.30 inches Weight: 12.10 pounds Processor: Intel Core i7 960 Processor Memory: 6GB 1333MHz DDR3 SDRAM Graphics: AMD Radeon HD 6970 2GB GDDR5 3D Video

Some colleges offer guidelines on what machines to purchase, or the needed specficiations for your field of study such as operating system. www.newegg.com and www.tigerdirect.com are popular websites in which you can get unbelievable deals on a wide variety of laptops to meet your needs. Both websites feature search options that conveniently narrow down choices to a laptop of your liking, and great customer support to ensure that your product will be satisfactory. If the laptops listed don’t seem to fit to yaur taste, be sure to check out these websites! ▪

CLUB

A Seniors’Final...

Dear Diary

By Anusha Rijhsinghani Staff Writer

On Friday, April 27, Government/Economics teacher Nancy Benton and 14 students from MSJ made their way to Salt Lake City, Utah to compete in the International Career Development Conference (ICDC) for DECA. Since their return from the State conference (SCDC) held in Irvine from February 23-26, DECA members have been intensely preparing for ICDC, the last and highest level of competition.

Co-president Aieswarya Manicka says, “Preparing for ICDC was actually extremely intense. We were up against 300 people from around the world on average, so all the California DECA chapters bonded together in various ways to help each other out. For example, we attended several local ICDC workshops where chapters aided each other with exam and roleplay skills.” Having this network of local chapters to rely on gave members a chance to communicate with others in their same event, refine their skills, and meet and talk to George Zimmer, the CEO of Men’s Warehouse, among several other esteemed businessmen.

After two days of intense competition and other activities, MSJ DECA prevailed at the awards ceremony. Out of the 14 members that competed, three became International finalists in their events. Junior Darien Lo qualified in the Marketing Management Series (MMS) roleplay, and Juniors Nihar Parikh and Clara Cheng advanced with their 30-page International Business Plan (IBP). When Parikh and Cheng became International finalists in IBP, not only did they qualify as the top 16 in the world for their event, but they also broke a state-record. They are the first California DECA members in over 10 years to have advanced into the final rounds of IBP

By Connor Williams Staff Writer

photo by graphics editor angie wang

Juniors Clara Cheng and Nihar Parikh were finalists at DECA ICDC.

at ICDC, an incredible accomplishment.

Parikh and Cheng qualified for ICDC after getting 2nd place overall at SCDC. Their event requires teams of 1-3 to apply marketing skills to create a new business or product that can be applied in an international setting, and they are then assessed based on the practicality and thoroughness of their written plan as well as the oral presentation that accompanies it.

After brainstorming and debating ideas for a while, they decided to write their plan on LensCrafters and implementing it in India as an off-shore development business. With this new and innovative idea, they eased their way through the initial rounds of competition, and ended up being 14th in the world for IBP. With high hopes and expectations, MSJ DECA made its way to Salt Lake City fully prepared and ready to conquer, and did just that. “All of our hard work has paid off this year,” says co-president Senior Vipin Dulam. “We were able to bring back from ICDC not only some great experiences to share, but also some awards for our accomplishments!” After the great advancements that this chapter has made in just a single year, there is a lot of support and faith that MSJ will continue to reach new heights in the future. ▪

May 18: Dear Diary, WOOHOO!!! Hey Diary! AP testing is over, and I can finally relax! I can’t tell you how stressed I have been Diary, I have been studying for the last month, so I haven’t really had time to write in you.

Oh well, I am working on documenting my last days wandering the halls of MSJ.

May 27: Dear Diary, Oh man Diary, Senior Ball was awesome! But the whole time I couldn’t help thinking that I will probably never see most of my classmates again. We have all kind of figured out where we are going to college, and for the first time since Gomes I am a little bit afraid of what school is going to be like next year.

Will I make friends? Did I choose the right major? Did I choose the right school? Can I really live on my own? These are some scary questions Diary, ones that I don’t have any answers for either…

June 1: Dear Diary, June is finally here! Thank goodness, I haven’t really been doing anything in class. After APs finished it seems like most everyone has stopped working.

That makes waiting for graduation even harder. Now I just want to get out of this place, there isn’t too much that’s holding me here.

June 6: Dear Diary, Hey Diary, its really late, and I have been thinking Diary, just about high school and what I have managed to do and see. I have been thinking about the crazy runs I have been on with the Cross Country team, about the late nights exploring with friends, about Homecoming and the awesomeness associated with it, about all of the food I have eaten with the swim team, about some of the people I know that I wish I knew better, and about all of the opportunities I could have taken.

Maybe I would have asked that girl to that dance in sophomore year, maybe I would have done more with homecoming, maybe I would have tried to meet more people, or a thousand other things. I have regrets, I think everyone does. If I had to do it all over though, there isn’t too much I would change. ▪

actclassy.com

Friday, June 8, 2012

The Smoke Signal

“I'll miss the community feeling we have here at Mission and also all the fun events the different organizations put on!”

-Ilene Tsao

"Though there's always going to be that excitement of moving on in the world, when you stop and think about it, our time at Mission has helped shape us to be who we are and we will (however unmemorable Mission now seems) remember where we come from."

-Mingyu Hu

Feature 9

"It's sad that we're leaving a life "”I’m going to miss all the friends that we know and love, but we're that I’ve grown so close to these past off to see exciting, new horizons." four years and that I’ve been able to "I've wanted to get out of school

-Jonothan Yuan share so many great memories with.” since freshman year. But now, when -Jennifer Sekar I'm days away from graduation, I find myself oddly missing MSJ." -Xi Gao

"To all the students who have complained about the bathrooms I reveal my secret: the A wing cafeteria bathrooms. They're always open, brand new, and always empty!"

-Monica Chitre

"I am actually going to miss this place; it's become like family to me.

I'm going to miss all my teachers and my friends, who were always here for me, but won't be able to anymore. It's going to be lonely."

-Leila Garcia

www.thesmokesignal.org

"I'll miss the non-cliqued atmosphere; the unbelievably kind and engaging friends; my clubs, Mission Anime and Mission Japan; and the enthusiasm to have fun while studying academics."

- Joshua Wu

thoughts to leave behind

“Senior year was fun, I slacked off a lot, had a ton of fun, and I never thought that my school year would actually end until now.

I am sort of in denial right now and I wish I could stick with my friends a bit longer. I will miss my friends dearly and hope that we all will have a successful future.”

-Randy Chu

"Out of everything here at Mission, I'm going to miss my junior friends the most, who I've gotten so close to this year. I'm also going to miss DECA, an organization that has defined my high school experience, along with the many mentors that have guided me through these four years."

-Vipin Dulam

“There will always be ups and downs, but knowing that for every bit of pain there will be a little gain will make the hard times more bearable and the good times all the sweeter.”

-Jin Bai

“Apart from the emotional roller coaster that is Homecoming week, I'm going to miss the general Mission atmosphere. Sure its competitive, but my four years here opened up countless doors for me and changed me as a person.

I wouldn't be the person I am today had it not been for MSJHS.” -Nealay Vasavda

10 Feature

www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

summer bucketlist

Friday, June 8, 2012

By Brandon Fuhs & Jonathon Teng Staff Writers

Tandem Skydiving Admit it, you’ve always dreamed of what it would be like to soar through the air like a bird. At Bay Area Skydiving, you can freefall through the air at heights of nearly 13,000 ft. With professional instructors and some basic guidance and teaching, you can board an aircraft at the Byron Airport and be on your way for a once-of-a-lifetime experience.

Also, you can bring friends up to four people per flight. The descent is about a minute long, allowing you to reach speeds up to 120 miles per hour! However, if you’re scared of heights, consider visiting iFly in Union City. This indoor skydiving facility is equipped with a vertical wind tunnel, still giving families a chance to experience skydiving.

The Coast California is famous for its beautiful weather, so why not enjoy the sunshine this summer at the beach? It is true that’s it’s only a few miles away and there’s rarely anyone who hasn’t been there before, but chances are that we’re not going to be living in California forever. It’s important that we enjoy the beach while we have the opportunity, because the coast won’t always be an hour away. It’s all the more reason to enjoy the beach while it’s so close to our homes. Besides gas, it won’t cost you a dime. Not only does the coast have wonderful beaches, but the downtown areas in Half Moon Bay, Capitola, and Santa Cruz aren’t you average downtown areas. The shopping downtown, especially for those who love the beach, is plentiful and reasonably priced. The food there is excellent as well, with Pizza My Heart in Capitola being one of the most popular places.

A Road Trip A license is needed for this one, but going on a road trip with friends is an adventure no one on the trip will ever forget. Spending two weeks with your closest friends can make you even closer and create ample memories along the way and at your destination. A great part of a road trip is the flexibility you have while you decide where to go. You could go north and enjoy the wilderness, go east and enjoy Lake Tahoe, or you could head south and go to a handful of amazing places in Southern California.

The best part of the road trip may not even be where you decide to go, but the journey to the destination. How you get there and the places you stop on the way could be the memories you cherish the most.

San Francisco The city has something for everyone, whether it’s sight-seeing, shopping, sports, dining, or relaxing. The Fine Arts Museum and Alcatraz are perfect places to go if you want to see some amazing sights and become more educated about the city. The Westfield Mall has a whopping seven stories, including a three story Nordstrom store. With a mall that humungous, it’s almost guaranteed to have something you’d like. AT&T Park, the home of the San Francisco Giants, is a great place to go for sports fans, with the San Francisco Bay just past right field and delicious food all over the park. There are plenty of parks and beaches in the city for you to kick back and relax for the day.

Safari West Ever wonder what it would like to be on a safari but don’t have the time and money to take a vacation to Africa. You can make this dream come true by venturing to Safari West, a private 400 acre wildlife preserve and African tent camp that is located in Santa Rosa, CA. It is home to nearly 400 exotic animals and birds where you can view them in their natural habitat.

You can take an exhilarating three hour tour in a safari jeep and be able to come face to face with giraffes, gazelles, and zebras. Also, Safari West comes with an option of a tent camp adventure where with your family, you can book a reservation to sleep in their cabins. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to live in an African-eske Safari for a day!

Pier 39 One of the top visited attractions in the U.S. is Pier 39, a pier at Fishermen’s Wharf that lies in the heart of San Francisco. Home to nearly 110 stores and countless choices of restaurants, street performers, rides and its celebrated sea lions, it is nearly impossible to not be amazed by all the attractions. The shops of the Pier sell many different items that can be purchased for friends as gifts: Hollywood and rock 'n' roll memorabilia, Russian dolls, collectible knives, kites, etc... One can also speed around the bay in Pier 39’s Rocket Boat, twisting and turning at speeds of up to 50 miles per hour. Also, if one is curious and feeling adventurous, don’t forget to take a trip across the bay to Alcatraz or Tiburon.

Pier 39 will definitely occupy a whole day so if you’re planning to go there, prepare yourself for a load of excitement.

graphic by staff writer jade shi, howardmodels, tauzero, endlessfalling, jayadevm

Friday, June 8, 2012

The Smoke Signal

I, Ada Wong, bequeath my sporadic organizational skills to Dennis Lee. To Jerry Wong, the family awesomeness. Don’t disappoint! And to Devon Jones, I leave my unfaltering love and the confidence to be great.

I, Adam Law, bequeath the ability to hold books to Michelle Lee, Yukis to Nimay Desai, slow/fast motion video to Andrea Brandle, and my legacy in LinkCrew, L2 and soccer to my sister, Sophia. And my car I guess.

I, Albert Chang, bequeath my dashing good looks, impressive smarts, incredible talent, cunning, great music taste, SAT books, abdominals, tooth whitening strips, plentiful gummy hamburgers and hot dogs, and most importantly, trash can, to Hannah Shih because YOLO. I, Alex Lefkort, bequeath my dashing good looks and charm to Mrs. Bird.

I, Alexander Jea, bequeath Yikhin swag, Kyle Liang scumducks, John Luu more coolness, Khanh Nguyen a working bari sax, Austine Lee Candy Candy, Leena Yin Guilty Crown, and Shezad Serang throwing powers.

I, Alice Zalan, bequeath my Angry Bird keychain and “panic moments” to Frank, my beloved CS section to Anusha and Rachel, and my milk tea craziness and my jumping up and down moments to Angie.

I, Alicia Shi, bequeath all my popularity to Elim Yang and Taylor Garden, my great sense of humor to Kenny Jacoby and Jeff Chu, my dancing skills to Jason Vu, and my infamous Youth Alive phrases to Caleb Han and Leslie Liu. I, Alison DeForest, bequeath Natalie my half of our room, Alex and Brian, the PH band, Alessia and William, AWANA memories, and Jessica, Joanna, and Sheila, the awesomeness of dance. All my love to all of you. Keep being awesome.

