The Smoke Signal Vol. XLIV No.2

Friday, October 10, 2008

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LOCAL ELECTIONS

News 3

As November approaches, so do the elections. In Fremont, three candidates compete to become the next mayor.

Gus Morrison

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Steve Cho

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By Sonya John Staff Writer Hopeful mayoral candidate, Steve Cho, has been an advocate for active change in the city of Fremont for more than 24 years. Born

Bob Wasserman

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Bob Wasserman (middle) is running for his relection to be mayor.

By Sargun Kaur Staff Writer Current Fremont Mayor Bob Wasserman is up for re-election again in the upcoming mayoral race. Wasserman and his wife, Linda Wasserman, have been living in Fremont for the past 32 years. Prior to his first election, Wasserman served as the Fremont Police Chief for 15 years until he was elected as the Fremont City Councilmember in 1992,

By Vidya Mahavadi News Editor Gus Morrison is running a sixth time for mayor of Fremont. In this mayoral race, he will be competing against current Fremont Mayor Bob Wasserman and Councilman Steve Cho. Morrison, who is a Democrat, was mayor of Fremont for five terms before Bob Wasserman took over the responsibilities.

During his term as mayor, Morrison worked towards reforming the city.

Some of the goals that Morrison helped Fremont achieve were building the Fremont

Main Library, establishing a shelter for the homeless, and requiring a background check for anybody wishing to purchase a gun.

Even after his terms as mayor, Morrison has still been active in the community, sitting on the board of various community organizations, becoming a two-term president of Alameda County Waste Management, and claiming executive positions in various other community organizations.

Morrison continues to supply ideas about how to reform the city. He states that if he is reelected, he would like to rework the budget, providing more money to classrooms around the city. According to him, school districts

currently spend a significant amount of money on non-classroom activities such as ground maintenance. He advocates the establishment of a joint powers agency that would monitor non-classroom activities, hopefully allowing more work to be done for the same amount of money. Another issue he wishes to address is the traffic congestion in Fremont to achieve a more balanced society.

Gus Morrison hopes to put these words into action. The election for Fremont’s new mayor will be held on November 4, 2008. ▪

and raised in Los Angeles, Cho moved to the Bay Area in 1973 to find work. A year later, he married and settled down in Fremont.

Cho first began serving the Fremont community on the PTA and Site Councils at local schools. In 1997, he served on the Fremont City Charter Committee and as President of Citizens for Better Community.

In addition, Cho became a member of a number of regional associations responsible for the development of the city.

In recent years, Fremont has dropped from one of the top five safest cities in America to the 60th rank. According to Cho, this drastic decline is due to the lack of funding for trained law enforcement personnel. To restore the prestige, he proposes an increase in the number of enforcement units in the city while rescinding the New Alarm Policy. The policy restricted the emergency response of household alarms to those that

were only verified through bystanders or by technological means, which allowed criminals to capitalize on the weaknesses of the lenient protection system.

After further analysis Cho will invite the A’s to move to Fremont. Although Cho believes that this change will bring Fremont prosperity through recognition, he first wants to analyze the consequences. After deliberating the drawbacks and finding a way to mitigate the consequences, he will render a decision.

His future plans include instituting changes by “taking Fremont to the next level”.

To do so, he wants to promote economic development by initiating projects that were once suspended. This entails creating a downtown, revitalizing Centerville with a performing arts center, and occupying vacant business buildings. Cho finds it critical to utilize the sufficient funding by prioritizing

the budget to promote development.

Despite the fact that the fate of the school budget is determined by the state, Cho has local solutions. He proposes the frequent collaboration of the city council and the school board on ways to maximize the use of facilities.

Due to his eight years on City Council, he was dubbed “Ubiquitous Cho” for his consistent energy and omnipotent involvement in altruistic services.

When asked to compare the three mayoral candidates, Cho said, “I want to leave in people’s mind that in a few short weeks whoever is voting is asked to make a choice whether they want to live in the past [Morrison], current [Wasserman] or make a leap into the future. It is ironic how the candidates line up.” ▪

serving for another 15 years until he was elected mayor.

The approaching race is one of the city’s most intensely contested due to the possibility of the Oakland A’s shifting to Fremont. Wasserman widely supports the A’s ballpark village plan. “If the A’s turn out to be a good thing for the City after all the studies are done it will turn us into a major notable City and bring pride, a sense of place and will attract quality businesses which, in turn, will make our economy successful and allow us to afford the things we want.”

Under Wasserman’s economic plan, many businesses have been attracted to Fremont, like Pacific Commons, creating many new job openings. He has found funding to launch three of the largest public works projects in Fremont’s history, the BART extension to Warm Springs, the Performance Pavilion, and the Aqua Adventure Park in Central Park. “I want to continue to grow our economy to produce jobs, smart housing that is environmentally friendly, to improve our public safety capability and to get to work on reducing our carbon footprint.”

Wasserman has raised more than $90,000 for his campaign, two-thirds of the way towards reaching his $130,000 goal. Many MSJ students, like Junior Amrun Singh, have volunteered their time to intern for Mayor Wasserman’s reelection.

“We mainly go house to house explaining the Mayor’s stances on issues to residents who are still undecided,” said Singh.

Wasserman promises to “continue making our town a great place where people will live, shop, dine, and raise their family.” ▪

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Recession becomes reality

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Wachovia is one of the many casualties in the fight against the falling economy.

By Victor Chen Staff Writer Two years after the housing bubble burst,the United States economy is finally experiencing the effects. In the past four months, numerous commercial and investment banks have fallen as victims the of sub-prime mortgage mess.

The first of these to fall was 5th ranked investment bank, Bear Stearns, on May 30.

This sudden devastating collapse triggered a beginning of the decline of US banks trapped in the investment of faulty mortgages and unchecked lending. On Sep. 7, government officially took over federal lending banks Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae. The takeover was subsequently followed by the bankruptcy of 4th ranked Lehman Brothers and the buyout of 3rd ranked Merrill Lynch by Bank of America. 2nd ranked investment bank Morgan Stanley is currently engaged in merger plans with failing commercial bank Wachovia in order to create funds to save both companies. Two weeks after the fall of

Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae, the Federal Deposit Insurance Company (FDIC) closed Washington Mutual Bank, then selling it to JP Morgan Chase Bank, marking the largest commercial bank failure in the United States.

The housing market collapse affected even insurance companies. On Sept. 16, the United States Federal Reserve loaned a massive 85 billion dollars to American International Group (AIG) in order to save the company from collapse, marking the largest government bail-out of a private company.

It was revealed that AIG had actually bought securities from different mortgage lenders when the market was booming, and the sharp decline of such securities created massive deficit.

The massive downfall of the US economy is the effect of a very simple, yet often ignored process. Before lenders loan out money, they must make sure the loan holder is able to pay back the debt, by analyzing various aspects including income and credit.

However, with this simple aspect ignored, banks found out that while housing prices were falling, the borrowers could no longer pay off their mortgages.

In some cases, the value of the loan rose higher than the value of the house, creating a situation known as “upside down.” In this situation, the banks are forced to make a “short sale,” an act in which the home owner must sell his house, and the bank takes losses for the debt that could not be paid back.

Rampant short sales eventually took their toll on the struggling banks, forcing bankruptcy.

Just recently, the Senate and the House of Representatives approved the $700 billion bailout. This bailout authorizes the Secratary of the Treasury Henry Paulson to buy out toxic assets, mortgage backed securities and whole home loans from banks and insurers, as well as hedge funds. ▪

The Smoke Signal

Friday, October 10, 2008

MOCK CON IS GONE | The end of a MSJ Tradition continued from page 1

to-date, very interactive, and it covers an even wider spectrum [than Mock Con did],” said Ponsi.

Last year, while some asked for Mock Con to continue, others voiced their objections and requested the cancellation of the classwide event. The students’ reactions to the cancellation remain divided this year as well.

Said Senior Ela Zutshi, “I think it’s unfair that everyone else got the opportunity to participate in Mock-Con, but we don’t.”

Mock Con required a great deal of dedication and time commitment from both students and teachers, but the motivation for participation has been fading steadily with each graduating class, enough to eliminate the program entirely.

“I really wasn’t upset when all of the government teachers voted against Mock Con this year. Although it was nice to see the kids get involved and voice their opinions, it was all too fake and nothing came out of it,” said Richards. “I think seniors need to start doing stuff that is more real and relevant.” ▪

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Hopkins lends a helping hand

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Dr. Paul Farmer (middle), founded Partners in Health, an organization, which Hopkins Jr. High is raising money for to build a house in Haiti.

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By Jane Wang Staff Writer This year, Hopkins Jr. High School will be collaborating with Partners in Health, a nonprofit medical organization, to construct a house in Haiti.

The notion took root last year when a Hopkins faculty book club read Tracy Kidder’s Mountains Beyond Mountains, a New York Times Notable Book which detailed the life and accomplishments of Paul Farmer.

Farmer, who co-founded PIH in 1987, has worked tirelessly to bring medical attention to poverty-devastated parts of the world. He has played crucial roles in establishing pilot multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) treatments and an MBR-TB group in the World Health Organization.

Inspired by Kidder’s novel, the book club, which included retired English teacher Wendy Peterson, English teacher Dawn Nogueiro, Counselor Meg Moore, PE teacher Candace Lindskog, and others challenged Hopkins Jr. High to raise $4,150, which PIH would take to build a concrete block house for a patient’s family in Haiti.

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house,” said Lindskog.

The staff has opted to reach their goal by organizing monthly interactive events for the students instead of explicitly asking for donations. Lindskog and Nogueiro will be selling silicone wristbands inscribed with “Hopkins Partners” and “Whatever It Takes.”

Other teachers have proposed hosting Sweet Tomatoes fundraisers, selling jewelry and lightsticks at school dances, holding used book sales, and, much to students’ delight, submitting to acts of public humiliation for donations.

History teacher Tom Birbeck, a UC Berkeley diehard, has promised his classes that if they reach a quota of $2500 by next January, he will wear Stanford garb for a week, dye his hair red, and pierce his ear. If a class raises $900, he will dress himself as a stereotype of their choice.

Lindskog says she hopes that Hopkins students will learn from the project experience.

She said, “Kids in our attendance area are pretty affluent. Not many know what real poverty is. Poverty to them means they don’t have an iPod. I think it’s important as true members of society that they think beyond themselves.” ▪

Friday, October 10, 2008

The Smoke Signal

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Smoke Signal

Mission San Jose High School Est. 1964 Vol. 44, No. 1 | September 11, 2008

Friday, October 10, 2008

The Smoke Signal

Jules of Wisdom

MAOTH off!

Winking Her Way to the White House

Move Away from Image-Based Votes

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41717 Palm Ave. Fremont, CA 94539 (510) 657-3600 Editors-in-Chief Sophie Diao, Mala Neti News Vidya Mahavadi, Amy Mao Opinion Julia Harrell, Marianna Mao Feature Lena Liu, Hannah Scobel Centerspread Amanda Kwan, Natalie Yang A&E Vicraj Gill, Eric Sun Sports Ryan Tanakit, Audrey Tseng Graphics Cici Cao, Jerry Ting Web Raymond Chou, Lucy Liu Tech Abhay Malik, Albert Yuan Ads Rebecca Gao, Sargunjot Kaur Business Victoria Gu Circulation Derek Yueh Events Megan Bernstein, Clara Ma Writers & Photographers Andre

Abrahamians, Sandhya Chandrasekaran, Monica Chen, Victor Chen, Christine Cheng, Michelle Chu, Ankur Dhar, Hannie Dong, Michael Feuerman, Peter Gao, Alissa Gwynn, Niku Jafarnia, Henna Jethani, Sonya John, Cynthia Kang, Karen Lin, Yvonne Lin, Gina Liu, Tanu Patel, Joseph Teng, Elisa Ting, Anastassia Tselikova, Jane Wang, Anthony Wu, Jonathan Ye, Jordan Zhang

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

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The Smoke Signal’s right to freedom of speech and press is protected by the First Amendment of the Constitution.

By Julia Harrell Opinion Editor

When the day of the Vice Presidential debate rolled around, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning. I’m not lying when I say that I couldn’t wait to see America’s greatest hockey mom crumble under the pressure of having to answer questions for which she had no prewritten responses, questions which would show the America people how unfit she is to be Vice President of the United States.

But the thing is, Sarah Palin didn’t fall flat on her face. She spoke coherently and had a warm ambience about her. At first, her performance seemed decent. But then she did something that forced me to pause and rewind the debate multiple times. She winked. Sarah Palin winked during a nationally televised Vice Presidential debate. At first I tried to legitimize the act by thinking that perhaps it had been some sort of a facial twitch. But then I realized that Palin somehow thought the debate was a beauty pageant, and instead of answering tough questions about the disastrous state of the economy and foreign affairs, she was trying to be cute.

Her attempts to woo the America people with her trite catch-phrases such as “There you go again Joe, looking backwards” and “You know what they say, drill baby drill” made it seem as though she didn’t take the debate seriously at all. How, I wonder, would it be possible for the American people to elect this woman who is so woefully unqualified to

GRAPHIC OPINION

By Marianna Mao be second in line to run the country? Frankly, Palin’s attempt to flirt with the camera during one of the most important debates in the election disgusted me and only solidified my belief that she is a disgrace to women and an insult to female politicians.

Not only did Palin trivialize the debate with her inappropriate behavior, her casual language and repeated mispronunciation of the word nuclear had me staring at the TV in disbelief. It baffles me to think that anyone could vote for a ticket with her name on it, let alone take her seriously.

Though all of the aforementioned factors about Palin’s debate made me shudder, her simple inability to answer questions in a straightforward manner made her entire performance sub par.

Not only did she repeat the same points, she continuously avoided answering the moderator’s questions and instead went back to talking about subjects which she felt she could give intelligent responses to such as how America needs to tap into its internal oil reserves and her experience as an oil regulator in Alaska.

As a woman, the fact that Sarah Palin was chosen as McCain’s VP to try and sway female voters is insulting. She should be given a pat on the back for her attempt to be a serious candidate in the election.

But giving her a vote? That just seems out of the question. ▪ Send letters to the editor to opinion@thesmokesignal.org

Staff Writers

“Watch out, this time the pig’s even got lipstick...”

What is the point of homecoming week? Is it an opportunity for classes to show unity, respect for others, and concern for the community at large? Or is it an opportunity to waste resources, time and effort while perpetuating stereotypes? Are skits and airbands performed exclusively by enrolled students to be judged, or are these competitions for sale to the highest bidder? Is it healthy for students to attend classes for an entire week on limited sleep? Should the systemic vandalism of personal and school property continue to be overlooked? I don’t know the best answer to any of these questions, but are you asking yourself - what is the point of homecoming week?

-Peter Geschke, Science Teacher Send letters to the editor to opinion@thesmokesignal.org

Many have hailed the 2008 presidential election as historic, no matter the result: the White House will likely welcome either the first African-American president and first Roman Catholic vice president or the oldest president and the first female vice president.

But why stop at labels of race, religion, age, or gender to define what makes this election so special?

I myself find it just as significant — or insignificant—that either Barack Obama will be the first president to have won two Grammy awards, or Palin will be the first (and probably only) vice president who knows how to skin and dress a moose.

