Winged Post Vol 14 No 3

Winged Post WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 7, 2012

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THE HARKER UPPER SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER, VOL. 14, NO.3

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STUDENTS REACT TO PRESIDENT OBAMA’S VICTORY

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FOUR MORE YEARS

REELECTED With the American flag in the background, the newly reelected president addresses the House of Representatives in his State of the Union address last year. President Obama won the election with 303 votes from the Electoral College to ex-Governor Mitt Romney’s 203; 68.6% of Santa Clara County voted to reelect the President as well as Vice President Joe Biden. The president also garnered the majority of the over 100 million votes submitted before and on November 6, 2012.

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With 303 electoral college votes, President Barack Obama has won the 2012 United States Presidential Election, becoming the third consecutive two-term President of the United States.

Either candidate required a minimum of 270 electoral votes to win the election. After a day of polling nationwide, Florida and Ohio’s respective 29 and 18 votes sealed Obama’s victory.

The popular vote reflected a similar result as of 11:00 pm Pacific Time on election night: Obama’s 49.7 percent led Romney’s 48.8 percent by almost one million votes.

“I was incredibly happy that Barack Obama won because his vision for America is 10 thousand times better than what Romney had to offer, and it will really get the country going in the right direction,” Vishal Vaidya (10) said.

According to the Star Tribune, Obama reacted to the news of his victory by celebrating with his family at a hotel. On his campaign website, Obama wrote a post to his supporters before speaking to the country from his hometown of Chicago.

“I want you to know that this wasn’t fate, and it wasn’t an accident.

You made this happen. You organized yourselves block by block. You took ownership of this campaign five and

ten dollars at a time. And when it wasn’t easy, you pressed forward,” the president wrote. “I will spend the rest of my presidency honoring your support, and doing what I can to finish what we started.”

In his address to the nation before a cheering and flag-waving crowd, Obama emphasized that “we rise and fall together as one nation and as one people.”

Additionally, he thanked opponent Romney, Vice President Joe Biden, First Lady Michelle, daughters Sasha and Malia, and the “best ever” campaign team.

To his supporters, Obama said that he was a better president because “[they] lifted [him] up the whole way and [he] will always be grateful.”

Obama went on to stress that the nation’s next steps are to move forward strongly and confidently into a period of stability and peace with a better economy and more opportunities.

“Our economy is recovering. A decade of war is ending. A long campaign is now over,” he said.

Finally, the re-elected president underscored that the country must remain united in order to proceed forward.

“We remain more than a collection of red states and blue states. We are and forever will be the United States of America,” he said. “What makes America exceptional are the bonds that hold together the most diverse nation

on earth, the belief that our destiny is shared.”

Following several news projections of his loss, Romney made a concession speech, thanking his wife and vice president, among others, who assisted him in the election, and addressing the future of the nation.

“

We rise and fall together as one nation, and as one people.

“

kacey fang

President Barack Obama

“The nation as you know it is at a critical point. At a time like this, we can’t risk partisan bickering and posturing. [...] I believe in America. I believe in the people of America,” he said in his address. “I ran for office be-

cause I am concerned about America.

This election is over, but my principles endure.”

With 55 electoral votes, the most of any state, California represented a large contributing power. The state garnered a 56.7 percent support for Obama overall. An election map provided by The Huffington Post shows most of the Democratic votes coming from the Bay Area and Coastal California counties as well as two Southern California counties. The remaining reported California districts voted in favor of Romney.

The newly re-elected California senator is Dianne Feinstein. In addition, Mike Honda and Anna Eshoo were re-elected in Districts 17 and 18, respectively.

Santa Clara County leaned heavily towards the Democratic side. With Obama’s 195,563 votes over Romney’s 83,240, Santa Clara County voted 69 percent Democratic.

Along with their choice of president, California voters also cast ballots for or against 11 propositions.

Proposition 35, which would increase prison sentences and fines for human traffickers, was passed in California with 82.6 percent support. Additionally, Proposition 36, Revise Three Strikes Law, and Proposition 40, Redistrict State Senate, were both passed.

However, Proposition 38, Increase Tax K-12, was not passed.

Exit poll data showed that genders

were split between candidates, with 52 percent of male voters in favor of Romney and 55 percent of females supporting Obama, according to NBC News.

Younger voters also supported Obama, though not by as many votes as in the 2008 election. 60 percent of voters between the ages of 18 and 29 voted for Obama.

Obama’s inauguration will take place on January 20, 2013, marking the beginning of his second term as president.

Check talonwp.com for more updates and articles about the 2012 elections.

IN BRIEF

303 Number of electoral votes Barack Obama received to win the

206

Number of electoral votes Mitt Romney received

INSIDE: I Voted HOMECOMING, 4

ELECTION SPECIAL, 10-11

NEWS, 2 HC, 4 OPINION, 5 FEATURES, 7 ELECTIONS, 10

GLOBAL, 12 LIFESTYLE, 14 TECH, 16 SPORTS, 18 BACK PAGE, 20

2

News

November 7, 2012 the Winged Post

WRAPS:

Cart offers new grab-andgo food option for students

New feature to be added in the Sledge

Seniors plan to buy party button emily chu

NEW FOOD CART Students line up at the cart outside Manzanita Hall for some quick grab-and-go wraps. The cart is open twice a week and offers one vegetarian and one nonvegetarian option for students.

jonathan ma & stanley zhao reporters

Recently, students are given a new meal option: food wraps via a cart located just outside the entrance to Manzanita Hall. The cart, operated by kitchen staff, gives students a new option to quickly pick up food.

Executive Chef Stephen Martin explained this new method for giving students a quick grab-and-go option if they are in a rush.

“This is an idea I came up with […] I’m trying to […] spread the food through the campus,” he said. “I’m trying to have a little more variety and appeal. It’s a perfect place outside […for] students that are on the go.”

According to Martin, there are two different wraps offered every day: one vegetarian and one meat option. He also said that the main distinction between the cart and the sandwich counter in Manzanita lays in the type of bread used. The cart only uses la-

vash, a type of flatbread suitable for making wraps. Lavash is not used in any other sandwiches offered in the cafeteria.

Students believe that the cart is convenient for them to pick up food and go to their next destination, as planned by Martin.

“I thought I needed some food really fast and that’s the fastest way to get food,” Gerry Zhou (11) said. “I can just walk by it and grab something to eat and then go to clubs immediately. It’s really fitting for a busy schedule.”

The kitchen staff has served a variety of wraps, some of which are well received by students, especially the ones with protein.

For example, Gerry liked the beef wraps offered there and hopes that the cart will offer even more beef and chicken wraps.

Dhanush Madabusi (9) thinks that although he enjoys the vegetarian wraps, the cart should offer a wider variety of

choices.

“They can […] maybe [offer] Mexican wraps and stuff.

Right now it’s pretty plain and simple,” Dhanush said.

The cart is open twice a week and is visited by students in a rush. During long lunches, students with occupied schedules often come to the cart, trying to squeeze in a quick meal before heading to their clubs.

In the future, Martin hopes to add salad options to the cart to make the selections offered there compose a full lunch.

“We may add [...] some different salads to the cart, [...] something to go along with the lavash to make it a little bit more complete meal.”

However, most students, like Dhanush (9), are happy with the current quality of the wraps offered, believing that the wraps taste “pretty good.”

Early college application deadlines postponed ashwini iyer & raza rizvi reporters

such as Harvard College and Massachusetts Institute of Technology decided to simply w

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will be “flexible” with late submissions and will only accept them if students have valid excuses for delayed submissions.

Eric Swenson (12) agrees with Josh and thinks that those who live on the West Coast should continue with their applications and be done well before the postKA

After Hurricane Sandy hit the East Coast, many seniors who were affected by the storm faced difficulty turning in their early applications on time.

As a result, many colleges decided to postpone early application deadlines.

Some Upper School seniors think that the hurricane should not affect how the application process works because they are located on the West Coast and are unaffected by the storm.

“It doesn’t really affect me because I already did my early action schools on time, but it is really good for those who are affected by the storm,” Josh Bollar (12) said.

“I guess people who are not affected shouldn’t take advantage of the extensions, because things should be done on time.”

For most schools, the early deadline was originally November 1st. However, many made individual decisions on how long the early deadline should be extended for their respective universities. Students who lived in the area of the hurricane have until November 8th to turn in their applications. Some schools

poned deadline.

“I guess seeing as it is Harker, most people would be done well before the extension,” he said. “But, I mean, there are always people who procrastinate, and I think this is good for them because they have more time now to finish up their applications.”

College counselor Martin Walsh explains that from the university’s perspective the extension was a very good idea.

“I think that there are quite a lot of students who have trouble getting in their applications to the universities in time,” Walsh said. “But I don’t know of any Harker students who were impacted by the storm.”

The deadline extension may give procrastinators and those affected by the storm more time to finish their applications. However, seniors who were done and ready to submit their forms were unmoved by the extension.

With the press of a button, the Sledge will be pounding with music. The party button will be installed in the next few months for seniors to use during celebration or relaxation.

Senior Simon Orr thought of the idea and pitched it to the Senior Class council. A vote was held during class meeting, where a majority of seniors voted in favor of purchasing the button.

As of now, Simon has finalized a list of parts that he would need to create and install the button. “I saw a big red button and thought it would be cool if it could [make] lights flash, and for the most part, I think I can [make it happen],” Simon said.

According to senior class treasurer David Grossman, the button will serve as a “shoutout to the world of [seniors’] happiness” and will be pushed when celebrating good news such as victories at spirit events or the end of college applications.

“We wanted to make the sledge worthwhile attending and make it our own,” David said. “Previous classes did stuff like getting

a hockey table. We were [not] in a position to afford that, and Simon’s party button idea seemed like fun. Given that the majority of people wanted the party button, it seemed like a good purchase.”

The ceiling cost for the button is $130, which will come out of the Senior Class funds.

“I think that it will be really cool when we first get it as long as we get it installed soon.

[The council] told us three to four weeks ago that it will be installed, but I don’t see any progress,” Preeya Mehta (12) said.

Others complain the button will not be a worthwhile purchase. Vladimir Feinberg (12) believes that the button will not be useful for him because he does not go to the Sledge.

Some think the money could be better spent elsewhere.

“I don’t really think there’s a point to having it. The money should be spent going towards our senior gift or something more relevant,” Alan Soetikno (12) said.

Simon is still taking measurements and hopes that the button can be installed as soon as possible.

The Parker Quartet Group performs for the second installment of this year’s Concert Series

NATALIE SIMONIAN - THE WINGED POST

JONATHAN MA - THE WINGED POST

news editor

PARKER QUARTET The group of four musicians prepare to play their next song.

They performed for a packed audience for the second installment of the Concert Series.

natalie simonian reporter The Grammy Award-winning Parker Quartet performed their music for a large audience in the Nichols Auditorium October 26 as the second installment in the Harker Concert Series.

Comprised of first violinist Daniel Chong, violist Jessica Bodner, cellist KeeHyun Kim, and second violinist David McCarroll, who is temporarily replacing Karen Kim, the Minnesota-based group met in Boston while attending the New England Conservatory and formed the quartet as a result of the chamber music curriculum required at the school.

Chong humorously explained that they chose the name “Parker” because they “couldn’t make it into Harker [since] Harker was already taken.” In reality, the group is named after a landmark in downtown Boston, the Parker House, where many artists and writers meet.

Before their performance, the Quartet taught a master class with the Upper School’s String Quartet.

“Parker at Harker! Parker and Harker get along quite well,” joked the members of the Quartet.

The professional Quartet stressed the importance of playing with feeling and expression as opposed to concentrating merely on technique and urged the student musicians to always vocalize the music.

“Always be singing aloud in a way that you want the music to be,” Bodner said.

Albert Chen (11), one of the two student violinists in the String Quartet, thought “the musicians gave really good advice. It will really help us.”

Later that evening, the Parker Quartet performed three pieces for a nearly full house at Nichols Auditorium. They began the night with Fratres by Arvo Pärt, a quiet, yet scratchy composition featuring passages of detached and jerky notes, as opposed to the more conventional style of smoothly connecting notes to create flowing phrases of music. The second piece, String Quartet No. 2 in C major, was composed by Benjamin Britten immediately after he visited World War II concentration camps to play for the inmates. While in a major key, the composition frequently transitions to wistful and nostalgic minor passages and then rapidly transfers to angry, fast sections which the musicians played with furrowed brows and closed eyes, the concentration evident on their faces.

“It was great. It was full of energy and just really intense,” said Christopher Florio, director of the instrumental program.

Concluding the program was a piece that Chong described as the “epitome” of string quartet repertoire: Franz Schubert’s String Quartet No. 14 in d minor, mysteriously known as “Death and the Maiden.” Full of stealthy and dramatic flourishes played alongside contrasting graceful and elegant segments, the piece exemplified the Quartet’s advice to always engage in the emotion of the music.

“Follow your ears…follow your instincts…

Let [the music] come where it wants to,” Chong said earlier at the master class.

At the end of the concert, the group received a standing ovation from delighted audience members, many of whom whispered “wow” as they exited the auditorium.

“The program was great. I think it really came off well,” Florio said. “We’d love to have them back in the future.”

NOVEMBER 7, 2012 the Winged Post

News

3

Pizza and Politics Dress code: Role in community sindhu ravuri

ELECTION NIGHT Students gather in the Bistro to attend the Pizza and Politics event held by JSA. They were able to socialize with friends while watching the election projected onto the wall.

shannon su & jonathan ma TalonWP editor & reporter On November 6, the Junior State of America ( JSA) club held its fifth Pizza and Politics session in the Bistro, which is conducted during every election year.

Prior to the meeting, JSA President Sachin Vadodaria (11) explained what he hoped to accomplish by holding this session.

“Basically, we’re just trying to engender more politics with the Harker community,” he said. “[We’re trying to] get people more excited about it by offering a really interesting and informal and attractive setting to watch politics, especially since it’s the presidential election.”

The event started at 5 p.m. so that students who had after-school sports were still able to attend. Students relaxed and socialized while watching election results.

“I [got] free food and then I [talked] with my friends,” Melody Weber (9) said.

Although some students did come only for the pizza, others, like Rohith Bhethanabotla (11), came due to an interest in politics and, in Rohith’s case, an academic assignment.

“I [wanted] to actually watch the politics. For me, I have an econ project [...]. It’s basically a stock market [for the candidates],” Rohith said. “It’s a way for me to decide what to sell and what to buy.”

Daniel Hudkins, JSA advisor, did

feel that there was a change between this year’s and 2010’s Pizza and Politics.

“It doesn’t seem like there is the same degree of political engagement this time around that there was in 2008,” Hudkins said.

Susan Nace, vocal music teacher, has been to every one of the Pizza and Politics events held by the JSA club.

“I think politics is a public thing,” Nace said. “This is an opportunity for us to have open conversations.”

The session ended at 6:30 p.m.

JSA Vice President Apricot Tang (12) said that experiencing this election through the Pizza and Politics event instead of watching from home was different in that students were able to share the experience with their peers.

“When we see certain votes and certain states come up, you have your friends around, you can discuss that,” she said. “You [...] bounce ideas off of each other and really talk about your political views versus just sitting at home and watching it on TV.” Sachin said that the only changes he would want to make to the next event would be additional pizza and beverages because everything else, especially the location, is suitable for the session.

The next Pizza and Politics will be held in 2014.

According to various faculty members as well students, it is an inherent part of every high school student’s daily life, from the moment we wake up to the minute we leave the campus. It defines us not only as a community but also as shows the constant attempt to showcase our diverse range of personalities. It shapes the way we are perceived by others and can even be viewed by some as the most significant mode of selfexpression. It is the dress code.

The dress code serves as the underlying foundation for respect and unity within our school’s community and aims to promote the moderate balance between self-dignity, freedom, and responsibility. Aware of the dress code’s impact, Kevin Williamson, the Upper School Dean of Students, described its meaning in detail. “[The dress code represents] a certain level of respect for ourselves, peers and our teachers, [as well as] awareness about where we are or why we are here,” Williamson said. “With the freedom of it, [though,] comes responsibility, and [that is] what we hope to instill in students by not asking them to wear uniforms in high school.

Sahiti Avula (10) holds the same opinion as Williamson.

“I think that the dress code is a good way of assuring that students look presentable for school and that they respect the rules,” Sahiti said.

Agata Sorotokin (10) believes that the dress code enables students to convey their own personalities.

“The dress code is better than the uniform because it forces people to think creatively,” Agata said.

Despite its evident positive effects and purposes, the dress code is inevitably disregarded or neglected by members of the student body, whether accidentally or not. Some common violations of the dress code include wearing flip flops, T-shirts (or crew cuts), skirts more than four inches above the knee, and tank tops with straps thinner

SINDHU RAVURI - THE WINGED POST

SHANNON SU - THE WINGED POST

reporter

DRESS CODE VIOLATIONS Girl breaks dress code by wearing leggings as pants. A common violation that occurs is wearing leggings under dresses that are not below 4 inches above the knee. than two inches to school.

There are two potential reasons behind this. The first being that students are unclear about the principles of the code. The second is just that an individual wants to make a statement, which is an entirely different issue within itself.

“It puts us in an uncomfortable situation. We [do not] want our interactions with students to only be about [the] dress code. [We would] much rather have a positive interaction” said Nicole Hall, assistant to the Upper School Dean of students.

Williamson adds by talking about how to properly address the various reasons behind breaches of the dress code, starting with the potential lack of knowledge regarding its rules in the minds of students. He continues to discuss the second motive behind students disobeying the dress code, which is their craving to be noticed or to stand out from the crowd.

“If students still are not clear about the definitions [of ] the dress code or [...]feel that [there is] a need to de-structure it for any reasons, they should bring it to the attention of the student council members,” Williamson said. “The role of teenagers is to sometimes push the envelope and see how

far they can push things, and we understand. As administrators we [try to] enforce it, saying [if they have] crossed the line.”

On the other hand, some students may just want more comfort in their apparel for school, such as Ishanya Anthapur (10).

“I think the dress code [prevents] people from taking advantage of freedom, [… but] sometimes we need to be able to wear sweat pants,” she said.

This increasing liberation in the guidelines could potentially explain the recent rise in the number of students abiding by the code. In fact, the dress code has been very well followed this year especially, according to Carol Zink, a History and Social Science teacher.

“Most kids follow the dress code.

In fact, this year [I have] seen fewer kids not following it than ever before; [that is] the good news,” Zink said.

Judging on its gradual increase in liberating rules, the principles of the dress code will eventually reach an equilibrium between the likes of students and the discipline that the faculty desires to enforce.

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Homecoming 4 Homecoming court: Reactions to winning November 7, 2012

the Winged Post

Alumni back on campus

On Friday, November 2, during halftime of the football game, the Homecoming King and Queen were announced by Upper School Division Head Butch Keller. One prince and princess for each class besides the seniors were chosen by the student body.

Students voted for the King and Queen from the three pairs of senior court nominees during Homecoming Week.

All members of the Homecoming court were able to participate in many different events, such as a relay during the Homecoming rally, recognition at the football game, and a dinner before the Homecoming dance.

Freshmen: A n n i e Zhou and Michael Zhao were both surprised to find that they were the respective Homecoming Prince and Princess of the class of 2016.

Although prior to the results Annie had not planned on attending the game, she is honored to have the chance to experience this event as a representative of the freshman class. “[Homecoming means] getting together as a community to represent our school,” Annie said.

Participating in his first Homecoming, Michael also looked forward to attending the game and the dance with his class.

“Because I’m a freshman, it’s kind of interesting, and I want[ed] to figure out what [the experience of Homecoming would be] like,” Michael said.

The pair went on to win the relay event during the Homecoming rally.

Sophomores: Delaney Martin and Matthew Huang were chosen to represent the sophomore class in the Homecoming court.

After being nominated as

Homecoming Prince, Matthew thought that this opportunity changed his Homecoming experience.

