Stagg Line 2011-12 Issue 6 by Stagg Line Newspaper

home of the DELTA KINGS

02.24.12

Club gives students chance to experience a new sport

VOL. 55 NO. 6 ON THE WEB

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LIKE US ON FACEBOOK and get pictures from the Stagg Line not featured in our regular issue. INSIDE THE ISSUE Locks that rock Entertainment, page 6

NEWS IN BRIEF SHS - The Musical Stagg Musical Theater will be performing “Stagg High School The Musical” on March 1 and 2. Tickets are $2 and can be purchased from any musical theater student or from choir teacher Mark Swope. They will also be sold at the door. Financial Literacy Workshop A workshop will be held tonight for students of all grades and their parents to gain information on financial and college preparation in the theater from 6-8:30 p.m. Prom Prom tickets are on sale now at the student store. Prices are $45 for single and $75 couple. Buy tickets soon because prices will go up to $65 single and $95 couple. Guest passes are available. Poetry slam The sixth annual all-city poetry slam begins its opening rounds March 9. Those interested should visit withourwords.org Baseball The first baseball game of the season will be tonight at Stagg against East Union. JV starts at 4:00 and varsity starts at 6:30 p.m.

Stagg Line NSPA Hall of Fame newspaper Amos Alonzo Stagg High School 1621 Brookside Rd. Stockton, Calif. 95207

BRIANWALKER

Junior Lucas Brandt stares out the window with anticipation as he looks forward to his second snowboarding trip. “It’s like skateboarding, but a lot faster,” says Brandt as he describes his previous experience on the mountain. He is one of the students involved in the Snowboarding Club here on campus. The club organizes a trip to a ski resort every Sunday for a small fee of $20 per student, and that cost is just for the gas to get there and back. “It’s something everybody should be involved in,” junior Curtis Bernard said. “It’s super fun and super cheap and a good opportunity.” Some of the resorts that the club goes to include Squaw Valley, Kirkwood, Donner Ski Ranch, Sugar Bowl Ski Resort and Bear Valley.

“We have provided over a hundred thousand dollars in services,” said club adviser Ron Tankersley, who teaches computer education. The cost of the trips could average somewhere between $200-250 per student. The cost of snowboarding and rentals at the resorts are free thanks to teachers Scott Minott, Ron Schwartz, Tankersley and SkiDUCK, a non-profit organization. The idea for the club was introduced by Minott. At first it was just a way to introduce students to a new sport that isn’t normally offered in schools. With the help of Schwartz and Tankersley, the club started last year. “It really blew up,” Tankersley said. “We just told our students we were starting a snowboarding club and recruited the hell out of them.” Schwartz and Tankersley

Junior Jeffrey Keosavang hangs out with other members of the club before receiving snowboarding lessons. There are many trips planned for the rest of the year.

went to multiple ski resorts to convince them to introduce the snowboarding environment to the current generation. They stressed the point that most people who are going to the resorts nowadays are upper-class white people and that they need to expand their audience. The key to making lifelong enthusiasts is to pass it on to kids. One key argument that they made was the “empty seat theory” where they would ask resorts what it would really cost to put students up on the ski lift. They pressed that argument until the resorts gave the honest answer – nothing. After the club began to grow they joined with SkiDUCK. The organization’s goal is to bring snowboarding and skiing to disabled and underprivileged children, which is one of the primary goals of the Snowboarding Club. The club has two branches, one on this campus and one at Edison High School, and it plans on expanding to other schools as well. “We really are changing lives,” Tankersley said. “We leave at 5 in the morning so kids are going to bed early and not riding dirty the night before. The kids we take are also so polite, attentive, and appreciative of the opportunity.” Tankersley has really taken an active role by making sure students are on right path. “You need leadership and experience to show you the ropes. I live my life to help. That’s why I teach. I don’t do it for the money, I do it to change lives.” He has definitely impacted at least one of the club members. “I want to thank him,” senior Ismael Almarez said. “Without him I probably would have never gotten the chance to go.”

photos by Harmony Evangelisti (Top) Junior Soksarak Tin went on his first trip to Kirkwood Ski Resort and recieved free lessons courtesy of SkiDUCK. (Bottom) Club adviser Ron Tankersley instructs junior Victor Chun on proper head gear safety.

Students learn lessons about

Internet dangers Internet dangers Internet dangers FAITHHARRIS

Social networking. Posting pictures. Catching up with friends. Staying in touch with relatives. In other words… Facebook. Like anything else, it has pros and cons. However, do the cons outweigh the pros? For one freshman, who wishes to remain anonymous, he said that they do. “I had someone make a fake profile of me, and they completely made me look like an idiot,” he said. “The only thing I would say is this: no profile, page or blog is private on the Internet.” There is also the issue of hacking into other students’ Facebook accounts. In fact, when scrolling down her news feed, senior Jennifer Cardenas sees that it has actually become kind of a joke. “You see a bunch of statuses saying things like ‘your best friend hacked you. LOL’ and things like that. It’s a game to a lot of

students.” However, hackers are not solely to blame. Possibly too trusting, some students give their Fa c e b o o k account password to their friends. “They put themselves in that situation. If they just kept their Facebook secure, everything would be fine,” Cardenas said. If there are so many dangers to social media, the common question is, why do people continue to use it? According to a survey by Pew Research, two-thirds of social media users say that staying in touch with friends and family is the major reason. And that connection is

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They put themselves in that situation. If they just kept their Facebook secure, everything would be fine.” JENNIFER CARDENAS, senior

even easier because of smart phones. In August 2011, according to comscore.com, 72.2 million Americans were accessing social sites and blogs from their mobile phones, a 37 percent increase from the previous year. An article on smartonline.com stated that 54 percent of mobile phone sales were smartphones. As social media becomes more readily available, the risk becomes greater. But that doesn’t mean one can’t overcome this risk.

