Winged Post Vol 13 No 7

OPINION, page 6

PROM, page 8

LIFESTYLE, page 9

The importance of student elections

How to make a corsage

Spirit Week preview

Winged Post Friday, April 20, 2012

the

THE HARKER UPPER SCHOOL STUDENT NEWSPAPER, VOL. 13, NO.7

500 SARATOGA AVE. SAN JOSE, CA 95129

Council: New potential positions michelle deng asst. editor in chief During lunch today, freshmen, sophomores, and juniors will cast their ballots for next year’s Associated Student Body (ASB) President, Vice President, Treasurer, and Secretary. However, those four positions might not be the only ones associated with Student Council next year.

In addition to those four officers, which have comprised the Upper School’s ASB and class councils since the beginning, each council will have a Community Service Liaison and an-

other figure in charge of spirit. Initiatives to expand Upper School student government were spearheaded by Dean of Students Kevin Williamson and Community Service Director and Student Activities Coordinator Kerry Enzensperger; the current Student Council voted on and refined the proposals.

Enzensperger will appoint one student from each class to be the Community Service Liaison. The liaisons will coordinate community service for their respective classes; they will work regularly with their class council members and deans, help record hours, and announce upcoming community

service trips weekly at class meetings.

Moreover, they will facilitate communication between Key Club and their class councils.

Enzensperger said that she may not necessarily appoint class liaisons already in Key Club, since “there are people who do huge amount of hours and aren’t in Key Club,” but the liaisons would be expected to join Key Club after being appointed. The president of Key Club, elected by club members, will serve as the liaison for ASB. However, because the liaisons will not be popularly elected, they will not technically be members of Student

Santana Row performance

Council and therefore will not vote or participate actively in creating initiatives. Rather, they would be “more like cabinet members,” Williamson said.

The exact job descriptions of the Community Service Liaisons have not yet been settled, but the new spirit roles are even more amorphous.

One possibility is that democratically elected Spirit Officers be added to Student Council next year. According to Williamson, these officers would take charge of all spirit activities and competitions, meetings, and dances.

STUDENT COUNCIL, page 4

“It was great to have an audience that was so receptive.” - Laura Lang-Ree

Drowsy Chaperone keeps audience awake with laughter meena chetty & mercedes chien TALONWP editor and photo editor

SPRING MUSICAL, page 12

Quiz Bowl in semifinals

Quiz Bowl members Ananth Subramaniam (12), Evan Yao (12), Stephanie Chen (10), and Nikhil Dilip (10) will participate in the semifinal round of Quiz Kids this Sunday.

“Our goals are to make it to the finals and hopefully have enough students to play,” Quiz Bowl advisor Bradley Stoll said.

If the team wins, they will face Bellarmine in the final round. The event will be at 1:30 p.m. at Peninsula TV’s studios in San Carlos.

Admission is free for those who wish to attend.

Congressman to visit Representative Mike Honda (D) and his district’s Student Advisory Council will meet at the Upper School from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 6. Congressman Honda will speak to the Advisory Council as well as any Upper School students who wish to attend. Other speakers include a United States Secret Service agent and an Egyptian activist who will both speak about different roles of the internet and social media.

Faculty earn free dress

MERCEDES CHIEN - WINGED POST

On Wednesday, April 18, 43 performers took over the stage at the Blackford theatre at their debut of The Drowsy Chaperone during preview night.

The plot of the show is a framed story that revolves around a man in his apartment and eventually transforms into his imagination. Contrary to the more serious mood of the musicals from the past two years, Pippin and Les Miserables, this year’s spring musical is a comedy. Though set in the present day, the inner narrative of the story takes place in the liveliness of the 1920s and revolves around joy and happiness.

Since this year involves more cast members, there were more opportunities for principal roles and a larger ensemble.

With colorful costumes, tap dancing, innovative set designs, and a group of actors and directors who have been rehearsing since February, the musical is full of surprises.

Lead characters, directors, and tech crew members exposed the behindthe-scenes action of the show during dress rehearsal. The show will run through Saturday night.

The Varsity Dance Troupe will perform at Santana Row this Sunday in celebration of Bay Area Dance Week (BADW) for the first time.

“It’s cool to be performing in front of other dancers because there is a different sense of appreciation for what you do,” Varsity Dance member Tiphaine Delepine (11) said.

The dancers will take the stage from 2:00 to 2:30 p.m.

THE DROWSY CHAPERONE Members of the cast lift Noel Witcosky (12) as they rehearse a scene from their upcoming musical. Witcosky plays Janet, one of the principal characters, who is noted for her extreme materialism and love for glamor.The cast will perform shows from Thursday to Saturday.