While this election’s winning ticket will certainly be remembered as a landmark pair in history, too much weight has been placed on the “firsts” of the campaign. First, Obama’s victory will not signify the end of racism, nor will McCain’s herald a new era for female politicians. Furthermore, focusing on characteristics like race, age, and gender only detracts from the legitimacy of the candidates’ viewpoints and campaigns. After all, Obama does not treasure hopes of becomeing “The First Black President”; he is simply someone running for the presidency who happens to have a Kenyan father. Likewise, McCain’s goal is not to be remembered as the oldest president but as a wise and vigorous leader.

But because of the stark contrast between the two main presidential

candidates, image-based appeals are the ones shaping the election: Obama seems youthful and in-touch, while McCain plays up his stint as a prisoner of war. Yet these are unrelated to the abilities of the candidates to grapple successfully with challenges such as strengthening the economy, providing health care and restoring the international reputation of the United States.

Furthermore, though many have tuned into the Presidential and VP debates, few realize that such forums provide only a shallow and inaccurate coverage of the candidates’ positions. In a political age where sound bytes, careful scripts, and plagiarized speeches are the norm, the people are more responsible than ever to critically analyze and discuss the decisions and policies that will affect not only ourselves but our children.

At a critical moment in history, as Americans face an uncertain and murky future, Obama and McCain have based their campaigns on an urgent appeal for change in Washington. So let’s change the way we think, act, and vote. Let’s forget about popular image and catchy slogans. Let’s treat voting like the privilege it is and deliberate the merits of both candidates’ policies instead of blindly jumping onto the liberal or conservative bandwagon. We don’t have to wait for politicians to effect change; we can do it ourselves. ▪ Send letters to the editor to opinion@thesmokesignal.org

HUNTING FOR ALTERNATIVES

By Sandhya Chandrasekan & Gina Liu

staff writer peter gao

Opinion Editor

As the deer population has started growing exponentially in vast expanses of land where they have no natural predators, debates have ensued as to whether hunting would be the most practical approach for curbing their numbers.

Ideas have bounced back and forth, and recently, the Department of Fish and Game, which concerns itself with wildlife conservation and promoting the growth of threatened animals species, announced that it would promote hunting in order to keep the deer population under control.

Although hunting may be one of the most popular wildlife management tools to control the rapidly increasing deer population, this method is extremely dangerous and irresponsible. Most hunting injuries result in fatalities, and unfortunately, innocent bystanders are often victims. Hunting is harmful to the entire community, not just to its willing participants.

Many advocates of the use of hunting as population control cite the frequent conflicts they face with deer, which often eat their roses or jump in front of their cars.

However, studies show that car and deer collisions actually increase during hunting seasons because

hunters chase the frightened deer out of their natural habitats and onto roads. Hunting deer in order to stop them from bothering humans would keep the number of deer and car collisions the same, if not increase them, while resulting in additional deer deaths– all in all, a significant waste of life due to an ill-conceived plan.

What many people fail to realize is that there are other less controversial technologies available to keep the deer population in check.

One example is immunocontraception, a method of lowering pregnancy in animals. Deer immunocontraception studies have shown that the number of births can be cut down approximately 72 percent in the first four years, stabilizing the population with no side effects or abnormal mating patterns for the deer tested. Why would anyone prefer a violent showdown to a relatively harmless alternative?

Another reason to hunt is the deers’ potential for carrying contagious diseases, such as Lyme disease. Hunting seems like the perfect solution: killing the deer outright would prevent the illnesses from spreading. But would it really? As deer in an area are killed off, deer from surrounding populations come in to fill their place. This inter-population movement has a much higher risk for transmitting

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such diseases, and could also result in the spread of new illnesses and diseases to the deer population and the surrounding area.

Killing faultless animals for no purpose other than for sport is unfair and cruel. Deer are the true victims in this situation, not humans.

The deer, having lost their homes due to the urbanization of their forest habitats, have nowhere to live and are left to wander the few grassy patches in cities. It is not their fault that they are homeless and must eat roses from gardens that grow where their forests used to thrive. Killing them off in droves is not a just punishment for a problem that we have essentially inflicted upon ourselves.

Hunting for the sake of population control must be banned, and let’s hope, for the deer’s sake, that the Department of Fish and Game will honestly believe the same sometime in the near future. ▪

Friday, October 10, 2008 The Smoke Signal

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Opinion 7

What should Washington do about Wall Street?

Leave the Free Market Alone

By Rebecca Gao

Staff Writer If McCarthyism taught us anything, it’s that hysterics does not become politicians, and America and socialism don’t mix.

We have always prided ourselves in our largely capitalistic society, founded on a free market economy.

Now we are facing unprecedented governmental control and influence, even before the $85 billion bailout of insurance giant American International Group (AIG), handing the federal government a lion’s share of the company.

In response to the financial crisis, a $700 billion bailout was approved for banks drowning in bad loan credits. Added to additional bailouts, the total hovers around $1 trillion, and with the combined loans of the two mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the U.S is positioned to essentially double its national debt in less than a year, and taxpayers will have to bear the brunt of the cost.

How did this enormous debt get shoved down our throats? Simple.

The government intervened time and time again to manipulate the economy, resulting in the panic we have today. The Federal Reserve System continuously lowered loan interest rates, sparking an influx in people borrowing loans they could never return as banks became entrenched in growing deficits. Congress exacerbated the issue by passing the Community Reinvestment Act, which forces banks to allow loans to people with risky credit.

The government is trying to ameliorate the situation by interfering with the market again, which was exactly what drew us into fiscal ruin to begin with. The bailout

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will not restore calm or stabilize the economy. It will only prolong the agony and perpetuate the crisis.

Pouring in an excess of funds will artificially re-inflate the economic bubble, effectively suffocating the economy’s recovery. Free markets tend to be self-correcting; declining prices are essential to reaching the bottom in order to resurface again. The bailout prevents a short-term calamity, but only postpones the inevitable fall while discouraging the private sector to lend or invest in the flagging companies.

Ultimately, we need private capital to revive Wall Street. The government is buying bankrupt businesses’ shares at several times their current value. Pumping money into the system just rockets inflating oil and food prices while slashing the anemic dollar.

Arguments may be made for government intervention in regards to past successes. Roosevelt’s New Deal during the Great Depression established child labor laws, product regulations, and unions. The government is responsible for the

Staff Writer

In July of 2008, the state of California enacted the cellular phone law which states that drivers under the age of 18 are not allowed to use a wireless telephone at any time while driving and those over 18 are allowed a hands-free device to talk on the phone while on the road.

Recently, it has also banned texting while driving.

Anyone who has tried drinking coffee while driving or just reaching over to change the radio has probably taken his eyes of the road and drifted precariously into the next lane. The new law tries to place bans on cell phones on the road to prevent these types of situations. It is sad to think, however, it took so long for the state of California to finally enact a texting law.

Because of the very nature of texting, sending messages to friends is more dangerous than talking on the phone. Texting requires looking down at the phone while pushing the numeric buttons to write and send a message. Calling, though dangerous because it serves as a distraction to the driver, does not require the visual ability that texting does. Regardless, both are hazardous while operating a motor vehicle.

The second absurdity of the

wireless telephone law is the age restriction. Who says a 17 year old will become more distracted by a telephone call than an 18 year old?

Drivers may be required to use a hands-free device, but the distraction is there all the same. Age is really but a number and though teens are more prone to accidents because of their lack of perception of danger, there are many 18-year-old drivers that have just received their licenses and are just as likely to crash the car while talking via Bluetooth on the phone.

The age limit is similar to the provisional license law: in reality, age doesn’t account for anything.

The truth is, talking on the phone in any way, shape, or form can be a distraction.

The new law, while good in its intentions, cannot prevent all distractive drivers. The fact of the matter is that distractions are not limited to talking on the phone or texting. Talking to the passengers in the car or switching a CD can be just as distracting. The new texting law may help prevent some accidents, but its timing is much too late and the rate of accidents from texting is too high as it is. What the state lacks is a program to educate the public on the dangers of distracted driving and a way to enforce that education all around. ▪

Due to the economic crash, the government has recently intervened, coddling the market as if it were a baby needing to be pampered. Opponents argue that such intervention is unjust and breaches laissez-faire economics. However, such absolute separation is impractical and farfetched. Inaction would be equally, if not more harmful, than the course of action taken by the present administration.

For example, had mortgage giants Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac not been bailed out by the Treasury Department, irrevocable damage would have threatened millions.

Many complain of the inequality and injustice that occur when the government chooses whom to bail out and to whom to deny help.

Those denied a grant are forced to fend for themselves. However, due the current conditions, the well-being of the majority of the citizenstakes precedence. Our society is based on the belief that we are willing to forfeit one individual for the lives of many. In doing so, it sacrifices the rights of small businesses in order to protect the investments and status quo of the majority of citizens worldwide.

Because our market refuses to fix itself, many industries and businesses in the financial system may close down. It is the government’s role to take preventative measures to ensure such dire circumstances do not arise. The economy’s eventual collapse was inevitable after the years of prosperity sustained in the 1990’s; the bubble was bound to burst. We must now make sure that collapse is accounted for in our future plans.

In the international market, the US sneezed and the whole world caught a bad case of the flu. According to the Associated Press, “Both indexes were closed on [Sept.

17] after the MICEX suffered oneday losses on a scale not seen since Russia’s 1998 financial collapse. It plunged 25 percent in just 2 1/2 days on the back of tumbling oil prices and Wall Street turmoil, and was down more than 55 percent since its May peak…”

Economists agree that the cost incurred by bailing out the banks and mortgage companies is by no means a trifling amount of money.

However, this number is much smaller than the potential losses from numerous bank bankruptcies.

The matter at hand isn’t concerned with the best possible outcome in an ideal world; rather, it is about which course of action causes the least harm.

The Federal Reserve’s intervention involves an insurmountable amount of financial pressure to stop this bleeding. It is now understood that bad loans and shady business practices were the root of our current economic instability. With external help from other central banks, the coordination of competitors allows for an increase in participation to attain the constancy of the economy we once knew.

If the government had chosen not to intervene and tried to let the ailing economy mend itself, irrefutable damages would have been inevitable, only dragging the economy further along rather than mending the solidity of our market; eventually leading to an international depression which would cause universal and individual harm around the world. ▪

ries are in June, hence termination is futile.

Although Schwarzenegger has not kept many promises since replacing Gray Davis in a recall election in 2003, the prison guards have abused the power of recall for selfish reasons, and not for the greater good of the state.

CCPOA certainly has the right to be angry with the governor because they have been working without contracts since 2006, and the prison guards have been overworked due to the crumbling infrastructure of the jail system and the shortage of workers. However, their petition for a recall election is neither the solution nor the correct way to solve their problems.

It is clear that the majority of their resentment towards Schwar-

zenegger is attributed to his refusal to increase wages, especially when they were accustomed to Davis catering to their demands. If the CCPOA really wants to succesfully reach a solution instead of utilizing intimidation, it must find a way through legislative reform.

By demanding a recall, the union has warped this privilege into the antithesis of democracy. Back-toback recall elections would make California politics inept and too volatile.

If just one particular interest group is able to usurp the governor because he is not pandering to its desires, then there is a glaring flaw in our democratic system. As of right now, the CCPOA is in no position to “hasta la vista” the ultimate terminator. ▪

Staff Writer

Secretary of the Treasurer, Henry Paulson, is a major backer of the $700 billion bailout.

TXTING LAWLS

By Clara Ma

Bite the Bullet

By Jonathan Ye

restriction of fraud, force, and encroachment on human rights but when the government trespasses otherwise upon free market affairs, misfortunes result. Experts attribute many of the irresponsible investments that brought about our current predicament to a federal bailout of $293.8 billion in 1981 during the Savings and Loans crisis. This marked a major progression towards the “moral hazard” we have been privy to–when investors make reckless decisions knowing that taxpayer money will cushion their fall. The average citizen’s wallet becomes the safety net for rash, impetuous loaners and investors.

The current $700 billion bailout assures us that chancy, unstable ventures will be emphatically supported, leading to another market collapse and more bailouts.

Members of the House of Representatives had already proposed a nonintrusive plan to solve actual root of the problem, while safeguarding our free market economy, a measure that would have been greatly beneficial to all taxpayers. ▪

RECALL POWER ABUSE

By Derek Yueh Staff Writer

When the California Correctional Police Officers Association (CCPOA) launched a recall against Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger on Sept. 8th, the union disregarded the timing and the preventable consequences of its irrational decision. Not only is it doubtful that an ill-conceived recall could intimidate the greatest bodybuilder of the 20th century into raising prison guards’ salaries, but this recall could also potentially be costing Californians over a million dollars in taxes if it were to occur.

The CCPOA stated that the reason for a recall against Governor Schwarzenegger is that “his fiscal management is jeopardizing schools, public safety, and other vital services.”

But the reality is that these accusations are a thinly veiled attempt to raise prison guards’ salaries. Already one of the most affluent and influential unions in California, the CCPOA is willing to spend up to $5 million to collect over a million petition signatures over the next few months. Some logic is lacking in this recall, but the biggest issue seems to be the timing. An actual recall election can happen no earlier than late summer of 2009 and will cost $50 million; the 2010 prima-

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, October 10, 2008

CA PROPOSITIONS Analysis on the November ballot

By Marianna Mao

marriage as between a man and a woman only.

Analysis: Vote No There are a slew of arguments both for and against passing this initiative. In the end, though, it comes down to equality. The issues of sexuality and gender identity may be murky, but marriage is a fundamental right that the state cannot and should not limit.

Opinion Editor

On November 4, Californians will vote yea or nay on 12 propositions. A summary and analysis of the ballot initiatives follows.

Proposition 1A “Safe, Reliable High-Speed Passenger Train Bond Act for the 21st Century.”

1A calls for $9.95 billion in general obligation bonds to fund the construction of the California High-Speed Rail, a passenger train network that will link San Francisco and Los Angeles.

Analysis: Vote No The legislative analyst estimates that the general fund cost would be about $19.4 billion, with maintenance costs of $1 billion per year. While a high-speed rail makes environmental sense, the CA budget is in no condition to spend billions on a transportation system which does not address the needs of the average commuter.

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Prop 1A proposes the impractical construction of a high speed train between northern and southern California.

Proposition 2 “California Prevention of Farm Animal Cruelty Act.” Proposition 2 requires that calves, egglaying hens, and pregnant pigs have adequate room to stand up, lie down, turn around, and extend their limbs.

Analysis: Vote No The call for humane treatment of animals has resonated with Californian voters, but the passage of Proposition 2 may only outsource animal mistreatment, particularly in the hen industry. The law would only apply to Californian chicken farmers, making eggs from out of state cheaper. The livestock industry needs to be reformed, but Prop. 2 won’t cut it.

Proposition 3 “Children’s Hospital Bond Act.” The initiative authorizes $980 million in bonds from the General Fund to fund children’s hospitals which focus on acute illnesses like cancer, heart defects, and cystic fibrosis.

Analysis: Vote No Proposition 3 is for a good cause, but the appeal for funds should be through legislation and not through the initiative process.

Furthermore, the $2 billion impact of the proposition on CA’s general fund cost outweighs the limited progress it could achieve.

Proposition 4 “Sarah’s Law: the Child and Teen Safety and Stop Predators Act.” Sarah’s Law would require the notification of a parent or an adult family member for minors’ abortions.