Senior Laura Flanary hasn’t been hacked, impersonated, or harassed, but she has seen her friends get into trouble online and chooses to take extra precautions. “I hate seeing people get themselves into trouble when it’s so easily avoidable,” she said. “It really isn’t difficult at all to be safe on the Internet. There is always the option of ‘un-friending’ and/ or blocking people on sites. People need to take advantage of these choices.” The anonymous fresh-

man admits to have been foolish in that respect. “I should have just immediately avoided all contact with the people that were harassing me in the first place. I just didn’t think it would progress as far as it did,” he said. To a lot of teens, staying safe online doesn’t seem difficult — until something happens to them. “I would call my friends names for being so careless with their accounts and what happened to me?” The freshman slaps himself in the head playfully. “I guess we just don’t ever think it’s going to happen to us, but nobody is safe.” Flanary said that the key to Internet safety is simply having common sense. “I know there are a lot of odd people and perverts online. I know there are dangers to social networking, but most of them are preventable.”

INSIDE Check out opinion columns discussing Internet trends and what it means to be “Facebook friends.” — See pages 2-3 Our Features pages take an in-depth look at online threats and tips that can help you avoid those threats. — See pages 4-5

Opinion the Stagg Line

2 EDITORIAL

02.24.12

POSITIVITY IS IN THE PERSPECTIVE

ecently, people have been assisting the Advanced Placement classes in paying for the tests. These people don’t even know us, yet they’re willing to donate money and help us when we need them most. They care about us and what we do to help us strive towards a better future. These same people who believe in us come out to our sporting events and cheer for our teams no matter what. They have faith in us, yet we don’t have faith in ourselves. Faith. It’s believing in something bigger than yourself, believing in the people who surround you, and believing in yourself. It’s hard to see that positivity in our school. People assume that a lot of us are troublemakers who could not care less about our future. They sometimes write us off as unimportant based on the rumors they’ve heard and the assumption they’ve made. They don’t take a close look at who we actually are but what they want to see in us. And because of those people, we start to believe that what they say about us is true. But it’s not. We’re fully capable of learning and growing. We just have to believe that we’re just as

campus and it’s about time that we embrace them. The bad reputation that our school seems to have is based on people who know nothing about us. We need to give people a reason to see passed our false reputation and into the fact that we’re just a bunch of teenagers who are trying to find our place in the world. And some people do understand this. We allow people to talk badly about our school and sometimes we talk badly about it as well. How can we expect others to change their perspective of us if we have no pride towards our school? It’s time that we change the way we’re viewed by some and in order to do this we need to have positivity. It’s time people see that we’re just as good as any other school out there. Faith goes a long way. art by Sophia Davidson We have to believe in ourselves and what good as any other high school. Because we People who don’t even know us personally we have to offer the world. As a school we are. are willing to support us. If they can do that need to have pride in who are and what we We have inspirational teachers, dedicated then we should be able to reward them by represent. coaches, loyal alumni, and impeccable being better students and athletes. It’s about time that people see us for who sports facilities. We have everything we need As a student body we need to stand up we are. to be a great school, but we’re missing one for our school and demand that people see We are a school full of potential and it’s thing. And that’s the will to do and be betus differently. time that we reach it for those people who ter. We have great things going on around do believe in us.

‘FML’ misused by teens over petty problems

t’s around 3:00 p.m. and I’ve just come home from a long day of school. Instead of grabbing a snack or taking a nap, I do what just about any 21st century teen would do: log onto Tumblr and check if I have any new notifications so I could feel a sense of happiness and delight in my very exciting life. Instead, I’m bombarded with a symphony of complaints and distress from teens who have it much harder than anyone else in the world. Let’s have a moment of silence for the following people who are truly suffering. “Aww man I just stubbed my toe on a table FML :’(“ “I can’t believe the whole pizza fell to the floor FML” “I couldn’t find my friends at lunch so I had to sit alone. FMLFMLFML.” If this sounds familiar, then welcome to the Internet, where angsty teenagers gather up and rant about their heart-wrenching problems and horrifying lives. (Let’s just disregard the fact that the Internet is also home to other various things, such as videos of drugged British toddlers back from the dentist.) If you have never heard or seen the phrase “FML” before, then allow me to explain. FML stands for “f*** my life”, which honestly, is a pretty dramatic phrase for petty things that should not even categorize your life as f***ed. Maybe something bad did happen to you, like maybe your boyfriend/girlfriend broke up with you, your parents are getting a divorce, or your dog died. But honestly, does posting it onto Twitter really help? Will Facebook automatically solve your problems, say “poor you! let me use my magical Internet powers and save you!” and suddenly your life is just as great as ever? To be frank, I can’t take people who say “FML” in a non-sarcastic way seriously. I never

Campus theft steals more than just property

really quite understood why people VIENAPALACIO felt the need to say “FML.” I’m just starting to get the feeling that people are only using the phrase for attention, all of that “woe is me” stuff just so that people would think they’re even more of a brooding, dark soul than Morrissey of The Smiths (just read the lyrics to Heaven Knows I’m Miserable Now, you’ll know what I mean.) I’m not really sure. I guess it’s just a big pet peeve of mine. Maybe it’s your pet peeve as well and you could sympathize with me. Or maybe you are someone who tends to use FML and think that I’m complaining about practically nothing. I’m not going to act completely saint-like and say that I never partook in the trend of misusing the phrase FML, but I only used it in an obviously sarcastic manner. So chin up, life isn’t that bad after a while. I’m speaking, of course, from only 15 short years of experiencing life, but honestly, not everyone is out to get you. Life doesn’t stop for everybody and make things better at their will. And even when life does seem to turn for the worse sometimes, it won’t always stay that way. Things will get better if you adopt a better attitude instead of bringing yourself and others around you down. All in all, I just wish that there could be a day in my life where I could log onto any social networking site and not be smothered by 15+ statuses about how much their life is “f***ed.” It’s a given that it won’t happen any time soon as long as teenagers are fueled with angst and a need to complain about everything, but one can dream, right?