I, Allison Tong, bequeath my #2 ranking to Brian Chen and Dennis Lee, my love for clubs and lockers to Nihar Parikh, any leftover ice cream I may have to Waylan Khuu, and everything else to Megasaur Lee. I, Alyssa Castillou, bequeath to my sister, Cara Castillou, my sense of style and scooter riding skills.

I, Amal Abraham, bequeath my incredible talent in League of Legends to Yash Pal. I, Amar Bains, bequeath FOAM! To Pranay Singal, unlimited data to Sumedh Bhattacharya, a fun final year of sousaphone to Calvin Hsu, my purple sweater to Anvitha Pillati, a broom to Maya Krishnan, and finally, Roo to Ishita Shah I, Ami Wong, bequeath my SAT and AP books to Connie Wong, my pen tool skills to Raghav Rajvanshy, my ability to follow directions to Darien Lo, and my pink discus to Shehzad the beast Serang.

I, Amy Mendonca, bequeath my unending patience and high-pitched screams to Shivani Ariathurai, with hope that she will lead MSJ’s Show Choir with ease in my absence. I also leave my excellent driving skills and perfect punctuality to MC. I, Andrew Han, bequeath the Smoke Signal to two gentlemen known as Allan Ko and Frank Chen, iFUSD to Adi Jung, a chill but successful senior year to Leah Dickstein, and a happy rest of high school to Angie Meng, Destin Trang, Tiffany Wong, and Melissa Huang.

I, Anjleena Kour Sahni, bequeath to Udara Gunawardena, my skills with the ladies; to Jeyashri Sridhar, my maroon pen; to the goddess-like Caitlin Ha, my sheer awesomeness and contacts; and to Neha Verma, my chill pills, tiaras, and eternal wisdom.

I, Ankita Akerkar, bequeath my beloved theater to Sai, the Krafty throne and office to Nikita and Lakshmi, his passenger seat to James, the London elevators to Kathy, the wind beneath my wings to Mahima, and my math/ physics knowledge and Vaibabbies to Vaibhav.

I, Anmol Gill, bequeath my multiple chins and facial expressions to Nichole Tan, my skilled hands to Joanna Wu, my self control to Armaan Gill, my love for service to all Key Club ‘12-’13 Members & Board.

I, Anthony Chen, bequeath the Opinion section to Kyle and Sonali, my sprezzatura to Alekya, Nihar, Frank, Angie, JTBubba, Zahra, and Sheila, my love of Goldman Sachs to Mr. Rath, and my legacy to my brother Andrew and my sister Angelina.

I, Anthony Kang, I leave drumline to Gordon Tom, Manjeev Singh, and Adi Jung. I leave Brandon Hoang and Justin Luo my max deeps. Vayam Aurora and Josh Huang the pillar. And Merissa Chen my awesomeness.

I, Anurag Reddy, bequeath my hard work and dedication to new L2 and Terrence, Austin, James, Harrison, Reid, Andre, Kevin, and Ryan.

I, Arvind Srinivasan, am inflated to bequeath Cassie the winning lotto ticket.

I, Austin Lau, bequeath China Lau all my good grades and my passion for attending class, Amanda Hong all my food, Alyssa Wang my swag, and to Monika Siu my charming good looks.

I, Avery Kruger, bequeath to Nick Ha a loud voice and the power of Mill Creek and to Aamir Rasheed many injury-free seasons, but no recovery! And a shovel for Robert Dang. I’d also like Jin Peng to have my insert skills.

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I, Binjih Lin, bequeath the badminton team my awesome looks, and to David Cheng, these wise words: An apple a day keeps the doctor away, but an onion a day keeps everyone away.

I, Bisma Ajaz, bequeath my SAT and AP prep books to Omair Ajaz and my awesomeness to all my softball girls.

I, Brian Kim, bequeath the stress and love from Youth Alive to Leslie Liu and Caleb Han’s able hands, my guitar and serenading skills to Daniel Jean, my flawless sight-reading to Joseph Yang, and Korean Syncopasian-ness to Allison Cho. I, Brianna Lei, bequeath my clumsiness and college application writing skills to Hitmo, my ability to repel people to Frenchman, and my room, Burrito, and frozen deep-dish pizzas to Ben. I, Caroline Dang, bequeath my undying confidence and perseverance to my baby brother Robert, my Key spirit to Will and Rosie, my googledocs-expertise to Praveena and Euni, and my hugs and love to all the underclassmen who’ve changed my life.

I, Cathy Thai, bequeath my super strength to Brandon Au, my cuteness to Tiffany Chen and Neha Neyak, my hugging skills to Dennis Lee, my water bending to Waylan Khuu, and an amazing senior year to Josh Shao.

I, Charlotte Miller, bequeath getting picked on (by friends, teachers, and pretty much everyone else) to Kylie Moltzen, my awesome car dance moves to Devon Jones, and STAND to Neha Verma.

I, Chinmai Raman, bequeath my PC fanhood to Hari Ramachandran, Potterheadedness to Katie Mei, the power of height to Vivek Calambur, my amazing vocabulary to Ishan Goyal and my incredible ability to not do any work ever to Medha Raman.

I, Chris Lo, bequeath my type B personality to Darien, my driving skills to Numair Ali, so he can drive himself out to lunch, and my swag to Sonia Krishna, because she seems to be lacking some I, Christina Cheng, bequeath Fremont Beast cell group to Samuel Perng and Jonathan Shao, and my creative art-starter ideas to Emily Tran.

I, Christopher Trinh, bequeath my lousy humor, ludicrous sarcasm, and my outrageous puns to Ethan Wong, Nicholas Bisconer, Mahima Goel, Daniel Jean, Sam Sze, and everyone else I’m leaving behind. Carpe Diem!

I, Cole Berggren, Bequeath shotgun to Cristen Berggren. Enjoy the Ben-less-ness. However, as I will likely never go to the same school as you again, this may not prove to be very useful.

I, Connie Chen, bequeath my ASB Presidency to Monica Liu, the sweetest, quirkiest, and most hardworking girl ever.You’ll be amazing next year! Also, my charm and good looks to Howard Liu, Ray Ouyang, and Tiffany Chou. They’ll need it.

I, Connor Williams, bequeath the responsibility of having fun in Cross Country to Aamir Rasheed, all of excellence of the Swim Team to Anthony Lau and Eric Lam. To all of you that don’t fit here, I didn’t forget I just ran out of room, you have my blessings.

I, Courtney Tam, bequeath the amazing Opinion Chair to Sonali and Kyle, a colossal stack of prep books and textbooks to my awesome little brother Alex, Smokie love to Aishwarya and Angie, and best of luck to Margaret and forever-young Alice.

I, Danae Long, bequeath my spirit and role in MSJ Badminton to Derrick Long. He will be a great leader along with all the other incoming and returning captains in working with the coaches to do things the right way.

I, Dinakar Guthy, bequeath my sense of humor to Nick Fong, the confidence to talk to girls to Nick Ha, my class of narrator to Aamir Rasheed, and my offensive sense of humor to Lindsey, Gurubala, Lindy, and Taylor.

I, Ditha Balaji, bequeath my parking spot and the Camry to Venkatesh Balaji, driving carpool to Udara Gunawardena, my presence in the Smoke Signal to my co Jade Shi, my sarcasm to Sherina Wardak, and luck to Ads Managers Lindy Zeng and Grace Wu! I, Diya Roy bequeath my driving talent to Nihar, my PC love to Kathryn, Sonam, Praveena, Anjuli, Eunice, Neha V, Neha N, and Will, my swag to Mahima, Mili, and Nikki, the Smoke Signal to Allan and Frank, my awkwardness to Anusha, and my craziness to Alekya.

I, Dominic Stanley, bequeath my AP books to Pranay Singal and my SAT books to Haroon Rasheed, and my iPhone to Hari Ramachandran.

I, Dorothy Liu, bequeth my test-cramming skills to James and Leslie, flute skills to Lilian and Austin, badminton stuff to Cindy and Kelley, perfect-pitch to Leena and Megan, all my high school knowledge to my Link Crew freshies. :] I, Dustin Koliner, bequeath my #, 55 to Shane Kennan to keep the tradition of the best lineman in that jersey #. Also I bequeath all my luck, heart, and strength to the football team, best of luck to you guys.

I, Edward Nguyen, bequeath my luck and skill in DECA to Dustin Chiang and Ishan Goyal. I also leave behind a comfy chair, a functioning computer in the back room, and the title of Feature Editor to Jade Shi and Jin Peng.

I, Edward Wang, bequeath my cat to Lilli Choung, Waffles to Kevin Chen, Brandon Wu, and Jeffrey Yuan, Missionpedia to Jeffrey Ma, CS Club to the aforementioned and Anna Zeng and Adi Jung, and my amazing AP bsing skills to all underclassmen.

Senior Wills 11

I, Ellie Wong, bequeath my one-on-one abilities to Juliana McCuaig; soccer balls and money for Friday froyo to Elim Yang, Kristin Moyer, Allie Mederios, and Kylie Moltzen; and my wardrobe to Lynnea Shuck.

I, Elly Lin, bequeath MSJ Best Friends to Alyssa Wang, Nathaniel Liu, Melissa Wu, Eric and Aaron Lui, and Zizi Zhang, and my superior shooting skills and charm to Clay Shieh.

I, Emily Chiang Chen, bequeath my friends moral support, everlasting friendship, and love even though we are miles away from each other. I hope we keep in touch and visit each other even after we graduate.

I, Emily Hsu, bequeath my “most yolo” title to my yearbookers, especially the juniors Amanda Hong, Walter Yu, Michelle Lin, Little Dancing Bear, and Nichole Tan. Go make your senior year exciting and wonderful! I will miss you guys dearly.

I, Erika Cherk, bequeath Lindy & Nick any “raw speed” and “fish power” I have, Taylor the 3200m and uncontrollable laughter, Guru everything Erikonian and bad grief, Lindsey (Z-Lin) all the clips I own/LEADER!, Shirby DYOP, and Melin manatee love.

I, Farby, hereby bequeath my jenky car to Adam Peavey, whose car is an embarrassment to humanity, and my good looks to Cassandra Broadwin who can’t possibly be any more beautiful.

I, Felice Ng, bequeath my expert fake violin playing skills and extreme forever skinniness to Emily Hou and Grace Gao! I also bequeath my Pokémon mastering skills to Yoon Lee and Joani Wong! Yes Ponyta, you are finally a Rapidash!

I, Gary Hua, bequeath, my treasure? Why its right where I left it. Its yours if you can find it I left everything I own in One Piece I, Gigi Hsu, bequeath G.Lee and Alexa my passion for my baller sisters; Vicki my coolness and perseverance; T.Chou food and confidence; Caleb prayer meetings; Kathryn and Priscilla faith and unconditional love for cell group; Fremont AC kiddies strength.

I, Grant Lam, bequeath SB and Co. an especially joyous senior year and the best of luck for college admittances.

I, Harpreet Gill, bequeath all my love and fishy awesomeness to Gurleen. I give my amazing athletic skills (harhar) to Dinaz, Sonia, Sohini, and Karishma. YEAARBOOOKK, you’ll have an AMAZING book next year. Anshi and Neha, tear it up with Senior Bhangra!

I love you all!

I, Heather Tang, bequeath my share of Internet bandwidth, the food in the fridge and all my love to my baby brother, Matthew Tang.

I, Helina Wang, bequeath my title “Little Wang” to my sister Heather, my right splits to Jason Vu, my knowledge about how magnets work to Louis Leung, and all my love and luck to Aaron Lu, Daco, and the Dream Team during season- yeeyee!

I, Himaja Doddapaneni, bequeath my awesome sense of humor to Pavi in the hope that she will become less socially awkward.

Lastly, I pass on my undying love of himym and bbt to Anusha--carry on the legendary bazzinganess.

I, James Ho, bequeath all my knowledge and wisdom to my sister Catherine Ho. I, Jason Lau, bequeath confidence to Melissa Wu, pizza to Ray, and all the warm fuzzies to my lovely one, Jaynelle Gao. I, Jay Shah, bequeath my ability to relax to Melissa Wu, my locker to Justin Lo, and my car to Allie Medeiros (not really.)

I, Jennifer Sekar, bequeath the awesome debate club, to Leah Dickstein. To Anusha Rijhsinghani, Annie Shi, Nihar Parikh, and Alvin Zhou, I bequeath the lucky penny that no one ever reclaimed.

I, Jeremy Pathmanabhan, bequeath my ability to procrastinate and yet somehow make deadlines to Udara Gunawardena I, Jo Melville, will to Audrey Huang and Raymond Liu my authoritarian rule of Academic Challenge, in hopes that they use it wisely and treat it well. To my best friend, Margaret Shen, I will my blatant disregard for authority.

I, Joelin Chen, bequeath my sexy legs and European chocolate bars to Ariel Tsang.