“I [felt] more spirited and enthusiastic about Homecoming and more glad to support my school and the game,” Matthew said.

Going into Homecoming Week, Delaney also looked forward to the many events Homecoming court was involved in.

“I [was] excited to lead my class as the Homecoming Princess and in representing the sophomores,” Delaney said.

Although the couple lost the Homecoming rally obstacle course, the sophomores ended up winning second place overall.

not expected, Raghav felt honored and proud to be chosen by his class.

“For the past four years, I didn’t really think about being Homecoming Prince, but now that I have been elected, it’s actually really fun,” Raghav said.

However, as members of the court, nominees must observe the obligations that are associated with the title.

“I usually love watching the football game, but I don’t know how much I’ll get to do that,” Amy said.

Michael, who is also a member of the football team, was not used to all of the attention as Homecoming Prince. “[The experience was] different because I have never been on the court before and [...] I have never had so many people looking at me,” Michael said.

T h i s Homecoming was the last for the seniors, making it a more memorable experience.

“Senior year is always PRISCILLA PAN - THE WINGED POST the most fun, Juniors: so I guess Homecoming court just The class of 2014 nomi- topped it off for me,” Siobhan said. nated classmates Kevin Moss The seniors were determined and Samar Malik to represent to make the most of their last them during Homecoming Week. Homecoming at the Upper School.

Kevin had a goal for his class in the many Homecoming activities. King & Queen: “I [was] excited about repThe King and Queen were anresenting my class in the ral- nounced at halftime to be seniors Mavly, and helping the juniors win.” erick McNealy and Akarsha Gulukota.

Samar was excited to see how all “Normally I’m not very participathe junior class’ hard work would pay off. tive in spirit, but being Queen kind of “My class [worked] really hard forced me to, but I loved it,”Akarsha said. on all the Homecoming projects and Maverick enjoyed the many events I [was] really excited to see every- of Homecoming as well but appreciatthing come together,” Samar said. ed all the time and effort many faculty The juniors are currently members put into the events the most. ranked third overall for spirit points.

“All 12 of us had a ton of fun going out there,” Maverick said, Senior Prince & Princess Runnersgrateful for the opportunity to repUp: resent the school. “Thank you to The senior nominees for the everybody for making it happen.”

Homecoming court were MiThe dance took place on the chael Chen, Raghav Sehtia, Siob- night of Saturday November 3. han Cox, and Amy Gendotti.

Although his nomination was

Graduates celebrate Homecoming monica thukral reporter

Ten years after graduating from the Upper School, students from the class of 2002 returned to support their alma mater in the Homecoming football game against Lynbrook High School on the evening of Friday, November 2.

The game united the entire community as members gathered to celebrate the school and fight for victory. Graduates from various other years visit annually to cheer on their school such as alumni from the class of 1965, 1972 and 1981.

Kristin Giammona, a graduate from the class of 1981, who is also a school administrator and parent, attended the alumni festivities. She explained that she began to attend the Homecoming events once she got more involved with the school.

“As the high school has been around longer and longer, there are more and more older alums who come to the game, so it is fun to see those people,” Giammona said.

In honor of the 10-year reunion for the class of 2002, MaryEllis Deacon, Director of Alumni Relations at the Upper School, planned a tailgate for alumni before the Homecoming game. A tent was set up in the parking lot that provided a place for the alumni to eat and catch up together.

During this time, t-shirts, necklaces and tattoos were provided for the children of those graduates to immerse them in the spirit of the school.

Prior to the game, alumni football players and cheerleaders were honored by lining up with the current football players on the field.

Akhsar Kharebov, a former football player who graduated in 2002, was one of the players honored on the field.

Prior to the event, he anticipated that “there will probably be a bit of nostalgia.”

Annually, Homecoming provides a perfect opportunity for alumni to gather to celebrate their high school and reunite with their friends and instructors. However, unlike most years, Homecoming 2012 was less of a divi-

MONICA THUKRAL - THE WINGED POST

shannon su

TalonWP news editor

ALUMNI Graduates celebrate the 12th Homecoming game under the exclusive alumni tent. The tailgate party offered them the opportunity to reunite with former classmates and teachers.

sion of classes and more of a gathering of the community as one united team.

Isabella Liu, former Upper School cheerleader and graduate from the class of 2002, celebrated her 10year reunion with her classmates. As agent of the first graduating class, she is responsible for keeping her class in touch with one another and for helping to plan alumni events. “[Homecoming] was a tradition that we had to create [...] That’s another reason that I want to be there, because in doing so [Homecoming] becomes a tradition,” she said. “I wanted to commemorate and celebrate our time, and also Harker as a school.”

Like many other graduates, Liu traveled from out-ofstate to attend the festivities.

“The whole point of a homecoming game is to come home and watch it,” Liu said.

For all of the alumni ages 21 and above, a dinner and dancing event was held on the evening of Saturday, November 3, with the distribution of Alumni Awards, time capsules, and a performance by an alumni band from the 70s, the PAMA Boys.

A look back into Homecoming: Then and now mercedes chien & alyssa amick

HOMECOMING CELEBRATIONS Teachers Laura LangRee and Julie Pinzás were among faculty cheerleaders that performed at Homecoming game (top left). Seniors participate in 2002 spirit related Homecoming events (top right). In 2003, students participate in a Disney themed rally (bottom).

After Davis Field was built in 2008, the school now has its own field to hold the Homecoming game.

Tickets are no longer needed. However, the stands are much smaller than those at the old PAL stadium or even the Foothill College Stadium, another past Homecoming location. Now, bleachers are brought in every year to hold as many people as possible.

Since there would be no safe way to drive cars onto Davis Field with so many people around, the Homecoming court switched methods of transportation, now arriving in the back of golf carts.

Somewhere along the road to 2012, the faculty cheerleaders dissipated. In their place, the Varsity Dance Troupe now performs during the halftime show. Many of the other activities have stayed the same throughout the year, including the crowning of the King and Queen and the Jazz Band performance.

Finally, the Homecoming dance is now held the Saturday following the game, giving everyone a chance to go home and shower before dressing up.

The Homecoming court also goes out to dinner with Upper School Division Head Butch Keller and math teacher Jane Keller prior to arriving and being introduced at the dance. Middle and Lower Schoolers, however, no longer have the same opportunity for celebration after the game that they did in 2001.

MERCEDES CHIEN - THE WINGED POST

The first Homecoming game took place in 2001 and occurred long before the construction of Davis Field.

Instead, the game was played at the Police Athletic League (PAL) Stadium in San Jose. Because the game was at an outside location, tickets were required for entry. Due to the ample space at the PAL stadium, the Homecoming court drove onto the field in convertible cars borrowed from members of the community.

Along with the Class Tug-ofWar competitions and the junior and Varsity cheerleaders, the halftime show also included faculty cheerleaders, the first routine organized and led by Sharron Mittlestet, a former All American High School Cheerleader. Other faculty cheerleaders included Laura Lang-Ree, Misael Fisico, Jeffrey Draper, and Julie Pinzas.

Additionally, the traditional Homecoming dance took place immediately after the football game from 8:30 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. Lower and Middle Schoolers also had a chance to participate in Homecoming festivities. Seventh and eighth graders could dance, sing karaoke, and play video games in Shah Hall, while the younger children swam, played games, and watched movies on the Bucknall Campus.

Similar to the current Homecoming procedure, the week leading up to the big game on Friday was filled with spirit events.

2012:

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2001:

lifestyle editor & TalonWP online editor

2012 SPIRIT The junior class cheers on their classmates during the Homecoming Rally (top). The senior class battles for first place against the juniors in the final round of tug-of-war during halftime of the Homecoming game (bottom left). The cheerleaders perform for the student body at the Homecoming Rally (bottom right).

OPINION

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Samantha Hoffman

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Kacey Fang & Samar Malik

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Apoorva Rangan

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Visit The Winged Post Online at www.talonwp.com Follow us on Twitter www.twitter.com/talonwp The Winged Post is published every four to six weeks except during vacations by the Journalism and Advanced Journalism Newspaper Concentration courses of Harker Upper School, 500 Saratoga Ave., San Jose, CA 95129.

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5

SPIRIT: Excessive focus on class competition The gym floor on Spirit Night was far less crowded than it is during school meetings, dotted instead of flooded with students. The turnout represented an unfortunately small portion of the student population.

The few students who were there were hard at work painting, practicing, and preparing for the upcoming week of spirit, all hoping to win a title for all the members of their class to take credit for.

Have we lost a sense of what spirit means?

Now, it’s all about the reward; we all revel in the work of just a few interested students. “Class participation” has come to elicit groans from some students as they equate it with lukewarm dance moves during class skits.

For most, spirit rests low on the high school totem pole, beneath an elaborate and heavy carving of test prep books and extracurriculars. I just don’t have the time, we end up saying, using that precious lunch period to cram for a math test or a multitude of other looming academic stressors.

And in response to our increasingly busy lives, spirit has become a requirement. Sophomores were required to bring in a toy to add to the class float, and while some people gladly did, others listlessly added that obligation to their already stressful lives.

Maybe that’s because the way we choose to show our spirit is flawed. Instead of being a uni-

fying force for our school, spirit has become an overly passionate inter-class competition.

Each grade puts its own interests in front of the other grades’, compromising our strength as a school.

Spirit should never be about antagonism between classes. We’ve devolved from our Eagle Nation into individual Eagle states, diminishing our school unity and funneling our potential into increasingly meaningless com-

EDITORIAL THE OFFICIAL OPINION OF THE WINGED POST

petitions. During the rally, the football game wasn’t mentioned until the end, a mere afterthought to the full hour of inter-class rivalry.

Imagine what we could do as a harmonious force of good, instead of beating up a car to show our strength. What if Homecoming featured school shirts instead of class ones and placed the focus squarely on school pride?

Of course, the (mostly) friendly competition is a motivational force for some. Without the incentive of a prize or recognition, students might not have painstakingly painted their eagle or reached 110 decibels during the scream-off. But spirit shouldn’t be built on a material incentive. The root of the problem is that we compartmentalize spirit, delegating it to a few events instead of putting it in the context of our lives as high school students.

Yes, homecoming is an all-American tradition that gives us a venue and a time and an audience and a field where we can show our spirit. But by centering spirit around a single football game, spirit itself loses context for some students. “School pride” shouldn’t just be a specific week centered around a specific sports game. In reality, overvaluing one sport’s achievements over another, or even athletics over equally important extracurriculars, compromises the intention of spirit, that we should be proud to actively participate in our community.

Two cultures offer double perspective mariam sulakian reporter We often meet people from different places and ethnicities, yet we never really seem to comprehend the distinctions between one another.

It’s not really the fear of being rejected by society that makes being from another culture difficult; it’s more the contrast of traditions. At times, it can feel as though there’s a debate inside your head—one part of you trying to maintain the roots of your ethnic tradition and another part encouraging you to just go along with society’s trends.

I remember my mom used to tell me stories about how different the American culture was from that of the Soviet Union, where she grew up. Even something as small as the amount of food options that we have here is a significant difference. Here in the US, we’re not exposed to

food from just one culture—we have Mexican food, Arabic food, Chinese food, and so much more that’s not available in many other countries.

I understand why adjusting to another culture was hard for my mom because I’ve experienced its difficulty myself. Nearly every summer my family travels to Armenia, and each time I visit, I come to understand how different the two cultures I’ve grown up with are.

One of the differences between the two cultures that stands out to me is the way relationships form. Typically in the American society, a guy asks for a girl’s number, gets to know her, and then asks her out afterwards, usually saying, “will you go out with me,” or a variation of that phrase. In Armenia, a relationship becomes official when the guy asks the girl if he can hold her hand.

Because I’ve grown so used to the American

Back to the goal apurva gorti reporter One moment I was on my way to the goal. The next moment I had been thrown to the ground. There was nothing I could do anymore.

No goal. No hope. Just pain.

Life is full of unexpected events.

In December of my freshman soccer season, I scored my first high school goal. One month later, I scored three goals in one game, earning my first hat-trick ever in all the years I had been playing soccer.

I was on top of the world, eagerly soaking in praise, and I would have laughed if you told me that seven days later, I would have a terrible fall and tear my anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in my left knee, changing everything. But that’s what happened. The worst part was initially having hope that the pain would go away and then realizing it would be a very long time before I had a chance to return to the field.

I will not tell you that “obstacles help you grow as a person,” like people kept telling me freshman year. No one wants to hear that nonsense when they feel like their world is falling apart. I am not going to sugar coat it. Obstacles suck.

Most of the time, they break you down and make your life much harder than you really need it to be.

I went through hours in the operating room, days on medicine to reduce the excruciating pain, weeks on crutches, and months of physical therapy, which all amounted to an entire year of recovery. I missed most of my freshman season and more than half of my sophomore season.

At the beginning of last year, all I did was mope around about how life was hell because I could not play soccer. In the end, none of that really matters. The number of tears that cascade down your cheeks is irrelevant, because crying is not going to change anything.

So when life gets tough, don’t wallow in self-pity like I did. It is tough – trust me I know – but when you come across an obstacle, you need to accept the situation and work hard to get through it. It always feels like nothing you do will get you out of a rough patch. People will shut you down, say no, and tell you to give up, but if you persevere you will get through it.

When I was in the process of recovery, doctor kept telling me I was not ready to return to soccer.

My parents started saying the risk of re-injury was too high. After I successfully convinced them that I would take care of myself and I agreed to wear a metal brace while playing, the referee at my first game back let me play two minutes before sending me off the field because of my brace. No. No. No. What a frustrating word. And I felt like that’s all anyone would say to me.

Regardless of what everyone told me, I kept training, working to get stronger, and when I finally got back I scored a game-tying goal in my first game back, preventing us from a loss but more importantly proving all the naysayers in my life wrong.

Last week I began my first week of soccer practice. It is my junior year, and I am thrilled to start my first full season of high school soccer. It feels like the chapter of struggle has ended, and I am finally starting fresh what I have spent months waiting for.

We tend to be shortsighted.

In the moment, everything seems bad: that C on your physics test, that fight with your best friend, that torn ACL. Will it matter in one year? Five? Ten? Twenty? Probably not. Too often we get caught up in a moment. Even though I was forced to take a break, I eventually got back to soccer. Next time life throws an obstacle at you, reassess the situation. I can guarantee that there will always be something to look forward to.

idea of relationships in everyday media and even around school, I was confused and shocked at the Armenian concept. I found it hard to understand how two could be dating after such a seemingly meaningless question. I just always pictured common customs to be the same, despite the fact that the US and Armenia are essentially on different sides of the world, that they would still be only slightly different.

The fact that I was raised with two different cultures helps me, in the sense that it’s easier for me to understand people and connect with them.

I’m able to help them out with more of their problems since I have two different perspectives.

Our cultures give us all diverse mindsets on the way we feel things should be, and so of course everyone, every culture has a clear distinction.

And yet, even if it’s just a small matter like dating, whether it’s here in America or across the world, we all face similar obstacles.

Cells entrap teens

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november 7, 2012 the Winged Post

rahul jayaraman reporter In 1973, Dr. Martin Cooper of Motorola Corporation made the first call on a prototype mobile telephone. Ten years later, a version of this same prototype phone went on sale, and not even Dr. Cooper could have been able to predict the explosive growth of the mobile phone market and the applications of such a device.

After receiving a cell phone from my parents in eighth grade, I felt more independent than ever before. I started to explore and found the benefits and drawbacks of having a cell phone.

Now, I was only a few taps away from my friends, and I could call my parents if they traveled on a business trip to the other side of the country. It was fun until I got bored of tapping away at a small device in my palm.

Many teenagers feel the same way. The euphoria at having a cell phone quickly wears away, and it becomes an object taken for granted. Life seems empty without it. And therein - in our dislike of being without a cell phone - lies the inherent problem.

When cell phones did not exist, people actually talked to each other in person. As technology has changed, having a cell phone guarantees a near-instant response over older, less instantaneous forms of communication, like writing letters by hand or e-mail.

This satisfies our craving for acknowledgement within seconds of having told a friend something.

Unfortunately, our cravings may not always be positive. If somebody posts a nasty bit of gossip on Facebook, the vibration of our cell phones alerts us to a new post, and we can easily comment on this without fear of physical retribution - we are hiding behind “the mask of the Internet.” Because of this so-called mask, we may not know about how our friends feel; in fact, we will know much less than if we had told them in person - we could judge their reaction and note their comments in context.

Recently, one of my friends and I had a major disagreement that led to us parting ways. How did having a cell phone play a factor?

Because I was always logged in to my Google Talk account from my cell phone, she realized that she could voice her not-so-pleasant thoughts, and I would see them as soon as she sent the messages. This led to a deep falling-out: instead of confronting the issue face-to-face, she preferred to terminate it over cell phone - the easy way out – as it eliminates all heart-to-heart communication, and delivers the message through the cold plastic of a cell phone.

Cell phones have brought a valuable communication tool into our lives, but they have taken over our lives today, especially teenagers’. In the future, maybe we will perpetually have our eyes glued to the tiny screens in our hands. Only time can tell.

Opinion

the Winged Post

apoorva rangan opinion editor

TESTING PROBLEMS Last week, HHMS was blissfully barren. Not a single test polluted my nearly blank student page. There were no essays to stress about, no cram sessions to have, and no fiveminute freak-out periods before class.

Waking up in the morning was suddenly easy. I didn’t have assessments to stress about or homework to read in the car! I got a solid eight hours of sleep! And even better, the Homecoming theme lent itself to hours of bubbly music and heartwarming movies and nostalgia.

I walked into the weekend feeling rejuvenated and generally more optimistic about my schoolwork than I had in a while. I cracked my fingers and opened up my MacBook, smiling as I basked in the leftover satisfaction from a

long and rewarding week of spirit.

That smile lasted for about fourteen milliseconds when I saw the Mount Fuji of homework and projects waiting for me. I was swamped with five assessments and hours of reading and reviewing on top of my busierthan-normal weekend. The bipolarity of my workload from last week to this week was honestly ridiculous, and Monday seemed even glummer than it normally does because of my overcast test schedule.

The administration has the right intentions in giving us a test-free week during Homecoming, for sure. I think we can all agree that we need a little less academic stress in our lives. But it’s disheartening to see them put so much work into relieving stress from Homecoming week while teachers (probably unintentionally) pile on homework and assessments as soon as the restrictions are lifted.

It’s not like teachers conspire against me in the teachers’ lounge with menacing red pens and evil grins plotting my downfall, just that their testing plans coincidentally seem nearly identical following last week. And, of course, if we don’t have three tests on the same day, teachers are going to be less likely to grant us another day to study.

Ironically, the gaping loophole in the no-test policy lends itself to more stress than

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“what do you talk think of the around car bash?” campus vasudha rengarajan

there would have been with the normal assessment load. We may have had a happy glow during Homecoming, but the stressors of increased testing and additional grade reports more than cancel it out.

Seeing people rediscover the Disney movies of their childhood during Homecoming was definitely refreshing, but I worry that our laid-back aura will dissipate far too soon.

Wait for a week, and we’ll be obsessed with grade reports and parent-teacher conferences.

And then Thanksgiving will come about, and we’ll have another weekend of respite. Then, in a month, we’ll all be overwhelmed and preoccupied with finals. And then Spring Spirit week will intervene, we’ll have another contrived week of happiness, and the bipolar cycle will start again.

Having a maximum of two tests on a single day is a totally valid policy, but it makes even more sense to additionally give students a maximum number of tests in a week. That way, students wouldn’t need to stress out about having three consecutive days of two gargantuan tests each. We’d all be more balanced, and in the end, isn’t that what we all want?

“I think it’s really creative and dangerous and exciting.”

-Caroline Howells (10)

TalonWP sports editor

“I think it’s idiotic. It’s not exactly the image we want to promote.”