the Stagg Line Amos Alonzo Stagg High School 1621 Brookside Rd. Stockton, CA 95207 (209) 933-7445 ext. 8487 The Stagg Line newspaper is a member of the National Scholastic Press Association and the California Newspaper Publishers Association. Awards and recognitions include the following: XX 18 consecutive NSPA All-American rankings XX NSPA Hall of Fame, 2005 XX NSPA First-Place Best of Show five times XX JEA Impact Award, 2002 Stagg Line student journalists have won many awards and scholarships over the years, including California Journalist of the Year, National Story of the Year, and National Photo of the Year.

magine someone close to you who has passed away. Now, imagine the only item that made you feel like they were still next to you was stripped away. You can only think of NICOLELAWRENCE the pain that would come from that loss. When something is stolen, no one on the outside really thinks of what really is being stolen. Math coach Roxanne Mitchell stepped out of her room for a moment, leaving her possessions unattended; little did she know her phone would be stolen in those few minutes. What the culprit didn’t know was that on the phone were voice mails from her grandson and also from her mother, who passed away in 2005. In the voice mails, her grandson was 3, 4, and 5 years old. He is now 6 and his voice sounds much different. His young voice is something she cannot get back. In an act to retrieve the data on her phone, Mitchell went to some nearby classrooms offering a reward for whoever returned the phone, a reward ironically for the person who actually stole the phone. “That phone wasn’t valuable to anyone but me,” Mitchell said. I cannot imagine having the sound of my

Mikeala Axton Editor-in-Chief

Taylor Hurles Don Bott Adviser

Editor-in-Chief

“

I could feel the pain Mitchell feels now that she no longer has those voice mails to listen to when she begins to feel sad. Holding onto a voice is the closest thing to having the person right beside you.

grandpa’s laugh being erased from my mind. He passed away a few years ago, and that laugh is the only thing that stays in my mind on a daily basis. Sure, I have photos and some videos, but nothing is more special than having that person speaking directly to you. Every time I laugh I can hear him laughing with me. I could feel the pain Mitchell feels now that she no longer has those voice mails to listen to when she begins to feel sad. Holding onto a voice is the closest thing to having the person right beside you. When someone steals something, they don’t know what they are stealing. They are stealing a part of someone’s history, a part of their memory, a part of their life. These can never be replaced. Of course, memories are still locked away in our heads, but sometimes that is not enough. “I lost her voice but I didn’t lose the years of happy memories,” Mitchell said. “They can’t take that away from me.”

Gabriella Miller

Sophia Davidson

Nicole Lawrence

Shelby Hightower

News Editor

Opinion Editor

The Stagg Line newspaper is published monthly and Kristin Acevedo Features Editor distributed free of charge to students and faculty. Our newspaper is a long-standing open forum for Annamarie Cunningham Entertainment Editor free student expression. Student editors and reporters Reanna Rodriguez make content and style decisions with the adviser Sports Editor offering guidance. Editorials reflect the view of the Seyma Tap entire editorial board and therefore are unsigned. Graphics Editor Opinion columns reflect the view of the writer. Harmony Evangelisti Readers are welcomed to write letters to the editor. Photo Editor We will make every effort to print any letter as long Faith Harris as it is not libelous. Letters longer than 250 words Web/Multimedia Editor may be edited. Unsigned letters will be printed only Damon Heine in unusual circumstances, and only when we know who Blog/Social Media Editor the writer is. Letters may be brought to the newspaper Emily Cornelison room, A-8, or emailed to dbott@stockton.k12.ca.us Copy Editor

Jessica Mangili Kentaley McCurdy Adrianna Owens Viena Palacio Annamarie Rodriguez Mia Torres Fe Valencia Brian Walker Chao Xiong

02.24.12

the Stagg Line

Opinion

Don’t let memories fade away

Sister reevaluates relationship with brother in light of tragedy

“J

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ADRIANNAOWENS

ust shut up already!” my brother screams from across the Golden Corral table. Being me, I have to reply with a smart comment, accompanied by a smirk. As any parent would when their children are fighting, my mother gives us the knock-it-off look, especially since we are sitting in the middle of a restaurant. However, her gaze isn’t enough to break the tension my brother and I have created. He then throws me nasty looks every chance he gets until, finally, I can’t handle it anymore. The argument resumes and I find myself close to screaming my lungs out. We both open our mouths to say something when Mom throws us another look. This time, though, she doesn’t play the same card. Instead, her eyes go watery and her face flushes a light pink. She gets uncomfortable and avoids our eyes. She looks as if she is reliving a traumatizing event. My brother and I exchange glances, and I can tell we are both thinking the same thing: Not again. This happens every time. My mom always does this. I used to wonder why she gets like that. She doesn’t look disappointed or mad. Instead, she looks as if she is about to break down. I thought it was just her parenting method; I always overlooked it. Until the day I stirred up enough guts to ask her about it, I didn’t know that she gets like that because she lost both of her brothers. Her only siblings. Of course, I knew that they passed away, but I didn’t know that when her oldest brother passed away, they had just made up from nearly four years of fighting. She had lost so much time being angry that she now has few happy memories that both of them shared. I didn’t know, but now I do. I understand that she doesn’t have those memories normal siblings can look forward to telling their grandchildren about. It’s more than likely that you have heard someone tell you to cherish your family. Most of us probably don’t think about it and continue to have little

To tell you the truth, I can’t even remember why we were fighting, except for the fact that it got pretty ugly. I look back on it now and realize that it was a waste of a good memory.”

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arguments. Or maybe some of us tend to think that family is forever. While that may be true in a sense, it isn’t in another. They won’t always be there.

Fe Valencia

Sure, they are there when you need them, and are willing to help you through certain problems you may be facing, but they won’t always be around.

Some people tend to forget that. Sometimes teenagers get so caught up in fights with their siblings that they take it to extremes, like my mom. They blow things out of proportion.They say things that don’t need to be said. They hold grudges. Then they regret it later on. The day my brother and I fought in Golden Corral is now a huge regret that I am going to have to live with. To tell you the truth, I can’t even remember why we were fighting, except for the fact that it got pretty ugly. I look back on it now and realize that it was a waste of a good memory. It did damage to my future when I will be looking back on my childhood years. Ten years from now I might have been able to look back to that day and remember how good the food was. How my mom actually had money to take us out. How many times we laughed. I could have held this great memory in my head instead of the one I have now: seeing my mom like that. I now have a memory of how dumb I was. How I let things get to me. How disrespectful I was. Now, I remember the memories I could be making before I retaliate. If I get an opportunity to argue, I choose to let it go. I don’t want to look back and have to say that I was stupid back then. I want to look back and laugh at the times I shared with my family. I want happy memories.