I, Johnny Leinweber, bequeath all my love, respect, and inside jokes to Eamon Jahani, Cyrus Lin, Michelle Lee, Michelle Wong, Hanna Naum-Stoian, Milad Moghimi, Cory Yang, Brian Cheng, and Louis Leung. Good Luck and I love you all!

I, Jonathan Yuan, bequeath the gift of height to Leena (kidding; that’s impossible); the ability of (in)voluntary labor to Pranay, Rebecca Wang, and beloved techies; and my wedding to Kyle Lam. I bid Lilli to stay wise and Lucy bold.

I, Jordan Suo, bequeath my hardworking attitude to my little underclassmen Andy Lai, Brian Wu, Sam Perng, Mason Qian, Kyle Lam, Rachel Lai, Neha Pal. I also bequeath some sleep to Annie Cheng and Tiffany Chen.

I, Joshua Wu, bequeath my enthusiasm for fun, my curiosity for science, my addiction to games, my weakness for cute things, my gratitude for caring friends, my expression for art, and all my love to Mandy Chan, my favorite person.

I, Julie Saigusa, bequeath cats to Hari, Merlin-fangirling to Sri, the Riceballs violist position to James, much love to Vivian, Sherlock, my ships, and good luck to Kat, Anjali, Ahsas, and other PE buddies, and MSJ viola #2 to Kimberly.

www.graphicsfuel.com, compiled by staff writers Jaynelle Gao, Catherine Ho, Kevin He, Kenny Jacoby, Sonali Toppur, & Anna Zeng

12 Senior Pull-out

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The Smoke Signal

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Friday, June 8, 2012

The Smoke Signal

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Senior Pull-out 17

photos by staff writer sherry xiao and graphics editor angie wang

Friday. June 8, 2012

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Superlatives 13

photos by staff writer sherry xiao, graphics editor angie wang

14 Centerspread

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Friday, June 8, 2012

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Centerspread 15

SENIORS 2012 COLLEGEWhere LIST will they go?

Academy of Art University (1)

CALIFORNIA PRIVATE & STATE UNIVERSITIES

The Smoke Signal

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Stephanie Kara Hom

Cabrillo College (2) Ben Mansfield Jack Dahl

California College of the Arts (1) Ankita Akerkar

California Lutheran University (1) Tatiana Marie McCuaig

Cal State East Bay (2) Kaori Isobe Megan McAndrews

Shayyan M. Ahmad Hao Fang Heather Kristen Ha Nicholas Hsiao Edwin K. Li Cindy Tieu Sajjal Khan Timothy S. Tang Alexander Xie Yi Dustin Koliner Nicholas Vu Aaron Kylie Wong Po-Dar Huang

csu sacramento (1) Christopher Chan

Foothill COLLEGE (1) Mahnoor Shafi

Cal poly pomona (2) Nick Caruso Qingyan Cynthia Yuan

Las Positas Community College (2) Demid Karpov Rod Kazempour

Cal Poly SLO (9)

Whitney Lim Yi-Ching Lin Thomas Moore Seliman Rahmani Priya Ramesh Matthew Ramos Aravind Sambamoorthy Herman Sandhu Mark Solomensky Rashna Sutaria Sundeep Tomar Yoosuf Wardak Bob Wen Kyaw Win Samuel Yuen Ryan Yung Emory Zhao Marcela Chinn Anna Demchuk Manuel I Escoto Vania Garcia Isaac Garza Swahib Kaba Shyam Bhalodia Christopher Lo Christopher Trinh

William Booth Sarah Y. Ching Wing Chi Chiu Madison Hirsch Ning Jeng Varsha Roopreddy Sheela Marie Vedula John Ryan Leinweber Nicholas Wu Yang

Loyola Maramount University (3)

California Institute of Technology (2)

Gregory William Hebert

Christina Shong-En Cheng

ohlone (39)

pomona college (1)

Amy Anne Mendonca Emiko Danielle Vasquez

Mission College (2) Felix Chow Samuel A. Sanches

Tianhao Fang Binjih Lin

Canada Junior College (1) Sarah Rotter

CSU fresno (1)

Tony Shen

CSU Fullerton (2) Stuart Rosete Jonathan Teng

De Anza COLLEGE (13) Berkeley (39)

Subhadra Acharya Leslie Kai-Harn Chan Malinda Cheung Shannon Choi Katelyn R. Cobb

Dinakar Guthy Sydney Y. Ha Ryan Robert Hatano Shu Hsien Hua Heqing Huang Michael Kagan Nikhil Krishna Avery Kruger Alison Kwok Grant Lam Jovian Lam Michelle Lee Mengfei Li Enya Meng Monique T. Nguyen Rupa Parikh Alexander Y. Peng Jonathan Poon Dev Roy Hiba Saeed Aysha Shafi Erik R. Su Nathan Magalit Suh Candice Tandiono Aneeta Vedula Kevin Wang Aaron Yang Jonathan Zhang Tony Zhang

IRVINE (17) Manaswini Avvari Joelin Chen Kevin Chen Zenas Chung Winnie Ding Gigi Hsu Leon Hsu Karmay Hung Tyler Huynh Brian Kim Surabhi Narain Felice Ng Alicia Shi Wayne Tay

pepperdine university(1)

Ryan Luo

SAN DIEgO STATE UNIVERSiTY (2) Jacqueline Kohler Stephen Te Chen

SAN FRANCISCO STATE UNIVERSITY (10) Kartik Surugucchi Nikhil Kaushik Danae Long Alexander R. Nim Benjamin Chang

Bobby Xiong Melody C. Yang William Zhao

LOS ANGELES (14)

Charley Chen Stephen Eng Thomas Feng Sarthak Gulati David Guo Emily Hsu John Kitta Maryanne Liu Charlotte Miller Zeeshan Pirzada Kevin C. Sheu Hamilton Trinh Patrick Y.Yang Mengyuan Yu Merced (2) Jason Lau Rachel Wong

RIVERSIDE (13) Evan Chan Dora Chang Jonathan Chiou Sharon Chung Raashi Goyal Albert S. Hwang Austin Lau Jasmine Lau Craig M. Leung Zubair Serang Hunter Pois Brandon Wong Melody Yang

SAN DIEGO (39) Arnav Aggarwal Shubham Agrawal Bisma Ajaz Param Bhatter Lisa Chang Hrishikesh Chary Jasmine Chau Erika Cherk Behroz K. Chhor Ian Dickeson Samantha Hahn Kevin He Kevin Hsu Mingyu Hu Kavita Jain Sneha Jayaprakash Maxim Jiao Dylan Tran King Justine J. Liang Haebin Liew Ying Lin Catherine Liu Aieswarya Manicka Courtney H. Miu Aneesh Natarajan Mekala Neelakantan Anjleena Sahni Bhagya Sharma Tian Shi Allen Shih Linda Shih Amber N. Shroyer Trisha Srivastava Prasanthi Vemu Edward Wang Liyi Wang Natasha Yeh Richard Ying Alice Zalan

Susey Bark Sehej Chadha Brain Jongyin Chan Albert Chang Emily Chiang Chen Kyle Cho Arash Dehdashty Benjamin Ming Gauss Brian K. Hoang Adam Homann Alexander Jea David C. Kim Jessica Lai Charles J. Lee Keith Andrew Lewis Kevin Li Ashley J. Lin Dumitru Matcovschi Yvonne H. Nguyen Michael V. Phan Seena Sajadieh Chris Selwan Zackary Shaffer Sammy Sidhu Conrad Sun Jordan Suo Zena Sutaria Chang Shuo Tang Mariya Waheed Byron Wang Helina Wang Ami Wong Angela Wu Manisha K. Yalavarthy Kevin Yang Willson Zhang

Michelle Chen Shu Yu Chen Tien X. Lu Kalvin W. Luo Edward Nguyen Wesley K. Sha Connie Yen

STANFORD (3)

Andrew H. Han William Kim Kevin Yu Zhai

ST. MARY’S college (1) Ian Harrison Kreeger

University of San Francisco (2)

Ditha Balaji Monica Chitre

uNIVERSITY OF THE PACIFIC (8) Caroline Dang Dorothy Liu Elizabeth Marie Kurrell Daniel Lee John J. Park Gurman Singh Shoker Cathy Huynh Thai Leona Zhu

University of Southern California (12)

Joshua Michael Shashank Agrawal Shray Bansal Connie Chen Vineet Jain Brianna Lei Sida Lu Jeremy A. Pathmanabhan Dipsikha Roy Kunal Shah Lauren Liu Taylor Ada Y. Wong

SANTA BARBARA (18)

Amal Abraham Miranda Ayad Eric G.Chen David Chung Khalid Dhanani Anmol Gill Laya Jacob Maneesh Karipineni Zachary O. Kurien Yohanna L. Kwong Ronnie Lee William Leu Sohan Shah Michael Wang Elyssa Wong Ryan Yee Brandon Yu Andrew Zhu

SANTA CRUZ (11) Alyssa Castillou Justin Chew Alison DeForest Anthony Hung Tuesday Jensen Sabina Kapur Anna Korotina Leo Lin Oleg Repkin Kelly Trinh Kimberly Tsai

GOOD LUCK SENIORS!

aRIZONA STATE university(2)

Melissa Brandle Matt Farberov

bOSTON cOLLEGE (1) Wantong Liu

Brown University (1) Justin Juan

Humboldt State University (1)

Dakota Reading Ware

Johns Hopkins University (3)

rhode island school of design (1)

university of nevada, reno (1)

Andersen Chang Omar El-Sadany Harpreet Kaur Gill Yashas Raghu Kumar

Jerry Fang Polly Charlene Ma Rebecca S. Wuu

Loyola university, new orleans (1)

rutgers university (1)

University of North Carolina, Charlotte (1)

Case Western Reserve University (1)

Manhattan School of Music (1)

CarnEgie Mellon UniversIty (4)

Zuyan Huang

College of Southern Nevada (1) Shen Chan Huang

Columbia UniversIty (2) Adrian Jaycox Jennifer Zhe-Ning Xu

Cornell college (1) Samir Shukla

Cornell University (2) Richard M. Zhang Eva Y.Leung

Drexel University (5) Shudarson Kathiresan Kosha Kumar Robert S. Li Sunil R. Shah Nithya Thangaraj

Duke University (2) Shreyas Bharadwaj Jennifer Sekar

Emory University (1) Ilene M. Tsao

Florida Institute of Technology (1)

Kunal Badrinarayan

Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania (1) Vishal Bajpai

Georgia Institute of Technology (1) Jay Shah

Shravya Srinivas Sanagala

Tiffany C. T. Poon

Massachusetts Institute of technology (6)

I-Ling Chiang Merry Mou Maya Kavita Ramachandran Lakshmipriya Subbaraj Jeffrey R. Sun Ray Hua Wu

Michigan state university (1) Rachna G. Desai

Montana State University (1)

Andy Mueller

Seton Hall university (1) Rohit R. Ravi

st. john’s college (1) Michelle Huang

st. john’s university (1) Skye Lee

Stetson University (1)

Jonathan Lynch

syracuse university (1)

Evelina J. Chiang

University of arizona (1) Laura Conn

Union College (1) Nealay Vasavda

UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO (3)

New york university (7) Xaria Ahilya Kirtikar Corbin D. Lee Rhonda Hyun Kyung Lee Deeksha Mehta Maggie You Ming Tsai Jonathan M. Yuan Zhong Xu

Ohio State University (1) Mindy Lai

Otis School of Art and Design (1) Samantha J. Wu

Austin Y. Peng Sanjna Shukla

Saif Jivani

Rachel Henry Bharwani

University of Colorado Boulder (2)

Lei Qin

Harvey Mudd College (1) Hofstra University (1)

Saint Louis University (1)

Sherry Xinru He Allison Hwang Ryan Tang

Harvard University (1)

Shannon Lin

Nicole Fiona Shih

Northwestern University (1)

Pennsylvania State University (2)

James Ho

Brandon Chen

PRINCETON university(3) Yicheng Sun Mo Luo Karis Yi

purdue university (3) Anthony M. D. Kang Wells Lin Jin Bai

Patrick Andreson Vishal Shea

Brandon Fuhs

Mingzhao Gu

University of Pennsylvania (4 )

Leland Bernstein Anthony Liu Chen (Wharton) Jasmine Chen Angela Zhu

University of Oklahoma (1) Kern Thakur

University of Pittsburgh (3)

Anita C. Kavalan Dominic V. Stanley Vivek Rao Sudhakar

University of Texas, Austin (2) Amar Srinivas Priya Vijaykumar

University of the Thai Chamber of Commerce (1) Austin Rojanasathira

University of Washington (1) Peyton Fonck

Stepfanie Yan Lam

University of Washington in St. Louis (2)

university of illinois- urbana champaign (5)