-Aadyot Bhatnagar (10)

“It seems like a pretty cool way to raise money for the school and get people spirited.”

- Daphne Millard (12)

“As long as they’re not destroying the library printers.”

-Meredith Cranston, Librarian

“I guess there’s better ways to fundraise than bashing a car.

[It’s]a bit over the top.”

-Jasmine Liu (9)

“If the person who donated the car really had no use for it, why not?”

-Krishan Kumar (11)

“If it create[d] more spirit, then I’m all for it.”

-Jonathan Shieh, History Teacher

College crushes provide motivation emily chu

“

When has logic ever been able to rein in an eager heart? If I did not feel something for my goals, how could I fight for them?

“

“Just promise me one thing: do not – and I repeat do not – fall in love.”

Oops.

I knew she meant well – that was probably why I felt a bubble of guilt swelling up inside – but her warning came too late. Two years ago, I had already fallen.

And fallen in real deep. Like a lovesick puppy, I envisioned myself strolling through the hallways, caught myself giggling at the idea of playing with (sorry, I meant carefully handling) chemicals in the lab, and hoped with all my heart that I would, somehow, be noticed among the large crowd of admirers.

Yet the words of the admission representative from my dream college served as a reminder that the odds were against me, with the chances of winning a reciprocated love being roughly nine percent, according to last year’s statistics.

Love was a dangerous game, and I should tread carefully if I wanted to stay safe. So, I started to brainstorm ways to retract my feelings, surfing through other colleges’ brochures and deleting my dream college’s homepage from my bookmarks bar. Yet during my struggles to erase my love, I arrived at one question: do I really want to play it safe?

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Logically, the answer is yes, but when has logic ever been able to rein an eager heart? Should it even be able to? If I did not feel something for my goals, how could I fight for them? I did not sit through hours of SAT practice because I

had nothing better to do. I did not spend several weekends checking my application over and over again because I am a narcissist who loves to read about myself (well, at least, not after the hundredth reading). I diligently completed those activities,

which I found neither entertaining nor intellectually stimulating, because they were stepping stones to my dream. I tried my best because I was in love with my dream.

I still try my best because I am in love with my dream.

However, there is a very important implication to take away from the representative’s advice: do not set yourself on one track, do not expect to be unwounded, and do not let your heart wither after one “no.” That there will be times when you face failure or rejection, but you should congratulate yourself for having taken the risk and (hopefully) learning something from it. I know that what I am saying is really hard to accomplish -- trust me, I still have trouble following my own suggestion at times -- but remember that there are many directions that you can take to reach the same ultimate endpoint.

So, Ms. Admission Representative, I am sorry, but I cannot wholeheartedly adhere to your advice. However, I will promise you this: if my love is unreciprocated, I will move on, keeping this crush as a fond memory and finding another place that makes my heart flutter the same way. But for now, let my heart prance with hopes that my wish will be answered.

samantha hoffman editor in chief

Are you an aspiring presidential candidate? Have you ever pictured yourself sitting behind the Resolute desk in the Oval Office or flying in the comfort of Air Force One? Or, if you’re like me and you’re not quite 35 years old yet, do you someday plan to apply to college or imagine what it would be like to get into your dream school?

If you answered yes to any of these questions, you’re in luck; below is a guide to becoming a successful candidate or applicant comprised completely of my own experiences and (not-so) expert observations.

One: To succeed, you have to sell, sell, sell. I don’t mean selling cars or flat screen HDTVs here; both the campaigning and application processes require a lot of marketing. Pro tip: hire people to portray you in a positive light (for candidates, this is your PR manager; for college applicants, this would be your teachers who write your letters of recommendation).

Two: Fundraising is key. College applications and presidential campaigns are expensive businesses, so finding donors willing to fund your cause is essential to your success. Pro tip: start with the people closest to you; your family is always a good bet.

Three: Social media and the Internet are not always your friends.

Social media can be a good way to transmit a positive image, but beware; sometimes, what you think is an innocent post will come back to haunt you when admissions officers misconstrue that red plastic cup or potential voters use old videos as evidence that you’ve flip-flopped on your views. Pro tip: remember that deleting something from Facebook, Twitter, or other social networking sites doesn’t mean that it’s gone forever. You’d be surprised what people can find with just a quick Google search.

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You have to sound the part of a strong leader!

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november 7, 2012

Four: You have to be a good interviewee. You can’t win the heart of the nation or your dream school by “uhm”-ing and stumbling over poor talking points; you have to sound the part of a strong leader! An interview can make or break your chances at victory, so be sure to practice answering potential questions. Looking good can’t hurt you either, so pick out a sharp, stylish outfit for the big event. Pro tip: Hire a debate coach and personal stylist. If you can’t afford either of those, parents, siblings, and friends make excellent substitutes.

Five: Your end goal must include more than just winning. In all seriousness now, the answer to the question, “Why are you running/applying” should not be “Because I want to be president/get into college.” The point of “winning” is not to earn a title and then lie idle; in both cases, success puts you in a position of both power and influence from which you can make the most of the opportunities afforded to you and empower those around you – if you so choose.

So to you future college applicants and presidential nominees, remember that reaching the end of this competition in and of itself does not guarantee success; what you make of your victory is what truly defines your accomplishment.

Features

November 7, 2012 the Winged Post

7

Fall Play: Upper School students put on Hamlet apurva gorti

knew they would understand the context of the material, and I wanted the students to go to the ‘theater gym’ and build their acting muscles. There’s no better training material than Hamlet.”

Draper is also in charge of the casting process. This year, after seeing the talent at auditions, he decided to have girls play three out of the five roles for Hamlet. This ironically flipped the position of women, who were played by men during Shakespeare’s time.

“Ophelia’s a great part, and so is Gertrude. But Hamlet?” Draper said, as a grin spread across his face.

“There’s no comparison. I felt it was right to give these young women a chance to wrestle with that character.”

Now that the shows are over, Draper hopes that the audience was as impressed by the students’ performance as he was and that students understood the core messages in the play.

“Touching art like this at this level is so rare,” Draper said.

“This play will teach you about life. I dare you to live this way.”

ALL PHOTOS APURVA GORTI - WINGED POST

elia, Claudius, and Gertrude in order really embraced it.”

“It was great working with people for more people to have the opportuAfter several weeks of practice, who are so new to [theater] but have reporter nity to be a part of the fall play process. the cast began to nail their perforso much raw talent,” Hannah PrutThe role of Hamlet was split into mances for the final shows. Accordton (12) said about working on blockLove. Hate. Insanity. Famfi ve parts, based on the fi ve stages of ing to the cast, crew, and director, ing and fight choreography with her ily. Sex. Revenge. Death. You grief that Hamlet goes through: deperformances climaxed on Saturday understudy Maya Nandakumar (10). name it; Hamlet has got it all. nial played by Jai Ahuja (10), anger by when there was the most number of When they were not directly reFor two months, those involved Cecilia Lang-Ree (12), bargaining people in the audience of the three hearsing their lines, the understudin the fall play poured their effort by Rahul Nalamasu (12), dep e r f o r m a n c e ies were watching the actual cast, into putting together one of William pression by Hannah Prutday s. learning about Shakespeare, and takShakespeare’s most famous tragedies. ton (12), and acceptance by ing notes on their counterparts’ actNamrata Vakkalagadda (11). ing choices so they could incorporate Direction: While some initially them into their performance as well.

Although the quality of the final thought the fi ve diff erent “You get the whole experience product is usually the biggest priority Hamlets would be conof being in the show. You get to learn for a director, Performing Arts teacher fusing, Rahul disparticularly about Shakespeare, and Jeffrey Draper emphasized “process agreed, saying it’s a great way to experience [the over product” for this year’s fall play. that “a diff erent fall play process] without hav“What the students gain through person eming the pressure that being the journey of putting on the probodies each in the actual cast would enduction and what they learn about diff erent stage, tail,” Naomi Molin (9), themselves and the playwright is all a and it actually understudy for the role much bigger deal to me than the prodmakes it a lot of Guildenstern, said. uct at the end,” Draper said, explaineasier to unIn addition to an ing his goals for the play. “However, derstand the understudy cast, there [through that] they have to succeed, mental prowas an assistant director, and if they don’t, it means that I failed. cess HamLori Berenberg (12), who So my job is to help them succeed.” let goes worked with the shadow One of the ways that Draper Cast: through in cast while Draper worked helped the students learn more about From auditions in mid-September the play.” with the actual performers. their characters was by showing them to the fi nal curtain call on October 27, One of “I really love acting bits and pieces of 11 different versions of 19 students worked hard in exploring the toughand theater, but [directHamlet in films and other theater shows. their intricate characters and making est obstacles ing] made me realize how “Normally I don’t encourage stuchoices on how to best portray them. that the much I love teaching, dents to watch roles that they are going Many students thoroughly enthree girls which is really special,” Lori GUILTY GUILDENSTERN Rahul Nalamasu (12) as Hamlet questions Sean to perform, but in this case I decided Knudsen (11) as Guildenstern about his true motives and disloyalty as a joyed participating in the making of playing Hamlet said.

“I really got a chance to to do the complete opposite and see friend. Rahul was the third of five actors who played Hamlet in the show. the classic Shakespearean faced was learnsee the persistence and hard what happened, and it seemed to be a t r a g edy because of ing how work that led to this incredhuge learning experience,” Draper said. both the intense to play such a strong male lead.

Shadow Cast: ible performance that I would have As director, Draper first selects show material “It was hard to get into ‘boy One of the biggest diff erences never thought could have come out of the play that students perform each and the process energy’ because boys and girls do to the fall play this year was the ada group of freshmen.

It was beautiful.” year. The Upper School had of working with a lot of things differently. We dition of an understudy cast. In past Lori oversaw the rehearsals with performed Hamlet ten years other students. walk diff erently, have difyears there were no understudy casts, the shadow cast, helping them use the ago, but Draper thought “Th is [was] ferent hand gestures, but Draper felt it would be unfair older students’ blocking, facial expresthat this year would my fi rst fall play, and sit diff erently and to not give the younger students a sions, and emotional ideas while makbe ideal to perform I think talk from diff erent chance with the material because ing sure they made their own choices it again because registers,” said Hamlet “is just too good to pass up.” as well.

Occasionally, the principle of the talent of Namrata, who Over half of the people who aucast would sneak a peek at their unthe students. what made i t played Hamditioned were freshmen, so rather than derstudies and integrate the fresh“I knew unique was the short rehearsal let in the make them wait another year before men’s ideas into their performances. it would be a schedule,” said Jeton Gutierrez-Bujari fi nal fi ght they could participate in the fall play “I learned a lot from [the older growing year (10), who played the role of the evil uns c e n e s . production, Draper wanted to give kids].

[As] an understudy you just copy at Harker and cle Claudius.

“Th ere was lots of bond“But bit them an opportunity to experience their performance, but they helped normally you ing time just rehearsing with each by bit, I what being in the fall play was like. me develop the character, and I manwould say other, and you get to know each othbecame “I wanted to grow the talaged to make some choices of my [Hamlet] is er, as well as the show really well.” m o r e ent pool for the next four years,” own that they copied,” said undera really hard Since Hamlet has such a c o m Draper said.

“Th ey learned a study for the third and fifth Hamlet play, but small set of characters, this year fortable with lot over the past several weeks.”

Gurutam Th ockchom (9). “I was reHarker stuthere were multiple students being a Th e “shadow” cast worked ally honored that the older kids actudents are playing the roles of Hamlet, Ophboy and the same rehearsal schedule as ally decided to copy some of mine.” really the regular cast, and each stuTh e understudy cast put on a smart, FAKE FIGHTS In the fi nal scene of the fall play, Hamlet (played by junior Namrata Vakkalagada) cruelly stabs dent worked individually with matinee show on Saturday, Octo“ Draper Laertes (played by sophomore Vishal Vaidya) in an intense battle with swords. Students worked on fight choretheir regular cast counterparts. ber 27 for their parents and advisors. said.

“I ography for weeks in order to avoid injury on stage and portray a sword fight as realistically as possible.

Teacher to become citizen

Raghavan will take oath at swearing ceremony in mid-November features editor Every year, roughly 700,000 people become naturalized citizens in the United States.

This November, Upper School chemistry teacher Mala Raghavan will join the ranks as an official U.S. citizen.

Raghavan moved to the United States in 1993 and has been living here ever since. She first settled in New Jersey, where she taught at a university before moving to an independent high school. In 2007, she moved to California; after a year off, she began teaching at the Upper School in 2008.

Raghavan said she never felt the need to apply for citizenship while living in New Jersey. She would often travel to India to visit her parents, and it was more convenient for her to keep her Indian citizenship.

“India does not allow dual citizenship, and I had kids, [so] every time I went back, I found it easier to keep my Indian citizenship,” she said.

Later, her parents moved to Canada, so she felt less of a need to have her

Indian citizenship. Raghavan explained that frequent visits to Canada and India made it hard for her to initiate the naturalization process.

“They want you to write down every date you leave the country and every date you come in: every single entry in the last five years,” she said. “When I was in New Jersey, I used to go to Canada and India so often, so it was a nightmare to keep track.”

Because Raghavan has not travelled as much in the last five years, she thought it was the proper time to apply for citizenship. Raghavan also acknowledged that obtaining a United States citizenship would be more convenient.

“Every time we travel, I am in a different line compared to my husband and children,” she said. She also noted the consequent benefits of voting and property ownership.

Raghavan decided to apply for citizenship at the end of August. By the middle of September, she was called back for her biometrics, where her fingerprints were taken.

On October 25, she scheduled her interview. “[The process] was very fast; I was surprised,” she said.

“Maybe because I’ve been here long.”

TRISHA JANI- WINGED POST

trisha jani

The interview consisted of both a civics and English competency test.

Applicants are given a preparation booklet of 100 questions and answers; on their civics test, they are asked 10. Although there were some facts about American politics that Raghavan already knew, she learned new facts about American history and law.

“Of course, there are some things you know obviously from the politics,” she said. “And then there are some others, like the Federalist papers.

Those are things I didn’t really know.”

Another fact Raghavan had never heard of was the “rule of law,” which states that leaders and government must obey the law.

“I previously did now know what it was, and it was funny because they asked me that on the test. [But] I learned that,” she said.

Other questions Raghavan was asked included the name of the national anthem, the number of stripes on the flag, and the name of the ocean that borders the west coast of the United States.

According to Raghavan, the funniest part of her whole interview was her English competency test. After she took her civics test orally with an official she was given a piece of paper that asked how many senators are in the United States. Raghavan assumed that she had to answer the question.

However, she was told the answer and simply had to write it on paper.

“They still do it so mechanically,” she said. “[It is] funny when I tell her I’m teaching at a school, [and they test] if I can read and write in English.”

Because Raghavan passed the interview, she is officially permitted to become a citizen. She plans on taking her oath at the swearing ceremony in the middle of November.

Students and faculty reflect upon the meaning of success rahul jayaraman reporter What is success? Members of the Upper School community presented many varied answers to this question. The various answers included success as an undefinable feeling and a measurable quantity.

All, however, agreed that definitions of success were highly individual.

“Success is when you make yourself proud,” Malvika Khanna (9) said. She went on to add that other people cannot measure success, but that one was liable to gauge his or her own success.

Adding to this sentiment was Neil Movva (10).

“Success is when you can wake up and be happy with your job, your family, and your life,” he said. “It is when you achieve everything you set out to achieve.”

Teachers echoed this statement, contrasting true success with standard indicators of success in the real world.

“Success is happiness and contentment; it is not economic success, nor is it academic success,” said AP and Honors World History teacher Mark Janda. “It’s being able to get up every morning and know that you’ve been able to do something good for the world and that you’re happy with who you are and what you contribute.”

Some teachers posit a much more specific and long-term view of success, such as chemistry teacher Robbie Korin. An AP exam grader, he wants to focus on students’ college careers and their performance in challenging courses. He solely teaches

AP classes and wants students to get the most possible out of his classes.

“My definition of success is when [students] go to college and feel prepared when they take any type of chemistry course,” Korin said.

Compared to Korin’s futureoriented view of success, Precalculus teacher Dr. Lola Muldrew thought that success revolved around what occurred in her life during the present.

“Success is relative,” she said.

“It depends on what your values are and what is important to you. For me, a successful day includes me knowing that I tried to be my highest self, I brought a smile to some faces, and I didn’t feel any regret about my actions during that day.”

Basketball player Kevin Susai (12) thinks that success is closely tied with personal occurrences and experience.

“Success is about how you feel in your heart,” he said. “From every loss, how you can find a victory is an adequate measure of success.”

Senior Cristina Jerney, who is involved in numerous performing arts productions, takes a specific and firm stance on her view of success.

“I’m successful when I know that I’m doing the best work that I possibly can do - that includes researching and putting in the time and effort. If I’ve done that, then I know that I have been successful,” she said.

The consensus on success is that it reflects the personal values of the person being asked. Both teachers and students agree that success cannot be measured intrinsically but not extrinsically.

8

Features

November 7, 2012 the Winged Post

Two new journalism teachers join Upper School

Mariah Bush

WP: What are your goals for the program this year?

MB: I really hope to just continue the journalism program smoothly. I know that it’s been a weird transition, but I really hope that we can continue to produce a successful paper and yearbook.

[Because] I’m more experienced in design and photo, I hope I can bring my own spin to it and enhance some parts that students haven’t gotten to [work with] before.

CV: I would love to carry Harker Journalism students as far towards their goal as I can. If I can get somebody to publish something that they’re proud of or to advance their skills to the next level, then I’ve met my goal.

ISO

NS

UN

- TA

LO

NW

P

WP: What’s an interesting fact about you?

MB: I just recently started skateboarding. I’ve just always wanted to do it, and [since] I just got back from eight months of traveling, I’m more in one place and can learn. It’s a fun way to get around.

CV: I lived in São Paulo, Brazil for two years as a teenager. It was fantastic [since] it carried me from a life of frustrated boredom in upstate New York to being in a giant cosmopolitan city. It was the definitive changing experience of my life in so many ways. I was very fortunate.

ALL

WP: Why did you decide to work at the Upper School?

MB: Ever since I graduated from Harker, I’ve been working for the Office of Communications; I do

WP: What advice would you give students pursuing a career in journalism?

MB: Make lots of mistakes, [and just] try a lot. Write lots of stories, take lots of photos.

That’s how you get the experience, and that’s kind of how you discover your own standards for what you like.

CV: Know that you’re going to make mistakes but go ahead and make them, so you can start correcting them. If you’re ever shy or worried about making a mistake before you commit yourself to print, you’re just retarding your own progress. So be bold, be aggressive.

Try to diversify your experience, and don’t just go down one road. Create more experiences to develop yourself, and seek out opportunities outside of your realm.

OT OS

The Winged Post: How did you discover your passion for journalism?

Mariah Bush: I started in art photography, and have moved on to a bit of photojournalism. Since taking pictures is all about telling stories, I think it ties in nicely. I’ve always been taking pictures, [but] I really started in college. I took my first intro to photography class as a freshman [at Harvard], and I loved it.

That pushed me to pick my major in that field, [which] was Visual and Environmental Studies, and I went on from there. I worked at the newspaper at Harvard where I was an [art section] design editor [for] The Harvard Crimson, the daily student newspaper, for four years.

Christopher Vaughan: I was a consumer before I was a producer. I was very excited by the success of the New York sports teams when I was nine or ten years old. I started reading the newspaper all the time for sports [coverage], and I think it grew from there. Just like [how] you are what you eat, you write what you read. That’s what I was reading, that’s how I started writing, and that’s kind

WP: What is the most rewarding part of journalism?

MB: It’s great to get your ideas out there and to have an audience. At Harker, it’s really about the community where you can reach out to everyone, and it encourages community building. There really is an impact.