Analysis: Vote No The namesake of the proposition, Sarah, lived in Texas and was considered married under Texas common law—so a Prop. 4 law would not have applied to her in the first place.

Under the proposed law, a minor may choose to notify an adult family member instead of a parent, but only if she puts in writing that her parents are repeat child abusers. Prop. 4 is an attack on minors’ access to abortion, not an attempt to safeguard teen welfare.

Proposition 5 “Nonviolent Offender Rehabilitation Act of 2008.”

Increases funding for treatment programs for nonviolent drug offenders and parolees; would lighten punishment for marijuana misdemeanors and shorten parole for drug offenses and nonviolent property crimes.

Analysis: Vote No Rehabilitation for addicts ought to be a priority, but Proposition 5 fails to hold them to the necessary degree of accountability and is easily abused. As long as the offender

Prop 7 is a well-intended but flawed plan for CA to produce more power from renewable sources.

Opponents of Prop. 8 gather outside City Hall in San Francisco.

swears on a drug addiction, he or she could repeatedly enter rehab programs without facing incarceration. Furthermore, experts agree that people with the most serious addictions do better in harsher, involuntary programs than in the voluntary programs proposed by the proposition. Finally, justice system reform would be better carried out through legislation, not the ballot.

Proposition 6 “The Safe Neighborhoods Act.” Provisions include placing additional penalties on crimes and allowing minors to be prosecuted as adults in gang-related felonies.

Analysis: Vote No The proposition goes too far in increasing criminal penalties and would direct funding to enforcing ineffective prison and punishment policies. Furthermore, the provisions in Prop. 6 target the poor: all families receiving public housing subsidies will be subjected to

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annual criminal background checks; if any occupant has a criminal background, the entire family will be evicted. Opposed by the California Teacher’s Association.

Proposition 7 “The Solar and Clean Energy Act of 2008.”

Requires CA utilities to produce half of all power from renewable sources by 2025 and increase purchase of renewable electricity.

Analysis: Vote No While the proposition sounds attractive, numerous organizations (including the Sierra Club) have joined to point out that the proposition is poorly crafted by non-experts, will be difficult to revise, and would actually delay the implementation of renewable energy programs.

Proposition 8 “California Marriage Protection Act.” Outlaws same-sex marriage by defining

Proposition 9 “Marsy’s Law: the Victims’ Bill of Rights Act of 2008.”

Creates and extends rights for crime victims by measures such as allowing family members to speak for victims at parole hearings and reducing the frequency of such hearings.

Analysis: Vote No Provisions in Proposition 9 would be added to the CA state constitution, making them difficult to update or correct. Measures endorsed by the proposition (such as requiring police officers to give information about legal support to crime victims’ families) are already practiced in some areas and could be enforced through a less cumbersome means than amendment of the state constitution.

Proposition 10 “The California Alternative Fuels Initiative.”

Proposition 10 would authorize $5 billion in bonds from the General Fund to provide incentives for purchase of hybrid/alternativefuel vehicles, incentives for R&D in energy and fuel technology and grants for education and training in these fields.

Analysis: Vote No Notable organizations such as the Sierra Club are against this measure for several reasons. First, hybrid vehicles are becoming increasingly popular, and no subsidy is necessary to encourage people to buy more eco-friendly cars. Second, most of the money would be directed towards utilizing natural gas for road fuel—by pure coincidence, the backer of the proposition is the founder of a firm which supplies natural gas for vehicles. Alternative energy is extremely important, but Prop. 10 is not the answer.

Proposition 11 “Voters FIRST Act.” Details the selection of a 14-person committee to redraw district election boundaries.

Analysis: Vote Yes. Currently in CA, state legislators are the ones who redraw voting districts every two years, giving them extraordinary political clout and allowing them to select their own voters—a blatantly undemocratic power.

Prop. 11 would establish a selection process for a bipartisan committee to redraw district lines. The proposal is imperfect; it is true that many CA regions will not be represented in the 14-member committee, and the proposal does not cover drawing boundaries for congressional seats. However, limited progress is still progress, and Prop. 11 is a small step towards significant reform of the CA voting system. The alternative is to continue to allow undue party influence on district’s lines and election results.

Proposition 12 “California Veteran’s Bond of 2008.”

Authorizes $900 million in bonds to assist veterans with home and property purchases.

Analysis: Vote Yes CA voters have approved funding for veteran home loan programs 26 times in a row since 1922. Is much further explanation really necessary?

The beliefs expressed in this article represent those of the Smoke Signal Opinion Editors.

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Waterworld 9.9.2008

A. Teachers Jamie Richards and Unis Park hold on tight as they enjoy their ride.

B. Seniors Stephen Yu, Phillip Mui, and Jeffrey Tsui frolick around in the pool.

C. Seniors Michael Wu and Roger Young splash out of the slide.

D. Seniors Aaron Sorin and Muneet Shoker ride the Tornado ride.

Friday Activity 9.19.2008

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E. Freshmen Ekaterima Frelikh and Sophomore Tarang Patel dash their shoes in water.

F. Senior Emily Destigter smiles with delight as Senior Nolan Preston sits on her table.

G. Junior Matthew Gosen celebrates after completing one of the dares.

Aloha and Homecoming Dances 9.18.2008 & 10.3.2008

H. The crowd cheers as the DJ rocks on.

I. Edriss Naimi and Rebecca Jones puts their hands up and dance to their own beat.

Homecoming Assemblies 9.26.2008 & 10.3.2008

J. Junior Hiba Rahman and Senior Kim Liu listen intently to the national anthem.

K. Senior Hotties Natasha Gupta and Kevin Hoang wave to the crowd.

L. Evelina Chiang gives Senior Hottie Jessica Tu a three-minute makeover.

M. Christine Chen, Phoebe Chou,and Tiffany Ho play their instruments as Senior Jeanette Su conducts.

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photos by graphics editors cici cao, jerry ting, a&e editor eric sun, staff writers megan bernstein, victor chen, sonya john, joseph teng, anthony wu

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Centerspread 11

“It was so cute. All of the seniors absolutely loved it.”

Skit: 4th Airbands: 4th Overall: 4th

“The performance was pretty clean, with no apparent flaws, and they were pretty respectful of the upperclassmen. They did a good job.”

-Anjana Bala, 11

By Lena Liu & Hannie Dong Feature Editor & Staff Writer With great enthusiasm and eagerness, the Class of 2012 kicked off Homecoming Week with their take on the popular movie Kung Fu Panda.

The student body was greeted with unique decorations, such as origami paper cranes, Chinese paper lanterns, streamers, balloons, and posters with Chinese characters written on them. Their Asian decorations reflected the Chinese aspect of their theme and were concentrated in the horseshoe and the N-wing. They were, however, scarce in the B-wing and C-wing.

Having a larger class than the seniors, juniors, and sophomores, the freshmen dominated the school with their spirit.

Freshmen, adorned in blue masks, war paint, and long blue socks, erupted in between classes with outbursts of “Go Freshmen!”

As soon as the lunch bell rang, students rushed to the heavily decorated amphitheater. The backdrop, featuring a panda meditating on a rock in a river and a red fish, a yellow fish, and a black fish swimming nearby, suited the freshman theme adequately, but it was also unaesthetic.

The freshman demonstrated laudable enthusiasm prior to the beginning of their performance. As the cheering died down, the opening band played “Smoke on the Water” from School of Rock. Although their playing was impressive, the song was repetitive and people became restless.

To start off the skit, the senior, the junior, and the sophomore characters were conditioning to prepare for the kung fu match against Irvington. However, because they needed a fourth team member, their coach recruited a freshman. Even though the original team was reluctant to add her, they realized in the end that, without her aid, they couldn’t have conquered their rival Irvington.

The skit fit their theme adequately but was too short and perplexing. For example, the senior, junior, and sophomore characters were taking a math test when they were supposed to be preparing for a kung fu match against Irvington. Also, the freshman character arbitrarily burst into a Kim Possible song, which had no relation to their theme or plot.

During the match, the team was forced to kick off a member, and the freshman was chosen. However, the team faced great adversity and was incapable of defeating Irvington. The freshman rose up to the challenge and completed the task.

While the ending redeemed the self-ridicule displayed by the freshman throughout the skit, it failed to promote school unity; everyone should have taken a part in MSJ’s victory over Irvington.

Overall, the freshmen airbands were mediocre. While some were unoriginal and needed more practice, others were synchronized and well executed.

One airband that especially stood out was the Boys’ Booty Dance. The eight boys that were in this airband certainly caught the audience’s attention and raised a few eyebrows with some of their dance movements. Nevertheless, their energy resounded with audience and drew cheers from the crowd.

The last airband, with four talented and spirited girls, was the freshmen’s best airband. The dance started off with a contemporary style, with the girls doing graceful kicks, pirouettes, and modern movements. Then the music became more upbeat, and the girls turned to a hiphop routine that shined with its perfect synchronization and fervor.

Despite some areas in which the freshman fell flat, the Class of 2012 did a commendable job in their first Homecoming.

There is no doubt that they will only improve in the years to come. ▪

-Charlene Nguyen, 12

“It was good. They’ve got good music, and it was fun to watch.”

-Sam Sanahes, 9

“The freshmen did a lot better than I thought they would; I just wish it were a bit longer.”

-Ashwin Ganesh, 10

photos by graphics editors cici cao and jerry ting and staff writers sonya john and jane wang

12 Centerspread

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“It was sort of depressing to see the little improvements that have been made.”

-Paul Chen, 11

“It was pretty good. Their skit was understandable, as opposed to the freshmens’. I liked the computer guys.”

-Stephanie Lum, 12

“We got killed.”

- Sean Wang, 9

photos by graphics editor jerry ting and staff writers anastassia tselikova and rebecca gao

By Amy Mao & Raymond Chou News Editor & Web Editor The sophomores obviously forwent sleep, as the campus radiated yellow.

Posters with catchy slogans, like “one one come get some” and “One one so fun,” lined the walls, and there was no lack of caution tape. But while great in quantity, some of the decorations looked like the remains of a picnic, a mish-mash of yellow eating utensils and yellow cloth.

Luckily, the quality of the decorations was not a indication of their lunchtime performance. Walking out to the amphitheater at the beginning of lunch, we were hit by excited cheers from the sophomore class and a bold backdrop onstage. Their spirit increased drastically from last year; not one sophomore could be seen sitting quietly on the grass. As the decibel indicator showed, the sophomore class really knew how to show off their class spirit, going over 113 decibels.

The opening airband, though on the unenergetic side, perfectly meshed with the Survivor theme. The inclusion of the Destiny’s Child song and the Beyonce impersonator showed that they really thought out of the box. Four MSJ football players become involved in a game of Survivor when the Homecoming Game against Irvington comes to a standstill. Kris (spelled with a K because it’s kuter that way) the freshman, Sophia the sophomore, the Jedi Junior, and Seth the Senior joined forces to survive the island and win the tie-breaker.

When Irvington is kicked off the island, the four friends are pitted against each other to find the ultimate survivor. In a great show of class unity, Sophia helps the other classes to cross the river and piece together the key to the finish line. In the end, all four classes came out on top.

Although the skit aimed for class unity, the jabs at each

class weakened the overall effect. The freshman was portrayed as ditzy, the junior SATcrazed, and the senior apathetic. The

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skit was composed primarily of overused stereotypes, such as Mission winning a book-lifting contest.

Several inconsistencies also hurt the plot. The swings between unity and disunity among classes was confusing. It was also unusual to see the Irvington students show up again as natives and an obstacle in the race to become the ultimate winner when Irvington had already been banished from the island.

The skit was also plagued by random awkward pauses, which led to cheering that interfered with the continuity of the plot. The audio quality of the mix tapes also did not help the sophomores in keeping the crowd under control.

The airbands varied in quality and genre. The sophomores did a great job of sticking to their theme of Survivor, as most of the dances incorporated in the skit, although on the brief side, gave off an island feel. These multicultural dancing styles showed the diversity of the class and helped add some unique elements to the performance. Some of the classic Homecoming performances, such as the Yoko’s dance and the boys’ booty dance, fell flat due to poor synchronization.

However a few, like the Kaba Moderninspired computer geek performance included innovative dance elements that really caught the audience eye. The final airband showcased the talent of the sophomore class with graceful choreography and coordination.

The sophomores definitely improved from freshmen year, but they still have some ways to go before they can compete with the upperclassmen. It is obvious to see that they are quite creative but need to work on their execution. If they can polish the quality of their performance just a bit more, they will be able to truly shine in the years to come. ▪

Friday, October 10, 2008

Skit: 3rd Airbands: 3rd Overall: 3rd

“Even though I’ve been in Mission for only a year, I’ve watched the YouTube videos of the freshmen skit last year and I think that this year was a lot better and more prepared than when our class was freshmen.”

–Carol Yan, 10

Friday, October 10, 2008

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Skit: 2nd Airbands: 2nd Overall: 2nd

“It was good because they were very energetic and original, and it was really fun. Their airbands were more in sync [than the freshmen and sophomores].”

-Shannon Choi, 9

“It was pretty good. I liked the end a lot- you know, the ‘I am your father’ part.”

By Amanda Kwan & Lucy Liu Centerspread Editor & Web Editor The juniors made an impressive showing this Homecoming, improving greatly from last year’s performance and setting a formidable precedent to top in their senior year.

Though their decorations could have been more widespread, the juniors showed their creativity with customized caution tape that read “JEDI JUNIORS 2010” and “WELCOME TO THE DARK SIDE.” Paper plates featuring the head of Darth Vader bordered on tacky but made an ominous impression. The rest of the decorations were the butcher paper posters that are common to every class. Their use of purple, green, and gold broke the monotony, but for the most part, the posters were sloppily made and sporadically applied.

Amphitheater decorations for the performance were also lacking. The composition of the backdrop was uninteresting, and the rest of the decorations were small, simple posters on the amphitheater walls.

Three-dimensional stage elements would have brought more life to the settings.

The juniors made up for their disappointing decorations with a solid performance.

It opened weakly, with a band performing “The Great Escape” by Boys Like Girls. While fans of the song from all classes seemed to enjoy the music, the vocals were almost inaudible over the restless crowd.

When the skit finally started, however, the audience was engaged in laughter at the sight of the “princesses.” Overall, the skit was well-structured, pitting a team of two MSJ students from each class against the Viking Sith Lord, representative of Irvington High School, in order to save the kidnapped Princess Leia. Each class’s pair of students overcame a challenge related to that class’s theme in order to find a clue to the princess’s whereabouts. This provided each class with ample opportunities to cheer. Through the help of all classes, the students eventually found the princess, and the message of school unity was exempli-

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fied when the junior boy called upon the audience to cheer together in order to activate the Spirit Saber that would free Princess Leia.

Besides successfully unifying the school, the skit featured an endearingly accurate imitation of the voice of Yoda from the Star Wars movies. The script also had its clever moments, including the senior boy’s humorous pick-up lines and the surprise appearances of Mission Man and Athletic Director Tom Thomsen toward the end. However, many of the jokes presented were cliché, such as the elevator pass freshman stereotype.

Meanwhile, a myriad of technical errors impeded the skit’s execution. Background conversations were carried over the microphones, resulting in awkward pauses as the actors fumbled to find their place. A lack of movement on the actors’ part also made it difficult at times to discern which character was talking, which took away from the actual performance. In spite of these errors, the junior class still impressed the school with their wit and charm.