U.s. ARMY (1)

UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA (1)

Shiwen Chen Kenny Chin

Megana Vemula Keagan McClelland Jessica T. Li Arvind Srinivasan Mehul Goyal

U.S. Naval Academy (1)

Vipin Dulam Allison Mirae Tong

Alexandra Ruff

UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN (1)

Wheaton College (1)

university of minnesota (4)

Willamette University (1)

UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI (2)

Sole Shuo-Lei Chang Sharon Yu Kevin Jiang Shikha Saggi Maius H. Wong

university of NEVADA, LAS VEGAS (1) Cliff Yeh

OUT OF STATE

dAVIS (34)

Courtney Basrai Cole Berggren Tammy Chen Cheryl M. Cook Christopher Donoghue Matthew Eike Leila Garcia Malik M. Hararah Soleman Karim Nicholas Lam Alexsander J. Lefkort Elaine Lew Eunice S. Li

Nathaniel Chi-Wai Kan

SAN JOSE STATE UNIVERSITY (36)

Santa Clara University (7)

UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA

Amar Bains Jordeen R. Chang Calvin Chen Jonathan Z. Chen Justin P. Chen Kyle Chen Maryanne Ching Joanna Chow Jimmy Guo Brian Hou Patrick Chen Huang Henry Hwaun Sophie E. Jia Jessica Chia-Wen Ko Ronald S. Kwan Henry He Li Elly Lin Arthur Liou Shannon Pai Alice J. Park Aditya Raghunathan Prasanna Rajan Chinmai K. Raman Anurag Reddy Siddarth Sen Raghav Sharma Melody Shieh Sumukh Sridhara Nidhi Swamy Samuel Swei Courtney W. Tam Vincent D. Tian Winnie Tran Kaavya G.Valiveti Connor L. Williams Otto H. Wong Joshua Wu Alice Zhao Aaron Zhou

Mission Valley ROP (1)

Pacific union college (1)

Victoria Y. Chang Kari Mori Mina Wardak Emily Shangkuan Laura Versigan

Paul Bautista Anson V. Liu

Vanderbilt University (1)

Andrew Suk

Taneesh Kaur Sra

Yale uNIVERSITY (2) Bolun Liu Brian Wang

college list compiled by staff writers Rachel Choi, Vivian Jair, Vishak Menon, Tanya Raja, Anusha Rijhsinghani & Grace Wu

16 Superlatives

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The Smoke Signal

Friday. June 8, 2012

photos by staff writer sherry xiao, graphics editor angie wang

18 Senior Wills

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I, Justin Chen, bequeath my study habits to Sophia Law and my spoken word poems to Allison Chung. Good luck to both of you!

The Smoke Signal

Friday, June 8, 2012

I, Maryanne Liu, bequeath Ariel Cheng all of Mino Way, and Amanda Hong, my amazing photography and driving skills. To Sophia Law, I bequeath the ability to type without writing first and to Howard Liu, I bequeath my normal fashion sense.

I, Sasha Schaps, bequeath my swaggeristic ways to Adam, all my love to: Sonia, Dinaz, Karishma, Sohini, Richard, Mason, and Neil (STAY CUTE GUYS!), and my best wishes to the 2013 yearbook staff!

I, Justin Juan, bequeath Melissa Wu the ability to let go and live a little. And the ability to forgo sleep so she can actually do exciting things in life.

I, Maya Ramachandran, bequeath Alekya and Tanya my beloved A&E section (with all of its perks), and Grace Lee everything else I have, on and off the court, because I know she is destined for greatness.

I, Seena Sajadieh, bequeath my pretty boy swag to Izze and my love for Supertaco to Eric Dang.

I, Kaavya Valiveti, bequeath a platter of Subway cookies to Hari, all of my insider gossip to Kim, and my lunch to Praveena.

I, Mehul Goyal, bequeath all my love and knowledge to Monika Siu.

I, Kalvin Luo, bequeath...Justin Luo all my babishness, dreaminess, chippendale powers, and my PC.

I, Mekala Neelakantan, bequeath my love and happiness to my older younger sister, Alekya Rajanala, the mighty News section to Nihar Parikh and Aishwarya Thakur, stats love and pretty handwriting/extra credit to Megan Lee, and The Bench to my lovely little sister, Taruna Neelakantan.

I, Justin Chew, bequeath a ton of requisitions, cash, and Student Store food to Emily Chen, our next years’ ASB Treasurer.

I, Karis Yi, bequeath to Cara all my lovely test prep books and anything she wants from my locker. And my love.

To Rachel, my lunchbox so she might remember to eat lunch during lunch. My love to her too.

I, Keith Lewis, bequeath Sungbina Yoon the title of Sensei. I bequeath all of the Swag to my little brother Yik Hin Wong and Shezad Serang. And my intermediate blood to Young Blood, Paul Borgzinner so he becomes an Upperclassman.

I, Kevin He, bequeath my snarkiness to Jin Peng, Jacob Pingue, Austine Lee, and Sherry Xiao, who needs none, my art farts to Jaynelle Gao and Angie Wang, my creeper smile to Tammy Tseng, who is getting quite good at it, and the future of Taekwondo to Nile Mehta, Tej Kalakuntla, Megan Lee, and Jared Pingue.

I, Kevin Hsu, bequeath: my muscles and smarts to Jonny Teng; Justin Luo; Kevin Liu; Brandon Hoang; Harrison Wu; Danny Lee; Charlay Zhang; Bernard Nguyen; and Jonah Lin, and better dance dates to Tiffany Chen.

I, Kevin Zhai, bequeath the lone chair to Angie Wang and Sherry Xiao, the distribution DVD spindle to Brian Chen, pen tapping skills to next year’s L2 class, and Mission Creekwalk and all of my support to my sister Maya.

I, Kunal Shah, bequeath awkward family friend parties to Nihar Parikh and yearbook shenanigans/strangeness to Amanda Hong and Caitlin Ha. I, Kyle Chen, bequeath my amazing personality and scorching sarcasm to Caitlin; my showdown ranking and band block position to Nathaniel; and my book “How to Hold a Camera” to Amanda.

I, Lakshmi Subbaraj, bequeath Phoenix Art and Literary Magazine to Valerie Tsai, a fun-filled senior year to Uma Palaniappan, and my tennis skills and stamina for the high school years to come to my brother, Hari.

I, Laura Conn bequeath my impeccable southern accent and charm to Blair Akerland, keep the tradition alive my dear; and all my C^2 love and dedication to Gurubala Kotta.

I, Leland Bernstein, bequeath my amazing good looks to Shanta Tran, my strangeness to Marisa Lenci, and my ability to be unstressed to Hannah Shih.

I, Leona Zhu, bequeath Ariel Cheng my guava candy and fruit roll ups, Megan Lee my sassiness and Jennifer Chin and Annie Lee my wonderful hugs.

I, Melissa Brandle, bequeath my batons to my minion, Andrea, my kitchen and all its food contents to Nathaniel Liu, my baking tools to Eric Lam, and Lasagna the Mannequin to Amy Huang, Ishan Goyal, and Kush Patel.

I, Merry Mou, bequeath the Syncopasians to Ciara Lunger, Science Olympiad teams to Margaret Shen, Phoenix Magazine layout to Sherry Xiao, and an as unlimited amount of time as possible per week for Skype calls to Jennifer Mou. I, Michael Kagan, hereby bequeath my pimped out golfcart to Brandi; my metabolism to Julien “Hagrid” Farasat, my soul to Matt Dynin- you need it more than me, and my loose change to Alex Dornfest, you poor underprivileged child.

I, Michael Wang, bequeath that the boys volleyball team better at least make NorCals next year!

I, Michelle Chen, bequeath my name “Michelle Chen” to Michelle Chen.

I, Michelle Huang, bequeath my hurdle skills and speed to my successor Doen Lee in hopes to destroy every hurdler out there, my jokes and love to Abhinav and Neil, and to Eddy and Jimmy my awesomeness.

I, Mindy Lai, bequeath all my love and my pole-vaulting “skills” to the three most handsome gentlemen in the world- Kenny Win, Brandon Trang, and Andrew Ha- and all of Justin Juan’s love to Annie Lee and Ariel Cheng.

I, Mo Luo, hereby bequeath to Margaret Shen and Vivian Dong Riceballs, to Audrey Huang, Raymond Liu, Adi Jung, and their two lucky teammates my Scibowl recklessness, to Donghyun Choi my hella-good-beast baller, and to Dean Luo all my fat.

I, Monica Chitre, bequeath Sonali Toppur all my love, Jeffrey Chen, Brian Chen, and Katelyn Liu my driving skills, Adam Bao my MSJ Memes page, and Amun Rattan my wild side!

I, Natasha Yeh, bequeath my love of Hungry Kidz to Kelsey Lam and Alex Credo, my knowledge and joys of class presidency to Michelle Lee and Tammy Tseng, and my many Costco runs to Waylan Khuu.

I, Nate Kan, bequeath intelligent and social ability to Jon Kan to uphold the Kan family name.

I, Nathan Suh, bequeath my leg hair to Jiseph Yang, my zeal for music to my Synco family, my metaphorical pen to my dear Yearbookers, my ardency for life to my beloved brother and sister, and my love to you.

I, Leslie Chan, bequeath comfy queen-size bed to dust bunnies, car back to my parents, SAT prep books to anybody who is interested (contact me!), and tennis superpowers to Emily Hou and Jessica Liu.

I, Nealay Vasavda, bequeath the legacy of the Frontstreet Boyz to Andrew Ren, Jin Peng, and Andrew Xu. To Allison Cho, I also leave the position of Senior Class Secretary.

I, Linda Shih, bequeath my stunning attractiveness to Walter Yu, my gentle kindness to Bernard Nguyen because he needs it, and my position at Elite to Joshua Shao. Work hard and keep fighting little ones!

I, Neha Pal, bequeath some of my very best memories and (not so) epic chemistry skills to Mahima Narayan, Mili Parikh, Neha Verma, Anusha Rijhsinghani, Aishwarya Thakur, Jonny Teng and Bairavi Shankar.

I, Lisa Chang, bequeath my passion and spirit to my beloved team, my duties as Mama Chang to Melissa, Jaynelle, and CC, my technique to Patty, and all my love to Steven.

I, Madison Hirsch, bequeath my superhero cape to Inae Yi, my J.Crew clothes to Gurubala Kotta, my NorCal medal to Adam Bao, my amazing singing voice to Jem, my experience to Veronica Zhang, and my lucky green ribbon to Merbear!

I, Maggie Tsai, bequeath FFT to Kelly Kuo, the ability to screw around in math class to Leena Yin, Riceballs fun to Margaret Shen, and luck to Angie Wang and Kelly Chu for surviving one more year of band.

I, Mahnoor Shafi, bequeath my truancies & ‘swag’ to Mahima Narayan, starbucks addiction to Mars Sartori, empty wallet to team fat***, the transformers legacy to Amy Ribar and Kimaya Karmawat, speeding skills to Amita Kumar, and coach alvernaz to Nicki Lee. I, Malinda Cheung, bequeath Ethnic Race Relations Committee to Alekya Rajanala, Uma Palaniappan, and all other remaining members. In addition, I bequeath another year of phantastic physics to Sumedh Bhattacharya and Pranay Singal.

I, Manaswini Avvari, bequeath my senioritis to Sreenidhi Madabushi , my random bursts of confidence to Erika Baral, my sisterly love to Neha Nayak, and my million AP and SAT prep books to Sandhya Chari.

I, Marcela Chinn, bequeath my hot volleyball skills to Vicki Petersen and Shannon Chua, and my lasting Chinn legacy to my two younger sisters Evalina and Claudia (Class of 2016 & 2018). The End. I, Maryanne Ching, bequeath my 6-pack to Ariel Tsang, my eyebrows to Emerald Luh, my nail polish collection to Elim Yang, and the 4 by 4 legacy to Claire, Lindy, and Jordan!

I, Omar El-Sadany, bequeath the blue noodle to Nihar Parikh, the Sports section to Vishak Mennon and Kenny Jacoby, and the trash can to Bubba.

I, Param Bhatter, bequeath my BD to Jonah, Brian, and Nathan.

I also give my jump shot to Terence Hu, and my crazy hops to Reid Marion.

I, Patrick Yang, hereby bequeath Jake Walter a deeper, manlier laugh, Yikhin Wong some swag, James D. Chen and Steve Wang my streetball skills, and Austine Lee my shoelaces.

I, Polly Ma, hereby bequeath all my squiggles, food, and makeup/hair expertise to Amanda Hong, and my studio survival skills, charity show sign ups, and dance garage to Jessica Lee and Hilary Yen. I, Prasanna Rajan, bequeath my moose face and my various funny faces to Jocelyn Ha, my luscious bulletproof hair to Pranay Singal, and the rights to BHAAATTTTAAACHHAARRRYAAAA and the Pranay-bases nicknames to Sumedh Bhattacharya.