CV: The most meaningful and memorable to me were the chances you have that become the voice of the community. When I went to Miami at The Miami Herald and got to cover the Haitian community, it was very clear to me that the community was underprivileged. I felt that I had to go listen and relay their concerns, and hopefully be, on some level, their advocate to the world. I was in the lucky position of being the conduit. [All] the different stories and experiences really stretched me and [allowed] me to gain new skills and perspectives.

photo, video, and design work for them. Basically, I was free-lancing [before], and then this opportunity opened up. It seemed to be a really good fit, and I’m excited to see what happens.

CV: I’ve been working on writing projects and suddenly became aware that Harker’s Journalism program needed [help], and I volunteered to [offer assistance]. I love being involved with Harker.

I always have aspirations to do great things, and you don’t get to do great things unless you work with great people.

PH

In mid-October, two new teachers joined the Upper School, taking over the Journalism program. Mariah Bush, a Harker alumni (‘06), and Dr. Christopher Vaughan, parent of Huckleberry Vaughan (11), share a bit about themselves and their experiences in journalism and photography.

of how it came out. I started [attending] journalism classes and got articles published. By then, I had a pretty clear idea that it was something I was having fun with, and maybe I should pursue that.

ALL

allison sun TalonWP features editor

Christopher Vaughan

English teacher Charles BICYCLING: Shuttleworth’s hobby juhi gupta

Clubs raise funds during their weeks

SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST

The rush of adrenaline when you break a personal record.

The overwhelming feeling of accomplishment when you reach your destination.

Many people delight in their favorite forms of physical activity, and they take it to beyond just a hobby. For new Upper School English teacher Charles Shuttleworth, the sport that incites his enthusiasm is biking.

Having learned how to ride a bike as a child in the suburbs, Shuttleworth made use of this capability in his preteen years to explore the world around him.

“From 10 to 13 [years old], a bicycle was my independence. I was riding myself to Little League baseball games and to the store,” Shuttleworth said.

At age 13, Shuttleworth began attending The Hotchkiss School, a private boarding school in Lakeville, Connecticut. In ninth grade, on one of the school’s days off, he and two friends went on his first big ride of around 60 miles long, leaving him sore for a week. Following this trip, however, Shuttleworth put a hold on his time spent biking.

“After that one episode, I really stopped riding. There were other things to do. [...] Bicycling no longer became a focus.” Shuttleworth said.

The gap lasted until graduate school, when he bought a bicycle to get around New York City. He was able to explore the other boroughs of New York and ride to the ocean.

Shuttleworth’s passion for biking actually began when Shuttleworth and two other friends biked on a 10-day trip from New York to Montreal to Boston. During the excursion, he also realized his love for mountains.

“From then on, I was always looking to ride long trips to some place that I hadn’t been and in mountains. I started to look at maps and try to figure out where I could go; it became a focus and it really hasn’t ever gone away.”

Shuttleworth has ridden across the entire United States a total of six times, in 1990, 1997, 2002, 2006, 2009, and 2011. Despite this remarkable achievement, he claims a seven-week loop of the West as his favorite trip. It was just as long as his cross-country journeys, but in his opinion more beautiful. The excursion took place in

VEDANT THYAGARAJ- WINGED POST

video editor

RIDE ON Upper School English Teacher Charles Shuttleworth is at Loveland Pass in Colorado with his loaded bike. Shuttleworth has ridden across the United States a total of six times.

2004, covering locations in Oregon, Nevada, Colorado, and even Alberta, Canada.

As his friends grew older and raised families, Shuttleworth said they were unable to accompany him on his journeys. To record his experiences riding by himself, he began maintaining a journal and a blog and started taking a camera to photograph the scenic beauty on his rides.

“I just learned to be happy by myself. I’d rather go alone than not go,” he said.

While not striving for any longterm objective other than recreational pleasure, Shuttleworth does set and reach his own individual goals.

“I think I’ve had a couple of other rides that were ultimately more difficult, but [160 miles] was the furthest in a day,” Shuttleworth said about a personal record in 2010, in which he rode 160 miles fully loaded with gear.

Although biking is a blissful release, for Shuttleworth, there is one weakness that he thinks long-distance bikers must conquer.

“There’s a euphoria that comes with the effort,” he said. “The only thing you have to protect yourself against is [...] ‘bonking’, when you run out of energy and your outlook goes in the tank.”

For him, overcoming this psy-

chological adversary is an achievement in itself. Shuttleworth said that as a younger rider, he was vulnerable to this type of drop in determination; his belief is that the only way to fight it is to develop strength against the negative emotions, and have faith that it will only be only temporary.

“I’m aware of what this [effect] is, I’ve experienced this bad feeling before, and I know it goes away,” Shuttleworth said.

Although Shuttleworth does not ride to beat records, he thinks that having a final destination in mind is always helpful in retaining willpower.

“I haven’t been to Monument Valley; I haven’t been to Yosemite [...] they’re places that I really want to experience by bicycle,” Shuttleworth said. “I don’t even want to go to those places off a bicycle because to me it would ruin it. What’s really exciting is the physical exertion of getting there and riding through someplace.”

Since moving to California, Shuttleworth has found some nearby locations to ride through as well, including Highway 9 to Santa Cruz and Route 1 to Santa Barbara, the latter of which he has done twice. His blog is located at http://why-i-ride.blogspot. com, where his experiences and photos while riding can be found.

DONATE Students For Charitable Causes, also known as SFCC, is hosting a food drive to encourage students to donate for their club week. The food will be given to the Second Harvest Food Bank.

Every year there are two major fundraisers for SFCC. One is a reporter canned food drive through Second Harvest Food Bank, which takes From now on through the end of place in November of this year. All the year, several clubs will be having the food goes to Second Harvest to club weeks: events designed to profeed families in need. The club also mote their purpose and raise money does a yard sale where they ask for either for donation to a charity or for donations from the community and their own use. all the proceeds go to a charitable According to Student Activities cause.

Coordinator Kerry Enzensperger, club Similarly, WISTEM (Women week is designed to “raise awareness in Science, Technology, Engineering, about clubs. For example, a club can Mathematics), a club that promotes sell baked goods or have a car wash in women leadership in the various order to raise money.” This money will fields of science, has an annual funthen be used to either fund the club’s draiser for different causes during activities or be donated to a charitable their club week. cause. Clubs will be selling items “One year we had a theme during extra help, after school, during which was breast cancer and donatlunch, or during advisory. ing funds to breast cancer research.

The first club this year to have That year, we sold all sort of breast its club week was Harker Medical cancer paraphernalia; bracelets, and Club (HMC). HMC explores topics everything we got from the organiin medicine that students enjoy and zation,” said Anita Chetty, advisor of ones that are not covered too deeply in the WISTEM club, which has been courses. active for the past eight years.

This year, HMC had a fundraiser, One of the clubs that is more its first in several years. involved in spreading their aware“HMC is selling bagels, which ness, rather than fundraising, is the Noah’s Bagels has graciously donated, Red Cross Club. baked goods, and wristbands. We “We’re going to have an annual bought the wristbands from “Choose blood drive and might be raising Hope,” a nonprofit organization that some money just for our club, “ said raises money for cancer research,” said Preeya Mehta (12), President of the Zina Jawadi (11), President of the Red Cross club. The money will then HMC. Different items will sold for be used activities for the Red Cross different prices.

Club.

Students for Charitable Causes During club weeks, students (SFCC), is known for donating all the have the opportunity to learn more items they collect to a charity of their about various clubs and get a chance choice. to interact with them.

vedant thyagaraj

A NATION DIVIDED

BY THE N

apoorva rangan opinion editor With 303 votes from the Electoral College, President Obama won re-election on Tuesday, November 6. The divided nation turned in over 100 million ballots to vouch for their political positions.

Though most Upper School students were unable to vote, many still made the most of the presidential election season, the only one occurring during their four years on campus. As high school students, many members of the Upper School community

got involved in the presidential race, volunteering for campaigns and participating in class projects. The Upper School’s political atmosphere became charged as students further developed their own opinions. Local races and state-level propositions were also debated; students expressed their opinions through social media as well as student associations. The Winged Post worked in conjunction with the Junior State of America ( JSA) to poll the Upper School community about their political views, and present their findings here.

OBAMA

303

electoral votes

VIRTUAL VOTING darian edvalson TalonWP EIT AP Economics and AP US Government students put their money where their mouth was over the last few weeks and participated in an online election market to predict who will win the upcoming presidential election.

In the program, which began October 15 and ran until election night on November 6, students bought and sold Obama and Romney stock with the value of the stock based on each candidate’s likelihood to win the election. Each participant’s objective was to make the most money at the end of the election. For example, if students think Obama has an 80 percent chance of winning, they will be willing to sell Obama stock for 80 cents and buy Romney stock for 20 cents; the market ends up reflecting the general opinion of all students

participating.

“One of the fun things [about the project] is that it simulates a market. It’s rare that we get the opportunity to, in class, really simulate a market,” Economics teacher Samuel Lepler said. “With hundreds of students, it creates almost a perfectly competitive market, which is really exciting.”

Development of an election market simulating program for the Upper School has been in the works since last year, when Lepler approached Tech Club with the idea. It was originally hoped that the program would be ready in time for last year’s Republican primary elections.

Although it is already being utilized by teachers in its pilot form, the program is still in its infancy and will require some enhancements before it is perfected.

Nicky Semenza (11), the Tech Club member who is driving this project, hopes to add more features to the program.

POLITICAL VOLUNTEERS

“It didn’t take too much work. Initially, there were just some bugs having to do with complex trades, but it’s fairly simplistic,” Nicky said. “Definitely, for next year, there are some features we will add, such as better graphs of prices over time, so you can make more educated trade.”

Students in the pilot program, excited by the idea of the project, believe that some improvements would make the program more effective.

“I think it’s a cool idea to put your belief in a candidate in terms of money, but the system isn’t running well enough for it to be as beneficial. There are too many glitches and bugs,” Arjun Goyal (11) said.

Lepler hopes for the market simulation program to be an annual project that not only includes serious topics such as presidential elections, but also more lighthearted ones such as predicting the winner of the World Series.

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On Election Day, several Upper School students participated in Santa Clara County’s Student Election Officer Program. They worked as official members of a Precinct Board, assisting voters and preparing the polling center on Election Day, November 6.

According to The Country of Santa Clara – Registrar of Voters website, the Student Election Officer program “provides High School students with the opportunity to serve their community [and] experience democracy first hand.”

For their work, students were able to earn community service credits or up to $130.

Bilingual students were eligible to be paid an extra $5.

Daniel Hudkins, director of IT, was in charge of publicizing the job opportunity at the Upper School, which has been offered here annually for around ten years.

“I think the whole idea that the electoral process is actually something that involves taking some action is what I hope every student learns. The idea of having an opinion and [being] unwilling to take the action to make it real is pretty empty,” he said.

Many students decided to apply for a position because they wanted to experience the polling process firsthand.

“I thought it would be interesting to get involved with the election because for the past couple of months, I’ve been sort of keeping up to date on what happens.

Having a hand in the outcome even if I’m

not voting is really interesting,” Connie Li (11) said.

Arjun Goyal (11) also thought the job provided an opportunity to “interact with a lot of adults.”

“It’ll help me in the future to be able to communicate effectively even though I may be younger than the people I’m talking to,” he said.

Vincent Lin (11), who hopes to pursue a career in government, applied because he thought it would be a valuable experience

“

Having a hand in the outcome even if I’m not voting is really interesting.

“

reporter

Connie Li (11), poll volunteer

to have for his future endeavors.

“I feel like the government has a major influence on society and people’s lives. Going into something that has a

of which:

56.1%

43.9%

14.7%

eligible to vote

female

X

I Voted

Santa Clara County’s Student Election Officer Program allows volunteer students to set up official polling centers emily lin

students & faculty

male

85.3% ineligible to vote

C A N D I DAT E C H O I C major influence [like polling] will allow me to help people,” he said.

The stipend also proved to be a key incentive for many students.

“I found out [after I applied] that there was a monetary compensation, which was additional motivation,” Connie said.

In order to qualify for a position, students had to submit a written application by October 10, have a GPA of 2.5 or higher, and be at least 16 years old by Election Day. Students, who were accepted on a first-come first-serve basis. continued on to a training class prior to Election Day, where they learned how to use the voting machines and receive voters.

Some students thought the training session could have been more efficient.

“The training was just like a guy talking to us. If we did more hands-on training then I would probably know what to do, because it was just so complicated,” Vincent said.

Students chose from three available shifts: a half day from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m or 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., or a full day from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Most students chose the a.m. halfday shift.

Arjun thought working at the polling office was valuable because he had never been exposed to the polling experience before.

“I got to see my civic responsibility in action. I also got to meet people who had been volunteering in the community for a long time,” he said.

The next opportunity to work at the polling offices is next year on Election Day.

Obama Romney Ste

H A RK E R 10.1% 1.9% 0.6% 13.5%

68%

CA PROPOSITION 34: R

H A RK E R in favor

58% 42%

against

All Harker poll data accurate as of 5 p.m. November 5, 2012. All election data accurate as of 11 p.m. November 6, 2012.

0

50

100

150

200

ELECTION 2012 PartyINg it up

NUMBERS

ROMNEY

206

electoral votes

TURNOUT

U.S.

100+mil 24 27

people who voted for either Obama or Romney

states voted Republican states and D.C. voted Democratic

meena chetty managing editor Although students cannot vote until they are 18 years old, many people on campus have proven that the age barrier does not restrict their ability to form political opinions based on both their existing knowledge of government and external influences.

Many of these students realize that their political ideologies are often impacted by the views of others, whether they are those of parents, peers, classes, or the media.

Brian Tuan (11), for example, shapes his views regarding the government based largely on the ideas his parents have been imparting to him over the years. He forms his own opinions on policies based on how they would affect both his family and the economy.

However, not all of Brian’s views reflect those of his parents.

During the 2008 Democratic Party elections, he strayed from his parents’ favored candidate and supported Clinton instead. He has also been forming his ideas based on media representation of the candidates and policies on news websites such as CNN. “Recently, [my decisions are] more [based on] who does better during the debates [...] and which president has a

69% DEMOCRAT

C E ( P O P U L A R V OT E ) Johnson

more public view,” he said.

Julie Wheeler, AP U.S. Government and Politics teacher, echoed the idea that exposure to family political values is one of the most influential factors when students develop political opinions.

“Certainly [your parents ideas are] what you’re accustomed to. As you become older, you start to question some of these ideas, but sometimes they’re so ingrained that that’s where you start,” she said.

Junior State of America ( JSA) cabinet member Apricot Tang (12), on the other hand, does not view family influence to be as strong of a factor as Brian and Wheeler do.

“I think parents come into play in a lot more conservative families, but sometimes I think that conservation makes people want to be more liberal,” she said.

Freshman Aarti Kheskani encourages students to branch out from the views that they may inherit from their families.

“I think that you shouldn’t listen to your parents,” she said. “I think that a lot of people will have different ideas from their parents and that they shouldn’t take their parents opinions without thinking about them, because they’re not [their own] ideas.”

Apricot has also noted that discussing politics with peers during JSA and reading articles from potentially biased sources influences her opinion of certain views of candidates. “[Talking with other peo-

11.9% 19.1%

REPUBLICAN

ple] makes me realize that a lot of politicians flip flop and they’ll change their positions,” she said. “I don’t ever change my position [regarding candidates]; I don’t think anyone has convinced me to that point, but I definitely have changed my opinions on certain policies.”

On the other hand, Aaron Lee (11) has remained relatively unaffected by the political discussion amongst his classmates. “[My peers] influence me in that [they cause] me to look up some stuff and read about it, but I just feel unaffected by [the elections], because I don’t really mind who’s president of the country as long as their ideas aren’t too radical [compared to] my beliefs,” he said.

Wheeler also emphasized that regions in which people live impact political decisions because some areas are more inclined to be Democratic or Republican, as in California, where a significant portion of the population is more liberal than in other parts of the country.

“Your political efficacy is a combination of all the forces surrounding you, what you experience, [and] what you listen to. [...] It could be your socioeconomic position and your experiences and also peer pressure,” she said. “You look at 2008 with Obama and his campaign, [and] it was a really ‘cool, hip’ thing to be part of that movement. Sometimes even if people don’t agree, they will claim to agree on one side or the other.”

She stressed the importance of discussing varying political opinions in class and exposing oneself to different sources in order to learn more about government and become better informed when formulating views about politics.

“To which political party do you feel most closely affiliated?”

OTHER

e•lec•tion•ary apoorva rangan

Other

U.S. 0.7%

opinion editor

(n) A portmanteau formed by combining “election” and “dictionary.” An amalgam of definitions of pertinent political terms, lingo, sound bites, and gaffes.

Romney Hood: 48.9%

(n) Barack Obama used this term to accuse Governor Romney’s proposed tax plan of being “Robin Hood in reverse.”

49.6%

“You didn’t build that.”

Said by Barack Obama about individual versus collaborative contribution to a business’ success in a speech delivered July 13, 2012.

R E P E A L D E AT H P E N A LT Y

C ALIFO RNIA

tbd results not official by time of publication

Super-PAC:

“ Malarkey ”

47% The percentage of voters that Romney accused of being “victims” and “dependent on the government” during a fundraising speech on May 17.

(n) A Political-Action Committee (PAC) that actively raises and spends as much money as desired to support a cause or a candidate during an election season.

Note: A traditional PAC can only contribute $2500 per individual to their cause. (n): Biden brought this word out of an etymological ghost town during the vice-presidential debate, accusing his rival Paul Ryan of being less than factual.

Sources: http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2012/09/full-transcript-mitt-romney-secret-video, http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=IgEVFzmCUwM, http://uspolitics.about.com/od/firstamendment/a/What-Is-A-Super-Pac.htm, http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/super-pacs-are-a-dangerous-new-weapon/2012/01/03/gIQAfGVDZP_story.html

ALL DESIGN SAMANTHA HOFFMAN - WINGED POST

ein

Students discuss forming political opinions

GLOBAL

Comparing school spirit worldwide

global journalism project

The articles below are a part of a continuing collaboration between The Winged Post and several other international schools in which an article topic is agreed upon and written about. Each

school writes and edits their own article, which is then published as received in our publication. Stories and views expressed below are those from contributing schools and are not necessarily those of The

The Winged Post

kat hyslop reporter for The Eye

It was that time of year again. The costumes, the decorations, the games.

Homecoming week was in full swing, and many students were showcasing their class and school spirit.

For many students, Homecoming week was one of the most exciting parts of the year, as they have the more opportunity to show their spirit more than normal.

Each day of the week included a different dress up theme, which was specific to the individual class themes.

The week culminated with a spirit rally on Friday, followed by the home-

“

School spirit really allows you to remember your full high school experience

“

Andre Tran, Spirit Club President coming game that night and a dance the following evening. The week serves as a means for students to de-stress and show off their pride for their school

HOMECOMING RALLY The junior class screams as loud as they can during the scream off, one of the class competitions held during Friday’s rally. They received second place in this event.

and class.

Dressing up and participating in spirit activities earned students points for their respective classes, thus encouraging participation and creating interclass competition.

“School spirit really allows you to remember your full high school experience, meet new people, and have fun,” Spirit Club President Andre Tran (12) said. “The competition aspect [...] adds to the seniority of certain classes and creates situations for underdog stories and upsets.”

Sophomore Vice President Nikita Mittal was pleased with how her class did during the week.

“I think we did really well and everyone cooperated really well,” she said.

“I thought that everyone was a lot more enthusiastic to join [the skit.]”

In addition to homecoming week, spirit events such as dodgeball, pumpkin carving, name that tune, and others occur throughout the year. In the spring, the second and final spirit week of the year occurs, which also features dress up days, activities, and a rally.

Some students went all out in re-

gards to spirit participation, and the majority of students participate in at least minor ways throughout the year. However, some chose not too for various reasons. Whether it be lack of interest, not enough time, or simply forgetting, spirit events do not have one hundred percent participation from the student body.