Yesterday, the faculty reached a record high of 97 percent participation in the Annual Giving campaign. Currently, all members of the Board of Trustees along with the Administration have donated to this campaign.

“We’re very excited that the faculty is leading the charge and trying to get the message out to the community about participating,” Executive Director of Advancement Joe Rosenthal said.

As a reward, the faculty earned a free dress day on May 4.

and Art departments honor School bookstore goes virtual AWARDS: English Scholastic Art and Writing winners editor in chief

On May 1, the current bookstore will go from brick and mortar to a website, where students can order and have textbooks and other required class resources shipped to their house.

According to Director of Instructional Technology Daniel Hudkins, for several years, the school has been considering virtualizing student resource availability. Throughout the discussion of implementing this change, the school sought to uphold its mission statement: finding a way to do this that would best serve the students in their opportunity to learn and teachers in their pedagogical approach to the classroom.

Much of the debate revolved around the growing amount of digital texts as opposed to the traditional paper.

“Now as you can tell, I’m a wood pulp fan,” Hudkins said, pointing to the multiple bookshelves that fill much of the space in his already small office, which he jokingly calls the second largest library on campus. “But there’s a lot going on these days in digital resources that people are using to drive change in their schools.”

Already several schools, including some local ones, have jumpstarted this approach to education, requiring

students to use or providing students with iPads or other e-readers. However, according to Hudkins, at this school, many of the resources that teachers believe are the best for students are not available in digital form.

“Our teachers can’t just go out and get standard textbooks,” Head of School Chris Nikoloff said.

The availability of these specific texts became a major factor that the school contemplated when choosing the company that would provide the books in the online bookstore.

After extensive research on various textbook suppliers, the school elected MBS Direct, a subsidiary of Barnes & Noble. The final decision of MBS Direct was reached through a thorough survey of both administrators and teachers. Faculty members ranked the important features that they wanted included in the textbook provider; “customer service to the school,” “access to teacher editions,” “publisher relationships,” and “website content (booklist) easy to maintain,” earned the highest scores in the survey.

MBS Direct matched the closest to these priorities.

The concept of an online bookstore provides a number of advantages to students looking to purchase textbooks for the school year.

BOOKSTORE, page 20

apurva gorti reporter

The English and Art departments held a reception during long lunch on April 18 to recognize the achievements of students who submitted their work to the 2012 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.

In the first level of the competition, the California Regional Awards, participants could receive a Gold Key, ART SHOW Sophia Shatas (9) examines the artwork in Wednesday’s Silver Key, or Honorable Mention. reception for the winners of the 2012 Scholastic Art and Writing Awards.

There are 28 categories that students Cherry’s piece “Balcony” moved for an entire collection of poetry, short in seventh through 12th grade can submit their work to have the oppor- on in the competition to win a Gold stories, and personal essays.

Leo Yu (9) won the Silver Key in tunity to earn scholarships or publish Medal at the national level, as well as the American Visions Award, which is the Personal Essay/Memoir category their pieces.

This year, a record number of given to the five best pieces of the en- as well as an Honorable Mention for students from the Upper School won tire show. “Balcony” has been shipped Flash Fiction. Other winners for writawards, which they received at a cer- to New York City, and in June it will ing were Stephanie Chen (10), Jessica emony at San Jose State University in be displayed in Carnegie Hall, where “Fred” Chang (9), and Emily Wang Cherry will receive her medal.

(11), who each received Honorable mid-March.

Sanjana Baldwa (12), Anto- Mention.

Art teacher Pilar Aguero-EsparAt the reception, teachers and za required all of her AP Studio Art nia Ipser (12), and Iris Xia (11) each students to submit their work to the won Silver Keys for their submissions. students ate fruit and brownies while competition. Of the 17 people who Elizabeth Wyleczuk-Stern (12), Jes- looking at the winning works.

“I didn’t expect to be so imsubmitted work, eight received awards. sica Shen (12), and Lynda Tang (11) pressed, but I actually enjoyed reading Max Maynard (12) and Cherry all received Honorable Mention.

At the California Regional the writing and looking at the art,” Xie (12) both won Gold Keys at the California Regional Awards for their Awards for writing, Cindy Tay (12) said Krishan Kumar (10) when asked visual artworks “Depression” and “Bal- won the Gold Key in the General Port- about the exhibit.