I, Priya Vijaykumar, bequeath unicorn wishes to Shivani Ariathurai and Mars Sartori, original songs to Nicholi Reece, prom dress to Kristina Wong, music to my sons Alex Credo and Eamon Jahani, and love to Ciara Lunger, P.E. girls, John Neri, and Interactors.

I, Raashi Goyal, bequeath my tennis and holky powers to Sonia Krishna and my driving skills to Karishma Harry and Darien Lo! I, Rebecca Wuu, bequeath my piano skills to Jonathan Shao, my lack of singing skills to Nathan Wang, and my ability to beat the boys at arm wrestling to Claudia Shao--go get ‘em.

I, Ryan Yung, bequeath my wubwub boots and cats to Kyle Lam, Josh Shao, and Steven Yung.

I, Sehej Chadha, bequeath my moon face to Caitlin Ha, my “Parrots Books” to Amun Rattan, my parking spot to Christian and his sexy Evo, and all my love to Sarah Pereira. Have fun next year guys, you’re almost seniors!!

I, Sharon Chung, bequeath all the love, determination, and strength, to get through the last year of high school to my beautiful sister, Valerie Tsai. Finish strong my dear!

I, Shashank Agrawal, bequeath Brian Chen the countless hours of editing MSJTV videos and the freedom to walk on our street all by himself.

I, Sid Kathiresan, bequeath my tuba playing and marching skills to Calvin, my COD and Madden skills to Alvin and Calvin, my lunch driving with friends to Ru, Niki, and Mugdha, and my heart and eternal love to Mugdha <3 I, Sida Lu, bequeath my beautiful Feature to Jin Peng and Jade Shi, my incredible punctuality to events to all the L2 Juniors, and an old shoe to Bernard Nguyen who is basically a senior.

I, Skye Lee, bequeath my Korean Pride to Justin Kou, Sean Li, Leena Yin, Daniel Zhu, and the entire track and field throwing team (David Hu, Elliot Lin, Calvin Hsu, “Serang”(you know who you are). There are more people, but you know who you are.

I, Sneha Jayaprakash, bequeath Easter baskets and corn to Priya Sundaresan, love to Valerie Tsai, HP mementos to Triveni, knowledge to Sumedh, awesome backbeats to Arthi Rao, stationery to Ryan Pascua, whistling skills to Haroon Syed, and food to Supriya.

I, Soleman Karim, bequeath my last name to Amy Ribar who wants so badly to be a part of the Karim family. To my two boogers, Arushi and Jeyashri, I leave tissue.

I, Sonia Liou, bequeath my love for food and great charm to Howard Liu and Ray Ouyang.

I, Stepfanie Lam, bequeath my spazziness and clumsiness to freshman Chu, my stress to Maggie Wang, my photo obsession to Ada Kwong, my ability to withstand senioritis until 2nd semester to Shannia Fu, and my wide grins to Ryan Henderson.

I, Stephen Chen, bequeath my charm and good looks to Kevin Li and my best wishes and luck to Catherine Lo, Crystal Jiao, Emily Chen, Jeff Fok, and Kim Nguyen.

I, Sumukh Sridhara, bequeath the iFUSD app to Adi Jung, a six cell battery to Brandon Wu, and to both of them (along with Jeffery Yuan, Lilliana, Anna Zeng) the reigns of the Computer Science club.

I, Taneesh Kaur Sra, bequeath my passion for golf to the girl’s golf team, my perfect behavioral record to Harpaul Hari, and amazing Bhangra skills to Anshi Saxena!

I, Tian Shi, bequeath my abnormal height, love of books, napping ability, and moments of productivity to Leslie, Jesse, Jeremy, Amber, Daniel, and my dear brother David. I bequeath my high jump prowess to Meilee, Connie, and Emily.

I, Tien Lu, bequeath a part of my awesomeness to my brothers Kha Lu and Khiem Lu, and I also bequeath my stink to Joshua Shao.

I, Tim Fang, bequeath my trolling ability to Albert Zheng and Kevin Chen, the contents of my hard drive to Minmin Fu, and my hair to Audrey Huang.

I, Tony Hung, bequeath Albert Hung and Catherine Lo my swag and give Doen Lee and Cassidy Tarng command of the hurdles team in hope that they will be better captains than Chipmunk and I. I, Tony Zhang, bequeath Jonah Lin my hops, Neal Vasan my national rank in french horn, and Idris Gettani my excellent oratory skills.

I, Trisha Srivastava, bequeath Kiana, Uma, Amy, and Sheila my beloved cuaderno, to learn from my mistakes and to prosper in Spanish. Divide equally and fairly my fair lovelies.

I, Vineet Jain, bequeath all of my testprep books to my sister Sonya Jain, my dog Guildenstern to Ishita Shah, the One Ring to rule them all to Nikhila Peruvemba, and all my funny memes to Anusha Rijhsinghani!I, Vipin Dulam, bequeath my DECA skill to Anusha Rijhsinghani and Rupam Gupta, my hyperbole swag to Mahima Narayan and Nikki Peruvemba, my bawsness to Sai Chilakapati, my fame and YOLO to Ishan Goyal, and my laziness to Clara Cheng. To Nihar, there is no room here for you. Goodbye.

I, Will Booth, bequeath my ability to make weight “somehow, someway” to all the returning MSJ wrestlers. Especially the ones that didn’t make it before. You know who you are.

I, Winnie Tran, bequeath all my prep books to Emily Tran, my stress-relief tactics to Sri Chandu and Ada Kwong, my highpitched scream to Hari R., my cookbooks to Kim Saigusa, and my covert poking ability to Jeffrey Yuan.

I, Xaria Kirtikar, bequeath my relaxedness and my “luck” to Ipsita Dey. I bequeath my love and you-know-who to Sheila Afnan.

I, Zenas Chung, bequeath Austine Lee the chan in my name, and next year’s AP Japanese class my event organization skills.

I, Sanjna Shukla, bequeath my hair and makeup abilities to my favorite freshman Siobhan and my NASCAR driving skills to Mohan Saxena. www.graphicsfuel.com, compiled by staff writers Jaynelle Gao, Catherine Ho, Kevin He, Kenny Jacoby, Sonali Toppur, & Anna Zeng

Friday, June 8, 2012

The Smoke Signal

t s e u G hics p a Gr

www.thesmokesignal.org

Opinion 19

The Smoke Signal asked guest artists to submit comics for the third annual Guest Graphics spread.

guest artist lynn huang, 11

guest artist clay shieh, 10

guest artist terri shih, 10

guest artist elaine lau, 11

guest artist rachel chang, 11

guest artist annie huang, 11 guest artist julian shen, 11

guest artist leena yin, 11

guest artist julian shen, 11

guest artist kathryn shim, 10 guest artist jessica zhang, 10

guest artist emily tran, 10

guest artist shirby wang, 10

guest artist irisa lee, 10

20 Arts & Entertainment

www.thesmokesignal.org

Friday, June 8, 2012

The Smoke Signal

SUPERHEROES FLY T O T HE SC REENS

By Supriya Yelimeli Staff Writer

Over the past year, the popularity of superhero movies in pop culture has increased dramatically.

Hollywood has been churning out up to ten superhero movies in one year, each with more hype than the last. In the upcoming year, three big-budget superhero films are scheduled for release, leading us to wonder why people enjoy superhero movies so much in the first place.

In the past year alone, six bigbudget superhero action movies have been released. Among them are Captain America: The First Avenger, The Green Lantern, The Avengers, The Green Hornet, Thor, and X-Men: First Class. The revival of the superhero genre has surpassed all expectations, with six of the top 12 highest opening-weekend box office grosses being held by superhero movies. Superhero movies have also been known to top box office charts, with Batman: The Dark Knight holding strong at #3, right behind Avatar and Titanic.

Most of the appeal for comic book storylines lies in the heroic themes of patriotism and heroism.

Since 2002 when the U.S first became involved in the Iraq war, there has been a sudden increase in superhero movies. Most caped crusaders serve as hope-inspiring figures, images of people who can save us all from dark and difficult times. Superhero movies promote the ideas of peace, safety and freedom, things the public desperately needs during

times of conflict.

Superhero movies also often represent strong ties to a childhood filled with comic books and action figures. Almost all popular superhero movies are based off of comic books, such as Batman, Spiderman, and Ironman. Although they may not capture the story as accurately as dedicated fans might hope, the retelling of these stories is so successful because it succeeds in bringing back the excitement and joy felt when discovering a new story. Many children grew up with superheroes as role models, and the new trend in the movie industry brings these characters to life in a big way.

Aside from the personal and global reasons, superhero movies are just incredibly entertaining.

Over the years Hollywood has invested huge amounts of money towards increasing the quality of the superhero movie experience.

Almost every superhero movie is now released in IMAX and 3D, two factors that make fast paced action, colors, and sound come to life. The budgets for superhero movies often exceed millions, but they have been known to earn these back on opening day. These action movies have also created some of the most popular directors, producers, and actors in the business, such as Christopher Nolan (director of Batman series) and Tobey Maguire (lead actor in Spiderman). ▪

The Amazing Spiderman ( July 3): This remake of the classic Spiderman movies now tells a different side of the Peter Parker story. Parker (Andrew Garfield) is in the process of finding himself and discovering how he came to be the person he is today. Along the way he discovers a secret hidden by his father (Campbell Scott) that will come to reshape his entire identity.

The Dark Knight Rises ( July 20): The Dark Knight Rises is the last in the Batman series, following the life of millionaire playboy and secret vigilante Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale). Bruce Wayne must now learn how to counter Gotham’s newest terror, Bane (Tom Hardy), and protect the city from the darkness and corruption that boils within.

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Restaurant Review: Papillon

By Vishal Bajpai & Vishak Menon Staff Writers

There was a lazy spring breeze blowing through Fremont on the afternoon that we chanced upon a rustic little building on Mission Boulevard. Papillon is a small restaurant, one anyone could miss while driving down a road like Mission, and its small poorly-light sign does little to help. The menu, unlike the simplistic building, is very complex. Not a single dish has a name less than five words, and the cheapest an entrée will run you is $20.

Price:

The hefty pricing at Papillon was definitely the least attractive part of our experience. The entrees are sure to make a dent in your pocket and don’t offer a huge difference in quantity compared to the appetizers. The cheapest options start at $20 and climb to a whopping $60.

The desserts are also pricey, but this is well worth the price. For $10 a dessert, one can sample anything from pudding to mousse and for $25 you can try the berry flambé for two.

Food:

To begin our meal we tried a medley of appetizers which Papillon titled “small plates.” Little did we know that these small plates were deceivingly named, and in fact had quite generous portions. This is especially true of the Roasted Forest Mushroom Ravioli and the refreshing Norwegian Salmon. For our entrees, we chose the angel hair pasta with sautéed vegetables and the filet mignon with black peppercorn sauce and grilled onions. The filet mignon was tender, juicy, and cooked well; however the black pepper sauce gave the dish an overall bitter taste. The angel hair pasta was definitely not worth twenty dollars. Not only was it bland and uninspired, but it also had too much pasta in proportion to the vegetables.

The dessert, however, really took our restau-

rant experience to the next level. We ordered the strawberry flambé and were delighted to hear it would be prepared tableside. The restaurant’s flambé specialist dazzled us with his flaming expertise and lit several fruits ablaze as he prepared the dessert. Upon tasting the finished result we were taken aback by the symphony of taste entering our mouths. The fruit, still hot and fresh off the pan, mixed with the cold and sweet vanilla ice cream was definitely the highlight of our stay at Papillon.

Ambiance:

The restaurant is split into more “Olive Garden”-esque rooms and rooms with live piano and lights strictly for the suit-wearing crowd.

The experience in the former is still very charming: all the waiters have bowties; there is recorded jazz in the background and fine art on the wall. The restaurant itself is immaculately clean, and even the restrooms were spotless.

Overall:

All things considered, Papillon was a relatively tasty and exciting adventure. Although we had to dig a little deeper into our pockets some of the food was definitely worth the price. Be wary of hefty “small plates” and expensive entrees but make sure to leave room for dessert. If you decide to go with the flambé, it is guaranteed not to disappoint. ▪ Rating:

37296 Mission Boulevard Fremont, CA 94536 (510) 793-6331 papillonrestaurant.com yelp.com

Friday, June 8, 2012

The Smoke Signal

The Vine Cinema

American Idiot the Musical We all remember back in elementary school when Green Day was everyone’s favorite band. Well, now they are back stronger than ever, but in an entirely new way. The Broadway musical tells the story of three friends who leave suburbia looking for their meanings in life. The fast-paced, exhilarating show appears at the Orpheum Theatre in San Francisco from June 12 until July 8. For as low as $55 per ticket, reminisce on your youth with songs like “Boulevard of Broken Dreams.”