“I didn’t do [...] any of the spirit events [during] lunch,” Kevin Xue (11) said. “Most of the time because I forgot there was [one] in the first place.”

Regardless of the individual level of participation, events such as homecoming week, encourage school and class spirit and allow students to take their minds off of schoolwork, for at least a little while.

“Just by having spirit competitions really builds these bonds so that’s why I think that [they] essential to high school life,” Andre said.

For many students, spirit allows them to de-stress, have fun, and bond with their peers, both inside and outside of their class, thus adding to the overall high school experience.

Students of all ethnicities attend Indian dance event

SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST

DANDIA:

JUHI GUPTA - WINGED POST

global editor

DANDIA Ankita Pannu (10) and Maya Nandakumar (10) participate in a dandia dance while at the SEF event on October 27.

sports editor

The Sankara Eye Foundation (SEF) has hosted four dandia dance events in October at the Santa Clara Convention Center and Pleasanton Middle School.

The dandia took place on Friday and Saturday nights on two consecutive weekends, the October 19 weekend and the October 26 weekend.

According to the SEF representative, aside from the smaller October 20 event in Pleasanton, all events were sold out or nearly sold out with 3,000 people attending each.

The proceeds made from the event went to the foundation that strives to bring the gift of vision to blind children across India. The foundation’s mission is to provide free surgeries to as many children as possible, aiming to give all children 20/20 vision for 2020.

Aside from donating to a good cause, the dandia included live music, food for purchase and a henna tattoo station.

chose to write about spirit and how our respective schools give students the opportunity to show their spirit towards their class and school.

Singapore American School

sheridan tobin

sonia sidhu

Winged Post.

For this issue we have collaborated with the Singapore American School (SAS), which is located in northern Singapore. Due to the timing of this issue, we

The event was broken up into two parts: the garba and the dandia. The garba is an Indian dance that involves a group of people moving in a circle with coordinated hand movements to the beat of the music.

The more popular dandia dance traditionally involves a group of twelve people, though many people at the event had more or less than twelve people in their group. Each person has a partner and the pair performs a six-step process, hitting their sticks together multiple times before switching to a new partner.

Some students felt that the event was a bit more chaotic than they expected due to the large people attending.

“There are definitely a lot of people and it’s pretty crazy,” Meera Madhavan (12) said. “[However] the fun comes from that craziness and the excitement [when] dancing and meeting people.”

While some students have gone to these events annually, last year marked a dramatic in-

crease in the number of students of all races attending.

Preeya Mehta (12) enjoyed her experience last year with her friends and enjoyed bringing her friends with her this year.

“Bringing my non-Indian friends was really fun because they enjoyed it so much. It’s pretty much just music, food, dancing and people,” she said.

It’s a concept almost everyone can understand and appreciate.”

Isaac Rothschild (11), who attended the dandia for the first time this year, agreed with Preeya. He added that he was grateful that his friends brought him along and that he could engage in some Indian customs.

“Dressing up in a kurta [Indian garment for men] was very interesting and [...] sharing this unique experience with my friends [made] the night fun,” he said.

The dandia will take place next year at around the same time, in honor of the Indian holiday of Navratari that celebrates the divine energy of God in the Hindi culture.

As the high school gym filled with students, many observed a single colossal palm tree leaf waving in the air.

Sid Sequeira stood proud, brandishing the lone limb and exposing the word “Sophomore” written down its side. The green paint slopped onto his face and cape fashioned from a green sweater tied around his neck topped off the effect.

In this display of school spirit, Sequeira is just one of the few in the high school with the guts to attempt such a show. In previous years, a large part of school spirit meant just wearing the class polo and half-heartedly cheering at pep rallies. Sequeira reported that to some students school spirit has either been a joke or non-existent.

Fortunately, this lack of school spirit did not go unnoticed. Since last year’s IASAS 30th anniversary games, the definition of school spirit at SAS has begun to change. Spirit exceeded the activities created by student councils and surpassed the feeble cheers performed at pep rallies. It was spirit for the sake of spirit.

Along with a revitalized look at what used to be an unpopular pursuit, last year’s Executive Council teamed up with the Executive Service Council to come up with new spirit events. SASa-thon, records week and homecoming week not only brought more points for the inter-class competition but helped unified the entire school.

Other changes for this year include Friday Night Lights. Athletics director Kim Criens originally presented the idea at the beginning of this school year. Every Friday, the high school puts on a show, encouraging students to come and support other students in a sports game or artistic show.

“A lot of people, when you say

RACHAEL HYDE - SINGAPORE AMERICAN SCHOOL

12

November 7, 2012 the Winged Post

REVIVING SPIRIT Sid Sequeira, a SAS sophomore displays his class spirit at a rally.

spirit, think of football games,” Executive Council’s Nikhil Nilikantan said.

“Now, we’ve changed it to mean supporting your whole class whether it’s artists, writers, speakers or athletes.”

Despite these major changes, some are already worrying about maintaining the momentum for future events.

Student Council feels that these major changes will set a precedent for future classes and ensure spirit stays in the student body.

“Once you start the movement it will keep on going,” Executive Council sophomore representative Callum Nesbitt said.

More than one thousand students enter the high school gym at the end of every athletics season for pep rally. It’s a scene of bright colors with vuvuzelas and rubber clappers blasting at full volume, and in the midst of this fanfare are students like Sequeira who are leading the movement to make pep cool again.

“Sure it isn’t for everyone, but it’s past the point of it you love it or hate it,” Sequeria said. “It’s about participating in something bigger than yourself.”

Global

13

November 7, 2012

the Winged Post

A vast mixture of colors span across the sky as fireworks explode.

Members of the South Asian community adorn themselves with traditional and extravagant attire. Petite candles are lined up along the sidewalk, illuminating the streets and giving hope to all who walk on it.

For some, this signals the most festive time of year. It represents a time of enlightenment and freedom, and establishes a feeling of unity or pride toward one’s family, heritage and culture. This is Diwali, the holiday of lights in South Asia.

For many, Diwali is one of the most important times of the year and is celebrated by families by performing traditional activities together in their homes. In fact, the celebration is known for its ritual of lighting small clay lamps to drive away the darkness and signify the triumph of good over evil. It traditionally represents the arrival of King Rama and his wife Sita to claim their kingdom after killing the evil king Ravana thus bringing joy and prosperity to their people.

Diwali plays an integral role in the cultural and societal lives of many of our community’s students as well, and helps them maintain their connection with their ethnicity.

For sophomore Ryan Pachauri, Diwali brings a refreshing start to a new year for Indians.

“It’s really awesome everyone is in such a happy mood. Our family considers it as one of the biggest festivals of the year,” he said. “We just meet at [a friend’s] house and put on a lot of lights.”

Junior Sahithya Prakash shares the same sentiment.

“For my family it’s just a day where we get together with family friends and have a good time and enjoy firecrackers.”

The pivotal influence of Diwali in some students’ lives is further showcased by their participation in this festival of lights at the Children Dis-

CELEBRATING DIWALI Top: Showcasing the aforementioned “rainbow of children,” three young children pose during last year’s fashion show. Bottom: Dandia, a traditional Indian dance style, was also performed during last year’s show. Left: Junior Maneesha Panja strikes a traditional Indian pose while rehearsing for the Fashion Show segment of the CDM Diwali Festival.

music, and food.

“San Jose is one of the most diverse cultures in the nation,” said Young. “We have over 100 languages spoken here […] The South Asian population is one that has wonderful celebrations and the feedback we get from the families from all different backgrounds that come as our member base is very diverse. They want

Education around the world

KACEY FANG - WINGED POST

More than 72 million uneducated children

sheridan tobin global editor In countries like ours, education is something people take for granted; it’s something they are entitled to. However, in many countries around the world, children do not receive this luxury.

According to the United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF), at the beginning of 2012, more than 72 million children worldwide were not receiving an education, and were therefore being denied the opportunity to brighten their own futures and possibly even change the world.

To make the situation worse, some children, especially girls, are not only uneducated, but also punished for taking an interest in learning. On October 11, Malala Yousafzai, a 14-year-old girl in Pakistan, was shot by the Taliban for promoting education and expressing a desire to go to school. Although she is now viewed as a national hero, the bullet left her severely wounded and she is now undergoing treatment.

However, she is not the only victim. Many other children who are speaking out about their lack of education face punishments such as death threats and other forms of violence.

The lack of early childhood education is magnified among girls. This issue is so detrimental because it is detrimental the futures of the children involved.

“Since the modern society is based off of education and achievements, not having an education may erase my chances of becoming successful and hinder my abilities to provide for myself,” Elizabeth Teng (11) said.

Additionally, this issue impairs the growth of the countries that uneducated children are from.

SINDHU RAVURI - WINGED POST

reporter

covery Museum (CDM), where it has become an annual celebration in line of Cultural Awareness Initiative Program since last year. Students ranging from ages nine to 16 and all from different cultures are heavily preparing for their performance in the much awaited cultural show.

“This is the second time CDM is conducting this event, largely because of the huge success they had last year,” said Usha Panja, an upper school parent who is both choreographing and training thirty students in the Fashion show segment of the festivities.

“In fact, this year it has been expanded to a two day event,” she said.

“CDM is a unique platform to conduct this fashion show since it brings incredible diversity of participants and audiences which really is something that I enjoy and look forward to.”

CDM, a non-profit organization, provides the students an opportunity to participate in cross cultural activities. Furthermore, it allows them to give back to the community while promoting the message of Diwali to families who are unaware of the celebrations. The fashion show itself celebrates diversity and participants are often given the chance to project their personality. It is not often that kids get an opportunity to drape themselves in colorful Indian attire.

In addition, since these students are helping educate the society about various cultures, the time they spend for this cause can also be used as part of their community service hours.

“We get 10 to 11 hours of community service hours for participating and practicing,” said Avni Barman (10), who is excited to be part of this year’s fashion show.

In addition, Autumn Young, Marketing head of CDM, said that she is anticipating this year’s two-day celebrations due to the great turnout of last year. The event includes the Fashion Show in addition to many community activities such as Diya painting, Dandia (dancing withsticks) painting, story time, dance,

SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST

sindhu ravuri

SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST

Diwali: students celebrate the festival of lights

In the third presidential debate, held on October 22, President Barack Obama emphasized the importance of pressing countries to give women equal rights, particularly with regards to education. “[Recognizing] the rights of women, [...] is critical,” he said. “Countries can’t develop if young women are not given the kind of education that they need.”

Because most children do not encounter this issue around this area, awareness is an important part of resolving it.

“I think that if I were denied an education I’d feel helpless and unable to act on my own,” Tiphaine Delepine (12) said. “I [wouldn’t] feel empowered and self-reliant.”

Tara Rezvani (12) agreed and stressed the importance of gender equality.

“Anyone who wants to learn should have the right to pursue an education,” she said. “I don’t see any valid reason as to why gender should limit a person’s opportunity to learn.”

Foundations such as UNICEF are working to improve education for children world wide.

Through its Millennium Goals Project, the organization is aiming to create universal education by 2015. According to a study conducted during the project, progress towards this goal is being made, however, it is still far from being accomplished, and will most likely not be finished by the time the organization had hoped.

Although it may be commonly overlooked, the large number of uneducated children around the world is a detrimental issue that many large corporations are making efforts to find a solution for.

to know more about their community [and we] enjoy being part of that learning for the community.”

Remembering the fashion show last year, where approximately one thousand audience members had been present, Young gushed with admiration.

“They were so professional and amazing. […] What I liked about it

is the diversity. It’s just not Indian kids but children of every background were part of it. […] And so not only was there a rainbow of rich fabrics but there is rainbow of children,” she said.

CDM’s Diwali Celebrations are being held on November 10 and 11 and is open to all.

14

Lifestyle

November 7, 2012 the Winged Post

samar malik copy editor

1

Hold onto the thrill and excitement of Halloween long after it’s over. Spice up the night with this list of the five must-see thriller movies. From psychological to disturbing and hair-raising films, each caters to a different sect of horror-movie devotees.

The Ring

Truly a classic, The Ring is, simply put, a really creepy movie to watch, and its lack of blood and gore are exactly what deem it as such. A videotape is said to seal the fate of those who dare view it; immediately after watching the tape, viewers receive a phone call where a hauntingly chilling voice tells them they have seven days to live.

The movie centers on Rachel’s (Naomi Watts) investigation of a death supposedly caused by the videotape. Her exploration leads her to an adopted child named Samara Morgan (Daveigh Chase) who has been brutally thrown down a well by her mother. The film’s iconic symbol, the ring, is the last image Samara sees as her mother shuts the lid of the well, a ring of sunlight creeping through. The incredible cinematography and interconnected storyline bring the plot to life. Bits and pieces of the film slowly begin to fall into place as the story progresses, adding to the mysterious ambience. The exploration of the unknown and unexplainable is what makes the movie a standout, considerably more frightening than movies infested with violent killings and gore.

Viewers are truly engulfed in a very disturbing experience, as the film’s eerie atmosphere leaves them cold long after they view it.

2

The Haunting in Connecticut

A horror movie with a quality storyline and believable acting, The Haunting in Connecticut is a must-see film. A family rents a home close to the local hospital for their oldest son, Matthew, (Kyle Gallner) who is a cancer victim.

Unfortunately, the home was a former funeral house whose owner performed frequent and dangerous séances. Upon this discovery, Matthew begins to witness blood-curdling visions and is haunted by spirits trapped in the home. The story continues as the family struggles with the home’s paranormal occurrences and Matthew’s bizarre behavior. Seemingly a typical haunted house movie, The Haunting in Connecticut brings more to the silver screen. An intriguing plot adds a lifelike feel to the film, placing viewers right in the center of the action. Each scene and scary pop-up is valuable to the plot, which is intricate and exhilarating. The Haunting in Connecticut leaves viewers contemplating the storyline long after the film is over.

3 The Uninvited

Drifting away from horrific scenes and chilling incidents, The Uninvited is an invigorating psychological thriller movie. Starring Emily Browning as Anna, a young teen recently released from a mental institution, the film revolves around her crumbling world, the destruction of which is courtesy of her father’s new girlfriend. While the movie contains a few frightening pop-up scenes, its overarching plot surpasses the traditional horror movie spectrum, entering a more surreal realm of thriller filmmaking. The film truly makes its audience think and contemplate the plot long after its over. Movies like this stick with its viewers for a long while; they are sure to remember its unique storyline and idea. With incredible plot twists and in-depth character development, The Uninvited is dangerously addictive and exhilarating, combining a fascinating and well-planned storyline with all the feverish excitement horrormovie fans love.

4

The Grudge

Infamous for its frightening depiction of the “grudge girl,” The Grudge is very much a nightmare caught on film. Karen, played by Sarah Gellar, is an exchange student caring for an elderly, catatonic woman whose previous caretaker mysteriously vanishes. It isn’t long before Karen witnesses strange occurrences around the woman’s house, and she grows determined to discover exactly what causes them. Inevitably, the paranormal events are caused by a curse bestowed upon the woman and her house. While the film is slightly slow-paced, it calls for several bizarre events and sequences to thrill its audience. The eerie atmosphere of the film meshes with its surreal plot to evoke a disturbed and uneasy feeling. However, the film will probably not leave its viewers feeling scared long after they watch it; The Grudge is quite a basic horror film. It is satisfying as a PG13 film, as it delivers light thrills and scares. Those looking for a simple horror film to watch alone or with friends should give The Grudge a chance.

5

Insidious

A horrifying, spine-tingling spectacle about possession and other-world encounters, Insidious is sure to satisfy horror film devotees. A family’s young comatose child, Dalton (Ty Simpkins), has his spirit held captive by a demonlike creature from an alternate world known as The Further. In an attempt to rescue their son, the family seeks assistance from paranormal investigator Elise Rainer (Lin Shaye). The film is resonant of chilling classics, such as The Poltergeist or the Paranormal Activity series in its depiction of unfamiliar and unwelcome psyches crossing the bridge into reality. While the storyline may seem familiar and repetitive, its execution is brilliant. The plot is very well-depicted, every scene leaving the viewers anxious for the next. While the movie isn’t exactly a hardcore shriek-fest, the creepy atmosphere and chilling tone give viewers leeway to feed their own imagination into the film, making it all the more terrifying.

Truly a must-see, Insidious is just the creepy, hair-raising film to entertain a dull and boring night.

Swift Television sing-offs face off Taylor New album has everyone seeing red again American Idol and X-Factor

Boys, breakups, more boys, more breakups, and even more boys. Tween princess Taylor Swift seems to be trapped in an infinite loop. With all her seemingly tumultuous relationships and convoluted love life, Swift manages to sum up everything in one simple word: red. The word, though, leaves listeners speculating its cryptic meaning.

Released on October 22, Swift’s fourth album, Red, at first glance, seems to be nothing but excerpts straight out of a youthful teenage girl’s diary. Despite the trivial sentiments that Swift embraces, she reveals a meaningful and even wistful side. Ultimately, she takes the bold step in reinventing herself, launching a new image that oscillates audaciously along the borders of country and pop.

Swift kicks off her cowboy boots and twirls her cowboy hat goodbye, trading all but a tad of country for modern-day mainstream pop. It’s understandable that artists experiment. In fact, it’s brilliant. And that’s exactly what Swift does. But her experimentation causes her to virtually desert her country roots, leaving little traces of the country charm that once brought her fame.

Commencing with a driving drumbeat and low guitar strums, the first song “State of Grace” sets the stage, exposing notable rock influences and the beginnings of crossed genres. It’s dreamy, complete with soaring vocals, and it’s unlike anything Swift has produced before. Fortunately, she hides any signs of lovesickness, spares listeners from emotional mood swings, and instead presents some good-natured optimism.

Swift, whose music has spanned across various genres over the years, takes a whole new approach in “I Knew You Were Trouble” by doing the unthinkable: dubstep. The song has everyone questioning if it is really Swift behind all the bass synths and heavy beats. Although the dubstep perfectly embodies the “trouble,” Swift undermines her true musicality.

And then there is the ever, ever, blatantly poppy number “We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together.” Topping iTunes and Billboard charts and taking the

by simple instrumentation, one can only think “all love ever does is break and burn and end, but on a Wednesday in a café, [it begins] again.”

Swift is productive, releasing an album every two years and barely satisfying the voracious hunger of her millions of fans. But in the swiftness of producing music, she loses the magic and charisma found in previous works.

Even after an hour of delirious, poppy songs, one thing that Swift never fails to neglect, however, is her raw and confessional songwriting that is translated candidly from her personal experiences. Each song somehow resonates with each and every one of her countless devotees and touches the hearts of millions more.

Overall, Swift’s fearlessness in delving into various musical styles is commendable. As she does so, however, she tends to change according to today’s music industry instead of following her own musical style. Plus, all she ever writes about are boys and love. Love gone wrong, to be exact.

TAYLORSWIFT.COM

TalonWP webmaster

world by storm, the lead single has reached great heights despite its meaningless, nonsensical lyrics: “I hate you, we break up, you call me, I love you.” What? Still, it’s infectious, and it’s got everyone secretly dancing and singing like fools.

Throughout the album, Swift continuously alternates between heartfelt ballads and upbeat dance tunes. She incorporates several party stompers including “22” and “Holy Ground.” Though undeniably catchy, the songs do no justice to Swift’s musical talents. “22” in particular is laden with autotune and is jumbled, chaotic, and outright juvenile.

Despite adding a new spin to her musical style, Swift never fully lets go of her authentic country core. Songs such as “I Almost Do” and “Treacherous” allow Swift to truly shine, bringing back fond memories of past albums. She takes the time to slow down the pace, detailing undying heartaches in classic ballads such as “All Too Well” and the somberly eloquent “Sad Beautiful Tragic.”