The winning pieces for art and cony,” respectively. Both of them also folio Category. She won the Gold Key received Honorable Mention for their last year as well in the Personal Essay writing are currently displayed in the category, but this year, her award was mini art gallery in the art building. other works.

APURVA GORTI - WINGED POST

priyanka mody

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News

April 20, 2012 the Winged Post

Ceramics: Irvine holds fi rst art show Synopsys Grand Prize Winner

On April 1, Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and Technology Championship announced Revanth Kosaraju (12) as one of ten grand prize winners.

This is the third year in a row that Revanth has won the grand prize. As a grand prize winner, Revanth will be going to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh from May 13 to 18.

“It’s a great opportunity; it’s really an honor to be given the chance to see so many amazing projects,” Revanth said.

Revanth’s project, titled “Role of Epidermal HIF-1 alpha in the Inflammatory and Angiogenic Response to Ischemia in Diabetic Wound Healing,” was entered in the area of molecular biology. “[The hardest part of the project was] learning new things, since when you enter any research field you have

New DECA officers

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Three students elected to the 2012-2013 team

BUSINESS CLUB Upper School students Kevin Lin (11), Michaela Kastelman (11), and Mary Liu (10) were elected to the Silicon Valley DECA Officer Team and qualified to participate in the International Career Development Conference (ICDC).

apurva gorti reporter

Three students from the Harker Business Club (HBC) were elected to the 2012-2013 Silicon Valley DECA Officer Team: Michaela Kastelman (11) as President, Kevin Lin (11) as Vice President of Public Relations, and Mary Liu (10) as Vice President of Civic Consciousness.

DECA is a business organization that exposes high school students to different business conferences where they learn more about real world experiences in certain business fields. Michaela, Kevin, and Mary have participated in HBC since they were freshmen, and are currently club officers.

The three of them decided to run as officers for the Silicon Valley DECA team in order to take their contributions to the club further.

Candidates had to fill out an application form that asked them about their qualifications and plans for the upcoming year. In addition to completing the form, students had to prepare a two minute speech and present it to voting delegates from all of the Silicon Valley DECA Chapters, which include Monta Vista, Lynbrook, Fremont, Mission San Jose, Carlmont, and Piedmont Hills, as well as the Upper School.

Immediately after they delivered their speeches in mid-March in the Monta Vista library, the past officer team told them whether or not they had won.

Since then, the three officers have been developing goals and plans for their term next year.

As president, Michaela hopes to incorporate at least three new chapters into Silicon Valley DECA, increase the amount of interaction between the chapters, and increase the interaction between business professionals and DECA members.

“I also hope to further Silicon Valley DECA’s competitive success by holding district wide study sessions,” Michaela said. “We have some big plans for the coming year as a new district of California, and I can’t wait to start putting them into action.”

Like Michaela, Kevin wants to unify the DECA chapters. In his election speech, he said, “my vision for the future of Silicon Valley DECA is to grow closer as a community by sharing resources, participating in each other’s events, and having more social events.”

Mary’s goals are to work with a couple of non-profit organizations that teach high school students and younger members about financial literacy and business management. In addition, Mary is transferring to St. Francis next year and plans to establish a DECA chapter there to continue her contributions to the organization.

Later this month, all three are going to participate in the International Career Development Conference in Salt Lake City along with several other students from HBC on April 28.

managing editor From April 4 to May 13, chemistry teacher Andrew Irvine is holding his first professional art exhibition themed “Origins” at the Fibre Arts Design Studio in Palo Alto.

Irvine was invited to participate in the group show by the gallery curator, who took interest in his artwork displayed at the Black Bean Ceramic Art Studio in the fall. “[Hosting a formal art exhibition] was a new experience for me, challenging in that I wasn’t really sure what I was supposed to do other than stand there and look pretty and talk about my artwork,” he said. “I just tried to stay calm and not get too nervous. At the end of the day, I had a fun time.”

Irvine’s passion for ceramics has always been a significant part of his life alongside his interest in chemistry. He first began working with clay in 1994 as a freshman in high school.

“I always loved art; I always had that creative edge,” he said. “In high school, [alongside] sports and science, art was just kind of like my therapy.”

While majoring in chemistry at Brown University, Irvine continued his exploration of art through ceramics classes at Rhode Island School of Design. In 2003, he graduated from Brown with a Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Visual Arts. “[At college,] I used to be known for playing with chemistry in the context of ceramic arts, specifically glazes—making new glazes and playing with colors, getting weird chemicals and mixing my glazes to see what would happen,” he said.

Out of all the different kinds of artistic media, ceramics attracted him the most because of its freedom and versatility.