The Vine Cinema is a movie theatre in downtown Livermore. Though it has been around for decades, in the past couple years it has been totally revamped and is as popular as ever. The Vine Cinema shows recent Hollywood movies as well as old-timer and classic movies. The theatre is filled with lots of comfortable seating as well as couches to relax on (but you have to get there early)! In addition, you can order food from restaurants next door and they will deliver it to your seat during the movie. Tickets are $9.50 for adults and teens, and matinee showings are only $7.

www.thesmokesignal.org

The X Factor The X Factor is a TV music competition created by Simon Cowell. X Factor is giving away FREE tickets. They will be in town from Saturday, June 16 through June 18 in San Francisco/ Oakland. Those who have tickets will get to be a part of the live studio audience. Judges will be Simon Cowell, Britney Spears, Demi Lovato and L.A. Reid. Tickets can be found on the X Fac- tor main web site.

Wind Capitol 6 Drive In The Drive-In in San Jose is a great alternative to the expensive cineplexes. For just $7 per person, you can see two current feature films, and not have to worry about those annoying movie-talkers. The Drive-In is great because you can bring in your own food if you don’t want to pay for concessions. The movies typically start at around 8 PM, and for those summer blockbusters such as The Dark Knight Rises and The Amazing Spider-Man, the midnight showing is also an option. On Tuesdays, tickets are only $5, offering you a lot of fun at a great price.

Arts & Entertainment 21

West

Summer Concert Series The Central Park Summer Concert Series, held at Lake Elizabeth this year, will be between June 28 and August 9 except on July 5. There will be a display of different music genres and performers. All concerts will be free and will be held between 6 and 8 PM. Alongside the concerts, there will be a kid area known as the Kids’ Fun Zone. The different Bands playing will be East Bay Mudd, Petty Theft, Jukebox Heroes, Big Cat Tolefree, Georgi and the Rouch Week, and The Houserockers.

SUMMER ENTERTAINMENT

By Kenny Jacoby & Anjali Kanthilal Staff Writers

Fireworks The Fourth of July Celebration will be taking place in Pier 39 in San Francisco.

There will be entertainment the whole day, with multiple bands coming and playing for the crowd. The day will start at around 12:00 PM. The red, white and blue fireworks will begin at around 9:30. http://www.pier39.com:80/ Events/events.htm#top

Outs i d e Lands

Vans Warped Tour

Foster the People Concert Foster the People is an Indie pop threemember band. Though at first the band struggled, they soon made Billboard’s number one for Alternative Songs and became a viral hit with “Pumped Up Kicks”. They will be performing on Friday, June 29 in the Greek Theatre at UC Berkeley at 7:30 PM. Tickets for Foster the People cost about $40. www.fosterthepeople.com/us/ events

Red Peppers

Hot Chili Concert

The Red Hot Chili Peppers are an American Rock band that has been playing since the 1980s. They have won 7 Grammy Awards and sold over 65 million albums. “Under the Bridge” and “Californication” are two of their most famous songs. They will be performing on August 14 and 15 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland. http://redhotchilipeppers.com/tour

Since 1995, Vans Warped Tour has made for one-ofa-kind summer entertainment, and it’s coming back for the summer of 2012. On June 23, the festival of music and extreme sports will be in Parking Lot A at AT&T Park in San Francisco—don’t miss out on the fun! The lineup this year includes over 90 bands, including Rise Against, All Time Low, Mayday Parade, New Found Glory, The Used, Senses Fail, and Yellowcard. http://vanswarpedtour.com/

San Francisco’s own three-day music festival never fails to draw a large crowd. The event will take over Golden Gate Park from August 10-12 for a bonanza of food, art, wine, and of course, music. Featuring a diverse line-up of over 50 bands, Outside Lands caters to every individuals music taste.

This year’s headliners include Metallica, Stevie Wonder, Jack White, Foo Fighers, Skrillex, Franz Ferdinand, and Passion Pit. Regular 3-day tickets are now on sale for $225. ▪

americanidiotthemusical.com, fosterthepeople.com, grammy.com, pier39.com, redhotchilipeppers.com, sfoutsidelands.com, vanswarpedtour.com, vinecinema.com, westwinddriveins.com, wikipedia.com

22 Arts & Entertainment

www.thesmokesignal.org

Success Isn’t Alien to ‘MIB’

The Smoke Signal

John Mayer ‘Raised’ Well

By Ditha Balaji Staff Writer

meninblack3.com

By Kyle Qian Staff Writer

Sequels are rarely better than the original. For an example, look no further than Men in Black II (2002), a cinematic flop of a continuation of the charming sci-fi comedy that is the original Men in Black (1997).

Thus, while the 10-year gap between the second film and Men in Black 3 gave time for viewers to forgive and forget, those who remember are understandably skeptical.

The Men in Black series is based on a comic book series of the same name. The basic premise of the series is the co-existence of aliens with humans throughout Earth.

An independent secret agency, the ‘Men in Black’ monitors alien activity on Earth and prevents humans from realizing the existence of their extraterrestrial co-inhabitants.

While the two predecessors of MiB3 follow a rather standard model of over-the-top sci-fi action

mixed with witty quips, MiB3 reveals a more sentimental side of the story. Sure, the apocalyptic “save the world from rogue aliens” theme is still present, but the focus of MiB3 is an inward look at the protagonists Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) and Agent J (Will Smith).

The character Agent K has been known through the first two films as being the surly, humorless partner and mentor of the wise-cracking Agent J. The premise of MiB3 is an attempt to blend the plot, which involves an escaped alien convict put away 40 years ago by Agent K, with a narrative explaining the origin of Agent K’s unemotional demeanor.

Time travel is also introduced to the series and is essential to the plot. The escaped alien travels back to 1969 to kill Agent K before Agent K would have imprisoned him. In order to save his partner, Agent J follows Boris back to the 60s. The events that occur, in short, masterfully crystallize a connection

between the partners.

What MiB3 accomplishes in story-telling, however, is marred by its need to stay loyal to the series.

Until MiB3, the series was characterized by a balance between action and comedy. When MiB3 tries to add on a darker twist to the story, it seems to clash with the tone established by the first two films. The script seems to struggle with this, constant and noticeable switching between “sci-fi action” and “melodrama.” Even the climax of the film, an emotional tear-jerker, seems to have more of an effect on the audience than on the characters, as the film quickly attempts to re-establish the light and witty side of MiB. Because MiB3 attempts to do something different as the third in a series, its achievements will inevitably be overshadowed through comparisons with first. When viewed and critiqued as a standalone, MiB3 is a solid production. ▪ Rating: B

‘Cheap Seats’ Worth the Money

reginaspektormusic.net

By Sherry Xiao Staff Writer

American singer-songwriter Regina Spektor’s newest album, What We Saw from the Cheap Seats, is both nostalgic and boldly experimental. The album opens up with “Small Town Moon,” which begins as a smooth piano ballad and then morphs into a pop dance beat complete with clapping, bringing a whole new meaning to the “piano-pop” that Spektor is known for. The rest of the album follows this quirky lead. Spektor utilizes changing melodies to mimic a conversation in the unconventional “Oh Marcello,” beat-boxes in “All the Row Boats,” successfully mimics a noisemaker in “Party,” and some-

how makes it all work together. There are, however, instances where her experimentation goes over the top. The gasping in “Open” is reminiscent of a cat hacking up a hairball and feels sorely out of place with the rest of the song, but for the most part, the weirdness of the songs serves to distinguish the album and Spektor.

The album displays Spektor’s eccentricity not only through her musical choices, but through her lyrical ones as well. In the notable ballad, “Firewood,” Spektor finds a balance between the two traits to produce straightforward, poetic lines like, “The piano is not firewood yet/ They try to remember but still they forget.” In “Ballad of a Politician,” she uses her forthright words to paint a striking

condemnation of a pandering politician. In a majority of the album’s songs, however, the lyrics don’t paint a coherent narrative; they suggest a series of scenes and images intertwined

by Spektor’s persistent vocals.

Though Spektor’s increasingly experimental peculiarity in Cheap Seats is the most obvious departure from her 2009 album, Far, a change in the way Spektor sings is also noticeable.

Her voice loses some of its old wispy quality and gains clarity and strength.

The change is apparent in a majority of the songs, and best observed in the album’s ballads which also serve to showcase Spektor’s enormous vocal range. There are still a few songs in the album, such as “Party” and “Don’t Leave Me”, that reflect Spektor’s old style, which is not necessarily a bad thing.

What We Saw From the Cheap Seats mixes fresh elements with familiar melodies to create an arresting array of songs, but suffers from some minor missteps and, more importantly, a lack of real unity or theme across the album. Nevertheless, Cheap Seats still showcases Spektor’s abundant talent and has a little bit of something for everyone and, since it’s Regina Spektor, a lot of oddness for all. ▪ Rating: B+

Friday, June 8, 2012

John Mayer is one of the most prominent and talented singer/ songwriters of our time. His mostacclaimed work, Continuum, put his name high on the charts and promoted him to super-stardom.

Known for deep, soulful lyrics and smooth melodies, John Mayer does not disappoint in his new album Born and Raised.

After a short medical respite, Mayer released this album in late May. The album definitely has a new sound to it, in comparison to his typical jazz/rock-pop beats and chords. He attempts to go back to his roots with his new work, adding a huge country influence to almost every song. With heavy instrumental rhythms and banjo-playing, this album could possibly be considered a country-pop crossover. His title song “Born and Raised” contains an eclectic blend of mellow voice and a heavy country influence, while “If I Ever Get Around to Living” returns back to his old sound. As

always, Mayer has outdone himself with the deep, meaningful lyrics in “Queen of California.” “Whiskey, Whiskey, Whiskey” is a more playful number with a whimsical beat and a soft jazz background. “Speak for Me” is arguably the best song on the record with its long, melodic intro and its perfect combination of country and Mayer’s raspy vocals, making it the epitome of his goals for this album. “Something like Olivia” embodies Mayer’s passion for writing about his mislead, misjudged love-life, while containing strong organ undertones, making the piece reminiscent of oldage music. Compared to his other works, Born and Raised is definitely an experiment, pleasing most of his fans but disappointing those that rely on his pop-ballad sound.

Claimed to be his best album thus far, Born and Raised does not disappoint, although it has not seen much movement on the charts. The album is good for anyone with the desire to explore the country-side of music or with a love for good lyrics and a strong melody. ▪ Rating: A-

johnmayermusic.com

‘Dictator’ Commands

By Sonali Toppur Staff Writer

Famous for his wild and controversial characters, Sacha Baron Cohen does not disappoint with his lead role as Admiral General Aladeen in his latest film, The Dictator. As opposed to his previous movies, The Dictator is more of a traditional scripted comedy. It does however have its share of political incorrectness and cultural stereotyping that is masterfully delivered inoffensively in a humorous way.

Aladeen (Cohen) is the dictator of The Republic of Wadiya, and has plans to develop nuclear weapons that catch the attention of the United Nations. He is forced to come to New York to defend his actions, but is betrayed by his uncle Tamir (Ben Kingsley) who attempts to assassinate him. He escapes his assassination attempt and struggles to reclaim his position, with the help of feminist Zoey (Anna Farris).

The comedic genius of Cohen is displayed abundantly, from political satire to simple raunchy humor.

Beginning with a joking dedication to Kim Jong Il, the strong political commentary is conveyed through humor. The loose plot al-

lows for Cohen to take any direction he wants, keeping the audience in a constant state of surprise. The unpredictability is good as it keeps the jokes fresh and the viewers engaged, but there are moments when the jokes miss the mark. Thankfully, the laughs outweigh the groans.

However, underneath the comedy lies a message that Cohen manages to convey effectively. His overdone performance and representation of a dictatorship holds many similarities to the American democracy, as he points out governmental shortcomings we face today. As the audience walks away chuckling, they also walk away with stirred up thoughts and the need to question. ▪ Rating: B

thedictator.com

Friday, June 8, 2012

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

Arts & Entertainment 23

Spring Concert Blooms

By Jade Shi Staff Writer

By Tanya Raja Staff Writer

The Smoke Signal, along with a few other lucky schools, had the opportunity to conduct a phone-interview with pop-rock band The All-American Rejects, who recently released their fourth studio album, Kids in the Street.

Smoke Signal: Have you played any pranks on other bands while on tour?

All American Rejects: Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done a lot of pranks. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of a tradition on the last day of tour to prank the other bands, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done a few things like going on stage during the bandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s last song and just slowly pulling off all their drums and equipment as theyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re playing, or dropping things on them. We got pranked pretty bad by a band called From First to Last. They threw a bunch of flour all over our gear, which was not nice. We still find flour in our gear now.