Swift also collaborates with musicians including Gary Lightbody, the lead vocalist of Snow Patrol, and Ed Sheeran in “The Last Time” and “Everything Has Changed.” Both tracks flawlessly interweave the respective genres of the featured artists and Swift’s own style, but her vocals fall short in comparison to that of Lightbody’s and Sheeran’s.

Returning to mellow, poignant ballads, the album effortlessly ends with “Begin Again,” which paints a tale of young love. With Swift’s delicate voice accompanied

COUNTRYMUSICROCKS.NET

allison sun

TAYLORSWIFT.COM

the program really engages and draws viewers in. However, he is bothered by the fact reporter that American Idol’s judges “tend to come A quirky 48-year-old woman dodders from mainstream music [… and are] lookonto the illuminated stage of a Glasgow ing for whatever is going to sell well,” allowtheater, eliciting snickers from an audi- ing for artists who possess true “innovative ence of millions. As she introduces herself, promise” to be dismissed as irrelevant.

Rival vocal competitor X-Factor has viewers burst out laughing while judges exonly recently been introduced to American change troubled glances.

However, once she begins singing, a television and is currently in the midst of its wave of astonishment permeates through second season. Despite bearing much simithe crowd of spectators, and her phenom- larity to American Idol, including the fact enal voice earns her an enormous standing that it is produced by ex-American Idol judge ovation. Approximately six months later, Simon Cowell, X-Factor pursued a contrastthe same woman releases her debut album ingly different system and refined each stage of the competition. Modeling its I Dreamed a Dream,, and Susan British counterpart, each Boyle becomes a best-sellcontestant is assigned ing artist as she captia mentor – one of vates listeners around the four judges – the globe. after they advance Such is the manpast the “boot camp” ner in which several phase. The mentors are shows, such as American MUSICCOURTBLOG.COM typically delegated by age Idol and X-Factor,, attempt to group. facilitate undiscovered singers in their Once each of the four judges has derise from struggling musicians to prominent artists. Each show possesses a unique termined which acts they wish to continue process through which they elect their most to the Final 12 live shows, the public can promising vocalists, and ultimately, respec- vote for their favorite performers in a similar method to American Idol. However, once tive winners.

A member of the Idol franchise based the competition progresses into the live in the United Kingdom, American Idol is a shows, judges are able to do more than offer veteran television series, set to begin its 12th critique. Instead, they have the opportunity season in January. After the television series to save one aspiring musician facing elimifirst premiered in 2002, it was wildly suc- nation each week through a “save-me-singcessful, drawing in countless viewers with off ” performance. Indeed, this does lend its way for more controversy, its tremendously original such as when judge Niconcept. By the fifth seacole Scherzinger was son, American Idol was blamed for voting off the the most watched show in young Rachel Crowe, sparkAmerica with an average of ing uproar amongst viewers.

30.3 million people watching X-Factor is “interesteach episode, according to ing and fun to watch,” a report by Robert Seidsophomore Sonali Netke man. Currently, the show BLURREDEDGE.CO.UK said. After hearing of the draws in between 18 to 20 show on Facebook and million viewers for each week’s broadcasts.

Throughout the years, the series has through a friend, she was enticed to watch undergone little structural change. In es- by judges Demi Lovato and Britney Spears, sence, there are three primary elimination both of whom were new additions to this rounds. Advancers of the first two rounds – season. An avid fan of boy band One Directhe initial audition and the Hollywood/Las tion, Sonali has also watched the X-Factor Vegas week – are decided solely by a panel (U.K.) season on which they emerged, conof three to four judges. From the semi-final sidering it proof that artists who participate onward, singers who progress in the compe- in competitions like these have an immense tition are determined by a call or text pub- chance of success within the entertainment lic voting system, and the contestant who industry.

Both shows utilize celebrity judges – receives the least amount of votes is eliminated. There are typically two episodes per a move that senior Preeya Mehta believes week – one for the actual performances, and truly benefits both the vocalists and the seanother for host Ryan Seacrest to announce ries.

“Having the big name behind you […] which competitors will continue on, and that’s going to help you a lot when you need which will go home.

The show is “entertaining because it to break into the music industry,” she said.

American Idol and X-Factor alike have [is] interesting to see […] young people[s’] vitality and desire to perform and […] be realized countless dreams through the seen,” Marc Hufnagl, Department Chair of course of their runs, allowing for singers, who would have been otherwise unknown, English said.

He adds that the competitive edge of to have their voices heard.

tiara bhatacharya

RED (Left and upper right): Swift poses during her photoshoot for the new album, Red, released on October 22. (Lower right): Red fuses the typical country and pop, Swift also incorporates surprising touches of dubstep and rock.

Lifestyle

Nathan Dhablania (11)

“

A

I like winter fashion because I’m able to wear a lot more jackets and sweatshirts compared to just the regular polo during the fall and summer time. There are a lot of variations you can do in the winter and you can mix and match different clothes so its [more fun].

Total:

$ 915

B

A B

”

C D

A

Alternative Apparel, Men’s Hoodlum Pullover Hoodie, $50

B

Moncler, TIB, $550

C

Zara, Faded Jeans, $70

D

Nike, Air Yeezy 2, $245

E

“

November 7, 2012 the Winged Post

Molly Wolfe (12)

BP. Nordstrom, Two Tone Fringe Infinity Scarf, $20

American Eagle, Denim Jacket, $50 Mossimo Supply Co., Juniors Short Sleeve Pocket Vee Tee, $8 Levi’s®, Low Rise Demi Curve Skinny Jeans, $78 UGG®, Lattice Cardy, $160

Total:

$ 316

A

I love wearing boots and jeans in the winter just because it’s really comfy but still really cute, and as it doesn’t get super-cold here in California, you can still dress in light layers. I still like having a jacket on because it can get a little cold in the mornings.

B

C

”

a preview to Winter Fashion

How much are you wearing? mercedes chien

C

lifestyle editor Sweaters, boots, layers. It’s that time of year again. The approaching cold weather could be a fashionista’s dream come true or worst nightmare.

The change in seasons brings a change in wardrobe. According to Alan Soetikno (12), winter is the hardest time of the year to dress up for.

“Looking good while wearing a lot [of layers] is hard, but if it is done right, I think it is the best [fashion] season,” he said.

D

Michael Zhao (9)

15

Notably, winter tends to be affiliated with darker colors including dark purple, black, and navy, whereas summer or spring fashions tend to be filled with pastel or lighter shades. Alan, nevertheless, believes the complexity of winter fashion is what makes him favor it.

Nikita Parulkar (10) agrees.

“I like winter fashion because of the toned down colors in sweaters and because of the warmth and coziness they bring,” she said.

The Winged Post takes a look into how much you can spend on a winter outfit, or not.

D

E

Madhu Nori (10)

* Prices specified are approximated & for similar articles of clothing of the same brand

“

A

A

I wear more layers and a lot of hoodies. I like this weather because unlike in summer, there’s no set amount that you have to wear.”

A B C

Airwalk, Everest Boot Button Down Plaid, $45 Converse® One Star®, Men’s Jeans Barkley, $30 Skechers, Men’s Relaxed Fit: Arcade II - Streamline, $63

Total:

$ 138

B

”

B C

The North Face, Women’s Osito Jacket, $100 American Eagle, Skinny Jean - Pure Dark Indigo, $30 Macy’s®, Lauren by Ralph Lauren Shoes - Janessa Tall Shaft Riding Boots, $200

A

B

Total:

$ 330

“

I like winter fashion because it’s a lot more comfortable and cozy and it feels like people don’t really care about their appearance as much.

”

C

C

ALL PHOTOS AND DESIGN BY MERCEDES CHIEN - WINGED POST

Thanksgiving recipes: Cozy comfort foods anokhi saklecha & karen tu reporters

Spiced Autumn Tea

s5 cups water s5 tea bags s1/2 cup sugar s5 cups apple juice s3 cup cranberry juice s1/4 cup lemon juice s1/8 teaspoon pumpkin spice s1/8 teaspoon cinnamon 1. Boil 2 cups of water 2. Place tea bags in boiling water and let it steep for 10 minutes.

3. In a jug, mix the juices and spices together.

4. Remove the tea bags from the warm water, and add in the sugar and remaining 3 cups of water.

5. Add in the juice and spice mixture.

6. Enjoy!

Scrumptious Banana Bread

s2 cups all-purpose flour s3 ripe bananas-mashed s1/3 cup softened butter s2/3 cup sugar s1 teaspoon baking powder s1/2 teaspoon baking soda s1 teaspoon vanilla s1 teaspoon cinnamon s1 pinch of salt s1 tablespoon of cinnamon-sugar 1.Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 2. Mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together.

3. Cream the butter and sugar.

Mix in the bananas, vanilla and cinnamon.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the mix.

5. Pour the mixture into a 9x5 inch loaf pan.

6. Sprinkle with cinnamon-sugar 7. Bake for 45 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean.

8. Cool for 10 minutes then remove from pan and slice to serve.

9. Enjoy!

With Thanksgiving just around the corner, these delicious and easy recipes can bring to the table a perfect autumn meal complete with the mouthwatering flavors of sweet pumpkin, traditional turkey, and savory vegetables.

Mouthwatering Minestrone Soup

s1 Tablespoon olive oil s1/2 cup chopped onion s1/2 cup diced zucchini s1/2 cup peeled and diced carrots s1/2 cup diced celery s2 garlic cloves minced s1 cup canned cannellini beans s10 fresh garden tomatoes, diced s3 cups water s1 teaspoon salt s1/2 teaspoon dried oregano s1/8 teaspoon fresh coarse ground black pepper s1 teaspoon dried basil s1/4 cup mini shell pasta- uncooked 1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat 2. Saute onions and add to oil.

3. Add garlic, carrots, zucchini, and celery into the oil, and cook until vegetables start to soften.

4. Add in tomatoes, cannellini beans, water, pasta, basil, oregano, salt and pepper.

5. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes.

6. Let cool and enjoy!

Toothsome Turkey Burgers s1 1/4 pounds ground turkey breast s1/4 cup real bacon bits s2 tablespoons vegetable oil s1/2 cup chunky applesauce s1 teaspoon poultry seasoning s2 tablespoons real maple syrup s1/2 teaspoon salt s1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper sHamburger Buns sHamburger condiments s1/4 cup mayonnaise s1 tablespoon Dijon mustard s2 tablespoons real maple syrup 1. Place the turkey, bacon bits, applesauce, seasoning, maple syrup, pepper, and salt in a large bowl. Use your hands to mix them, then shape them into four patties.

2. Pour oil into a large frying pan and place one patty in the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes then flip and cook the other side for another 3 minutes or until it turns a brown color.

3. For the maple-dijon sauce, mix mayonnaise, mustard, and maple syrup in a small bowl.

4. Lastly, just place the patties on the buns with maple-dijon sauce, lettuce, tomatoes, and onions and your burgers are ready to eat!

Palatable Pilgrim Pumpkin COOKIES s2 eggs s1 cup vegetable oil s1 teaspoon vanilla extract s1 (15-ounce) can pumpkin s3 cups flour s1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice s1 teaspoon baking powder s1 teaspoon baking soda s1 teaspoon salt 1. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix eggs, brown sugar, vegetable oil, and vanilla extract in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is smooth.

3. Pour the canned pumpkin in 5 ounces at a time while making sure to stir well before adding the next 5 ounces.

4. In another bowl, combine flour, pumpkin spice, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

5. Add the combined powder to the first mixture half a cup at a time.

Make sure to beat until mixture is smooth and there are no pockets of dry ingredients.

6. Spoon out about one tablespoon of the batter onto a lightly sprayed cookie sheet. Place each cookie at least half an inch apart. You should get around 35 cookies.

7. Bake the cookies for about 15 minutes or until they are solid.

8. Enjoy!

ALL PHOTOS ANOKHI SAKLECHA - WINGED POST

Tech

Measuring social influence

Microsoft unveils new Windows 8 tablet vineet kosaraju & rahul jayaraman ing, but it also reportedly boots up On October 26, Microsoft made its brand-new, top-of-theline OS (operating system) Windows 8, available to the public.

On the same day, Microsoft also released its Surface tablet to the public. Announced in July, it was Microsoft’s first foray into the computing hardware market.

“The Surface is a PC, the Surface is a tablet and the Surface is something new that we think people will really love,” said Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, at the unveiling of the new tablet in mid-June.

The tablet can be ordered with two different operating systems: Windows 8 and Windows RT. Windows RT is essentially the same as Windows 8, but it only lets Windows Store apps run on the device; also, RT is specifically designed for mobile computing.

Windows 8’s main features include a redesigned user interface with touchpad support, updated security, user login, and a Windows Store. Microsoft is optimistic about these upgrades and believes that this revolutionary software will change the way that users can interact. The main update of Windows 8 is its departure from the Classic theme to a new “Metro” theme dependent on interactive tiles. This lets consumers use Windows 8 on multiple devices.

“Whether you are using Windows 8 with touch, mouse and keyboard, or both, Windows 8 is designed to be highly intuitive and easy to use. Your favorite apps, even your favorite people can be pinned to the start screen for easy access,” aid Britta Lokting, a Microsoft spokesperson, in an e-mail interview with The Winged Post. “Live tiles keep you always up to date. Best of all, Windows 8 will work the same and offer the same great experience on whichever form factor is right for you.”

Another feature of Windows 8 is its redesigned start screen and menu.

Not only is it more aesthetically pleas-

55 percent faster than Windows 7.

One part of the new OS is a home screen with tiles and panels representing different applications, which can be opened with just a click. When asked about the new operating system, Harker students had different views.

“My opinion is that it is pretty good, and is a big advancement and a big leap from Windows 7 […] I think that the change is better and Windows 8 is a new step and is much better than the original format,” Kaushik Sankar (9) said.

However some think that the upgrade is a huge risk for the software behemoth. Despite the sleek new look and feel, some users believe that it is confusing and hard to operate, especially considering the two different interfaces. Microsoft has also added a new security feature where all applications have to be downloaded from the Windows Store. The ramifications of this extra security are that downloading and using applications may become a hassle.

“It is a good attempt by Microsoft, but in the long run, I don’t think it will make an impact on the tablet, smartphone, or mobile market in general,” Vikas Bhetanabhotla (11) said.

On the other hand, the Surface is a unique innovation that has a few minor flaws that can be easily rectified

by Microsoft during the next release.

When testing the Surface at the Microsoft Store at Valley Fair, we felt that the Surface was rather unwieldy to hold, but it would be excellent to be used on a table horizontally, when it looks like a slate. With a keyboard, it looks like a netbook. We also felt that the USB port and the microSDXC slot added a computer-like aspect to this tablet. However, the charging port leaves a lot to be desired; it takes many tries to put in the cable correctly. The volume buttons are also rather difficult to use, but the volume is scaled from 1 to 100, unlike the iPad, which has around 10 to 15 dots for volume; this allows

Mythbusters exhibit

vedant thyagaraj reporter RAHUL JAYARAMAN - WINGED POST

reporters

IPAD COMPETITOR The Microsoft Surface, released two weeks ago, features Windows 8 and a Type Cover. Students have started to use this tablet in lieu of other, traditional tablets on which they used to store their e-books.

for more precise volume adjustment.

The touchscreen is extremely fast and responsive, and it allows the user to pause in between two screens. It is also crystal-clear, much more so than the iPad. The multitasking reminds us of the Nexus 7’s method of opening background apps: it presents a thumbnail that expands to fill the screen. Unfortunately, Internet Explorer, the bane of many users, is the only browser available at first, though, we must admit, the tablet version is much better than any desktop version of Internet Explorer.

The VaporMg case is light, and there is even a “kickstand” at the back to help it stay upright while working with a keyboard. The Touch Cover is rather difficult to get used to because there is no visible depression of the keys after they are pressed, but the Type Cover is much better (and it’s only $10 more).

Accessories to the Surface include a Touch Cover and a Type Cover. A Touch Cover is similar to the Appleproduced Smart Cover for the iPad, but it includes pressure-sensitive points that correspond to the keys on a traditional computer keyboard and even a trackpad, all attached to the tablet using a strong magnet. Cus-

tomers also have the option to purchase a Type Cover, which includes traditional, depressing keyboard keys and a trackpad like ones on laptops.

Unfortunately, the Touch Cover is rather difficult to use: if there is even a minor slip of the finger, the wrong letter could be typed. If someone plans on purchasing a Surface, we recommend a Type Cover: for $10 extra, it is worth the investment. It barely contributes to the thickness of the tablet.

The tablet costs $499 for the base 32 GB version, $599 for a 32 GB version with a Touch Cover, and $699 for a 64GB version with a Touch Cover. Separately, the Touch Cover costs $119, and the Type Cover, $129.

Windows 8 and the Surface are both bold and risky moves on Microsoft’s part. Most users think that Windows 8’s excellent touch input, multi-platform support, two-in-one operating system (tablet and PC), global app store, and the aesthetically pleasing interface make it one of the more modern innovative OS’s. Likewise, despite the charging port and Internet Explorer, the Surface may prove to be a viable competitor the iPad and other similarly sized tablets.

TRISHA JANI - WINGED POST

New Tech Museum exhibit gives visitors and show fans a hands-on approach to science

CAGE The Mythbusters used this bone cage to bust the myth of pirates in “Pirates of the Carribean: Dead Man’s Chest” swinging a similar cage to safety. This exhibit displayed various props used by the Mythbusters in their hit TV show.

trisha jani features editor Have you ever wondered if you get more wet by running or walking in the rain? How about what happens if you drive blindfolded?

Perhaps you want to know if bread always falls butter-side down?

To confirm or bust these myths, plan a visit to MythBusters: The Explosive Exhibition at the Tech Museum, which runs until January 6. This innovative and engaging exhibit, based off of Discovery Channel’s Emmy-nominated series, MythBusters, gives visitors a hands-on experience in exploring myths through a scientific thought process.

The exhibit entrance, called “The Blueprint Room,” displays many authentic props and inventions used by MythBusters co-hosts Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman in the show. This is especially delightful for any avid MythBusters watchers, as it brings back memories of previous myths that have been cracked on the television series.

The main hall of the exhibit,dubbed “The Workshop,” has a dozen handson exhibits that allow guests to try and bust myths. These exhibits emphasize the necessity of the following the sci-

entific method during experimentation.

One particularly large and crowded exhibit is “Big Bad Wolf,” which introduces the idea of architectural design; the object of this exhibit was to use small building blocks to design structure that can withhold the artificial gust of wind.

A personal favorite exhibit was “Butterside Up”. This consists of four interactive displays to bust the common myth that bread always lands butter side down. Each display tests the effect of different variables: size and weight, spin, speed, and height, and how it affects the position in which the bread falls.

The best aspect of the “Butterside Up” exhibit was that it highlights the necessity of planning an experiment before execution, a major element in scientific exploration. The exhibit encourages guests to develop a hypothesis, identify potential variables, keep track of data, and establish a conclusion.

One particularly intriguing exhibit was “Running in the Rain,” which aimed to bust the myth that running in the rain gets people wetter than walking in the rain. In the display, guests could walk and run through a tunnel with artificial rain. Ultraviolet light displayed water droplets on clothing, which allowed for comparison.

A final exhibition showcase was the MythBusters Demonstration Stage, where guests had the opportunity to participate in live experiments conducted by MythBusters representatives. The purpose of the show, called “Can You Dodge A Paintball,” was to test whether humans react to light or sound better; once that was determined, a member from the audience would try to dodge a paintball as they were given either an audio or visual signal. The energy and excitement of the moderators added to the enjoyable show experience.

Quirky, novel experiments such as these make the experience entertaining and enjoyable. It is indeed exciting to witness firsthand the ingenuity and insight of the MythBusters creators. That being said, there is still room for improvement.

Some exhibits required the cooperation of two people; that is, if you are visiting the exhibit alone, it is not possible to partake in all of the activities. For example, visitors at the “Running in the Rain” exhibit must compare the number of droplet that fell on them with the number that fell on someone else. Similarly, another exhibit, “Can you Drive Blindfolded,” required the participation of two people.