The Class of 2010 had a total of ten airbands, many of which were appropriately imbedded into the skit to match the plot.

While the airbands largely lacked synchronization, they captivated the audience with their creativity. Especially noteworthy was the garbage can percussion airband, which used splashing water to create a magnificent visual effect. Others that stood out include a hip-hop airband, in which the dancers formed a human machine that moved to a beatbox routine, and another that incorporated lightsabers into its choreography and spruced up its otherwise black wardrobe with brightly colored shoes. The Boys’ Booty Dance and sumo wrestler airband also defied convention and drew laughs from the audience.

All in all, the juniors impressed even the upperclassmen with the quality of their skit and airbands. It was a standout performance, and with this year’s experience under their belts, their senior performance is sure to be even better. ▪

Centerspread 13

“It was pretty good. They’ve been original with the dances, like the sumo wrestlers. The skit included all classes and there weren’t as many insults.”

-Jun Liu, 12

“The juniors’ airbands were very well organized and they had a good variety with their unique airbands such as the beatboxing one and the one with the drums.”

-Aditi Amlani, 10

-Megan Chi, 11

photos by graphics editor cici cao, centerspread editor natalie yang, and staff writer victor chen

14 Centerspread

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“Senior Homecoming really blew me away. It was the best way to end our last homecoming, especially with the surprise appearance by Supreme Soul.”

-Christina Chuang, 12

“It was way better than anyone else.

I hope we’re going to be as good as them next year.”

- Mana Swini, 9

photos by graphics editor cici cao and staff writers joseph teng and michael feuerman

The Smoke Signal

By Jerry Ting & Tanu Patel Graphics Editor & Staff Writer Starting with their outstanding freshman phenomenon, the Class of 2009 has always met and even exceeded their high standards as they dominated the amphitheater year after year. Come their senior year, truly a lot was expected of them.

Some teachers even thought this would be the class that surpassed the outstanding legacy that the Class of 2007 left MSJ. In their final homecoming performance, the seniors lacked school unity while still managing to have a decent homecoming.

Walking to school in the morning, students were already greeted by the red of the senior class as posters were heavily visible even across the street. The Class of 2009 went all out with their decorations and the MSJ campus was overwhelmed with the Superbad spirit. Red saran wrap was creatively used to cover poles and bushes across the entire campus. Huge posters were hung near the wings to greet students as they arrived at their classes.

During passing periods, the Class of 2009 showed their spirit by chanting and rallying as they marched to class. The red aura of the senior lounge cast a bloody glow on the bell tower quad as seniors honked their horns and waited for their highly anticipated performance. Overall, the seniors were extremely spirited, and the other classes couldn’t help but become hyped as well for the senior class preformance.

The senior skit began with a flashback to one of the senior chararacters as a freshman, stealing a date from an intimidating Irvington student. When the flashback ended, the audience learned that the senior character wanted to find his own date to the Homecoming dance this year. The skit went on to vaguely incorporate the underclassmen while relegating the Junior class to an oddly shaped black rock and a “junior” who wore a yellow shirt, winning cheers from the confused sophomores.

The senior skit differed from the other

skits in that it centered on the Homecoming dance instead of the Homecoming game. It focused on the senior character getting a date to the Homecoming game with his one true love and finally winning her heart. While the senior skit was unique, it significantly lacked in school unity and was teeming with immaturity.

For example, the junior character faced endless taunting, and the throwing of the pet rock into the junior audience was also highly uncalled for. The freshman and sophomore characters were given limited stage times, and there was hardly a common antagonist to unite the classes; the Irvington student left the skit early on, after announcing that “the Class of 2009 really is the best class ever.” As a result, other classes didn’t have very many opportunities to cheer.

Unlike last year, the seniors incorporated few airbands into their skit; most of them were piled in afterwards music that was difficult to hear. The Supreme ­­­Soul­­­ dance crew appearance rocked the crowds as they free-styled on stage, and the unity airband was one of the few aspects of the senior class performance that showed school unity, as all of the dancers were from different classes. It was refreshing to see that the Boys’ Booty Dance was well-choreographed and had enthusiastic participants who weren’t afraid to shake it. The last dance was also well-choreographed and involved a costume change behind a wall and peeking phantom masks.

While the Class of 2009’s performance proved more divisive than unifying, they definitely did not lack in class spirit. Overall, the seniors produced an interesting experience for the entire student body. ▪

Friday, October 10, 2008

Skit: 1st Airbands: 1st Overall: 1st “Three quarters of their performance was really good, but one quarter was just bad.”

-Connie Kim, 11

“It was magically delicious!”

-Farhaan Serang, 10th

Friday, October 10, 2008

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Roadmap to College

By Yvonne Lin Staff Writer

Seniors, somehow three years of high school have sped by without garnering a passing glance and the time to apply to colleges has come upon us. Time won’t slow down much this year, so you have to keep an eye out and make sure you’re on top of all the dates for your particular institutions. Here are a few major dates to look out for: Early October The UC application forms are released online for students applying for Fall 2009. If the filing period is too rushed for you, you can get started early by working on the essay prompts posted on the UC website.

Oct. 17, 2008 Those of you applying to private schools must have your Senior Profiles turned in to the teachers whom you want to write your recommendation letters. The Senior Profile is a fairly comprehensive packet, so download it off the MSJ website and start soon. If you haven’t done so already, you should also go ask your chosen teachers before you turn in the Profile so they have a head’s up on how many letters they have to write. When you hand them the Profile, you should also include a self-addressed, stamped envelope for each university with proper postage and a list of your schools’ deadlines.

Nov. 30, 2008 This is the last day you can send in your

UC application online, though they will be accepting applications throughout the entire month of November. However, don’t wait until the last minute! All the other procrastinators will probably cause the website to lag.

Dec. 6, 2008 If you’re hoping to make up a bad score or take another test, the December SAT is your last chance.

graphics editor cici cao

Dec. 13, 3008 This ACT test is your last opportunity to take it and send it to colleges by the deadline.

Jan. 1, 2009 This is the deadline for most of the institutions using the Common Application, but check your individual universities to make sure.

Note: CSU applications are accepted on a rolling, quarterly basis that is featured on each specific university’s website. ▪

Look to the Stars

By Monica Chen Staff Writer

What does your future say? Thanks to our innovative “Pseudo Prophecy”, here’s a glimpse into the future.

Libra (Sep. 22 – Oct. 21): Not sure who to ask to Winter Ball? Just write down the names of possible dates on separate pieces of paper, randomly pick one with your toes, and get your perfect date!

Scorpio (Oct. 22 – Nov. 20): Bring your favorite green panties/boxers to school on the big test day and miraculously increase your test score.

Sagittarius (Nov. 21 – Dec. 20): This week has been nothing but awful. Take a bubble bath with your purple rubber ducky one hour before you go to bed to turn your luck around.

Capricorn (Dec. 21 – Jan. 19): Avoid washing your clothes on Oct. 31. You wouldn’t

MSJ’s Nice Guy

By Megan Bernstein Staff Writer

Junior Kevin Shen and his crew entered a film into the WongFu contest “Are You a Nice Guy”.

When turning the envelope in, remember to have it completely filled out, correct postage and all!

want to miss the quiz next day just because you got tangled up with your clothes.

Aquarius ( Jan. 20 – Feb. 18): Luck keeps coming your way. Share it with a not-so-fortunate friend by giving them a pink polka dot handkerchief.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – Mar. 19): Watch out for the gum on the chair. You don’t want to be stuck to the chair and be late for the next class.

Aries (Mar. 20 – Apr. 18): Don’t do it! Just don’t. You know what I’m talking about.

Taurus (Apr. 19 – May 19): Give all your Halloween candy to your sibling(s). You would not want to gain back the weight you just lost, would you? Let them get fat, better them than you.

Gemini (May 20 – Jun. 19): Feeling tired lately? Don’t wear socks on Mondays. They suck up your energy and leave you with stinky feet. But then, that leaves the problem of shoes...to be safe, just stick with sandals.

Cancer ( Jun. 20 – Jul. 21): Do an AIM fast one day and increase your chance of getting into Berkeley by 2.009%. (Limited to only one day.)

Leo ( Jul. 22 – Aug. 21): Trying to stay awake in class recently? Just imagine Michael Jackson in a bikini. Trust me, you won’t want to sleep after that.

Virgo (Aug. 22 – Sep. 21): To ensure future success in life, make sure you do all of the above, or else… ▪

Feature 15

The average student wants to end their summer “with a bang,” whether it is a pool party or a last day of good laughs with your best buddies. Junior Kevin Shen and his friends Benson Chien, Yihuan Zhou, Dorothy Lin, Felix Ng, Jennifer Young, Jocelyn Ho, and Sam Ji are not the average students. In their last days of summer, they put their heads together to create the most watched video on the WongFu Productions “Are You a Nice Guy” Video Contest.

Kevin Shen learned about the competition one day while browsing the site. “I was actually supposed to be packing for a trip,” said Shen, “but I ended up just watching WongFu vids.

When I saw the contest, I thought it looked pretty cool so I called up [my friends] Yihuan and Benson. We thought it would be cool to make a video as our last big summer thing.”

And did they ever.

The team produced a music video for the contest that took a very original interpretation of the contest’s guidelines. “A lot of the videos that were already there [on the site] were kinda similar,” said Shen. “People being nice, giving money to the homeless, things like that. We wanted to make something more original and different; something with a better message.”

After five days of filming and around 30 hours of editing, they created their “nice guy” masterpiece to the popular song by The Fray, titled “How to Save a Life.”

The video clip illustrates the frustrations

staff writer megan bernstein

of everyday life, like a dejected kid carrying boxes, a frustrated student, and even an arguing couple. The video’s “nice guy” brings across the piece’s message, that it only takes a little nice deed to make someone’s life a lot easier. In the end, the idea goes full circle, with the “nice guy’s” life being saved by a “nice girl.” Within a day the video racked up thousands of views, climbing to the top view count in under a week.

On Sep. 20th, the contest took a turn when the WongFu team announced that it had been informed that some videos had cheated by using fake views. The team was informed by a view counting site that views on some videos had been falsely generated. The popular production team announced that all the videos would be judged, not only the top five most viewed. “I actually didn’t mind too much,” said Shen, “I think it makes it fairer.”

On Oct. 3rd, the long awaited results were posted on the WongFu website. Although Shen’s video did not win the grand prize, they were awarded with an Honorable Mention for “Great Use of Effects.” “We totally exceeded our expectations,” said Shen. “We started out just doing it for fun and getting an honorable mention is pretty awesome.” In the end, Kevin and his friends were rewarded with a memorable experience and the view count to show for it, gaining over 122,000 views by the end of the contest. ▪

16 Feature

www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

New Staff

Friday, October 10, 2008

This year at MSJ, you may notice some new faces around campus. Filling in for those who left MSJ last year, they have incorporated their own style into our school.

Amanda Burr: Foreign Language

Staff writer ankur dhar

Smoke Signal: What did you do before you came to MSJ? Amanda Burr: I used to train adults to become translators for the legal and medical systems.

SS: Why did you decide to start teaching high school students?

AB: I first started learning language in junior high and high school, and I really enjoyed it. I wanted to be able to share the fascination with learning a new language because it allows you to see the world through a different lens.

SS: What do you do when you’re not teaching?

AB: I have two boys in elementary school in Pleasanton, in first and fifth grade. I took twenty years of ballet, and I like to paint and draw, to take my kids to the beach, and to cook.

SS: Do you make any Spanish foods?

AB: Yeah, I studied translation at Puerto Rico University of San Juan, and there I learned a lot about Spanish-Caribbean food. ▪

Alyssa Brand: Science

graphics editor cici cao

Smoke Signal: What did you hear about MSJ before teaching here?

Alyssa Brand: I heard that it was a really good school and that all the kids are amazing and talented. And it [seems] like an awesome place to work at.

SS: What has been your worst teaching experience overall?

AB: I had a few students when I was student teaching, that were a little disrespectful. But I wouldn’t say it was terrible.

SS: On a more positive note what has been your best teaching experience?

AB: So far, running labs here [at MSJ] have been the most fun experience for me. But overall MSJ is a great experience, the labs just add to that environment. The Bunsen burner lab has been the most fun.

SS: What do you do when you’re not teaching?

AB: I love to make my own jewelry. I also do a lot of gaming: City Of Heroes and Spore mainly. Spore, especially, is so much fun.

SS: If you were to talk to the whole school what would you say?

AB: They are awesome and treat their teachers well, and they should continue doing so. ▪

By Amanda Kwan and Jonathan Ye Centerspread Editor and Staff Writer

Jeff Oliviera: Music

graphics editor jerry

Smoke Signal: What is the thing that you like the most about teaching music?

Jeff Oliviera: Music is my passion, so it’s really rewarding to be able to share that with a younger generation.

SS: Are there any performances that you’re really looking forward to this year?

JO: I’m looking forward to the winter concert, of course, because it will be the first one with me as the new director. I’m looking forward to the productions of the fall show, of the musical... and there are some other musical productions that are coming to the Bay Area that I’m excited to see.

SS: Anything in particular?

JO: I’m excited to see Wicked because last time I saw it was when it was previewing in San Francisco ... so I’ve never seen some of the songs that ended up being in it. ▪

Alexandra Holst: Science

graphics editor jerry ting

Smoke Signal: What do you think of MSJ so far?

Alexandra Holst: I love the campus. It is definitely different, but for this school it works. The students are respectful of one another.

SS: What school did you teach at before MSJ? AH: Last year I taught at Amador. The transition here wasn’t hard. The students here seem a lot more motivated and respectful. So it’s been a pretty easy switch.

SS: What’s life outside of school like?

AH: I do a lot of sports. I play soccer a couple times a week. Sometimes I go out and play volleyball and softball in the spring.

SS: Do you plan on coaching here?

AH: In the future, that would definitely be a possibility. I would love to.

SS: Anything you would like to see published addressed to the student body?

AH: I’m just really excited to be here at MSJ. I’m having a great time and I love the students that I’ve met. I love the classes and clubs, [it’s] just a great campus to teach at. ▪

Leslie Jan:

Foreign Language

graphics editor cici cao

Smoke Signal: Why did you first decide to start teaching Mandarin?

Leslie Jan: I love languages of all kinds, and I enjoy teaching; I taught kindergarten all the way through elementary school many years ago for about six or seven years, and later, I also taught adults in corporate work.

SS: Have you taught at a high school before MSJ? LJ: Yes, I taught at Homestead High School in Cupertino last year; I taught Chinese 1 and 3, and I helped out with 1 to AP. SS: What’s the best part about your job?

LJ: I like to be with young [people]. They bring energy, and they share their life experiences, the ups and downs. The best part here is I’m not just teaching them the content, but we share a lot and talk a lot. I learn from them, as well; [they] help me to become a better teacher [by giving] me a lot of feedback. ▪

Sai Kumar:

Special Education

graphics editor cici cao

Smoke Signal: How long have you been teaching?

Sai Kumar: Not too long. This is my second year in Special Ed. I was a software engineer before, and I made a drastic change in my profession.

SS: Why did you decide to transition to teaching?

SK: Family. Even though software engineering pays well, it’s too stressful, too hectic. I have two young kids, and I made a conscious effort to create change. I like interacting with young, vibrant kids, so that’s why I like teaching here. I think this was a good career move.

SS: Do you have a message for the student body?