Anonymous posters use Social media freedom of speech to the fullest redefines meaning of friendships SHELBYHIGHTOWER

“W

e are Anonymous. We are legion. We do not forgive. We do not forget.” These words can be heard across the dark corners of the Internet – the furthest reaches where it is okay to talk to strangers and curse out those that you feel deserve it. Hey, share your life story, why don’t you! It’s okay in these places. These places where 4chan meets Reddit, and /b/ros come together with 9gaggers in a semipeaceful environment. And who are these people? They are the ones known only as Anonymous. However, many people think of anonymity as possibly a bad thing, there will always be people that see the possible benefit. Most people only see the bad. The insults, the spamming, the harm to one’s reputation. What people don’t always realize is that there are also good things that come of this power. And that this power can and has been used for good rather than the evils some have seen it for. Even though a large number of people only see Anonymous used in more popular websites, a vast number of people going by the title “Anonymous” come from a website called 4chan.org. 4chan is an online image board created by Christopher Poole, otherwise known as “moot.” Poole started 4chan when he was 15 in his bedroom at his parents’ house. From this one website, many Internet sensations have come about. 4chan is popularly known as the birthplace for Internet memes. Some of these include The Rules of the Internet, rage faces, and various other memes.

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Going online and taking a look on /b/, one of 4chan’s most popular boards, one might think that the people of Anonymous are no more than inappropriate trashtalkers and immature teenager. But a look beyond the surface can reveal much more. Among the trash talking, there are also some benefits that come from this freedom of anonymity. For example, the instance of Dusty the cat. A man named Kenny Glenn posted two videos online of himself abusing his cat, Dusty. Both videos were found by the people of Anonymous and seeing the

Taylor Hurles

evils this man was committing they took action against him. They created a post in which other people got together and helped to find evidence against Glenn. They not only exposed him to the world but also got him arrested and saved Dusty. Most of the time though, there is not so much good but more fun. Fun being just harmless joking and making others smile. In 2008, Poole was voted “most influential person” in an Internet poll by Time Magazine. Not only did he win the poll,

but he won by more than 11 million votes. The people of Anonymous did not only this, but they voted for other entrants in the exact order so that the first letter of every name spelled out “mARBLECAKEALSOTHEGAME.” This is just harmless fun rather than the cruelty people seem to remember. Every person does not just come from these few websites though. Many people, when thinking of Anonymous, may think of more popular websites such as Youtube. And with the Youtubers’ free posting abilities, they can post whatever they want. So naturally when someone who isn’t the best singer posts a music video of themselves they are probably going to get some bad feedback. But a random stranger’s insults shouldn’t really be taken completely to heart if you don’t like what they say. Anonymity in this case merely gives a person the chance to voice their opinion without it interfering with their personal life offline. And if you think about it, you’d probably want this freedom to say what you want as well. Even through the bad language, trash talking, and senseless arguments that only lead to anger and hurt, there will always be the few good deeds and acts of kindness that we need to remember. So next time someone says something you don’t like, just choose to ignore them. And remember these good deeds as a reason why anonymity is a benefit rather than a curse. Anonymity, whether posting something with a fake name or literally as “Anonymous”, has more benefits than drawbacks. The freedom to say what you want without any consequences is worth the risk of getting insulted.

t began when I realized what online socializing was causing. I would have intimate conversations with some of my Facebook friends and feel that I had come to know them quite well. But whenever we would meet face to face, it was as though we’d never spoken before. Instead of a rousing conversation, meetings would consist of an awkward “Hello.” After conveying this to my peers, I discovered that many others experienced this strange situation as well. SOPHIADAVIDSON Not long after this realization, I happened to read a book that had to do with social revolutions of the 1960s. It made me think of how back in those days everyone, including teenagers, had to get together in order to develop and maintain relationships. Because of the lack of technology that we have now, people had to physically interact and spend time with one another. A telephone call, at least, gives one the opportunity to hear another person’s voice. Now becoming someone’s “friend” is merely an action expressed through the press of a button. My purpose for creating a Facebook account was to get used to presenting my artwork to others and to stay connected to my friends. It did no such thing. A small portion of my Facebook friends viewed my artwork and even fewer cared to chat. Facebook only became a continuous cycle of post this, like this, comment on this, repeat. I’m certainly not saying that socializing has become extinct, yet how much we rely on technology today is alarming. Pew Research statistics say that almost two-thirds of teens admit that the Internet is a distraction. It is a temptation that keeps us within the boundaries of “add me on Facebook” or “just text me” instead of organizing get-togethers to strengthen relationships. I believe friendship is more than “liking” people’s photos or status updates. Friendship is taking time out of the day to call someone or spend time with them. To me, sitting behind a computer screen just doesn’t count. I made the decision to boycott both my phone and Facebook. If anyone wanted to contact me it would have to be by house phone, email, or the good old-fashioned mail system. After pondering the idea, I realized that it was not an option. I had scholarship opportunities on Facebook and my cell phone was necessary for emergencies. I could easily imagine what my parents would say. They’d ask me what I would do if I needed a ride or had to stay after school. I would ask them how they survived without cell phones back in the day. Then I thought that perhaps people have just adapted to the cell phone lifestyle, regardless of what decade they grew up in. Later I discovered a quote by surrealist painter Salvador Dali: “Don’t bother about being modern. Unfortunately it is the one thing that, whatever you do, you cannot avoid.” I came to the conclusion that it is no use trying to completely disconnect myself from mainstream society. There will be instances that will obligate me to use technology, but I don’t need to become immersed it. The key is to make websites like Facebook tools, not habits. So if many people know that technology is distracting them from more important activities, then why are they allowing it to?