A major problem with the entire showcase was that the explanations of the phenomenon were either not discussed or overly simplified. When the exhibits gave their results, they did not explain how or why, which misses the major point of scientific learning.

For example, the exhibit did not fully discuss why bread tends to fall butter-side down. It attributes the phenomenon to Murphy’s Law but could have gone further to discuss physical properties such as rotation, momentum, and inertia.

In the “Airplane on a Conveyor Belt” exhibit, guests can control the speeds of a conveyor belt, airplane wheels, and propeller to cause an airplane to lift. The exhibit only stated that the ground speed of a plane does not affect the takeoff but did not mention how or why the airplane’s propellers work to create lift.

Although these hands-on activities are engaging, their educational value is short-lived if they do not effectively explain scientific concepts so that guests can actually retain them.

Some exhibits were outright silly and had no scientific value. For example, in the “Change Like a Superhero” exhibit, guests wore a costume over their clothes and tried to strip back down.

Another exhibit, “Killer Card Toss,” shows good technique for throwing cards “like a professional.” The technique may be related to science, but the idea bears no scientific significance: how is it ever going to affect society?

Exhibits that displayed a phone book swing and allowed guests to dodge a bullet to get their reaction times are often featured in other museums. MythBusters has cracked so many myths; they could have easily replaced these exhibits with ones guests had never seen before in other places.

Although the exhibit is intended for all ages, it was mostly filled with younger children, who would often crowd the hands-on experiments. Nevertheless, the exhibits are still engaging for visitors of all ages.

The MythBusters exhibit is definitely worth a visit for anyone who wants to engage in engaging scientific learning. Tickets are $12 for ages 12 to 17 and $22 for adults. The exhibit is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily.

Klout, a San Francisco-based company founded in 2008, which has gained traction in recent years, provides a service by the same name that allows users to measure their influence across different social media networks and among their friends.

In order to use Klout, users must first connect their social network to the service, which then does some “data crunching” and reports a score. That score is based on a scale of one to 100, with 100 being the most influential. This number is not determined by the volume of a user’s post; it is decided based on how much time a user spends and interacts in social media services, such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+.

The average Klout score is 40.

According to Pew Research Center, a non-profit that provides information on American trends, more than 1.44 billion people use social networks.

“I think most people use social media these days and they’re becoming overly dependent on it every day,” said Samantha Madala (10).

Social networking started in the 1990s with Classmates.com, a website that allowed users to connect with old school friends. Then in

“

I think most people use social media these days, and they’re becoming overly dependent on it every day.

“

16

November 7, 2012 the Winged Post

Samantha Madala (10)

2003, MySpace was created. Facebook launched in 2004 but was only opened for public use in 2006, the same year that Twitter was started.

2011 saw the launch of Google’s social networking service, Google+.

So far, Klout has mainly been used recreationally by people who are interested in viewing their influence on social networks. However, it has received mixed reception in its application towards the student population.

“I think [Klout] a cool way to just compare scores between friends and famous figures rather than something that can be practically applied,” Varun Gudapati (12) said. “Unfortunately, I do not think it distinguishes between the type of influence you have.”

Although the idea is unique, some students believe Klout may not be entirely useful to them. Influence, to them, is prominent only in the real world and social media influence is insignificant.

However, some students do see Klout as a potentially useful service for the school as a whole. “[Klout] may not be helpful for students individually, but if people made pages for sports teams or clubs, then we could determine the influence of certain organizations on the [student] body,” Zabin Bashar (10) said.

He also mentioned that this idea could be extended to anything from selecting food menus to the appeal of certain ideas.

By determining their influence on the school, through services such as Klout, students would be able to better express their ideas and thoughts on subjects they care about.

Other ways to watch TV and movies

Tech

November 7, 2012 the Winged Post

Embrace project

Students prefer streaming websites dora tzeng reporter

Hulu.com offers free television shows, movies, and clips with unlimited streaming online. However, Hulu. com typically offers only the previous five episodes that aired on television.

Subscribers to Hulu Plus can watch all episodes from the current season as well as past seasons for some shows.

To access Hulu on mobile phones, gaming consoles, tablets, televisions, and other devices, users must subscribe to Hulu Plus for $7.99 a month. The videos Hulu provide comes from more than 410 content companies including FOX, National Geographic, and Warner Bros.

Kristen Park (9) prefers Hulu.com due to its ease of use.

“All of the episodes come out the next day after they’re first aired, so that’s convenient, and ads are generally shorter than just watching it on TV,” she said.

Hulu also features different tools to help organize viewers’ shows including Queue, Favorites, and Bookmarks.

Users can easily add clips and episodes to their Queue by hovering over a video and clicking on the “Add to Queue” button. The Queue saves videos to watch later, and users can even adjust their settings to receive notifications when a clip is about to expire.

Adding a show to Favorites allows new episodes to be automatically added to the Queue.

Lastly, Hulu also offers Recommendations which appear under the Browse tab. Users have the option to Bookmark a show to watch later, which will be saved on their Recommendations page.

The main advantage that Hulu offers is that users can watch shows and movies for free on Hulu.com.

Hulu, Netflix, and Amazon Instant Video are some of the popular online video services that serve as alternatives to television for students. Instead of going to the movie theater to catch a movie or always watching their favorite show when it airs on TV, students can easily access them with one of these three services.

Similarly to Hulu Plus, Netflix charges $7.99 a month for unlimited streaming of movies and television shows on game consoles, mobile devices, televisions, and other devices as well. Users can instantly stream shows and movies online or to their television.

According to their website, Netflix’s selection consists of thousands of movies and television shows and has over 30 million streaming members worldwide, including users in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Latin America, and Ireland.

For an extra $7.99 a month, users can also sign up to receive unlimited DVDs by mail. There are no due dates or late fees, but only one DVD can be rented at a time. With the unlimited DVDs option, users will also be able to choose from a broader collection of television shows and movies.

Chirag Aswani (10) uses Netflix instead of Hulu because Netflix offers a larger collection.

“Netflix offers more of a variety than Hulu because Hulu focuses more on TV shows, and Netflix [has] TV shows and movies, so I guess Netflix is a bit better,” he said.

Molly Wolfe (12), a self-proclaimed “Netflix Instant addict,” also prefers Netflix but for several different reasons.

“I can catch up [on seasons I missed], and I like that it’s always available on my TV because it’s really easy to access,” she said. “I like that I can watch it on my TV instead of my computer because I hate the tiny little screen [on my computer].”

Unlike Hulu, Netflix is only accessible in the US and Japan, not worldwide.

17

By far the least popular among students, Amazon Instant Video is a relatively new service. Instant Video is accessible on the Kindle Fire HD, gaming consoles, computers, and several other devices.

Those who have Amazon Prime, a membership that provides unlimited two-day shipping and other shipping options for $79 a year, receive Instant Video for free. However, Amazon Prime members are only allowed access to part of the tens of thousands of movies and television shows included in the Instant Video, according to Amazon.

Brian Tuan (11) has an Amazon Prime membership and occasionally watches movies on Instant Video.

“Netflix is my first choice,” he said. “I think [of ] Amazon [as] more of a [website for] buying things; I don’t necessarily think of Amazon as a content provider.”

Users have the option to rent movies for $2.99 for 30 days, or buy a movie or television show. The videos show up in “Your Video Library,” and rentals will disappear once they expire.

Prime members can only watch videos by streaming and need to be connected to the Internet while Instant Video users can download movies and television shows.

The iOS App Store and Google Play both offer Hulu Plus and Netflix while the the iOS App Store recently released Amazon Instant Video this summer. Though Instant Video does not have as big of a collection as Hulu or Netflix, Amazon Prime members will prefer Instant Video over the other two services. On the other hand, students may favor Hulu or Netflix over Instant Video for the sake of convenience.

kacey fang copy editor What if there were a possibility of producing a reusable and entirely sanitary baby diaper? The product would be cost-efficient, allowing for use in third-world countries, and the amount of used diapers to be disposed of would be drastically cut.

Following the Infant Warmer, the reusable diaper is a design still under development by Embrace, an organization dedicated to helping infants survive and thrive. Through school clubs Women in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (WiSTEM) and Students for Charitable Causes (SFCC), two groups of sophomores are supporting the organization through fundraising and technical collaboration. SFCC will raise money to support Embrace and WiSTEM members will have a chance to contribute to the design of the diaper.

Sophia Shatas (10) first learned about the diaper product approximately six months ago through her contact with the organization.

Through volunteering with its offices in San Francisco since seventh grade, she was able to transfer her experience into initiating the projects at school. “[My contact] said that she is in charge of the fundraising aspect of Embrace, so then I offered for our school to do a fundraiser. That’s now my current project. And then I also realized that WiSTEM had the capability of doing technical projects for Embrace as well,” she said.

Currently, SFCC has adopted Embrace as the recipient for funds that will be raised at the club’s annual garage sale in the spring. After several organizations were brought up by members of the club at the beginning of the year, the club reached a nearly unanimous decision to support Embrace. “[In addition to fundraising,] we also plan on contacting their offices in San Francisco, and actually volunteering there for a day and interacting with them and trying to trace the money after we send it to them so we can actually see where it goes,” Glenn Reddy (10) said. “That was one

of the primary pluses of doing a local organization because in the past we’ve done some organizations internationally, and while they’re all great organizations, we send the money, and there’s less feedback, and we don’t get to see where the money goes.”

Glenn hopes that the money donated by SFCC will either go towards assisting Embrace’s research or towards spreading the products to third-world countries.

Meanwhile, in WiSTEM, a circle of students hopes to arrange contact with engineers working for the organization in India. Ideally, they would be able to contribute to the design of the reusable diaper by drafting possibilities within the circle and listing certain necessary attributes. Currently, the project is still in its preliminary stages.

While Embrace may not adopt the entire design, it would serve as one of WiSTEM’s technical projects.

“We really think that everyone can be technical and should be if they have access to the right resources. It’s not limited to those kids who have the opportunity and know how to get into being technical from middle school. It’s something that people can learn and discover throughout their life and we want to give them the opportunity to come up with their own project,” co-president Sonia Gupta (12) said.

Since approaching the two clubs with the projects, Sophia has transferred her responsibility as contact between Embrace and the school. Serena Wang (10), the new contact for WiSTEM’s side, is in charge of communicating with Embrace’s representative through email and will hopefully be able to arrange for video-chatting sessions with the engineers in India.

“I so often ask questions about Embrace, [and] I still look up to Sophia,” Serena said. “I really anticipate that we’re going to do something worthwhile and really meaningful.”

As the reusable diaper is still a developing project, students interested in both science and global impact may have a direct opportunity to influence its creation through either fundraising or design.

Headphones: Important factors to consider It is finally time. You have decided that those generic headphones that came with your MP3 player or phone just aren’t going to cut it anymore, and you need to find a better pair to purchase. A simple decision, seemingly, until you consider the abundance of models on the market.

With so many choices, it is easy to become overwhelmed; the key is knowing which features best suit your needs. Lay-users

Sound Quality: Sound quality encompasses both technical aspects of headsets as well as personal preference. According to Dr. Nicole E. Conrad, a Doctor of Audiology, sound quality depends on a headset’s noise isolation and frequency range, or the range of sounds it can produce.

Technical factors aside, however, she added that sound quality can mean different things for different people.

“To be honest, sound quality can be a very subjective measure. Ultimately, it comes down to your ears and your preference,” said Conrad in an email interview.

In a poll of 118 students, 46

Wireless: For headphone users, dealing with the wire running from the mp3 player to the headset can be annoying. To combat this problem, companies such as Motorola, Planatronics, and LG have integrated Bluetooth into headsets, connecting them to compatible phones or music players.

Universal technologies such as Bluetooth allow a pair of headphones to connect to virtually any other Blue-

vivek bharadwaj

can be perfectly content with mid-range headsets that meet their needs, while true audiophiles may settle for nothing less than a heavy-duty pair with sound par excellence. Below is a poll of 118 students about which factors they consider most when buying headphones. Whatever your type, these common factors can help you decide which headset is right for you.

reporter

Form Factor: Even with amazing listening qualities, good headsets should have good form as well as function. Headphones such as Beats by Dr. Dre turn homely

12 percent considered sound quality the most important factor when purchasing a new pair of headphones. Good sound quality ensures the highs, lows, and different components of music or speech can be heard audibly.

“I listen to a lot of music, and I like to really hear the different elements of [the music],” Sean Nachnani (11) said.

Good headsets should have clear, sharp audio. Bass should be rendered powerfully and audibly.

Headphones with subwoofers can deliver a better than average bass experience, but the high and often jarring volume may not suit all users.

tooth compatible device. Some students believe wireless headphones are the future of headset technology.

“We’re living behind wires, [and] we’re not going to be using wires anymore. Everything is going wireless,” said Ankur Karwal (9), who believes Bluetooth is the most important factor in picking a headset. However, Bluetooth headsets are rendered useless in airplanes or other areas where wireless connections are prohibited.

54

118

18 13

students

2

19

Comfort: Wearing heavy, bulky, and uncomfortable headphones for hours on end can be annoying and tiresome, making comfort a paramount factor in headphones for several students.

“I don’t really mind if the sound quality is even lower.

I still like the comfort headphones give you because I just don’t want to have prickly [headphones] over my head,” Suraj Jagadeesh (9) said.

A set’s headband can either fit over the head or around the neck, and it’s important to determine ahead of time which

headsets into fashion statements with their bright colors, elegant design, and iconic “b” logo. In addition, effective headsets should be portable and easy to store. Folding models, which allow headsets to fit inside portable carrying cases, are a good idea in this respect.

styles are most comfortable. Certain headsets do away with the headband completely and instead have two disjoined ear-pads secured with over-ear loops similar to ear-buds.

For those truly concerned with headphone ergonomics, customfitted headphones are also an option. “[They are a] good physical fit during activities, such as running or hiking, [and] the accurate seal improves the quality of sound because the low frequencies do not leak out of the ear canal,” Conrad said. Such headphones, though, require ear impressions as well as an additional two-week processing time, not to mention the extra cost of both an audiologist appointment and a more expensive headset.

Price: It’s inevitable: the better a headset’s features, the more it is likely to cost.

Headset prices range from about $20 for models such as the Sony MDR-ZX100, to $300 for the most expensive Beats models. Finding a balance between features and budget is key, which can mean sacrificing less important features or shelling out extra cash for better quality.

Noise Reduction: No matter the sound quality, outside noises can ruin your listening experience. Headphones with noise-cancelling abilities use special ear-pads, electronic silencing, or a combination of both to create “personal bubbles” for their users

by softening background noise. As a corollary effect, headphones with this quality partially eliminate the need to “turn it up” in noisy situations, and “can help reduce the risk of listening at unsafe levels,” according to Dr. Conrad. Some users use noise-canceling headphones for silence in loud areas, such as airplanes, trains, or cars.

Kevin Moss (11) Football

Sports Kristine Lin (11) Golf

ATHLETES of the MONTH

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A player on the Varsity football team, Kevin Moss is one of the Athletes of the Month as well.

Kevin completed the season with a total of 586 receiving yards, 123 of which were during an away game with Fremont High School, and made a total of seven receiving touchdowns. He has also made a total of 39 receptions and 47 tackles: 31 solos and 16 asanishka agarwal sists. Additionally, at the game against Fremont High reporter School, Kevin contributed 16 points to the final score.

Not only has Kevin exhibited his skill as a player during games, but he has also proved himself as a teammate.

“Kevin Moss is the consummate of teammate.

He is very unselfish. He shows up everyday [and] the guys can count on him. He, in both practice and in games, gives you his best effort every single play,” Head Coach Ron Forbes said. “He cares more about the people around him than he does of himself.”

Last year, Kevin was one of two sophomores on varsity and has continued to show improvement.

According to Forbes, this season has been his best season yet, as he has caught more touchdown passes and was a major playmaker on defense. Forbes believes that Kevin is very important to the team in all phases of the game.

As a multiple-year member of the varsity team, he is often looked up to by fellow teammates.

“He is a natural leader. […] He shows us what to do and what it takes,” teammate Adarsh Battu (11) said. “He motivates us all with his daily jokes and that really brings this light-heartedness.”

Forbes and Kevin’s teammates both look forward ATHLETES OF THE MONTH Kevin Moss and Kristine Lin both compete in their respective sport. Dodging his opponents during his game against Kevin (#22) is a team player and led to seeing him play as a senior. by example during games and practices throughout the season. Kristine has made history by becoming the first girls golf league champion in the school’s history. Both athletes will continue to play their senior year, and Kristine hopes to pursue golf at the collegiate level.

SF Giants: World Series Champions

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November 7, 2012 the Winged Post

Junior Kristine Lin is one of the Athletes of Month for her accomplishments as a member of the Varsity girls golf team.

She was West Bay Athletic League’s player of the year, meaning she was the best golfer in the entire league this year. Furthermore, she won the league championships after shooting two over 73 at Popular Creek and placed 38 out of 90 participants at Central Coast Section (CCS).

Out of her 10 matches, she earned medalist honors in seven of them, making her the best golfer in those matches.

“Kristine has always been a very good golfer, but her most improved qualities are her mental toughness and her attitude towards the sport and the team,” Head Coach Ie-Chen Cheng said. “Kristine learned how to recover from bad shots and bad days, and that’s key to becoming a successful golfer. She had to learn not to give up.”

Kristine became the first female golfer at the Upper School to win the regular season individual title, following in senior Maverick McNealy’s footsteps.

As a varsity member for the past three years, she continues to display leadership qualities.

“She has played a pivotal role in helping with the young and inexperienced golfers,” Cheng said. “[Kristine] takes time during practice to teach them what she knows and is very patient with them.”

Kristine was a major part in leading the team to their best finish in five years placing 2nd after beating Menlo High School and Sacred Heart Prep.

Cheng believes the key factor to Kristine’s success is her work ethic. Kristine sees her swing coach weekly and practices on both weekdays and weekends. She also participates in junior league tournaments during the summer to get used to competing.

Injuries on teams

5 sports teams preserve in the face of setbacks dora tzeng & karen tu

VICTORY In the top of the 6th inning, The San Francisco Giants defend against the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 6 of the National League Championship Series. The game took place on October 21 at AT&T Park, with an attendance of 43,070 people.

juhi gupta

TalonWP photo editor The Detroit Tigers’ right-handed weapon, Miguel Cabrera stands at bat at Comerica Park in downtown Detroit with two outs in the bottom of the tenth inning. Giants’ closer Sergio Romo is poised at the pitchers mound, breathing slowly with intense focus and determination. With two strikes, two balls, and a foul on the board, Romo pitches a four-seam fastball at 89 mph. As Cabrera strikes out, the entire crowd is silent. But the city of San Francisco goes wild.

With riots in the streets and a parade setting a Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) all-time ridership record, the San Francisco Giants 2012 World Series win on October 28 resulted in phenomenal record-breaking, a number of surprises, and overthe-top celebration.

Their revolutionary postseason journey started with the National League Division Series (NLDS) against the Cincinnati Reds from October 6 to 11.

The Giants lost the first and second games at home at AT&T Park; Game 3, however, started a streak.

The Giants won all six elimination games that they faced through the NLDS and the National League Championship Series (NLCS), and transformed under the pressure of impending defeat. Forcing a Game 4 and 5 against the Reds after defeating them in Game 3 of the NLDS, the Giants emerged victorious from an initial 2-0 Reds score through winning three consecutive games on the road in a best-of-five series, a feat in baseball history that has never been accomplished before, according to STATS LLC. The Giants ended the NLDS with a score of 3-2; the last three games also marked the first of their two winning three-eliminationgame streaks. For less avid baseball fans, the Giants NLCS progression revitalized their interest in the sport.