SK: What I learned from my own career is that I was going after something that was popular and that pays well. I did my Master’s in Computer Science and got a very good job, but after a while, I realized that the cubicle environment was not for me. I wanted to make a difference. So it’s better to go after something that you truly want than for what society as a whole is running after. ▪

Dolores Rodriguez: Special Education

graphics editor jerry ting

Smoke Signal: What are your impressions of MSJ so far?

Dolores Rodriguez: MSJ has an incredible staff. The students are great, extremely helpful. You have a great support group here for staff and students.

SS: Is there anything about MSJ that you found surprising?

DR: Yes; I wasn’t expecting the students to be so helpful. As new teachers, we rely a lot on other people to help us figure out where the gym is, where the office is, what the procedure is, and they’re not misleading. It’s nice to be guided. It’s nice to be able to rely on people.

SS: Were you a good student when you were in high school?

DR: Oh, yes, I was. I was a pretty good student. I was into science; I loved science and math. I liked to have fun, but I also loved to study science and math. ▪

Raj Virk: Science

graphics editor jerry ting

Smoke Signal: What are the various things that you have heard about MSJ before becoming a teacher here? Feel free to say any negatives.

Raj Virk: I had heard a lot about students being very motivated and driven to do well.

I was at the [Kick Off ] Assembly and they seemed very motivated.

SS: Where did you teach before coming to MSJ? RV: This is actually my first year teaching.

I did student teaching at Washington. My teaching experience there wasn’t bad, but it is definitely better here.

SS: If you were an animal what would you be?

RV: I’m a biology teacher so I like all animals.

But, I would be a peacock. Even though they can’t fly, I like their feathers.

SS: As a new addition to the MSJ staff, do you have any closing comments you would like to say to the student body?

RV: So far, I don’t know much about the MSJ atmosphere but I look forward to teaching here. I’m getting more involved, I just became club advisor to the Volleyball Club. ▪

Friday, October 10, 2008

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

Feature 17

New staff continued

Samantha Wainwright: English

Staff writer ankur dhar

Smoke Signal: What do you think of MSJ as far as the demographics go?

Samantha Wainwright: It’s exciting to me because I appreciate diversity and it gives me an opportunity to understand different cultures other than my own. It’s not something

that surprised me or shocked me.

SS: What was your experience prior to MSJ? SW: Before coming to MSJ I taught at Dublin High School. That was a great experience.

I took over for a teacher who left for maternity leave. That was a great way to begin my teaching career and prepare me [for my future teaching positions].

SS: Would you consider yourself a hard teacher?

SW: I want to be challenging. As an honors teacher I take on the responsibility of challenging the students. But at the same time not giving them anything I know they are not capable of.

SS: Any last thoughts?

SW: Thank you to all my students so far who have made this transition easy for me. I look forward to getting to know all the students around here [and the students] that I haven’t interacted with. ▪

John McCormack: Wood

graphics editor cici cao

Smoke Signal: What first impressions did you have about MSJ? John McCormack: Nice school, nice students, but most of all nice woodshop!

SS: What made you want to get into woodworking?

JM: When I was in high school the woodshop was closed, so I did wood working with my dad. Then soon after college I decided

Lili Kim: English

Smoke Signal: What was your initial reaction when you were hired?

Lili Kim: I was excited when I first heard about the school. I knew people who came to this school, and I’ve been here once to meet the teachers.

SS: How do you plan on impacting MSJ? LK: In terms of teaching, I teach English, Creative Writing, and Public Speaking. So with the students I want to help them write and read better. Also [I want to teach them] life skills and prepare them for college. With my seniors, I’m helping them with their personal statements now. I share a lot of experiences from UC Irvine to help them get a feel for what it’s like.

SS: What’s been your best experience at MSJ so far?

LK: I don’t know, I really like my seniors and they are really fun. They just make every day fun for me.

SS: Any last words directed toward the student body?

LK: My favorite quote is “Carpe Diem,” [which means] seize the day. I love my seniors and the juniors and the one sophomore I have in my Creative Writing class. ▪

I wanted to make things. [I started with] small cabinets and backpacking equipment.

Then I went to take classes at San Francisco State and learned a lot from a teacher there.

Then he told me about an college on the east coast that taught woodworking for two years.

From there, I came back to the West Coast, specifically San Francisco [where I’m from].

SS: How did you get into teaching?

JM: I got into teaching 25 years ago at the Presidio at San Francisco when it was still an army base. I tought individuals there as well as retired servicemen/women. I wanted to teach as well as make things. So becoming a

wood teacher seemed logical. I was looking for a teaching “home,” and hopefully this is it!

SS: Have you had any bad experiences with the machines?

JM: Not too much, I haven’t been hurt too bad yet. I did get hurt when I was a student, but I’ve been careful ever since. I ensure my students don’t endanger themselves and so far I haven’t had any accidents.

SS: Anything directed to the student body?

JM: I hope to bring a combination of trade woodworking and the more creative side of education and design. ▪

staff writer monica chen

You may already know them…

Carli Kim

Diana Brumbaugh

Assistant Principal Carli Kim’s duties entail moderating the Special Education and World Language departments.

Also on her agenda includes watching over the Junior class, Freshman A-L, health services/nurse and independent study contracts.

Assistant Principal Diana Brumbaugh has the job of presiding over the Fine Arts, Science, and Vocational Education departments. The programs that she is responsible for are the Sophomore class and the Freshman M-Z, along with the Library and testing.

Trisha Chung

Evangeline Sugden

In years past, Trisha Chung taught Biology at MSJ and San Ramon Valley High School. Her goal for this year is to learn all the names of her students and how to correctly pronounce them. To the student body, she says, “Make the most of every day to impact the people around you. The change you want to see starts with you.”

Evageline Sugden has taught at MSJ for seven years. Last year, she left for a year to teach at Amador Valley High School but came back to MSJ to teach.

“Mission is truly a great place to be. The staff, administration, and student popultion are very special here. I am really glad to be back “home”! ” photos by staff writer victor chen and graphics editors jerry ting and cici cao

School Service: Classes Give Back

By Elisa Ting Staff Writer

Homecoming is not only about unifying school spirit, but also about giving back to the school and the community. Each class analyzes the school and decides what they want to improve for their school service project. For the charity fundraiser, the class raises money over the summer or uses money from past years to donate to a nonprofit organization of their choice.

Over a course of three days, the freshman class painted the poles in the N-Wing, near the student store, and in front of the gym quad from a dull tan to an eye-catching brown. Approximately 25 freshmen showed up for two hours each day to beautify the school’s poles. For the their class’s charity

fundraiser, the class donated to the Tri-City Animal Shelter. Freshman Class President Natasha Yeh said, “We held a garage sale at [Freshman Class Treasurer] Connie’s [Chen] house that was really successful because we sold bikes and that raised a lot of money.” The donation money was raised through multiple restaurant fundraisers, a magazine fundraiser online, and the garage sale that raised $170.

The sophomore class is also donated to the Tri-City area for their charity fundraiser. The Class of 2011 raised money through fundraisers at local restaurants like Sweet Tomatoes and YoSwirl and an active magazine fundraiser online. “We raised money for the Tri-City Homeless Coalition again this year

because we wanted to assist those that aren’t as fortunate as we are,” said Sophomore Class President Mihir Jain. For the school service project, the sophomores eradicated the dead plants near the N-Wing and replaced them with four new, healthy bushes. It took the class 30 hours to complete the project over a course of multiple days with about 15 students helping out.

Like the sophomores, the junior class also dealt with plants for their school service project. The juniors emptied out the two planters in the B-Wing and planted a total of 10 different plants with one large and four small plants in each planter. Junior Class President Kylan Nieh said, “The soil literally had half an inch of dust on it, so we had to loosen it up before actually planting the plants.” The Class of 2010 was able to finish up the project in a total of five hours with about 10 students helping out. For the charity fundraiser, the junior class donated over $500 to the National Osteoporosis Foundation. The junior class fundraised at the beginning of the summer by selling water during graduation; thereby,

the class’s goal of affecting people beyond the scope of the Tri-City area had been accomplished early.

This year for their charity fundraiser, the senior class donated to an underprivileged family of four living near Oakland. Senior Class President Sorah Yang said, “Ronald is a terminally ill-six-year-old with a brain tumor. He’s never been to Disneyland before so we’re raising money to fund his admission and spending in the amusement park.” For their school service project the class cleaned up the English Department’s office. Similar to their service project last year where the seniors renovated the teachers’ lounge, the Class of 2009 tidied up the office by adding pillow cushions and a microwave, and making each English teacher a mug with their name on it.

The meaning of Homecoming truly lives on at MSJ with an incredible amount of time and energy put into each and every school service project and charity fundraiser. As the Homecoming tradition lives on, so does the loving spirit of giving back to the community.▪

18 Arts & Entertainment

www.thesmokesignal.org

Artist Spotlight: Social Stereo

courtesy gabriel tiburcio

From left to right: Junior Alvin Lee, Seniors Gabriel Tiburcio, Abhay Malik, and Trevor Sollitt.

By Audrey Tseng Sports Editor

The band Social Stereo was founded toward the end of 2007 by Senior Gabriel Tiburcio. Tiburcio classifies Social Stereo’s music as “indie rock, heavily influenced by folk, garage, and nineties alternative.” Here, he shares some of the inner workings of his band.

Smoke Signal: How did you come up with the name Social Stereo?

Gabriel Tiburcio: I like stereos and I like the word “social,” so I put them together to make Social Stereo.

SS: Who are the members of the band?

GT: There are [Seniors] Trevor Sollitt on bass and Abhay Malik

on the drums, [ Junior] Alvin Lee on the guitar, and I play lead guitar and sing.

SS: Are there any bands that influence your music?

GT: My favorite bands are Built to Spill, Oasis, and The Beatles.

SS: How do you come up with your songs and song titles?

Do they convey certain meanings?

GT: I like to write my songs about stories, so usually the title has something to do with the overall meaning of [the story]. There’s this one song I have called “Lucid Lucy.”

It’s about this girl named Lucy and she’s lucid.

SS: When do you find time to practice?

GT: We try to practice at least once every weekend. Not every weekend but most of them, as often as possible.

SS: How many shows have you played?

GT: Under the name Social Stereo, one big one on the first Saturday of September.

SS: Do you have any upcoming shows?

GT: We’d like to work on more original songs first before getting more shows lined up. We’ll think about shows later. Getting songs together and practicing them comes first before shows.

Check out Social Stereo at www. myspace.com/socialstereo. ▪

The Smoke Signal

WHAT’S NEW FROM GOOGLE

By Natalie Yang Centerspread Editor

Even after Google’s release of its web search in 2002, Google Mail in 2004, Google Talk in 2005, and Google Earth in 2007, Google has managed to continue churning out new products. Here is an introduction to just a few of them.

Chrome Beta Google’s recently released web browser, the Google Chrome Beta, is a test browser dedicated to the idea of a streamlined, simple browser built for the most common needs.

Inspired by several different web browsers such as Mozilla Firefox, Chrome includes a universal box for the address bar, web history, and web search. Every new tab opened automatically gives the user a list of recently closed, most visited, and recently visited links. However, Chrome is “far from done” and will definitely be updated in the near future.

This fall, the Little Theatre is putting on its very own production of Plaza Suite. Unlike other plays, Plaza Suite consists of three different plots with no relationship between them; essentially it is three “mini” plays.

When asked why they chose this play, student directors Lizzy Bode and Emily Mansfield said “After going through the script cabinet, we discovered Plaza Suite and it sounded funny and sarcastic.”

All of the acts take place in New York’s classy Plaza Hotel in Suite 719. Set in the 1970s, the first act is about the troubles of an elderly married couple. They revisit their honeymoon suite at the hotel in an attempt to resolve their problems, but the wife suspects the husband of infidelity. After the scene ends, the play moves into

amazon.com

the second act and the audience is introduced to Muriel Tate, Senior Emily Destigter, who visits her exhusband and big-time Hollywood producer, Jesse Kiplinger, Junior Scott Kavanagh, an intensely

flirtatious man who tries to seduce her. Finally, the play moves into the third act, which is funniest of all three acts and revolves around an anxious bride who has locked herself in the bathroom. Filled with witty sarcasm and banter, the dialogue of the play focuses on her parents’ attempts to cajole her out of her seclusion.

The cast has been hard at work perfecting their roles. “It will be a learning experience because it deals with a lot of aspects that people are not used to,” said Destigter, referring to the raunchy scenes of the second act.

Similarly, the technical crew has been slaving away to bring the set to life. What is unique about this production is that the set will be located on the ground, surrounded by the audience on three sides. In fact, a portion of the audience will even be seated on the stage. Seniors Michael Yeary and Kevin Barton, the technical managers, believe this arrangement will “create a more intimate environment with the audience.” The set will also include fancy props such as china sets and ornate tables to recreate the elaborate atmosphere of the Plaza Hotel.

Plaza Suite opens on Nov. 7th at 8:00 pm and is followed by additional shows on the 8th, 14th, and 15th. Tickets are $7 for UP members and $9 for general admissions. “We hope that everyone will come to the show,” said Bode and Mansfield. ▪

letsgodigital.org

T-Mobile G1 Believe it or not, Google is finally going to release their first phone, the G1. Created with the assistance of both T-Mobile and Android software this 3G phone comes with a built-in compass, signature unlocking (where the user draws on a nine-grid screen to unlock the phone), Google search, and Google Maps with Street View. Users are even allowed to download and view media directly from the Amazon music store. Interested? The phone itself is $179 not including data plans and comes out October 22. ▪

‘“Ching Chong Chinaman’ proves witty

Fall Play Preview: Plaza Suite

By Henna Jethani & Cynthia Kang Staff Writers

Friday, October 10, 2008

blogger.com

By Sophie Diao Editor-in-Chief

“Why do we have to take our annual Christmas card picture now?

Christmas is three months away!”

“I love Christmas… it’s so American.”

“Okay everyone, eyes nice and wide!”

Then, the click of a camera shutter.

Thus opens Ching Chong Chinaman, Impact Theatre’s latest delightfully non-PC masterpiece. The play, written by Lauren Yee and directed

by Desdemona Chiang, follows the college-application season of a typical well-to-do Asian-American family’s life.

At the figurative curtain’s rise, siblings Desi (short for Desdemona and played by Cindy Im) and Upton Wong (Arthur Keng) find themselves under immense amounts of pressure; Desi is applying early decision to Princeton, while Upton is feverishly trying to qualify for the World of Warcraft Arena Tournament, an international event that would solidify his status as a topnotch WoW player—and, of course, win him the love of hundreds of thousands of Korean fangirls.

To maximize his gaming time, Upton gets hired help in the form of a Chinese indentured servant named Jin Qiang (whose name, when mispronounced, becomes the “Ching Chong” of the title; played

by Sung Min Park).

And just like that, the Wongs’ carefully constructed lifestyle is turned upside-down.

For all its fast-paced, witty banter, Chinaman manages simultaneously to be a spot-on exposé of the hypocrisy and narrow-mindedness that dogs much of Asian-American life. The irreverent jokes and racial stereotypes serve the dual purpose of entertaining the audience and bringing to light just how much in life is taken for granted.