Features the Stagg Line

02.24.12

the

INTERNET INTERNET never forgets

Despite what some may believe, the Internet isn’t all bad. But among memes, music videos and all those Facebook friends, there are hidden dangers. From social media mavens to novices who can barely check their email, everyone has something more to learn about the Internet. So we’ve compiled seven basic pitfalls to know and avoid.

You’re not crazy, are you? We all have some of those friends – people who live online, demanding that we know every second of their day via status updates and tweets. But there are other people too, who only turn to the Web when they need to rant or cry. So what kind of picture does this paint of the person? As normal as you may be in real life, what you post online can make you look (let’s face it) like a crazy person. Avoid posting online only when you’re at a mood extreme, because when you step back and look at your history (particularly easy with the new Facebook timeline) it seems as though you’re always saying extreme things. This probably isn’t an accurate representation of who you are. Thus, make sure, that when you’re posting, you are yourself and not a crazy, emotional version of yourself.

Privacy settings: your new best friend

Anything you post can be used against you

What picture of yourself have you painted? So you want to go to college, or maybe you just want to get a job. Something you should be thinking about before you even touch an application (of any kind) is what’s on your online profiles. Nearly everything is “Googleable” nowadays, and that includes you. Employers and admissions officers can and oftentimes will find out who potential employees or students are based on their Internet profiles. Look at your status updates and photos, preferably before you post them, as if you were an employer. Are you someone you would hire? Don’t just limit this to your own posts — consider things you’re tagged in. If your friends tag you in a picture where everyone is drinking, even if you’re not, it’s just as incriminating. Colleges have been known to pull scholarships and even admissions based on information they come across online and employers may simply not hire you at all. So think about your future before you rattle off a status about smoking or post a picture of your beer pong tournament.

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Free speech. Despite how wonderful that phrase may sound, it doesn’t actually mean you’re free to say whatever you feel like – even on the Internet. There are things the First Amendment doesn’t protect, and if you’re posting online, you should know what these things are. Threats, for example, are a big deal. You can’t go around posting about how you’d like to beat up so-and-so. And, even if you’re kidding, you shouldn’t say you want to kill anyone. This kind of speech gets particularly dangerous if it’s something you do often – patterns set off some pretty big red flags. Be careful also of what you post about other people. Whether what you post about someone is your opinion is irrelevant; depending on what you say, it could be damaging to their character and thus libelous. What some people don’t realize is that courts have actually begun to subpoena the passwords to online profiles, using what people post on the Internet against them in a court of law.

Privacy settings. You get the basics of them, and they seem relatively simple. But that’s where you’re wrong. Privacy settings are some of the most complex things on the Internet. These settings vary from site to site; they change for different age groups, and are all in place for your protection. On Facebook, special precautions are taken to protect all users who are younger than 18. These settings can be changed to be stronger or less protective for all the young adult users, and can be applied to any profiles of people over the age of 18. These settings are what allow you to block people from seeing your posts or pictures; they are also what allow you to un-tag yourself from a post of pictures. So even if it seems elementary, privacy settings are some of the most beneficial things you can do for yourself online. Don’t overlook them.

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02.24.12

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INTERNET INTERNET never forgets

If it sounds too good to be true... shift

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INTERNET INTERNET never forgets

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Letting people know where you’re not You’re out with your friends at the mall when you get a notification on your phone from Facebook; you were just tagged being with a friend at the mall. You don’t even give it a second thought. Later that day you’re at that friend’s house. You tag yourself there and automatically your phone attaches on that friend’s home address through geotagging. You brush it off without thinking about the dangers that tag could pose. You may not have a creepy stalker following you around, but that tag just allowed all of Facebook to know exactly where you are and where your friend lives. In a world where everyone is connected practically 24/7, geotagging seems like a simple alternative to texting or calling someone to tell them where you are. But it also tells people where you aren’t. The act of tagging yourself while on vacation can be dangerous. You’re not just telling people where you are; you’re also saying your house may be left open to intruders.

Once it’s online, it’s out of your hands You’re not dumb — you understand your privacy settings and so you know people who don’t have you as a friend can’t see your pictures. And even if your pictures are publicly viewable, so what? What’s someone going to do with a picture of you? Well, they can repost it, for one thing. And that isn’t limited to photos — people can repost nearly anything you post (hence the name). So maybe you post a status in a fit of rage, and later come to your senses and delete it. But the damage may be irreparable. There’s no telling if someone has already shared your status with countless others. When you put something on the Internet, regardless of your privacy settings, it becomes something public. Basically, once it’s online, it’s out of your hands. You can’t really control who sees it or reposts it. Depending on how widespread it is, deleting may only get rid of the mistake on your screen, not on the many others who now have it on theirs. So if it’s something you regret, you may be regretting it for a long time.

STORIES BY MIKEALAAXTON & ANNAMARIECUNNINGHAM

We’ve all seen them, the pop up windows saying “You’ve just won!” or the advertisements pointedly displaying an iPad and saying it could be yours after a simple installation of some product or another. Common sense keeps you from clicking the brightly colored “Yes” button. Or maybe fear of malware or spyware being installed on your computer stops you. While not every pop up ad may have malicious intent, most of them do. Clicking on them can result in harmful downloads being installed. These downloads can result in an unknown and unauthorized third party accessing your personal documents, photos, music, and any other files stored on your computer’s hard drive. Not to mention they will typically slow your computer to half its speed. The ultimate lesson to be learned from pop up ads is that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

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INTERNET INTERNET never forgets

Entertainment the Stagg Line

02.24.12

LOCKSROCK t a th

MIKEALAAXTON & ANNAMARIECUNNINGHAM

There’s the shredding guitars, the smooth beats, the soaring vocals... But more importantly, there’s the hair. For some musicians, their hair is as crucial as their roadies. So we rounded up some of the best locks in music for a battle royale where hair will fly.

Sported by many a rock star-without-a-care the long unwashed look has historically proven that, if you rock hard enough, you don’t need to know what shampoo is. The winner of this category, Ke$ha has taken unwashed to a whole new level, showering not with soap, but with glitter and whiskey. Thus her greasy locks shine with more than just oil. (Second: Kurt Cobain. Third: Bert McCracken of The Used.)