“I remember freshman year, when they won in the 2010 World Series, I was so excited for them,” Namrata Vakkalagadda (11) said. “This year […] I started following every single game starting from the NLCS.” Their glory from their NLDS win was shortlived, though, as October 14 brought Game 1 of the NLCS against the St. Louis Cardinals – the 2011 World Series Champions. The Cardinals claimed the win. In spite of this loss, the Giants redeemed themselves at Game 2 with a 7-1 score.

Game 3 moved the teams to Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri, where the Giants were once again outdone by the 3-1 Cardinals result.

“They played really hard and it was a close game, so I was proud of the Giants. I know they can come back,” Sarah Bean (10) said about the Giants’ NLCS Game 3 loss.

Down 2-1 in the series, the Giants suffered defeat once again with a 3-8 score in Game 4

against the Cardinals’ unexpected offensive prowess. Game 5 of the NLCS marked the first of the second three-elimination-game streak that the Giants stepped up to win, with starter Barry Zito bringing them back to San Francisco with a 5-0 win.

Game 6 at AT&T Park began with enthusiastic crowd cheers of “Rally Vogey,” a trend used to show spirit for the Giants’ starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong. Making most of their runs in the second inning, the Giants beat out the Cardinals 6-1.

Game 7 followed a similar path, where the 9-0 score at the hands of Matt Cain clinched the NLCS victory for the Giants, sending them to the 2012 World Series as the National League team.

The first World Series game fell on October 24 at AT&T Park, where the Giants played their American League counterpart, the Detroit Tigers. The Tigers had already swept the New York Yankees six days before in the American League Championship Series (ALCS). The Giants played Game 1 with only a day of rest, but still beat the Tigers 8-3.

The highlight of the game and the reason for their success could be powerhouse Pablo Sandoval, who hit three home runs in his first three times at bat with four RBIs (runs batted in) in total. One of only four people in baseball history ever to hit three homers in a World Series game, Sandoval was also named Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the 2012 World Series.

Effectively the deciding factor on the winner of the series, Game 4 on October 28, an elimination game for the Tigers, was more suspenseful. With a score of 3-3 by the bottom of the 9th, the game was extended to the 10th inning, where Ryan Theriot of the Giants made the winning run.

Ending with Sergio Romo as their closer and a 4-3 score, the Giants established themselves as the 2012 World Series Champions. As Buster Posey sprinted from behind home plate to envelop Romo in a fervent hug, the entire team ran onto the field to celebrate their second World Series win in two years – the first being in 2010 against the Texas Rangers.

“I’ve watched them rise, I’ve watched them fall. […] I’m so happy right now; [the Giants] definitely deserve to win,” Jeton Gutierrez-Bujari (10) said. “Everybody believed that the Tigers were going to totally destroy them, and in reality the Giants just pulled through like they do every year.”

The San Francisco Giants parade was held on October 31, moving down Market Street with an estimated attendance of over 1 million people. According to MLB.com, the Giants’ regular season will start on April 2, 2013, against the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Limping on crutches, sporting tape while jogging, and icing a shoulder: these are only three representations of many sports injuries this year.

Many of the fall sports teams have suffered injuries, including the football team, cross country team, Varsity volleyball team, Varsity tennis team, and both boys’ and girls’ water polo teams.

According to Dr. Jeffrey Blue from ProTrainingRoom Sports, who also works with the Upper School, the most common injury among high school athletes is an ankle sprain. However, football can cause more serious injuries.

“In football, unfortunately, you see a lot of head trauma [and] concussions,” Blue said.

After being out for four weeks with a torn meniscus, which is a structure that provides cushion in the knee, Sravan Rajathilak (11) is ready to return to the playing field. He treatment consisted of surgery as well as physical therapy.

“After the surgery, I rested [my knee] for a week and rehabbed it with Jaron [Olson] to strengthen the knee and the muscles around it,” Sravan said.

Adarsh Battu (11) admits that these injuries can be discouraging but still maintains hope.

“In the short run, it is a little of a morale damper, but then you see people you didn’t expect to play in that position surprise everybody,” he said. “That makes you feel like our team can take anything.”

Like Sravan, Renu Singh (11), a player on the Varsity volleyball team, had to get surgery for a nasal fracture and was out for the last half of the season. She was elbowed in the nose during practice and was rushed to the Emergency Room.

“Right now, I’m just waiting out the six weeks, and after that I want to do club [volleyball] because I miss [it],” Renu said. “I still want to improve for senior year.”

Meanwhile, the cross country team has had less injuries than last year, with some shin splints and a few knee injuries.

“I always have the philosophy I’d rather undertrain than overtrain,” said cross country head coach Scott Chisam. “There are a lot of coaches who would rather overtrain, so if they have twenty people on the team, ten will be hurt, but ten will be fast, and I don’t subscribe to that.”

Chisam advises athletes to keep in shape and gradually build the amount they train as shin splints are from intense training.

A few new runners have experienced difficulties this season.

“The people with injuries couldn’t practice as much as the people without [injuries...] and sometimes couldn’t compete in the meets,” Gerry Zhou (11) said.

This year, the Varsity girls’ tennis team has generally avoided injuries as well.

“We haven’t been too decimated by injuries, and we’re lucky in that regard,” said Craig Pasqua, Head Coach of the Varsity tennis team.

However, Sophia Luo (9) was forced to quit the team as a result of a right shoulder rotator cuff sprain. She spent the majority of her summer playing tennis and improved her serve, but it ultimately hurt her shoulder.

“Now if I stretch my right shoulder in certain ways, it hurts like crazy,” Sophia said.

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OVERCOMING THE PAIN Anna Levine (11) walks on crutches after hurting her the sole of her foot during water polo practice by stepping on an anchor for the pool covers. Anna still played in the games after this and even scored

Her recovery plan consists of resting, stretching, and using a special Chinese medicine patch.

Pasqua advises athletes to warm up well, to cool down after exercising, and to stretch in order to replenish their muscles. In addition, he strongly urges athletes to be cautious.

“If you feel a twinge, listen to your body,” he said. “If you feel something [that’s not right], then don’t do it.”

Due to water polo being an extremely physical sport, some players have sustained injuries.

Aside from some common problems including chronic shoulder and knee injuries, a few freak accidents have resulted in concussions and other blunt trauma injuries.

“The student athlete’s health is the first and foremost concern,” said Varsity boys water polo head coach, Ted Ujifusa.

Athletes have been benched through many games for their own safety, which coaches have noted can have an affect on the team as a whole.

“When we have a starter or somebody who’s out, it definitely changes the team mentality,” said Allison Lamb, head coach of theVarsity girls water polo team.

However, the replacements for the injured players are able to effectively fill in their places, and the team won the league championship.

Olson, the Upper School Athletic Trainer, believes that the best way to prevent injuries is to be prepared.

“Just be in good shape, [utilize] our strength and conditioning programs that we have at this school, [enter] the season with a good amount of flexibility, [...] strength, and coordination,” he said. “I think that’s the best way to prevent injuries, just preparation.”

Although sports teams have been affected by injuries, the athletes and coaches are still working hard to make the best of their season and many have qualified for Central Coast Section (CCS) Championships in spite of these setbacks.

Sports

November 7, 2012 the Winged Post

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alyssa amick & shay lay-hosain TalonWP online editor & reporter

As the fall season draws to a close, five sports are competing in the Central Coast Section (CCS) Championships.

Volleyball: On November 1, the Varsity girls volleyball team’s victory over MercyBurlingame secured them a spot in CCS. The team was also crowned trichampions of the league along with Crystal Springs Upland and MercyBurlingame.

Despite struggling with injuries this season, the team prevailed in the end, even with a limited number of players.

Selin Ekici (9) moved from the JV team to the Varsity team mid-season, compensating for missing players.

However, neither this, nor the lack of seniors hindered the team.

“We have put in a lot of work and heart to reach our goals and it feels incredible to have achieved them,” Caroline Howells (10) said. “We had no idea how much we were going to accomplish this season and we are excited to go even further [next year].”

With no seniors, the team hopes to build off their success of this year for an even better season next year.

They play today at 7 p.m. at Blackford.

Cross Country: At the final league meet at Crystal Springs in Belmont, four cross country runners qualified for the CCS meet.

Though neither the female nor male team qualified as a group, the female team missed it by a third of a second.

Corey Gonzales (10) placed second, setting a new school record of running the 2.95 mile course in 16:13. Ragini Bhattacharya (12), who ran a personal best of 20:11, came in third place. The other two qualifying runners were Tyler Yeats (12) and Claudia Tischler (11), who placed 25th and 6th, respectively.

Ragini said that commitment and preparation were important to her success.

“It took a lot of patience, putting in the time and miles and fortunately that paid off in the end.” she said. “I think the whole Harker team did the best they could do and leaving high school knowing that means a lot.”

Similarly, Corey worked hard to prepare long before the season started.

“Over summer, I had built a consistent base of running 40-50 miles per week,” he said.

The sectional CCS championships will be held at Toro Park in Salinas on November 10.

Water Polo: The girls Varsity waterpolo team qualified for CCS for the first time in the program’s history.

The team qualified after placing first in the league with a record of 10 2 and an overall record of 20 - 6. In the league tournament, they took second.

Team Captain Keri Clifford (12) led the team to many victories with

a total of 97 goals and 23 assists this season. Other key players include Anna Levine (11) with 33 goals and 43 assists, and captain Rachel Yanovsky (12) with 19 goals and 86 steals.

“I think for all the seniors, it’s just a great way to end the season; our ultimate goal was to make CCS, so it’s really good to have accomplished that,” Keri said. “I think [CCS] will be a really good experience because although we have a lot of seniors on our team, we still have a strong core group of younger kids.”

Golf: Two Golfers, Patricia Huang (12) and Kristine Lin (11) qualified for CCS with record breaking performances.

On October 30, Patricia Huang (12) set a new record for the lowest score ever shot by a girls golfer at CCS. She placed in 30th, shooting an 82 at Rancho Canada in Carmel. Patricia is the first individual golfer to qualify for the championship in all four years of her high school career.

“I feel really proud of myself. I practiced really hard this season, and it was great to see it pay off. Off the front nine I was only 2 over par, one of the top scores in the field,” Patricia said. “Spending thousands of hours on the driving range and course has really helped me improve as a golfer because I’ve become much more consistent and confident as a player.”

At league championships, Kristine Lin (11) shot a 73 at Poplar Creek

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CCS : Five sports team qualify for tournament this year

GOAL After faking the ball three times, Anuksha Das (10) prepares to take a shot in the team’s game against Mountain View High on November 1. Though the team lost 9-11, they went to CCS this year on November 6.

to win league championships, season individual title, and qualify for CCS. Their coach was pleased with their performance.

“Their accomplishments are very impressive, considering CCS continues to heighten its standards each year as the competition in girls golf stiffens,” Coach Ie-Chen Cheng said. “CCS cut the championship field by one third from 144 to 90.”

Tennis: On October 30, Daria Karakoulka (12) and Katia Mironova (11) qualified for the CCS Individual Tournament for tennis after winning the West Bay Athletic League (WBAL) Doubles Championship; the two defeated Crystal Springs in straight sets, in

which they won consecutive sets to win the match.

Katia attributed their success to working well together as a team.

“Me and Daria became a lot closer as friends just from trusting each other and supporting each other mentally through the difficult points. We both were very excited and gave each other a huge hug before shaking the opponents’ hands,” she added.

In preparation for the tournament, Katia said they “expect to just keep at it [and] do [their] best.”

Homecoming: Game recap Uneven levels of commitment It was a close fiercely contested battle that ended in defeat for the football team at the annual Homecoming Game.

Harker lost to Lynbrook 35-49 on November 2nd.

Despite the loss, the score was close throughout the first 3 quarters. Lynbrook scored the

“

My team played, and I am very proud of all of them.

“

Chris Zhang (11)

first touchdown leading 7-0 in the first quarter. Harker quickly retaliated in the second quarter, however, as players tore through Lynbrook’s defense for two touchdowns. The second quarter ended 20-14 with with Harker in the lead.

The game was evenly divided in the third quarter, with Lynbrook scoring 2 touchdowns and Harker scoring one.

The third quarter ended 27-28

Spenser Quash (12) made a 5-yard touchdown early into the 4th quarter, but a Lynbrook touchdown put the score at a tense 35-35. Subsequently, Harker gained yardage on offense, but was unable to score. In the ensuing turnover, the team’s hard-pressed defense tried to prevent Lynbrook from scoring, but with only a few yards until the end zone, they were unsuccessful, leaving the score at 42-35 in Lynbrook’s favor. Harker regained lost ground in their following offensive bid, but a turnover and resulting touchdown by Lynbrook left them trailing by 14 points.

With a score of 49-35 and only a few minutes left on the clock, Harker unfortunately could not make up the lost points.

After saluting the fans in the audience and listening to a motivational speech by their coach, Ron Forbes, several of the players comforted each other before retiring to the locker room.

“Do I think tonight was a wonderful game? Yes. We did everything, executed every play.

It’s easy to point to defense, but we didn’t do things on offense too,” said Coach Forbes to his players. He allowed the seniors to keep their jerseys as a memento of their playing experience.

“My team played, I am very proud of all of them. It was definitely a winnable game, but when situations happen, situations happen.” said Chris Zhang (11), a member of the

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CATCH Devonte Smith (10) catches a pass from Spenser Quash (12) and runs it towards the end zone.

football team.

Despite the loss, several students enjoyed their experience at the homecoming game, including the alumni present.

“It’s always upsetting when we lose, but we worked out a lot of kinks that we had in the past season, so I’m really proud of them. It was a good way to end even though it was on a loss, because we all know they played their hearts out and they had fun,” said Andre Tran (12).

The homecoming game ends the football team’s season with a win-loss record of 3-7.

sports editor The team scores right at the buzzer, sending them to the league championships.

Among the loud ruckus of the cheering crowd one phrase stands out: “The commitment really paid off.”

In sports, the level of commitment is a constant point of discussion, as student athletes aim to balance athletics, academics and other extra curricular activities.

This year, the athletic department has standardized the time allotted to weekday practices for every sport to a maximum of two hours.

According to Athletic Director Dan Molin, the new policy will help.

“Harker is an academic school and we want our athletes to be able to do both [academics and athletics],” he said. “However, once you make a commitment to sport, you need to stick with it.”

Other athletes echoed Molin’s thoughts.

Varsity cross country captain Ragini Bhattacharya (12) felt that having a balance between sports and academics was important.

“You can’t just think ‘I have homework’ and not go to practice. You need to manage time and get work done,” she said.

While some share this opinion, others disagree.

The Junior Varsity teams for certain sports have struggled

with commitment.

“On some days, almost nobody comes to practice,” Leon Chin (10), a JV water polo player, said.

According to Varsity girls water polo head coach Allison Lamb, the decision to miss practice will only jeopardize

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Learning commitment and time management is one of the most valuable skills you can gain from a sport.

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sonia sidhu

vivek bharadwaj & priscilla pan in Lynbrook’s favor.

Theresa Smith, Varsity volleyball

their future in water polo.

“Missing practice just leads to confusion when they come back [as] they do not know new stuff we worked on,” she said. “For the younger players, it doesn’t give them a chance to improve on some of their new,

basic skills.”

Though sports teams have tried to standardize commitment, some students feel that some sports require more time. The football team has longer Saturday practices and volleyball players are not allowed to miss practice during school vacations.

Missing practice results in less game play.

“Learning commitment and time management is one of the most valuable skills you can gain from a sport,” Varsity volleyball head coach Theresa Smith said.

On the other hand, the cross country and boys water polo teams are more lenient about missing practice occasionally, if players give their coach prior notice.

Delaney Martin (10) experienced a variation in commitment when she played on both the girls water polo team and the swim team last year.

“Swimming [..] didn’t require as much time. It was [...] up to you how much you wanted to show up,” she said.

“For water polo, your team needs you to be there.”

For cross country, swimming, and golf, an individual’s commitment dictates their level of improvement in the sport; for those who are satisfied with little improvement, little dedication is sufficient.

As of now, the commitment policy will not be changed for next year.

PE CREDIT: videotaping and team managing are alternative ways to fulfill the requirement stephanie chen reporter Imagine watching a football game.

You see the players and the coach. You hear the cheerleaders and the crowd.

But do you remember the team manager, running the ball onto the field, or the videographer, filming everything from the stands?

Several students have chosen to fulfill their physical education (P.E.) requirements by managing sports teams or taping games and practices.

Although these team managers and videographers do not play on a team, they are actively involved in athletics.

Senior Raghav “Rags” Selvaraj, who managed the Varsity football team this year, was responsible for taking care of supplies and helping out the coaches during practice. He got 0.5 credits, equivalent to if he had played on the team.

Because he had attended nearly every practice and game, Rags felt that his P.E. credit was justified.

“None of the players really have a problem with it—since you go to practice, you’re part of the team. And I think the coaches are open to it because it really helps them out a lot,” he said.

He equated team managers to injured players—neither participates on the field, but both are still part of the team.

“There are players who got injured on the first day of practice, […] so there are players [who] have not played a game yet,” he said.

However, Tiffany Chu (11) thought that physical activity should still be a factor. As manager of the Varsity girls’ basketball team last year, she went to every game but was not required to go to every practice.

“I think [managers] should get

[0.25] credits, because they’re not really doing sports but they’re still doing something sports-related,” Tiffany said.

Interest in the sport was the primary motivation for team managers.

Having previously commentated the Junior Varsity games, Rags was already involved in football, and Tiffany had wanted to play basketball but was unable to for outside reasons.

On the other hand, P.E. credit was a key concern for Sadhika Malladi (9), who became a sports videographer this year.

The videography program began in 2009 when Middle School alumnus Brian Dombrowski (’99) founded ReadyReplay, a website that allows users to share videos.

“It’s a chance for those interested in working with some pretty cool equipment and filming some games and practices for coaches,” said Upper

School Athletic Director Dan Molin.

Sadhika filmed two water polo games and enjoyed the opportunity to familiarize herself with the sport.

“I think it was really fun. It’s a good way to get involved in sports because you get to watch the games,” she said.

Students can earn 0.5 credits by filming one event each week for a school year. This flexible schedule appealed to Sadhika, whose other activities prevented her from playing on a sports team.

“You can just pick a game to go film, and you just grab the camera and go. So it works with my schedule instead of me going to practices and games, and it’s also less time commitment,” she said.

For some athletes, this difference in commitment and physical activity is still important in determining the amount of P.E. credit that students

should receive.

Arden Hu (10), a member of the Varsity girls’ tennis team, thought that videographers should get 0.25 credits.

“They’re not committed to a team, but [they’re] going to the sports games and sort of participating,” she said.

Although there was some dispute over how much credit to give team managers and videographers, everyone interviewed agreed that both jobs required dedication and were important to the sports teams.

Molin hoped that team managers and videographers would still maintain a healthy level of exercise, but he emphasized that commitment was the crucial factor.

He said, “With P.E. credit, it’s not only about being physically active—I think it’s important, but there are different athletic needs. It’s more about putting in the time.”

The Back Page

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November 7, 2012 the Winged Post

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I liked how united the classes became, and even though we didn’t win very much, it was still kind of cool to see everyone starting to bind together into one unified class.

- Gwen Howard (9) I think my favorite part was dressing up in our class themes, because it was really fun seeing how many people were so spirited in our class.

- Jackelyn Shen (10)

The rally was [my favorite part of Homecoming]. Going to the rally, it’s weird because it’s my last one. [Seniors] always do it pretty well as a class [and...] it’s a great feeling.

- Spenser Quash (12)

”

MARCH OF MADNESS The Jazz Band marches in the Panoply of Chaos on Halloween alongside parade coordinator Andrew Irvine and his daughter. Each class also marched in the parade to showcase their floats designed based on their Homecoming themes.

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I love how [Homecoming] brings the school together and promotes spirit.

- Nikkan Ghosh (11)