In a refreshing change from the massive amount of propaganda touting the United States as the cultural center of the world, Yee’s script makes not-so-subtle digs at the supposed American “melting pot” and its ill effects. Yee particularly focuses on the confusion felt by many hyphenated Americans as to which culture, if any, they belong to. Though Desi originally attempted to affiliate herself with a culture–any culture–in order to gain an advantage in her Princeton application, she in time realizes that she actually enjoys emotionally connecting with a certain group of people.

Unfortunately, the play ends far too abruptly for this admirable message to really sink in. The audience is asked to draw their own conclusions on what will happen to the Wongs next, but Yee leaves no telltale clues. This frustration, however, is a sure symptom of the masterful direction and convincing performances. Even the set is well-designed and versatile; it looks fresh and spacious, which is an amazing feat for a theatre located in the claustrophobic basement of a tiny pizzeria. Interestingly enough, the small space ensures that the actors and audience are always close together, contributing to the feeling of being sucked into the action.

Ching Chong Chinaman will be finishing its season tonight, Oct. 10, and tomorrow, Oct. 11, at 8 PM in the Impact Theatre in Berkeley.

Tickets are $10 for students and $17 for the general public. Order them online at impacttheatre.com/ season/0809/ccc.php. ▪

Friday, October 10, 2008

The Smoke Signal

www.thesmokesignal.org

must be the money

By Eric Sun A&E Editor

The current trend is to profess that hip-hop is dead, but most people who’ve been lamenting the death of such a powerful art form don’t understand what exactly replaced Tupac and Biggie as the main representatives of rap culture with Yung Joc and Soulja Boy. See, before rap may have been declared as filth by the shallow eye of the public due to its perpetuation of violent images, misogyny, and drugs, but never denounced for its artists’ lack of a work ethic.

To musicians like Nas, Rakim, Jay-Z, Beanie Sigel and Eminem, hip-hop is a way of life, and writing and editing their rap verses is the way in which these artists try to comprehend their world. Their songs may endorse looking “flashy” and having loose sex, but their skills on the mic indicate that while these wordsmiths do participate in overindulgence, they spend much more of their lives coming up with clever ways of talking about it and

entertaining their fans than actually doing it.

The best rappers and producers love what they do not just for the financial rewards their jobs yield, but for the fact that they can create terrific songs as well. How else do you explain Swizz Beatz, Kanye West and Timbaland scouring for foreign and unknown music to draw inspirations and samples from? Or Eminem sleeping with headphones on to try to memorize a 6:8 drum pattern and make his timing impeccable? The record companies that hire them certainly don’t have the time or imagination to ask them to do these things, but they simply do it because they’ve fallen in love with their craft and will work ceaselessly to perfect it.

Early rappers like Erick Sermon of EPMD and Eazy-E of N.W.A. didn’t merely describe hip-hop as a way of “escape” because it kept them financially secure. How could they have? In their day just going Gold (500,000 copies) was

a miraculous feat. The escape part also stemmed from how they could express themselves with creative control through their lyrics, in order to get their minds off of an uncertain tomorrow in their crimeinfested Queens and Compton neighborhoods. The term “hiphop is life” used to not be a cliché uttered out of pretentiousness by posers who don’t know how to tip their hats.

And perhaps that is why in the past record labels have avoided signing musicians in their teens, for the fear that the young rappers might end up getting swooped away by materialism and neglect their music.

But the fear has been confirmed, and with the exception of a few hard workers like T.I. and Outkast, most contemporary rappers are in the game solely for the cash. So the overall quality of music decreases, and once “Crank Dat” becomes the norm, we as a people have no choice but to lower our standards.

Nick and Norah: on the record

staff writer victoria gu

Smoke Signal staff members Hannah Scobel and Victoria Gu with actors Michael Cera and Kat Dennings at a press conference held at the Marriott Hotel.

continued from page 1 Our favorite part of the interview was when Dennings and Cera showed us their dance moves, including the “scrambled eggs” and “the taxi cab.” “You can actually make up a dance from just about anything,” claimed Dennings as she danced to the motion of making eggs.

When asked about the pros and cons of shooting the film at night, Dennings said, “I prefer night shoots. I don’t like the sun. Well, I don’t have any beef with the sun, I mean, I don’t want to start any crap…”

“But without the sun, you don’t have to wear sunscreen,” interjected Cera.

We even became comfortable enough with them to ask the stars about an orgasm scene in the movie. “It was an act-gasm,” said Dennings. Cera sat there awkwardly and replied that it was similar to the

scene in When Harry Met Sally.

Between talking about how they would all go out for soup and singing songs from Strongbad e-mails, we had the rare opportunity to really get to know some of today’s up and coming stars. “[We] loved [them] so much it was retarded.”

The film, which came out Oct. 3, is about a group of New Jersey teenagers who pull an all-nighter in Manhattan, searching for their favorite band, Where’s Fluffy. Michael Cera plays Nick, a bass player who is still recovering from his breakup with his queen-bee exgirlfriend Tris (Alexis Dziena).

His female counterpart, Norah (Dennings), is a pessimistic smartmouth who shares nothing in common with Nick except for a similar taste in music.

The movie also features various cameos from the likes of Josh Cho (Harold and Kumar), Adam Samberg (SNL), and Seth Meyers

(SNL).

Despite obvious typecasting on the part of Michael Cera, this film was refreshing—a maverick among current mainstream movies. Like the teenage films of the 1980’s, Nick and Norah depicts the themes of self-discovery and sexual curiosity quite accurately, especially when compared to TV shows and films such as Gossip Girl.

The film also deals with the matter of sexual orientation. As the only straight member of the three-person queercore band, Nick openly embraces his friends’ homosexuality, setting an example of tolerance and showing that people of different sexual orientations can get along.

However, the sexual exploits of this group of teenagers can also be awkward at times, much like in Cera’s previous film, Juno.

To many viewers, Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist may seem like the sequel to Juno. With the presence of “the awkward teen” and “the smart aleck brunette” and with Cera serving as the main liaison between the movies, it is hard to watch Nick and Norah without thinking of Juno.

Like Juno, music is an integral part of Nick and Norah. The film’s soundtrack, which features Vampire Weekend and We Are Scientists, was one of the main highlights.

With its witty lines and hilarious plot, Nick and Norah is definitely a must-see. ▪

Arts & Entertainment 19

IS MENTAL ILLNESS MISREPRESENTED IN FILM?

dawgsports.com

The iconic finale of St. Elsewhere, in which Tommy Westphall, the autistic son of the man presumed to be the series’ hero, reveals the entire hospital setting to be just a daydream.

By Vicraj Gill A&E Editor

I’m not sure that the creators of 80s medical drama St. Elsewhere knew the kind of demon they were creating in the series finale, when the show’s entire universe was revealed to be nothing more than the fantasy of autistic child Tommy Westphall. His character seems to be the first in a torrent of misconceptions surrounding mental and physical illness in modern media.

Granted, Hollywood’s never been particularly sensitive in its handling of issues such as diseases and mental disorders, using them as gimmicks far too shamelessly. Schizophrenics are employed as redshirt characters and mass murderers. Autistics are mute, hollow ciphers to be analyzed and dissected by psychologists, or savants whose remarkable displays of talent usually end up as fodder for overwrought tearjerkers that take far too many liberties with otherwise respectable subject material. And cancers and terminal illnesses are more or less pulled from thin air to function as shaky catalysts for quiet, unassuming characters to break free of the shells of their mechanical lives and do all the things they’ve ever dreamed of doing.

There are good ones, true—films like A Beautiful Mind, Girl, Interrupted, and the classic One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest feature portrayals of mental illness that are painfully honest and inspiring. And cinematic offerings such as Wit and My Left Foot are powerful stories of human dignity and triumph over disease and disability.

But even positively regarded films are far from perfect. 2001’s I Am Sam, for example, features yet another flaw in Hollywood’s handling of disease and mental illness. It’s one of those films that, though well-intentioned, is far too sugared, sweet to the point of being saccharine; and in this case, not even the cloying sentimentality is enough to hide the sheer improbability of the plot.

It’s true that Sean Penn got some flack for his performance as Sam, the mentally-handicapped main character. Critics saw the role as overdone; and it is, sometimes to the point of being ridiculous. But the acting is nonetheless superb—Dakota Fanning in particular shines as Sam’s young daughter Lucy, whose custody he fights to keep—and Sam’s triumph in the film is far too bright a moment to be fatal. The movie’s true error lies in its method of execution, in which the world is both painted and seen in black and white, and works just like a fairytale. Writer-director Jessie Nelson constantly struggles to make the audience sympathetic to Sam’s plight without realizing that, given the subject matter, it’s impossible for viewers not to be. By drilling the film’s themes into the audiences’ heads so relentlessly, the movie ends up both overly winsome and utterly flat.

Even classic films that have been lauded for bringing national attention to mental and physical disorders can end up off-point. The acclaimed and award-winning Rain Man starred Dustin Hoffman as Raymond Babbitt, an autistic savant with a perfect recall for numbers, strict routines, and an intense discomfort with change. The movie itself is heartfelt and inspiring; however, audiences tended to gravitate to the savant aspect of Hoffman’s character. In truth, savant syndrome is rare, and only linked to autism about fifty percent of the time. And so what began as a quest to reveal truths about autism eventually ended up creating yet another, even more enduring stereotype.

And then there are those cinematic offerings that are just plain laughable.

Take Me, Myself, and Irene, in which a “schizophrenic” Jim Carrey plays a cop who flips between separate good-guy and bad-guy personas, both of whom fight for the hand of a beautiful criminal that neither’s supposed to fall in love with. Granted, it is a comedy movie, and it has what sounds like a great comedy plot—that is, if directors Bobby and Peter Farrelly actually bothered to identify Carrey’s character’s affliction as the multiple personality disorder that it is, instead of labeling it with the first mental condition that came to mind, and not milk any disorder for comic value so shamelessly.

And what were LL Cool J and Queen Latifah thinking when they decided to star in the utterly predictable film-logic travesty that was Last Holiday? Latifah’s Georgia Byrd isn’t bad as a character, but the fictional Lampington’s disease from which she suffers—which, despite its advanced state, manifests absolutely no outward symptoms—is little more than a trite ploy.

Movies such as Last Holiday too often glorify disease, making it sound as if the timid need nothing short of expensive therapies with snippy doctors or untreatable neurological disorders to unlock their true potential. And, considering how touching the original film was, the 2006 remake—as well as all the other movies that fall under this category—serves as an excellent sign of how far modern-day filmmakers are willing to go to get their cushy plots and happy endings. ▪

20 Arts & Entertainment

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Metallica: back to classic

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One of thrash metal’s oldest and most respected bands, Metallica returns to their 80’s roots with their latest album, Death Magnetic. The album is a medley of Metallica’s iconic violent riffs, with differing periods of low beat contemplation, creating a heavily contrasting auditory experience.

Armed with new producer Rick Rubin, Death Magnetic marks Metallica’s first album since their extremely disappointing 2003 release, St. Anger. This time around they redeem themselves; the first track “That Was Just Your Life” begins a series of the heart-pounding songs that Metallica fans love.

However, the fourth track, “The Day That Never Comes,” is a successful foray into experimentation.

A speed metal serenade, the track is markedly different from the album’s first three songs.

This moment of relative peace, unfortunately, doesn’t last. “All Nightmare Long” continues Metallica’s fine tradition of mind-numbing guitar solos and incomprehensible lyrics.

The greatest surprise of Death Magnetic, however, appears in “The Unforgiven III.” Starting off with a heart wrenching piano solo, this track is undeniably the greatest counterpoint to the entire album.

Overall, Metallica has finally gone back to their origins, while creating their best album in a decade. Though it may seem that they’re only reconciling their past, they also take a huge leap forward.

Rating: A- ▪

‘Brisingr’ fails to impress

By Jordan Zhang Staff Writer

If there is any one word that can describe Brisingr, it is “unoriginal.”

In fact, the entire Eragon series is the Lord of the Rings setup with dragons. The bad guys utterly outnumber and overpower the good guys, but the good guys have a trick up their sleeves, be it a ring or a regimen of elves on standby, that lets them avoid yet another heroic contest of strength and hit the villain with a cheap shot.

Even Harry Potter shows up.

Both Voldemort and Galbatorix are labeled as evil because they manipulate souls to their benefit, and the “Why oppose me when you can join?” propaganda that Galbatorix uses to persuade people is also one of Voldemort’s tactics. Plus, both Eragon and Harry receive the same admiring protection because they are the prophesized last hopes to defeat evil.

Roran, Eragon’s cousin, saves the story by spicing it up with brief and gory appearances. It is difficult to find the pampered and wellmannered Eragon to be exciting, so Roran, with his primal instinct, rallying shout, and monstrous hammer, steals the show.

Towards the end of the book, quality takes a dive. It almost seems as if Christopher Paolini was lei-

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surely writing the chapters about dwarven goat policy when suddenly his editor reminded him that the release was scheduled for September, causing him to rush the end of the book and call the jumble a conclusion.

No dramatic mystery unfolds when Eragon’s true lineage is revealed, because his mentor Oromis just blurts it out. Forging Eragon’s new sword sounds enchanting when first mentioned, but the process barely deviates from descriptions found in metalworking textbooks. And as Eragon leaves the Elfin capitol, Oromis’s revelation of Galbatorix’s power source is so abrupt that it sounds like “Oh by the way, Galbatorix is doping himself with dragon souls. Just thought you wanted to know.”

If the fourth book is any more tedious, an SAT study guide would be more interesting.

Rating C+ ▪

Friday, October 10, 2008

‘The Loud Silence of Francine Green’

By Yvonne Lin Staff Writer

By Albert Yuan Staff Writer

The Smoke Signal

Set in the thick of the Cold War crisis, Karen Cushman paints a realistic view of confusing times in her new coming-of-age novel The Loud Silence of Francine Green. The reader acquires a sense of the uncertainty throughout America at the time and no small amount of sympathy

for Francine.

After all, she hasn’t done anything worse than the average girl her age. She likes movies and movie stars, because they never falter for words the way she does. She is quiet and doesn’t question what she learns at Catholic school. But then she befriends Sophie Bowman, who is opinionated and defiant at a time when no one could afford to be.

I found the novel to be better than I thought. The summary made it sound like a typical adolescent book: two radically different individuals become friends, and the more outgoing character teaches the main one to speak up for his or her beliefs. While Loud Silence does not differ in that aspect, the characters are likable; Cushman also emphasizes how Sophie, in turn, needs Francine.

The interaction between the historical backdrop and the forefront is also well-executed. Cushman employs the overwhelmingly conservative, fearful social atmosphere to convey the importance and dangers of free speech. She also makes creative use of the contemporary slang and screenplay embedded in her prose to lend realism to her work. However, I found the writing a bit simplified, even for the younger readers to which it is aimed. It was distracting at first, but less so as I became more absorbed into the book.

Overall, Loud Silence is a decent way to pass the time. It raises issues that are highly relevant even today; and anyone who takes the time to read this book will derive benefit from it.

Rating: B ▪

Restaurant Review: Café Buona Sera

By Julia Harrell & Victoria Gu Opinion Editor & Staff Writer

Located in the heart of the Fremont Hub, Café Buona Sera is a hidden gem of the Fremont restaurant scene. Covertly located under the Bed Bath and Beyond sign, this small Italian restaurant is definitely a can’t-miss.