The long-unwashed look

While it may not have originated with our winner Billy Ray Cyrus, the mullet has helped soothe the achy breaks hearts across the land. Even today its awesome power rivals that of every other hairstyle. With its classic business in the front, party in the back tagline, the mullet has proven a pragmatic choice for the rock star who likes to keep it classy and be able to party when necessary. So in dealing with those who rep for the mullet, remember: Don’t break their heart. Or touch their hair. (Second place: David Bowie circa Ziggy Stardust era and in third Paul McMullet. I mean McCartney.) Our final category goes by many names, such as “Oh my God,” “What the-?” and “Is that their hair or did an animal make its nest up there?” Some in the music world steadfastly refuse to allow their hair to fit classification. It defies laws of physics and social acceptability. Thankfully, these rock stars need no approval for their locks or their tunes. (First: Robert Smith, The Cure. Second: Mike Score, Flock of Seagulls. Third: Cyndi Lauper.)

The ‘fro is (not) defined by MerriamWebster as a massive accumulation of rockin’ curls atop one’s head. In the case of afrowarrior Erykah Badu, it has been proven that there is a direct correlation between amounts of hair and wicked singing ability. Other known uses for the ‘fro include portable shade and handy storage space. (Second place: Sly of the Family Stone. Third: Cedric Bixlar-Zavala of The Mars Volta and At the Drive-In.)

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Have you ever not had a song to fit the way you were feeling? Fear no more! Stop shuffling through your i d u C d Ki long musical library! Now A l l A . pies lay 1 e p e d l W o C e h ou On - T y l you don’t have to d 2. Fix Y a M Day n Spins e e d r l r G o 3. W ur Life waste time looking o Y f o ey 4. Time h - Jeff Buckl luja for the perfect tune! Beatles 5. Halle e h T d a bird adiohe These playlists have 6. Black stic Trees - R ny Chesney a n l e P K e k 7. Fa My Life ankie J been specially made s e o G r e F r e h T l r . i z 8 Little G ey Song r ’s T y for your mood, d d a d e B 9. D e h T ide of whether sad or an10. Yo S gry or party rockin’! So sit back, relax, and SONGS COMPILED enjoy these tracks! BY ADRIANNAOWENS

Sad

ANGRY

1. Prayer of the Refugee - Rise Ag ainst 2. Pretty Handsome Awkward - Th e Used 3. I’m Not a Loser - The Descend ants 4. Bleed It Out - Linkin Park 5. Roman’s Revenge - Nicki Minaj and Eminem 6. Supermassive Black Hole - Mu se 7. Yonkers - Tyler the Creator 8. I Don’t Wanna Hear It - Minor Threat 9. Yellin’ In My Ear - Operation Ivy 10. Creatures - The Adolescents

Mikeala Axton

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1. Planetary (GO!) mance Stronger - Daft , er st Fa r, te et B , er 2. Hard Punk Mac Miller 3. Up All Night - Drake and T.I. 4. Poppin’ Bottles und Glory 5. Vegas - New Fo Me - Rockwell g in ch at W s y’ od eb 6. Som All Time Low ’ n ci an D ke Li el 7. I Fe ale and Big Sean 8. Slight Work - W e Cramps 9. Surfin’ Bird - Th g - Kool & The n gi in Sw d oo w ly ol 10. H Gang

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Annamarie Cunningham

Sports the Stagg Line

02.24.12 A T H L E T E S O F F

Feeling at home on ice JESSICAMANGILI

As his skates glide across the ice, he is unable to stop smiling. Dragging his stick behind him, he races past his teammates to the red line. He feels at home. To sophomore Gordie Burnett stepping onto the ice brings an adrenaline rush he gets nowhere else. “It’s just different from everything else,” Burnett said. He started playing ice hockey at age 3 and has been playing for more than 13 years. He is currently playing outside of school for the Stockton Colts, a peewee hockey club, where he spends two days a week at Oak Park Ice Arena practicing after school for at least two hours. His season, October through March, consist of six months. During this time period he spends most of his weekends playing games, where he goes as far as the Bay Area. Hockey has always been a huge part of his life, for him and his family. “My dad is really into hockey,” he said. His father’s love for the sport is so strong that he even named Burnett and his brother after famous hockey players. Burnett is named after Gordie Howe, one of the greatest hockey players of all time. His brother, Cam, who plays goalie for the Colts on a younger team, is named after Cam Neely, a more

recent star. Because his brother plays hockey as well, Gordie always has someone around him to encourage and challenge him. As a forward he is also able to receive one-on-one time with a goalie whenever he needs. “We practice against each other and it’s a lot of fun,” he said. On the ice, there is quite a difference in size between Burnett and his teammates. Even with his small size he sets himself apart from the other forwards with his speed. This doesn’t stop him from occasionally getting checked (a hockey term used to describe hitting another player into the wall). Being a forward, one his favorite professional players is Joe Thornton, a forward for the San Jose Sharks. Because of there similar positions, Thornton inspires him to be a team player instead of taking the shots on his own. Although hockey is a passion of Burnett’s now, he doesn’t see himself developing a career out of it. “I might play in college,” he said. “But I want to major in architecture.” Despite his anticipated major Burnett’s passion for the sport is strong. And even though he doesn’t see himself playing in the future, hockey will always be part of his life.

photos by Jessica

Mangili

Gordie Burnett, sophomore, works on handling and shooting a puck while at a team practice in the Oak Park Ice Arena.

Senior strikes for scholarships

C A M P U S

photo by

Annamarie Rodriguez

Amanda Geahry, senior, keeps a clear focus as she aims her ball down the bowling lane.