SS: What has been your biggest challenge as a band?

AAR: I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just pushing ourselves creatively. A lot of bands become complacent and just go through the motions, and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve always [felt that] this is our dream and weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re very aware that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re lucky to get to do it, so we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t take it for granted, and we still push ourselves just as hard as we did for our first record. The biggest challenge has been pleasing ourselves and making something that weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re proud of and [that is] worth putting out in the world. With Kids in the Street, it was no different. We were pulling our hair out the whole time. Even when people were said â&#x20AC;&#x153;Hey, I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know why youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re freaking out,â&#x20AC;? we said â&#x20AC;&#x153;No, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s not great yet.â&#x20AC;? We always push ourselves to that point of insanity, but I think itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s worth it in the end to make the best product.

SS: If you could change one thing about the

theallamericantrejects.com

music industry, what would it be and why?

AAR: It sounds like Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m a grouchy old man, but I miss the pre-Internet thing. I miss when you had to go to Kinkoâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s and make fliers and dub a demo tape and there was mystique to [the] band. I would look up the band and wanted to know more about them, but it was hard to find out and you had to dig. Everythingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so easy and accessible now that I kind of miss those old days.

Times change. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not saying things suck now by any means, but there was such a feeling and excitement for digging for information and music before, [and] thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s kind of gone away. But I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t know - thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s just me being an old man.

SS: In your opinion, what songs of yours that havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t gotten as much fame as â&#x20AC;&#x153;Gives You Hellâ&#x20AC;? and â&#x20AC;&#x153;Move Alongâ&#x20AC;? deserve to be more popular?

AAR: Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a good question. I always liked the song off of Move Along called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Change Your Mind.â&#x20AC;? Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s [partly] our fault. We rarely played it live for some reason, but I always really liked that song. Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a song off our last record too called â&#x20AC;&#x153;Break Inâ&#x20AC;? that I thought was really good, but I think also it didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t get the best mix it possibly could have. And even our producer who mixed it said afterwards â&#x20AC;&#x153;I couldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve done betterâ&#x20AC;? and I feel like if maybe it got remixed, that song could have been just as good of a hit as some of the other ones. â&#x2013;Ş

On Tuesday, May 29, MSJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Vocal Ensembles held their annual Spring Concert, featuring Concert Choir, Treble Ensemble, Chamber Chorale, and Musical Theatre at the Ohlone College Smith Center.

Concert Choir began its set with a lively â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let All The World in Every Corner Singâ&#x20AC;?, boasting strong vocals and well practiced harmonies. Piano accompanist Junior Jasmine Kuo said â&#x20AC;&#x153;Being their accompanist has been one of the most exciting experiences of my life. They have given me not only a warm welcome, but a new passion for both music and the piano.â&#x20AC;? Choirâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entire performance was appealing and well received by the audience.

Choir and Treblesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; joint performance of â&#x20AC;&#x153;Electricityâ&#x20AC;? from the musical Billy Elliot was a joy to listen to, with soloist Senior PoDar Huang leading the group.

In eerily beautiful tones, Treble Ensemble then began its set with Rogerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;&#x153;Preludiumâ&#x20AC;?, with Junior Mili Parikhâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lovely solo. Throughout the entire set, Trebleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entire performance proved both soothing and riveting. Trebleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s last song, led by soloist Junior Marie Anderson, was likewise enchanting, with clear tones and beautiful harmonies.

Chamber Choraleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set was undoubtedly the most diverse and technically challenging of the night, with songs in Latin, French, Portuguese, German, Hindi, and English.

staff writer jade shi

staff writer jade shi

The second song in particular, German Carol â&#x20AC;&#x153;Resonet in Laudibusâ&#x20AC;? (meaning â&#x20AC;&#x153;Let the voice of praise resound), was exceptionally powerful. Each song was done tastefully and artistically, with difficult harmonies throughout the set, and strong soprano voices in particular.

Musical Theatre Vocal Workshopâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s performance was the most visually appealing of the night. Choreographed by Senior Amy Mendonca and Junior Shivani Ariathurai, the dances fit perfectly with musical arrangements and added to the overall atmosphere.

The choreography seemed to get more complicated with each song, with the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Superhits!â&#x20AC;? medley and the last song â&#x20AC;&#x153;Goodbyeâ&#x20AC;? drawing the entire audienceâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s ovation.

Choir Teacher Jason Aucoin took the time between Musical Theatreâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s set and the finale to congratulate choir members who traveled to London in December to perform for Queen Elizabeth IIâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Diamond Jubilee. He also commended Sophomore Beth Scrutton and Freshman Lynnea Shuck for their help and cooperation in class, as well as thanked Senior Priya Vijaykumar, Senior Amy Mendonca, and Junior Shivani Ariathurai for their unprecedented, continued help throughout their years in the vocal ensembles.

The night ended with plenty of applause and pride, and the work MSJâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vocal ensembles put into the performance proved to be immense and truly worthwhile. â&#x2013;Ş

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24 Sports

www.thesmokesignal.org

By Omar El-Sadany & Sanjna Shukla Sports Editors

the power of teamwork No matter what sport it is, team chemistry has always proven to be crucial to a team’s success. The way in which a team interacts both on and off the court can make or break the team’s chances of success. Some “super teams” have a couple of talented players who use their skill to make up for the lack of solid team work. However, other teams have mastered the art without having any stellar players.

In the NBA, most prominently, team chemistry has been vital in the playoffs. The Los Angeles Lakers have always been a team to contend with players such as Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol, and Andrew Bynum on the floor. However, the Oklahoma City Thunder, a relatively young team, was able to eliminate the Lakers by utilizing its flawless teamwork.

The most cliché and the most known example of a lack of teamwork would be the Miami Heat. With three star players (I’m assuming you know by now, but if you don’t: Chris Bosh, Dwyane Wade, and Lebron James), the Heat were expected to win the championship hands down. However, the other players on the team could not keep up with the pace of Miami’s Big Three and this created a major disconnect in the team’s performance on the court. When you have three amazing players on the court, the other two should be getting a ridiculous number of assists. Mario Chalmers defied this probability and has plagued the team with turnovers. Playing against the Indiana Pacers, the Heat was supposed to

By Kerrie Wu Staff Writer

On May 26, the MSJ boys’ volleyball team went to NCS Finals for the second time in MSJ history, battling defending champion De La Salle (DLS) High School in Concord.

Though the team lost 0-3, MSJ fought hard and ended second in NCS after an amazing season, led by Senior Captains Jonathan Poon and Michael Wang.

Under new Head Coach Amy Kwon, the team crushed nearly every competitor in MVALs, except for a close loss against American High School. The Warriors entered NCS playoffs seeded third and touting their fourth straight MVAL title, with a league record of 11-1.

The team had a bye in the first round of NCS and advanced to the quarterfinals, where the team beat the California High School Grizzlies in four sets with scores 25-14, 2521, 23-25, and 25-23 in front of strong student support on home court.

The win brought MSJ to NCS semifinals against the Deer Valley Wolverines, seeded second in NCS. Though the team had lost to Deer Valley twice during season at tournaments and were seeded one below, the MSJ Warriors triumphed over the Wolverines 3-1 in an intense game, a testament to their con-

advance easily into the conference finals. The Pacers do have extreme talent on the team, in players such as Roy Hibbert and Danny Granger, but their strength lies in how well the team can hold itself together. Young Pacers guard Darren Collison showed both confidence and skill and helped the team compete against one of the most intimidating teams in the league.

Although the NFL is not currently in season, the league also has its fair share of teams that can boast about their teamwork.

Our very own San Francisco 49ers defied all odds and advanced in the playoffs. The team, which has been struggling for the past several years, finally gave the Bay Area a ray of hope when it made it all the way to the NFC title game. Although Alex Smith did have some excellent plays, he is, by no means the superstar of the team. Just a few years ago, Smith was famous for his record incompletions and turnovers. The team around him supported him and that’s why today he can actually be called a successful quarterback. On the other hand, the Indianapolis Colts, a more well-known team in the league, struggled all season without their star quarterback Peyton

forbes.com

The team chemistry between the starting 5 of OKC has led them to success.

tinuing improvement throughout the season.

Though the team lost the first set 18-25, they came back to win in the next three sets with great energy, sealing the match 25-18, 25-20, and 25-18.

In the first set of the NCS Finals, MSJ stayed close behind the DLS Spartans. It was neck and neck until 16-17, but MSJ fell behind in the last few points and lost 18-25.

However, they came back strong in the second set and gave DLS a run for their money, pushing the score to 28-30. In the final set DLS gained a wide lead early on, and MSJ made it close but came up short with a score of 20-25 at the end.

The last time MSJ made it to NCS finals was in 2009, where the Warriors played the Foothill High School Falcons and lost 0-3.

Since then, MSJ has continually made it to NCS every year, making it to the first round in 2010 and to second round in 2011.

Though the team’s achievements were made with hard work and devotion, the support of the MSJ community definitely played a large part. “Thanks to the fans, coaches, and players who supported the team throughout the season and helped make history here at MSJ. Good luck to the underclassmen,” says Senior Tony Zhang. ▪

Junior Alvin Zhou leaps for the ball in the faces of the outstreched defenders

staff writer nihar parikh

The Smoke Signal

Friday, June 8, 2012

have mastered the art of teamwork. In the near future, undoubtedly, MSJ athletics will continue to make us proud. ▪

graphics editor angie wang

sfgate.com

Without Peyton Manning on the field this season, the Colts had one of their worst seasons in history.

Manning. As much as we all love the Colts (except for maybe a couple Patriots fans), we couldn’t look any longer at the TV screen when we saw them getting pummeled by the New Orleans Saints 62-7. The Colts proved to themselves and the nation that they are a one-man team. Even though they have tight end Dallas Clark, defensive lineman Dwight Freeney, and running back Joseph Addai, the Colts were no match against teams that were strong at every position on the field. (For the record, Joseph Addai is a traitor for going to the New England Patriots for the upcoming season. No personal bias or anything.)

For this very reason, MSJ athletics has made its mark in a variety of sports. Boys’ volleyball, girls’ basketball, and and baseball are just a few of the sports this year which

A special message from Sanjna and Omar: Speaking of good teamwork, we have had a great time leading the sports section, but now it’s time for us to move on. It seems like it was just a short while ago when we were on the receiving end of this goodbye, but now it’s our time to pass up our time of glory. First and foremost, we’d like to congratulate Kenny Jacoby and Vishak Menon on having the opportunity to take over this amazing section. Just as Omar and I had promised our predecessors to do our very best, we expect both the newbies to do the same. We appreciate everyone who read our column and we hope you continue to do so next year! Clearly, both of them have some big shoes to fill. ▪

graphics editor angie wang

Friday, June 8, 2012

The Smoke Signal

Ian Dickeson: Ian Dickeson was awarded with the Army Reserves Athlete Award. He has played golf since a young age and made it to Meet of Champions (MOC) this season. Ian has competed in many competitions including the 2012 U.S. Open Local Qualifying and placed 53.

Dickeson will play golf for the University of California, San Diego.

Ilene Tsao: Ilene Tsao was honored with two awards: the White Sweater Award and the Army Reserves Athlete Award. She has been on both varsity basketball and track and field since her freshman year, earning four varsity letters in each. In track, she excels in the 100- meter and 200-meter sprints and is a member of the 4x100 meter team that competed at MOC this season. In basketball, Tsao helped the team win against Monte Vista High School this season, advancing the Lady Warriors to NCS semi-finals, the best finish in MSJ history. Tsao will be playing for Emory University’s basketball team next year.

Corbin Lee: Corbin Lee was awarded the MSJ Athlete of the Year Award. He has been wrestling since freshman year and competed at the California Interscholastic Federation (State) championship this year and fell just short to bringing home a state medal. Lee placed third in the 120-pound weight class at North Coast Section (NCS).

He has completed his last season in high school and was marked as one of the most successful in MSJ wrestling history, thereby earning a spot on the Wall of Fame in the mini-gym. Lee has committed to wrestling for New York University.

By Avery Kruger Staff Writer

They’re almost here! The summer Olympics are back, and they will be held in London for 2012. The Olympics are always full of excitement, but there are a number of athletes and events you should definitely keep your eyes on.

One of the most visible, extravagant Olympic events is the opening ceremony, capped off by lighting the Olympic flame.

Before it arrives at the ceremony, the torch will be relayed throughout the country by many varied participants. This year, 2010 MSJ alum and former ASB President Kylan Nieh will be carrying the torch along one stage of its journey. On July 11, Nieh will carry the torch through Oxford, England as one of 20 American citizens participating through Coca-Cola’s Live Positively program. “It is a huge honor to be a part of this,” said Nieh.