When first entering Buona Sera, we were greeted by delicious smells of homemade Italian sauces and pasta as well as a warm, comforting ambience. We were quickly seated at a quiet table surrounded by rich artwork representative of classic Rome. With smooth classical music flowing quietly through the background, our meal at Buona Sera was not only delicious, but relaxing, despite the loud six year old making a ruckus at a table near us.

We started the night with a well-seasoned calamari, a Buona Sera favorite. Though a large plate of fried squid may not seem appetizing, Buona Sera’s calamari was exceptional. Ironically, to make the dish appear healthier, the chef

staff writer victoria gu

The trademark Buona Sera calamari, and delicious tiramisu.

plated the calamari with romaine lettuce.

Next on our Italian dining adventure was a pasta dish called Pollo de la Casa. With rigati pasta, asparagus-stuffed grilled chicken and vegetables on the side, this dish was a perfect blend of sweet and salty. However, the entrée lacked sufficient flavor.

The second main dish, Buona Sera ravioli, was filled with ricotta cheese and pine nuts in a light crème sauce. The pasta was cooked to a perfect al dente and the ravioli filling was well flavored. The sauce was the perfect consistency, creamy but not too thick, and complemented the pasta without overwhelming or drowning it. The portion was reasonably sized and

there was plenty left over to take home.

For desert we ordered the tiramisu, a favorite from the Buona Sera menu and definitely one of the best parts of our meal. The lady fingers (small vanilla wafers

similar to cookies) were soaked in espresso and placed on top of a layer of chocolate crème. The dish was incredibly delicious and the different layers blended together perfectly in a way that both excited the taste buds and cleansed the palate.

With our bill plus tip coming out to be $54, Café Buona Sera offered an amazing selection of quality Italian food at reasonable prices.

Rating: A- ▪

mORE ONLINE: Exclusive interview with Dakota Fanning & review of her latest movie, THE SECRET LIFE OF BEES, plus EMMY coverage and extras!

Friday, October 10, 2008

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UNDER THE RADAR: INDIE, FOREIGN Music

Foreign

Literature

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By Vicraj Gill A&E Editor

Chamber-pop outfit Margot & the Nuclear So and Sos debuted not one but three new releases this year: the Daytrotter Sessions EP, featuring songs recorded for indie website Daytrotter.com; and, due to disagreements with label Epic Records, two versions of their expected release, Animal! and Not Animal.

Daytrotter continues the band’s stellar live-performance legacy. The piano-driven opener “Bookworm,” the original version of which first appeared on Margot’s 2006 debut The Dust of Retreat, establishes a comfortable familiarity with listeners; from there, the band filters new, more aggressive material through the same intimate style with which they handled Retreat.

Each song on the EP is equally tenderly rendered, but the high point is no doubt the single “Broadripple Is Burning.” Here, almost all of the countless instruments the eightpiece band’s been known to use fade away, leaving frontman Richard Edwards alone with a guitar and lines like, “Oh, darling, I’m lost/and everything that I have loved has turned to stone/so pack your bags/ and come back home.”

Rating: A Daytrotter is an excellent transition into the comparative energy and venom of Animal!, which in turn is a long way from the gentle desperation of the band’s first album. Many songs have been stripped of their trademark string flourishes in favor of stronger drums and vocals. Even exceptions to this rule like “At the Carnival” are harsh and discordant when compared to the soft, swelling melodies of Retreat. Tracks such as “Cold, Kind, and Lemon Eyes” are some of the few, notable throwbacks to the band’s original style, where singer Edwards reverts to his trademark forlorn, rambling vocals.

Epic Records’ version of the album, titled Not Animal, is an even further departure from Margot’s traditional sound, particularly in the latter half. “Page Written On A Wall” and “The Shivers (I Got ’Em)” are practically raucous compared to Retreat or Daytrotter, and it’s apparent from listening to them why Margot would prefer fans listen to Animal! as they intended it to be heard.

Both the EP and the albums are obvious steps forward for Margot, ventures into the unknown that listeners are rewarded for.

Rating: A- ▪

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By Vicraj Gill A&E Editor

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By Abhay Malik Staff Writer

Oldboy is a South Korean film directed by Chan-wook Park which was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at 2004’s Cannes Film Festival by Quentin Tarantino (Pulp Fiction) and the jury he led. The film is dark and morbid, with rarely a happy shot or bright dialogue. Though gloomy and at times disturbingly violent, the film is still extremely unique and interesting to watch, largely due to its bizarre plot.

The movie centers around a man named Oh Dae-su, who one day finds himself captured and imprisoned in a room. When he is released after over a decade, he sets out to take revenge on those who kidnapped him, and finds out some shocking truths about both himself and his enemies along the way.

In addition to the twisted plot, the movie bears some moments of extreme violence. For example, one scene involves Oh Dae-su interrogating a guard by using a hammer to extract his teeth. The director (thankfully) did not fully show the extractions, but he does show the hammer brutally loosening the first tooth.

The film is not too heavy on special effects, however there are some interesting transitions between scenes, and even those are sometimes as simple as combining their settings. These transitions also add a slightly artsy quality to the film that gives it an indie feel.

The film’s lighting adds to its gloominess as the majority of the film is shot in dark, rainy weather and dim lights. There are a few shots that take place in the sunlight and in nature, but even those have some kind of taint in the environment which gives them a sinister feel.

Oldboy is a clever take on modern thrillers. Park Chan-wook has managed to give the abrasive locations and mindless violence of the genre deep meaning. The movie grips you until the end, and makes you think about what’s going on; even the violence is tastefully done. Though not a complete masterpiece, Oldboy is an example of the great potential in a polluted genre.

Rating: B+ ▪

Given the sheer number of postapocalyptic novels that have been published these last fifty or so years, and the public’s fascination with reading them, it’s no surprise that Nick Harkaway’s debut novel, The Gone-Away World, has garnered him great praise as well as some scorn.

For serious readers, the novel gets as many points for originality as it’s docked for implausibility; but in a world where the very fabric of the universe is coming undone, I guess a group of ex-special operative truckers coming to save the world from a pipeline whose leak threatens to destroy reality itself isn’t so strange.

A veteran of the film industry, Harkaway infuses his work with references to common cinematic gimmicks, and writes with a wry irreality more characteristic of movies than novels. Of course, this wittiness could also be inherited; Harkaway is the son of legendary British espionage writer John le Carré, whose novels are renowned for both their dryness and cerebral qualities. Harkaway, fortunately, has just enough of a way with words to pull the whole thing off.

The beginning of the book is snarled with fantastical plot twists and gloriously eccentric characters; then, about the time the reader’s getting ready to give up altogether, Harkaway pulls the divergent threads together into a tale that’s part war-story, part kung-fu movie, a little bit road-novel, and the rest a Lovecraftian world of mutants, monsters, and post-apocalyptic gloom.

The climate of his universe aside, Harkaway maintains cheerily verbose, upbeat prose and tone when dealing with his characters, particularly the protagonists, whose work with Haulage & Hazmat Emergency Civil Freebooting Company would be far less glamorous were it not for the author’s antics. This wordiness can be irritating at times for more pragmatic readers, but fans of such books will see past what seems like sloppiness and discover the engaging tale beneath.

The Gone-Away World is a whimsically pithy debut from a rising star; it’s ambitious in scope but not overreaching. Patient readers will no doubt come away satisfied.

Rating: A- ▪

Arts & Entertainment 21

Smokies Anticipate...

Milk Director Gus Van Sant (Finding Forrester, Good Will Hunting) finished shooting this film in San Francisco over the summer. The biopic, starring Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Josh Brolin, and James Franco, documents the life and achievements of Harvey Milk, California’s first ever openly-gay elected official. Penn plays the outspoken and outlandish title character, who was assassinated while serving as San Francisco’s City Supervisor. Milk opens Nov. 26.

cinematical.com

Sean Penn stars as a gay politician in Milk.

Synecdoche, New York

If you enjoyed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (and, honestly, who didn’t?) you’ll at least feel the same sense of bewilderment when viewing this bizarre comedy written and directed by Sunshine’s scribe, Charlie Kaufman.

With Synedoche, Kaufman concocts yet another absurd plot which serves to deeply explore human beings’ obsessions and imperfections. The movie introduces us to Caden Cotard, a theater director who creates a replica of New York City in a warehouse to serve as a set for his new play. Caden’s intention of conveying the banality of life to his audience through his work sparks an obsession within him, complicating his already disheveled life. Though its complex plot will be difficult to comprehend with just one viewing, when Synecdoche, New York is released on Oct. 24, it will intrigue audiences and challenge the limits of the film medium set by the mainstream.

slashfilm.com

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Ludacris: Theater of the Mind Ludacris must not have a lot of time between overlooking his label, Disturbing Tha Peace, which houses some successful artists (such as himself and Chingy) and some unsuccessful ones (such as the 20 other rappers he’s signed), and acting in films to continue recording music. That’s the only explanation we’ve got for why Theater of the Mind has over 18 guest spots and counting (Ludacris is currently seeking to record a song with Eminem before the album drops on Nov. 25) , featuring everyone from Lil’ Wayne and DJ Paul to Good Charlotte and Spike Lee. However, since Ludacris has proven himself to be a creative musician and a dynamic lyricist, fans are confident in his ability to churn out hits no matter what he’s got to work with.

cinemablend.com

Testees stars Jeff Kassel and Steve Markle.

Testees Testees, a new TV series from Canadian comedy mastermind Kenny Hotz, centers on the lives of two slackers hired as guinea pigs for a drug company called TESTICO. The episodes feature the pair ingesting a variety of test chemicals and solutions and waiting for the inevitable negative effects. Ron ( Jeff Kassel), the more affable and normal of the pair, tries to live something of a conventional life; however, his friend Peter, played by Steve Markle (star of the internet webseries Inside Steve’s Mind) seems to have given up on normalcy completely.

Hotz, once a writer for South Park, is also one half of the title duo in Comedy Central’s delightfully disgusting mock-reality show Kenny vs. Spenny, and appears to have left his trademark indelicacy all over the show’s pilot, scenes of which have aired for weeks on FX in anticipation of the show’s debut. Catch Testees on Thursday Oct. 9 at 10:30 PM on FX.

22 Sports

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The Smoke Signal

Friday, October 10, 2008

Benchwarming: a Million Dollar Game

By Anthony Wu Staff Writer

These days, professional athletes are some of the highest-paid people in the world. The amount of money that they can make throughout their careers is many times that of an average person, even though their careers are usually significantly shorter.

However, there are certain athletes who have somehow managed to get their hands on “undeserved contracts” that pay them more money than they should receive. Whether these athletes gained those contracts through salary negotiations, a couple of good seasons, or simply good fortune, they have obtained what many athletes selfishly strive for: more money.

There are many professional

out of Louisiana State University, first overall draft pick Russell decided to hold out on negotiations until finally reaching an agreement with the team on a contract worth up to $68 million over six years (a league rookie record) and $31.5 million guaranteed. In the process, Russell missed all of training camp and the first several weeks of the regular season. Many NFL experts agree that quarterback is the most difficult position to adjust to, and this is substantiated by all the outstanding college quarterbacks who became busts in the NFL (take 49ers quarterback Alex Smith, for instance). Therefore Russell did not deserve such an extravagant contract when he hadn’t even proven himself on the professional level, let alone played in a single NFL game.

On a side note, Russell has played

nflminute.com

After signing a contract for $68 million, Russell spent the majority of his rookie season here, on the bench.

players with undeserved contracts; Oakland Raiders quarterback JaMarcus Russell is a prime example of someone who didn’t deserve the contract deal that he signed. A young, unproven, rookie

reasonably well so far this season, but whether or not his $68 milloncontract was deserved is still to be decided.

Monta Ellis of the Golden State Warriors also possesses an unde-

served contract. Over the summer, Ellis signed a six-year, $67 million contract extension, making him the highest paid player on the team.

Some questioned general manager Chris Mullin’s decision to pay Ellis so much but eventually accepted it because Ellis has been designated as the future of the franchise. But not too long after signing his contract, Ellis mysteriously injured himself and had to undergo surgery. He is now sidelined for the first couple of months of the NBA season, which could negatively influence the performance of his team. At first, Ellis said that his injury took place while he was working out. Only a few days later, fans were led to believe that Ellis had hurt himself during a pickup game. Recently, the San Francisco Chronicle reported that Ellis sustained his injury while moped-riding, an activity that was prohibited in his contract. Ellis defied the terms of his agreement and lied about his actions, showing that he does not deserve his high-paying contract. Yet instead of having his contract terminated, Ellis will most likely just be fined and/or suspended.

Other professional athletes with oversized salaries include Alex Rodriguez, Shaquille O’Neal, and Gilbert Arenas (who recently resigned with the Washington Wizards).

These people are just a few of the many individuals who have undeserved contracts. But if teams start negotiating more effectively with players and cutting down on the number of undeserved contracts, they will soon have sufficient funds to collect the talent that is necessary to win themselves championships. ▪

By Ryan Tanakit & Audrey Tseng Sports Editors

Those who are lucky in life have the opportunity to do something that they love for a living. In some cases, the fact that these people love what they accompanies their ability to do it well. Professional athletes fit these criteria. In simpler times, athletes did sports for a living solely because of their love for the sport; income was not a major issue. Nowadays, it is quite a different story. For many athletes, it seems the number of digits in their income is the only concern.

Recently, there has been a controversy in the NBA concerning a regulation known as the “one year rule” which requires that potential NBA players must be out of high school for at least one year prior to the draft. This rule, implemented by NBA Commissioner David Stern, was added to allow players to attend college to mature and get an education. From the NBA’s perspective, it also helps in separating players who had real talent from those who may be flukes. However, prospective NBA players too young for the draft have found a way to play professionally via a loophole in the rule: European hoops.

The biggest controversy comes from Oak Hill Academy graduate and McDonalds All-American Brandon Jennings. The Rivals.com five star recruit had verbally agreed to play for Arizona but bailed before the school year started realizing he didn’t have to wait to earn the big bucks he wanted. Jennings signed a contract with an Italian

team, Pallacanestro Virtus Roma, and plans to play in the NBA when he is 19. Needless to say the NCAA and NBA commissioner David Stern are not totally thrilled as Jennings eye-catching style of play was sure to draw extra attention to the college game. Yet, Jennings, an 18year-old with Compton roots set his sights on quick cash, turning his back on the tradition and joy of college ball for Italy. Maybe were just sour that were not going to get to see him play but it seems more and more that sports is never about the sport. It’s a business.

azcentral.com

Jennings is bound for fast cash in Italy.

The same scenario repeated itself less than a week later. Drafted to the NBA by the Atlanta Hawks, role-player Josh Childress never spent much time in the limelight, taking a back seat to bigger names such as block-machine Josh Smith.

With a thirst for greater glory, and greater cash, Childress struck a deal with a Greek team that offered him a $32.5 million dollar contract. Looking back, I wonder if Childress dreamed about playing in the NBA or if he had his sights set on the international stage all along.

The truth is, Childress sold out. He went where the money was. ▪

Athlete of the Month: Bonnie Hu

By Christine Cheng Staff Writer

At first glance, Junior Bonnie Hu seems like a regular student: she studies hard and has good grades.

However, she is also an incredible golfer, competing in tournaments both locally and internationally.

Her talents have drawn alot of attention as she is currently nationally ranked.

Smoke Signal: How did you get started with golf?

Bonnie Hu: I started playing about five years ago. My friend was playing golf, and her dad wanted to get

me started too. We thought it would be fun if we both played together.