KENTALEYMCCURDY As she inhales, she feels the close proximity of the ball to her chest. She holds it steady and drops it down to release the ball to the lane. The pins rumble and shake and eventually fall, giving her the satisfaction of a strike. For most, getting a strike would be enough to feel accomplished with the game. But for senior Amanda Geahry, bowling is much more than that. This game, she said, is setting her up for a prosperous future. It all started when she was 7 years old. “It was a family oriented thing, everyone did it,” she said. Even after her family stopped bowling she continued because she “loved the game and liked getting good scores.” Geahry bowls almost every Saturday and is on two teams. She travels to many cities like Brentwood, Tracy, and Modesto to

Anything you can do I can do BETTER! What happens when you take a buff wrestler to the driving range to challenge an experienced golfer? Both are left handed. But will that make a difference? Will muscles and strength beat experience? Is it time for the student to teach the teacher?

XAVIER ‘THE FREEWAY’ MELVIN At ﬁrst he thought he would hit the ball to the freeway effortlessly. After missing the ball seven times he said, “My muscles are too big.” While Melvin struggled, Miller graciously taught him how to play the game. “It looks easy on TV, but then I realized I would have to put my game face on,” he said. Throughout his experience he still maintained his conﬁdence. “I’m pretty much the Michael Jordan of golf. Elliott is Shaq or Dwayne Wade,” Melvin said.

ELLIOTT ‘THE FENCE’ MILLER

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Miller’s three years of experience paid off in this showdown. “I don’t lose at this game,” he said. When Miller ﬁnished a good shot, Melvin’s only remark was “WOW.” His quiet demeanor helped him focus more on the game. “It’s pretty easy to me,” he said. When Melvin joked saying he should be on the golf team, Miller responded by saying, “If you were a freshman.” By showing Melvin how to play the game, he stepped into the coach’s role.

Emily Cornelison, Annamarie Rodriguez and others

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I think I might have cried, it was like all of my hard work paid off. Getting that high score was indescribable.” AMANDA GEAHRY senior

compete. The best game she has ever bowled is 246, and her average score is 180. When she scored 246 she said, “I think I might have cried, it was like all of my hard work paid off. Getting that high score was indescribable.” When she competes on these teams if she does well she has the opportunity to win scholarships. “They are my motivation to do well,” she said. So far she has gotten over $800. They will help in

the near future while she is getting ready for college. “I really want to go to UOP, or CSU Fresno,” she said. Whether she will use the money on books or supplies, at some point it will benefit her. Bowling has given her many opportunities, but she is also on the swim team. Even though she likes swimming, she said, “I have a passion for bowling and it is more familiar.”

To those who say bowling isn’t challenging, Geahry is quick to say, “It’s hard work and people underestimate it because they just throw the ball.” There are certain techniques and steps used to play well. “You have to know where to stand, how to approach the lane, and release the ball,” she said. All the work that goes into bowling can sometimes be frustrating. Geahry’s support system is her family. “My mom especially supports me. When I’m having a bad day my mom helps and tells me to adjust some things. She tells me to calm down and relax.” Her love for this sport has helped her in so many ways. “Bowling has taught me to be patient,” she said. Geahry is even surprised at how patient she has become. “I never gave up with it. Even with struggles, I keep up.”

New coach, young team strive toward wins EMILYCORNELISON

The softball team is young this year, made up of mostly sophomores and juniors. But junior Catalina Taitague, who played on the varsity team last year, does not see this as a bad thing. “We know how each other plays and we can help each other grow,” she said. The team also has a new coach. Coach Keri Limpin has moved up from the junior varsity team, to the varsity team. The experience is different for her because she does not need to focus on teaching the fundamentals. “It’s about developing them mentally,” Limpin said. This can be a challenge because “you can’t teach a good work ethic and fortitude. You can only nurture in getting the girls’ confidence up.” Taitague is optimistic about how this season will be. “We have a lot of talent this year,” she said. “We need to focus. We need to want it.” But even with this confidence, the team’s top priority is not winning. “My focus and goal this year is to be a competitor and be respected as a softball team,” Limpin said.

Winning would be a plus but the most important thing is earning the respect of other teams. Arista Dutra, a junior, agrees. Coming from the St. Mary’s softball team, she says she feels a strong desire to win their respect. “I’m going to be nervous,” Dutra said. “I want to show them that Stagg is getting better... We need respect. We should earn it.” The biggest challenge they face is staying positive and believing the team can do it. “A challenge for everyone is to give it their all,” Taitague said. “Even when you mess up, shake it off and get the next one.” Another new challenge this year is keeping up the grades. Neither D’s or F’s will be allowed for players on the team. “This year we have the potential to go places,” Dutra said. “The biggest problem is to stay positive.” This is hard given that the softball team did not win many games last year. “The school record hasn’t been that great,” Limpin said. Yet the attitude of the team is hopeful. “We want (to win) more this year,” Taitague said. “We’re tired of being the team with the 10-run rule.”

photos by

Annamarie Rodriguez

(Top) Samantha Mendez, senior, practices putting down a bunt. (Bottom) Arista Dutra, junior, warms up her arm.

News the Stagg Line

02.24.12

MESA DAY A SUCCESS

Students work in- and out- of class to prepare for big competition CHAOXIONG

Students of different sizes and ages line up in two lines at 8:00 in the morning, each with their own projects in hand, anxious to compete. They wait to get inside

to be registered into the MESA competition. Every year the MESA students attend the competition held at the University of Pacific and this year, it was held last Saturday.

Junior Daniel Aguilar practiced throwing his glider many times to make sure it flew at the right angle and speed.

Throughout the year MESA students and club members have participated in many sample competitions to prepare for this big competition at UOP. But as the deadline for the competition came around the corner, the students scrambled to finish their projects. And as a “relaxation time for them” MESA advisers Andrew Walter and Kathy Sady gave students the chance to work on their projects after school. The advisers held a MESA night a week before the competition for the students to build and double check their projects. Sady said, “It’s to give the kids the chance to fine tune and give them the last push.” Many of the students are in the club and aren’t in the class. Those who are in the class have the advantage of being able to work on their project for two hours for two out of the five days of the week. The students in the club are limited to an hour or more twice a week on club days. The MESA night is beneficial to all of the students and advisers, participants said. “Class is the only time to do it with my partner since he’s busy with sports,” said sophomore Lynzie Vang. But by having the night to do the project, Vang and her partner now have the chance to work on it together. “It’s a chance for the class and club to bond together,” Walter said. He said that the students are “stronger and more competitive” this year. But some of the students

didn’t actually have this in mind when they started their project. “I thought it would be easy,” said senior Sierra Brandt. “(You’re) just putting sticks together to make a bridge, but it turned out harder than I thought.” Another reason Brandt and her partner junior Jonathan Moreno chose this project was because fewer people were doing the Civil Structure Bridge which meant that the possibility of them winning the competition was higher. Students like senior Kaylie Detmering also started her Robotic Arm project with a similar mindset but as the project progressed it started to change. “I didn’t like it (at first),” she said. “But somehow I ended up liking it.”