Swimming is an area that the United States has historically performed very well in. In Beijing in 2008, Michael Phelps set a record for the number of gold medals won by an athlete in a single Summer Olympics.

This year, he will be competing again for the last time; Phelps has declared he will retire right after. Another returning champion in the water is Natalie Coughlin, who has earned 11 Olympic medals over the course of her career.

Gymnastics is another exciting arena.

In the 2008 Olympics, the US won 2 gold medals and 5 silver medals in women’s gymnastics, and Mission alum Kevin Tan helped earn a bronze medal for the overall team.

2010 MSJ alum Chris Turner, who placed top 20 in 3 gymnastic events in the NCAAs this year, will not be competing, but he may at the next Olympic trials. The trials will be held in San Jose from June 28th to July 1st.

Many US athletes will be competing on the track in London and contend. ing for medals. The hotly contested rivalry between American Tyson Gay and Jamaican Usain Bolt will once again be the focus on the track,

www.thesmokesignal.org

By Lindy Zeng & Catherine Ho Staff Writers

The annual awards assembly is an event to recognize certain seniors for outstanding accomplishments over their high school career. Of the many certificates lauded upon the senior class, there are athletic honors and titles awarded to several seniors. The White Sweater Award is given to athletes who have earned eight or more varsity letters in their high school career.

The MSJHS Athlete and Scholar Athlete of the Year awards are given to students who have excelled in their participation of a sport and those who have great achievements in athletics as well as academic study, respectively. The Army Reserve Athlete and the Scholar Athlete awards are similar in the fact that both recognize achievement in both academics and athletics. The Marines Distinguished Athlete award, according to the US Marine Corp, is “given to young persons who have perhaps ‘played over their head’ or are the athletes with a ‘never-saydie’ attitude.” This year, MSJ Class of 2012 had eight recipients of these ten awards.

Ilene Tsao & Ian Dickeson

Avery Kruger & Erika Cherk

Erika Cherk: Erika Cherk received the Marines Distinguished Athlete Award. The captain of the cross-country and distance track teams, Cherk has obtained six varsity letters. As a sophomore, she placed and scored in the MVAL cross-country championships, securing an MSJ MVAL victory for the first time in several years. Cherk placed third in the 3200 meters at NCS in 2010 and advanced to MOC multiple times. At MOC, she placed twenty-first in both 2010 and 2011. Cherk will be attending UC San Diego in the fall.

but some lesser known athletes will also have some interesting races. The American 4x100m relay team and World Championship 5k silver medalist Bernard Lagat both have great chances at medaling in London.

Martial arts are often an overlooked part of the Olympics. This year, pay attention to judo as San Jose State University graduate Marti Malloy will be one of five judoka to represent the US at the Olympics. SJSU has performed at the top level in judo recently, winning the National Collegiate Judo Championship this March and medals at the USA Judo Senior Nationals, so other local judoka could well compete at the Olympics in the future.

In the gym quad, a Hall of Fame banner runs alongside the walls. Two people are listed as Olympians, Kristi Yamaguchi and Joe McVein. Although many people have heard of Yamaguchi, McVein is relatively unknown. When he went to the Olympics in 1984 and 1988 he participated in handball, a high speed team ball game. In his Olympic career, McVein earned his team four goals and a 9th and 12th place finish.

For those interested in watching something novel, handball is a great opportunity to see something new. It’s exciting, quick, and a great way to connect to a piece of MSJ history. ▪

wienmandu.com

Michael Phelps won 8 gold medals in the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Corbin Lee & Madison Hirsch

Param Bhatter: Param Bhatter received MSJ Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. He was the captain of the varsity basketball team this past season and also plays for the MSJ volleyball team. Bhatter represented MSJ when he was selected for First Team All-League for basketball this season. His outstanding academic and athletic achievements have helped him earn this award. Param will be attending UC San Diego in the fall.

Maya Ramachandran & Param Bhatter

Avery Kruger: The male recipient of the Marine Distinguished Athlete Award is Avery Kruger. Kruger is the captain of both the cross country and distance track and field teams and has obtained a total of five varsity letters. He placed fifteenth in the 3200 meters at NCS this season and also ran his personal record in the 1600 meters, placing tenth.

Kruger has also been the cross-country and track and field MVP for MSJ on several occasions. Kruger will be attening UC Davis in the fall.

Sports 25

Maya Ramachandran: Maya Ramachandran was also a recipient for the MSJ Scholar Athlete of the Year Award. She plays both volleyball and basketball. In addition to being Scholar Athlete of the Year, she was also named athlete of the season for basketball. In MSJ’s NCS playoff game against Monte Vista, Maya scored four of the seven points scored near the end of the game. She led the basketball team to the NCS semifinals, their best finish in MSJ history. Maya will be playing basketball for MIT in the fall.

Madison Hirsch: Madison Hirsch received both the White Sweater Award and the MSJHS Athlete of the Year Award. Hirsch has a total of ten Varsity Letters—four from golf, two from cross country, three from track and field, and one from soccer. Hirsch, a multi-talented competitor, excelled at every sport she participated in, placing ninth at NCS cross-country in 2009 and tenth at the track and field MOC in 2011. In addition, she led the girls’ golf team to the CIF State Championships this season for the first time in MSJ history as a co-captain. Hirsch will be playing golf for Cal Poly SLO in the fall. ▪

photos by sports editor sanjna shukla and staff writer catherine ho

abcnews.com

Seau played 12 seasons with the San Diego Chargers and in 2010 was inducted into the Chargers Hall of Fame.

By Jason Chen Staff Writer

On May 2, 2012, news of iconic NFL linebacker Junior Seau’s death jolted football fans across the nation. Seau was only 43 at the time of his death and seemed to have a bright future ahead of him. He was widely regarded as a great father figure by people who knew him best.

Just two weeks prior to Seau’s death, Ray Easterling, a defensive back for the Atlanta Falcons in the 70s, also committed suicide with a handgun. His aunt said in an interview that Easterling “felt like his brain was falling out” and “was losing control of his life.” In 2008, the first sign of trouble regarding Seau surfaced when he told his neighbor: “I’ve had a headache for years. I can’t tell you how many concussions I’ve had.”

The recent suicides of Seau and Easterling have caused scientists, the National Football League Players Association (NFLPA), and the National Football League (NFL) to take a closer look at the devastating effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), degenerative brain damage caused by repeated blows to the head. CTE is known to cause depression, memory loss, and dementia in victims. The first cases of CTE first came to light in 2005 and has since been found in the brains of more than 50 deceased athletes.

This discovery underscores the dangers facing today’s football players and ignites talk

about the NFL changing rules and penalties to further protect player health.

The death of Seau also justifies why the NFL came down so harshly on the Saints in wake of their bounty scandal. After a massive lawsuit filed by 1,200 former players demanding damages due to the lack of assistance from the NFL regarding brain trauma, the league has made it their mission to protect the health of current players.

New concussions policies were implemented and fines were increased for hits to the head. The Saint’s bounty scandal directly undermined the NFL’s goal by increasing the concussion rates of every player on the field, and the Saints paid dearly for their reckless disregard of the safety of everyone on the field.

Seau and Easterling’s death serve as an awful reminder of how the NFL has treated damaged retirees and the dearth of knowledge we know about brains of former players. However, their sacrifices have also given the NFL a new perception of how the game is played. Before Seau’s suicide, the Saints bounty scandal, and new concussions policies, NFL players played with reckless violence on the field. However, today’s NFL is gearing towards greater safety and Seau’s death affirms that safety is clearly the number one concern on the football field. ▪

26 Sports

www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, June 8, 2012

By Connor Williams and Kerrie Wu Staff Writers

MSJ has been a consistent powerhouse in athletics for decades. Year in and year out, MSJ claims numerous MVAL titles and sends even more teams to NCS championships. This year was no different. These are just some of MSJ’s outstanding sports teams in 2011-12.

Girls’ Golf Continuing their history of success, the girls’ golf team qualified for the CIF California Championship for the first time in MSJ history after taking 2nd place in NCS and 1st in NorCal. At NorCals, the team took the championship easily, finishing with strong 400 total, 14 strokes ahead of their closest competitor, Amador Valley.

Badminton

Girls’ Basketball The MSJ Girls’ Basketball team achieved a league record of 11-1 and overall record of 27-4. They went to NCS semifinals and qualified for NorCals for the first time in MSJ history. The team’s greatest comeback came during the NCS quarterfinal game against Monta Vista High School, where they overcame Monta Vista’s 13-point lead and won with just 1.5 seconds left on the clock.

Swimming

Boys’ Volleyball

Boys’ volleyball has had yet another successful season, continuing on their fourth year straight of taking the MVAL championship. The team was seeded third in NCS playoffs and triumphed over the California High School and Deer Valley High School to play against De La Salle High School in NCS finals, where they put up a good fight and ended in 2nd place in Division 1 NCS

Girls’ Water Polo

Gymnastics Gymnastics had its largest team ever this year with 29 girls and took the MVAL championship undefeated with a season record of 5-0. The team also swept MVALs, with multiple girls placing in the top six all-around of all three levels--JV, Varsity, and Varsity Elite-and dominated with players taking first place all-around in all three levels.

Baseball

The badminton team had another exceptional season and finished undefeated at 14-0 under coach Ambrish Batheja. At NCS the team won first in every category and had four placers in singles, three placers in doubles, and two placers in mixed doubles. The first place finishers include Danae Long in girls singles, Lily Xu and Rohini Iyer in girls doubles, and Lisa Chang and Kenny Chin in the mixed doubles, thereby sealing MSJ’s 1st place NCS finish.

The boys’ swimming team had a phenomenal season. Lead by Captains Sean Yao, Connor Williams, and Eric Lam they have broken four school records, not to mention many meet records and league records. To compete with the boy’s amazing season, all three of the girls’ relays have broken the school records this season. Not only that, but their 200 free relay was seeded 1st in NCS, which is practically unheard of for Mission in the ultra-competitive league.

The girls’ water polo team took 2nd place in MVALs with a record of 8-2. The team had a new head coach this year, Coach Aaron Shilling, and also had only nine girls.

At NCS, the team defeated Heritage High school easily 8-2 and moved on to quarterfinals, where they had an intense game against Alhambra High School and went into double overtime. Though the team lost, they fought hard and ended 6th in NCS.

Boys’ Cross Country 4-2

Gymnastics 5-0

Girls’ Soccer 2-8-2

Boys’ Volleyball 11-1

Girls’ Cross Country 5-1

Girls’ Golf 4-0

Wrestling 4-2

Boys’ Swimming 6-0

Football 0-6

Girls’ Volleyball 5-7

Baseball 5-7

Girls’ Swimming 6-0

Girls’ Water Polo 8-2

Boys’ Basketball 4-8

Softball 1-11

Boys’ Track and Field 3-3

Boys’ Water Polo 6-4

Girls’ Basketball 11-1

Boys’ Golf 4-0

Girls’ Track and Field 4-2

Girls’ Tennis 11-1

Boys’ Soccer 3-5-4

Badminton 14-0

Boys’ Tennis 12-0

The baseball team got off to a great start in the preseason, going 6-0-1 in their first seven games. Despite fierce competition in league, they made it into the NCS tournament for the second year in a row. After an upset victory over San Ramon Valley, the fourth seed in the tournament, the team made it to the second round of NCS in a number of years. ▪

photos by smoke signal staff, courtesy of tom thomsen

Friday, June 8, 2012

The Smoke Signal

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The Smoke Signal

Friday. June 8, 2012

FAMILY FESTIVAL

By Nihar Parikh Staff Writer On June 2, L2 hosted its third annual Family Festival. Dozens of families from across the district came to support MSJ in ASB’s largest fundraiser of the year. The event was held on the MSJ field and featured many attractions, including six bounce houses, two Euro bungee stations, a pony carousel, and carnival games. Primarily attended by elementary school children, the event included attractions like face painting and rock climbing. Melissa and Andrea Brandle, Eamon Jahani, Tien Lu, Allison Cho, Nathan Suh, Nicholi Reece, Harry Liu, and members of the Jung Suwon Martial Arts Academy provided live entertainment to the delight of onlookers. Multiple food trucks like Mogo BBQ, Soulnese, and Tikka Bytes made great food available.

TEDxMSJHS

By Kevin He Staff Writer On Sunday, June 3, Mission San Jose High School hosted Fremont’s very first TEDx, or independently organized TED (short for technology, entertainment, and design) event.

As described by the TED website, TED is a nonprofit organized dedicated to providing “riveting talks by remarkable people, free to the world.” The three 90-minute sessions held in C-120 from 10:00 am to 4:30 pm had speakers from a variety of fields take the stage.

Notable speakers included Apple research scientist and magician Kim Silverman and two-time Emmy Award winner and MSJ alumnus Kevin Wing.

photos by a&e editor alekya rajanala, courtesy edward wang