“Ceramics allowed me to make my own reality. There was nothing to compare it against and I liked that

SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST

reporter

nayeon kim

POTTERY Chemistry teacher Andrew Irvine displays his artwork in his first professional exhibition. Irvine’s work includes a series of ceramic bowls made with different colors and glazes.

three-dimensional character,” he said.

Since studying ceramics at the collegiate level, Irvine has continued producing artwork and recently became a member of an artist ceramics studio at Black Beans, a move he describes as the next stage in his “evolution as an artist.”

In addition, for the past four years, Irvine has been teaching pottery to middle school students in summer school. He reveals that he initially had difficulty conveying ceramic techniques to his students.

“It was challenging in that [I had] to apply structure to things that maybe [I] as a person or as an artist just know intuitively or can do intuitively,” he said.

However, as he began interacting with a small group of students on a daily basis, Irvine was able to help them build the techniques he was looking for. One of his former art students, Sahithya Prakash (10), who now takes his chemistry course, still remembers attaining interesting skills in ceramics.

“I wasn’t that great of an artist

then, [but] learning those cool techniques was still really, really fun,” she said. “When I found out I had him [for chemistry] in sophomore year, I was really psyched because […] I knew that he would be a really good teacher. Even in chemistry [class], he still shares his love for art.”

Although Irvine possesses an extensive background in ceramics, he does not wish to work as a full-time artist, in accordance with his parents’ beliefs.

“It’s better not to have my art as a sole means of supporting myself. Then I get to preserve it as a hobby, passion, and just a piece of who I am,” he said.

“Having to adapt to the market and constantly produce [artwork] would change the relationship between the art and the artist.”

In the future, Irvine hopes to further combine his knowledge of chemistry and ceramics by exploring new projects such as adding uranium to glazes and using silver metal from chemical waste in his work.

Biology Chemistry and Physics

Students compete in Science Olympiads felix wu reporter Around 100 Upper School students are participating in national competitions used to determine the country’s representatives in various international Olympiads. These set of contests include the U.S. Physics Olympiad (USPhO), the U.S. National Chemistry Olympiad (USNCO), and the U.S.A. Biology Olympiad (USABO).

All the national competitions feature a first-round exam. In the U.S. Physics Team Olympiad and USABO, the top-scoring students are named semifinalists, and in the USNCO each school’s top two students advance to the next stage of competition.

Out of 32 Upper School students who took the first-round exam of the USAPhO, 15 were named semifinalists.

In the USABO, 49 students from the Upper School participated in the first round, and 18 were chosen as semifinalists. The students who will represent the school in the second round of the USNCO are Ashvin Swaminathan (11) and Varun Mohan (10).

After a second round of testing, the contestants are reduced to 20 finalists for each competition, who attend a training camp to take an advanced course in their particular field of science. The physics students will go to the University of Maryland, chemis-

FELIX WU - WINGED POST

sarah bean

to adapt,” he said. “But that’s also the most fun part of the job.”

Revanth said that the faculty has supported him greatly. Indeed, science instructor Chris Spenner was awarded with the Horace Lucich Award for Outstanding Teachers, consisting of a plaque and $1000. Spenner teaches multiple research classes and advised many students, including Revanth, on their papers.

“It’s encouraging to me that there are corporations and nonprofits out there that are interested in supporting science research at the high school level,” Spenner said. “To be honest, there are probably better ways for them to invest that recognition and the money to support schools that are in greater need than Harker.”

From the Synopsys Silicon Valley Science and Technology Championship, the school also received an Outstanding School award for a high number of students participating along with the high scores they received.

SCIENCE Students competed in the next round of Olympiad testing to continue through the contests.

try students to the Colorado U.S. Air Force Academy, and biology students to Purdue University. Winners of the national Olympiads qualify as American representatives in either the International Physics Olympiad (IPhO), International Chemistry Olympiad (IChO), and International Biology Olympiad (IBO). The US will send five students to the IPhO, and four to the ICho and IBO. Lucy Cheng (12), a semifinalist in the USAPhO is thrilled with the chance of competing nationally, and believes preparing for the Olympiad has its academic benefits.

“I am honored to be given the opportunity to participate in the semifinalist round and potentially represent the US at IPhO,” she said. “Participating in the Olympiad has given me a chance to study physics on a level beyond the school curriculum.”

The school has reached some de-

gree of success with the Olympiads in the past, with alumnus Andrew Zhou (10’) being selected for the 20-person stages of the 2010 and 2011 U.S. Physics Teams, and Albert Wu (12) reaching the same level in the 2011.