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Energy Challenge for this year and has also worked on the same project last year and the year before. When asked why she kept on doing the same thing every year she replied, “There’s nothing else that interests me more than this one.” She wanted to do it until she felt it was perfected. And although it may not be perfect, Torres and her teammates are advancing to the regional competition.

I thought it was going to be the easiest (the egg drop), but it turned out to be really competitive.” LYNZIE VANG, sophomore

photos by Annamarie Rodriguez

Sophomore Lynzie Vang worked with members of her group on the egg drop for MESA Day. Groups used milk cartons and pieces of sponge in the models.

Teacher finds resource for students

Superintendent visits, seeks student insight

DAMONHEINE

ADRIANNAOWENS

Although there are no full-time band and drama teachers this year, Superintendent Carl Toliver is currently hoping to have those positions fully staffed by next year. Since he is retiring in a few months, he visited the newspaper class with a smile and an open mind earlier last week. He came to hear the students’ perspective about Stagg, bringing with him a cart full of breakfast burritos and a case of Sunny D. Mouth full of eggs and chorizo, the former principal listened to what the class had to say. With each topic that came up, he felt that he could make some sort of change that would benefit the students. One issue that came up was the lack of drama and band classes. Currently, Joseph Updegraff, band teacher, is only on campus for two class periods, and then he goes to teach at a nearby elementary school. With that and the total lack of a drama department, Toliver said that he may be able to get those staffing positions that the budget does not currently allow. Students who heard about this later found this possibility exciting. “Kids will have an opportunity to expose themselves to more art forms,” Alyssa Trent, a freshman, said. “If there is a drama program here, it will make our school better as a whole.” Agreeing with her, freshman Cory Chu said that music is a huge part of a teenager’s life. He said that a full-time band teacher is much needed. Another topic that came up was the need to inform students of the a-g requirements they need in order to go to a University of California or state university. Toliver said that students should be informed early on so they will be well prepared and know what classes they should be taking and which they don’t need.

Many of the MESA students enjoy building their projects and seeing the outcome of all their hard work. “It’s fun,” said sophomore Jonathan Phan. “We get to make our own type of creation and we get to see (the mousetrap car) run by itself.” Although others find it fun, some are just stubborn. Junior Linda Torres has been mainly working on the Wind

Anita Kelly Superintendent Carl Toliver visited the campus to hear feedback directly from students on how they felt the school district has done over the years. photos courtesy of

Often times, a student will take classes that they don’t need or won’t take classes that they need. Toliver said that if you teach students the a-g requirements in their elemetary years, there will be less students who go through a situation like this. He suggested that students should be taught as young as fifth grade, the importance of college. Along the same lines is the need to get young students ready for life beyond college. He said that there are plenty of jobs out there. He vividly remembers seeing a huge ship and thinking that there must be hundreds of possible jobs associated with that ship. He also notices how restaurants are always crowded, even with the dismal state of the economy. With those examples, he said that students should understand that there are a multitude of jobs in the world. Another important discussion was the current benchmark system. In most math and English classes, students have to take a benchmark test every few weeks. Toliver said that benchmarks will likely not be around next year and that most testing will be what is required by the state. The decision to move away from the current benchmark system is soon to be looked over by the Board of Trustees, Julie Penn, deputy superintendent, said in an email. Junior Vohn Hosey looks forward to the chance of there being no benchmarks next year because he said that they are a waste of time. “The tests have stuff from elementary school on them,” he said. Hosey finds that without the tests there will be more time to learn high school material, instead of what he feels is “eighth grade stuff.”

School computers are known for being relatively limited. Sites can be blocked if content on those sites are considered nonacademic or inappropriate. However, some sites can be blocked even if they contain valuable information. For many students, a regular Google or Wikipedia search is sufficient enough in finding information for various assignments. But there is another option. Recently, English teacher Susan Diohep signed the school up for a free trial of the Elton B. Stephens Company database, or more familiarly known as EBSCO. “I found it online and found out that it was a copyrighted database,” Diohep said. The database is the biggest supplier of journal based articles in colleges and universities in the United States as well as serving 50,000 libraries. And before the semester it was also blocked by most school computers. “It was originally a 30-day trial, but they offered it until the end of the semester,” Diohep said. Originally the database was for Diohep’s English classes, but it has expanded to the rest of the school’s population as well. The opening of the database gives all students a resource of information that can be accessed without restriction at school. A resource that may be blocked on a regular search could be available through the database. Although the database is mainly geared towards the subjects of history and science overall it can be used for a variety of purposes. “If a student needs to do research, there is information readily available and accessible,” Diohep said. “It teaches (the students) that there is more available on the Web.” Students in Diohep’s classes have already begun using the database and have become familiar

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If a student needs to do research, there is information readily available.” SUSAN DIOHEP English teacher

with the site. “We used the EBSCO site to work on our research essays,” said Raven Ramirez, sophomore. “It really helped.” The site also benefited students not in Diohep’s classes. “It gives you a variety of topics,” said Nikki Rivera, junior. “It’s more precise and easier than a regular Google search; I will go there again.” Whether the database will make a comeback next year is still uncertain. “The general database is $500 a year,” said Diohep, “and each different element you choose to add on costs more.” The database also provides the EBSCO Discovery Service, which provides all of the databases knowledge and e-books (audio books). But the factor that helps the site out the most is student use. The more students going to the site, the more likely it will stay.