SS: What tournaments did you play in this summer?

BH: I played in the American Junior Golf Association (AJGA) tournaments five times. I placed in the top five for four of them. I also played in the US Women’s Amateur Public Links. I made it past the local qualifier for the US Women’s Open, but I didn’t get past the sectionals. We also went to China for a few days.

SS: What was your trip to China like?

BH: It was really fun. The first day was alternate, which is two girls

burly man who made his reputation known on the net purely through brute force and massive uppercuts, managed to land a lucky blow on

Ray Mercer in his debut fight, solidifying his position into the UFC. But before Slice faced off professionally, he fought Sean Gannon,

graphics editor jerry ting

Golfer extraordinaire Bonnie Hu

hitting together, switching turns.

Second day was mixed best ball,

which is the same thing with a girl and a guy. There were eight people from California, two girls and two guys from Nor Cal, and two girls and two guys from So Cal. The last two days were sightseeing, which was fun. And we won.

SS: How do you compare to other golfers on the national level?

BH: There are different rankings, but in the AJGA system, I am ranked 48th in the nation.

SS: How long do you practice everyday?

BH: Usually, I spend three to four hours on golf.

SS: How do you make time for school?

BH: I usually get home from practice at six and do my homework then. I go to sleep pretty late, but most people do too.

SS: Do you ever find it hard to balance school and golf?

BH: It’s okay. I try to finish as much homework as I can at school, so I don’t have to do it later.

SS: What inspires you to continue playing?

BH: Obviously, it can help me get into a better college, but I really like

another hopeful in 2003. What happened? Slice bit the dust, unable to continue; Sean Gannon went on to fight in the UFC, but lost in his second fight. The levels of street fighting and UFC fighting are incomparable. Does Slice really believe that he can competitively fight in the UFC or was he selected to perform just because he’s worth more revenue?

The UFC is turning into another theatrical WWE. Their fighters are becoming celebrities who talk trash about other fighters and can’t back up what they claim they can do. Before his fight as the defending champion against the underdog Forrest Griffin, Quinton “Rampage” Jackson, the UFC former lightweight champion, spewed out a barrage of boasts. Ironically, Rampage lost his title to Griffin; however, this showdown of male

hormones and manliness further publicized and transformed these two men into celebrities.

To further expose the UFC’s transformation into a business, it held the 15th Fight Night in Nebraska on Sep. 17. In that one night, UFC made over $700 thousand selling tickets at the door, with individual fighters raking in up to $40 thousand. UFC President Dana White said that he would continue to host events like this because it went so successfully; it was not because fighters were able to compete athletically, but that the UFC gathered an incredible amount of income.

UFC, once a fighter’s common dream, is now just another moneymaking enterprise whose stock market value will rise exponentially if viewers continue to publicize the fighters to such extents. ▪

playing golf. ▪

Unarmed and Dangerous

By Joseph Teng

Staff Writer Before, when the Ultimate Fighting Championship was mentioned, many people envisioned an enclosed ring in which two bloodthirsty fighters pounded away at each other, spraying blood and sweat all over the arena. These fighters were true professionals, with backgrounds in various martial arts like Jiu-Jitsu and Kyokushin karate.

Fighting in the UFC became the goal for all aspiring fighters.

But now, the UFC is becoming somewhat of a business enterprise in which just about anybody who can make money for the UFC is accepted. We see new people with no martial art fundamentals being pit against lower-class UFC fighters to gain publicity and a larger audience for the show.

Street-fighter Kimbo Slice, a

Matt Serra and Georges St. Pierre duke it at UFC 69

newsday.com

Friday, October 10, 2008

The Smoke Signal

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23 Sports

Warriors tackled at TAK

continued from page 1

MSJ fans, including staff and alumni who constantly cheered and supported the team with loads of optimism all night long. The MSJ side of the field was completely draped with green and white streamers, posters and balloons that exemplified the vast amount of school spirit at this year’s Homecoming game. The first quarter started as Irvington kicked off. During the second play of the night, starting Quarterback Senior Alan Ngo suffered a slight concussion and was forced to sit out until the second half, causing strife in MSJ’s offensive force. This major setback helped Irvington score two back to back touchdowns by Irvington’s Running Back Jesse Herrera after recovering the ball from a struggling MSJ team. The Vikings got a safety on a disappointing play by MSJ to put the score at 16-0 at the end of the first quarter.

Things didn’t seem to get better during the second quarter as Irvington’s Quarterback, Kenneth Kester, threw three touchdowns that nearly killed the spirit of the team as well as the enthusiastic crowd with the score at 36-0.

But as the quarter was winding down, defensive lineman Senior Tony Shang had a strong sack that prevented a two point conversion and brought the crowd back into the game as halftime began.

Halftime began with the introduction of the Homecoming Nominees who were brought out in a horse-driven chariot and escorted to the stage facing an ecstatic crowd.

Last year’s Homecoming Queen, Patricia Robinson was present as well for the ceremony. Before Mr. Mission and Homecoming Queen were revealed, MSJ’s Activities Coordinator Benny Breazeale announced the highly-anticipated results for the homecoming class standings. The Seniors took first, followed by the Juniors for second, and the Sophomores and Freshmen came in third and fourth respectively.

After announcing the results, Breazeale came back on the speakers to declare ASB Vice-President Seniors Claudia Chee as

Senior Ben Liu and Junior Danny Tieu bring down the Viking ball carrier.

Homecoming Queen and ASB President Eric Ding as Mr. Mission. The crowd applauded and cheered in approval as the final minutes of half-time ended.

Heading into the third quarter, Ngo returned after a mild injury and began trying to rejuvenate the offense that had been suffering during the first half. He threw 3-5 for a total of 68 yards the rest of the game.

Running back Senior Davis McKenzie was a strong force this quarter as he had three solid catches that helped MSJ progress down the field for 72 yards. Regardless, Irvington was able to score on a run, getting yet another touchdown and completing the PAT, putting the score at a disheartening 43-0.

The final quarter began with a positive note as Irvington’s Quarterback Kenneth Kester threw an interception to tight end Danny Tieu that had the crowed screaming for a comeback in the fourth. Another Viking’s touchdown came around with three minutes left to go, and the final score would be a disappointing 50-0.

Entering the game Saturday night, the

Girls’ Waterpolo Starts Strong

By Ryan Tanakit Sports Editor

On Sept. 25 the Girls’ Water Polo team squared off against MVAL rival Washington.

The game was to be considered a test for a young girls’ team that was derailed by graduation last year, losing five out of six starters from a squad that took 17th at last year’s NCS Championships.

The game started out slow, and mid-way through the first quarter the scoreboard still read 0-0. But the Mission girls finally got it going when, late in the first quarter; Junior Ashlyn Kohler scored a counter-attack goal to break the tie. That ended the scoring for the quarter, as both teams relied on strong defense throughout. At the break, Kohler’s goal had the Warriors up 1-0.

Things picked up in the second, with Freshman Laura Conn and Junior Mina Chen scor-

courtesy david westerhoff

Junior Jen Young looks for an opportunity to shoot.

courtesy david westerhoff

Junior Shelley Wenzel calls for an open player to pass to.

ing goals. Conn, drawing ejections left and right (she had five on the game which has to be some sort of record), was becoming a huge asset for the Warriors. However, Washington won the quarter by one and at the break the score was 3-3.

It was the third quarter that separated Mission from the Huskies. Sophomore Anna Kim ripped two goals and Chen added another one herself. Meanwhile, goalie Senior Audrey Tseng recorded another shut-out quarter aided by strong defense from Kim, who had three steals in the game, and company. The fourth quarter involved a goal for both teams, MSJ’s goal coming courtesy of Freshman Tatiana McCuaig. In the end, the girls held on for the 7-4 victory, starting out league play 1-0. Coach Joe Martinez added “With only three returning players, our young team stepped up big for their first varsity game”. ▪

graphics editor cici cao

Warriors had an overall pre-season record of 1-3 as compared to the Vikings who held their own with a strong 2-2 presentation during their first league game. “We worked hard tonight, and even though it didn’t show through the score, our team put in everything we could,” said running back and team Captain Senior Jose Ruvalcaba. “We just struggled to make big plays when we needed to; and our offense didn’t flow like we had planned it to, especially after our Quarterback went out so early in the game.” Defensively, the Warriors came into the second half strong and locked down the offensive force of Irvington’s Jesse Herrera and Ross Larson who scored multiple Touchdowns. MSJ held the Vikings to a meager 14 points as compared to the 36 first half points.

But MSJ didn’t have much help on Saturday as four starters including Captains Seniors Ben Liu and Sean Gosen were out with injuries from the previous week. “We lost a lot of starters and key pieces for the team, because of injuries,” said Ngo. Those injuries forced Coach VanDeusen to plug in players

graphics editor cici cao

Junior Komyar Moghadam looks to fire a pass downfield.

off the bench to help the team from these unfortunate setbacks. Key players including McKenzie and Ngo were playing injured as a result of last week’s Albany game.

The Warriors were facing an Irvington squad who was much stronger, more experienced, and overall had played better. Irvington’s passing was precise with no fumbles and only one interception all night. The Vikings played a good game and had an uncanny knack for knowing in which direction MSJ was about to go after each play. The Warriors also had a young bench this year, and this also played an important factor during the game.

Looking forward to the next game, the Warriors seem confident that they can take Kennedy on and bring home their first win this season. Ngo had this to say about the season ahead: “Learning to push our offense was an important task during the off-season, and we accomplished it, but because of some setbacks, we struggled. Once we can get back on track we can definitely put the rest of the pieces of our game together and win this season.” ▪

24 Sports

www.thesmokesignal.org

The Smoke Signal

Friday, October 10, 2008

fall sports update

By Alyssa Gwynn & Elisa Ting Staff Writers

While most students were savoring their last few weeks of summer, the fall sports teams were already hard at work preparing for the upcoming season. Since August, the eight teams have gone through rigorous training and conditioning to try to reach their maximum potential and come together as a team.

Football

Cross Country

After losing only nine seniors last year, the MSJ football team is optimistic about the upcoming season.

“Our goal this year is to be competitive in every game, win some [games], and just play football,” said head coach Rob VanDeusen.

Even though last year’s record was 1-9, the players, including the 22 returning seniors, have been training hard to improve their game this season.

The varsity football team has been playing together for three to four years now, so their good chemistry together is easy to see on the field. One of the biggest challenges the team faces this year is not learning how to work together as a team, but is getting the general support from the school. Including tonight’s game against Kennedy, the team still has six league games until the end of the season. So make sure you come out to TAK and support

Having conditioned since early August, the Cross Country team has great potential this year. From running laps on the track to strengthening the body’s core muscles, the team is ready for a competitive season ahead of them.

The team lost many four-year runners from the last season, so the young runners are pushing themselves even harder to improve.

Coach Jack Marden is taking advantage of the loss of top runners in other schools by training the team harder than prior seasons.

The runners from MSJ have close times, which will be utilized to the Warriors’ advantage with team strategies that will hopefully place them win first in league.

With a record of 2-4 for the boys and 4-2 for the girls last year, the team is training hard to improve their record for this year. Come watch your Warriors run the competition to the ground at their next meet on Oct. 15.

your MSJ football team!

Gymnastics

Boy’s Water Polo

The Gymnastics team ended last season on a high note, winning every meet and placing first at MVALs. This year the team has been practicing hard for ten hours a week to get back in shape and to have their routines appear more unique than the other schools’.

Having lost six Varsity gymnasts who graduated last year, the gymnastics team is working extra hard to make up for their loss.

“Last year we struggled, especially against Irvington,” said Sophomore Trina Duarte, “but we pushed through it and won as team.”

This year is no different, as the gymnasts feel the pressure to compete against Irvington again, but they still are confident that all of their hard work, perseverance, and persistence will pay off.

Come out and support the team in their next meet on Oct. 15 against Washington

The Boys’ Water Polo team had a successful season last year, winning the MVAL with a record of 9-1. Much like the girls’ team, five of their starting seniors graduated last year and start this season with a relatively young team.

While the change in lineup has significantly affected the team, they are doing their best to work out team dynamics and to maintain their high reputation.

Although they have some tough competition (their biggest rivals being Irvington, American, and Washington) the team is confident that they’ll pull through together. The team is currently in first place in the MVAL with a potent offense powered by Seniors Denny Wong and Ryan Tanakit, and Junior David Westerhoff “We’re just going to do what we do,” said Wong.

Their next game is also on Oct. 11 against Washington.

and Las Lomas.

Girls’ Water Polo

Girls Volleyball

Last year proved to be a victorious season for the Girls’ Water Polo team, despite losing nearly half the players the year before. They easily claimed the MVAL Championship, and made it to round two of NCS. This year, the team faces similar challenges. “We only have four returning varsity,” says Junior Hannah Scobel, “so our team has taken a massive hit.” Still, the team has high hopes for continuing its legacy, as they’ve been playing in numerous tournaments and scrimmages to learn to work in sync with one another.

Last year, the team’s biggest competitor was Washington. With the loss of so many MSJ Varsity players, Washington has high hopes to defeat the Warriors. However, after many team bonding dinners and sleepovers, the Girls’ Water Polo team is ready to take on the competition once again, with their next game on Oct. 14 against Washington.

The Girls’ Volleyball team held a record of 8-4 last year, only losing to rivals Washington and Logan. Gradutating four seniors last year, the young team currently has nine juniors and three sophomores. Although the team is relatively young, the players have all been playing on club teams during the off season; thereby, team chemistry is present early in the season.

The Warriors had a devastating preseason with a record of 0-3, losing to Cal High, Amador Valley, and Moreau Catholic. However, the Lady Warriors also had early league victories against Irvington, Washington, Kennedy, and Newark Memorial.

With a record of 4-1 so far in the season, the Lady Warriors are improving their game play each game. Come out and support your Lady Warriors at their next game on Oct. 14 at Irvington.

Girls’ Golf

As the only school in the MVAL with a golf team, the Girl’s Golf team is competing in the Hayward Athletic League. Although the team did not make state last year, the potential seen in the players this year is outstanding. With two Freshmen Taneesh Sra and Madison Hirsch already placing in the top six, the golf team seems to be firing up their success.

Mary Nolan is replacing Bill Kriskovich as the team’s head coach this year. With the adjustment of coaches, the team’s season is unpredictable. However, the record so far is in a positive light.

The goal for this year’s team is to make it to state, as the team only missed the advancement by four strokes last year. Come support the girls at their next game at the Sunol Valley Golf Club against Bishop O’Dell from 3:10- 7:00 on October 14. Good luck MSJ!

Girls’ Tennis

Tying with Irvington for the league title last year, the Girls’ Tennis team is striving to become the most improved team at NCS. Only losing to American and Logan last year with a record of 10-2, the Lady Warriors are ready to take on their rivals again this year by practicing two hours every day, Monday through Friday.

The team is composed mainly of underclassmen and had lost five seniors last year.

Having defeated many top seeded teams in NCS in the preseason, the tennis team is already completing their goal of being the most improved team in NCS. Team chemistry is also an important factor that will help the team achieve its goal.

Captain Senior Charlene Nguyen said, “Our team chemistry is like stripes on a zebra.”

Having a strong bond between both JV and Varsity will benefit the team with a positive record. ▪

compiled by david westerhoff, ester eng, photo editor jerry ting, and feature editor lena liu