Pranav Sharma (11) is a semifinalist in the USABO, and expressed his satisfaction with his progress in the competition.

“Although I don’t expect to be one of the top 20 in America, even being a semifinalist, having the opportunity to be in that select number is amazing,” he said. “I know that a lot of people worked really hard over the course of this year at Biology and just being one of the top 600-700 is really humbling.”

Should the semifinalists be chosen as America’s representatives, they will be competing in the IPhO, IChO, and IBO - held in Estonia, Washington D.C., and Singapore, respectively.

Research team analyzes results from final stages of Influenza Project rahul jayaraman & sindhu ravuri reporters

The HIP research team is analyzing final data following three mote-wearing days, three surveys, and hours of research put into finding the causes of influenza transmission in schools such as ours.

Assisted by researchers from Penn State University, Dr. Marcel Salathé and Dr. Vicki Barclay, participating students were divided into four separate teams, each with a different purpose, some of which included data analysis, swab analysis, and creation of an iPhone app. All of these teams will share their research in the near future to provide a comprehensive overview of the results.

Large populations such as high schools are extremely representative of the way that influenza spreads, according to Salathé.

“The main goals were to study the interaction patterns relevant for influenza spread among people

at a high school. Contact networks of people are like a road system on which viruses like influenza can travel,” Salathé said in an e-mail interview with The Winged Post. “At the same time, these contact networks are a bit more complicated than road systems.”

Students wore motes which tracked the spread of the flu. One group was tasked with developing an iPhone app to replace the motes.

“We’re making an iPhone app that would replace the motes. We’re almost done; all that needs to be done are a few UI changes,” Rishabh Jain (9) said.

However, the researchers did not get all of the data they wanted. Barclay, a postdoctoral researcher at Penn State University, notes their over dependence on the mote data.

“Our goal was to collect the mote data and compare it with the flu data; however, there was a very mild flu season that precluded our data analysis,” Barclay said.

Nevertheless, others were impressed with the

project. Elizabeth Teng (10) was very interested to discover the results.

“I believe that this project was worth the effort because it’s their method of finding out how diseases spread. The best part? Being part of an effective project. I can’t wait to find out what they observed,” she said.

In addition, Salathé sees a great opportunity for future studies.

“There are also other settings (apart from a high school) that would be very interesting to look at,” he said. “This is really important research because we still understand so little about how these disease[s] spread, and any information that will help us to reduce the spread, particularly in schools, will mean less illness and fewer complications from infections.”

All the researchers hope that this data will help prevent the spread of influenza in the real world and can preclude epidemics such as the swine flu.

Research Symposium

Seventh annual event will feature more presenters than ever william chang & kacey fang news editor & reporter On April 28, students, parents, and alumni will have the chance to learn more about the research aspect of the school through the seventh annual Research Symposium.

Throughout the day, poster presenters from the Middle and Upper School will line the Atrium and Dobbins gallery. With the aid of posters entailing the details of their research, they will communicate their projects with passing people. “[We have] more poster sessions [and a greater] diversity of exhibitors this year that we haven’t had before,” Upper School Science Department Chair Anita Chetty said. “There is a really good opportunity for students to see the application of research in so many different areas as far as industry is concerned.”

Claudia Tischler (10) will be presenting her poster and feels that the involvement of both middle and high school students contributes to bringing the school together.

“I think it helps the community bonding aspect, just like how Eagle Buddies works. The Symposium is like a science bonding fair,” she said.

A total of 21 Upper School students chose the option of conveying their work through a formal talk. They will be presenting in the Nichols Auditorium in five breakout sessions.

As a junior, Suchita Nety (11) will be conducting her first on-stage presentation about her project concerning developing medical adhesives through the chemicals of a glue produced by a special worm. In her sophomore year, Suchita also participated in the Symposium as a poster presenter with the same topic.

“With a poster, it’s much less formal. People just come by and maybe just ask you a few questions, but with a formal talk, people are actually listening to you for the whole time,” she said.

Albert Wu (12) was also previously involved with the Symposium.

While his current work deals with using genetic data and computational techniques to study the effect of genetic factors on HIV infection, last year, he presented a computer science project that focuses on saving energy. He hopes that his experience this year will be similar to last year’s.

“There were actually a lot more people than I expected listening to my presentation, so it was a good chance of sharing what I had done,” he said. “[This year,] I think I’ll just go there and try to present the stuff I’ve done in the clearest way possible, so that people will understand the implications as well as the potential impact of my research.”

“

There is a really good opportunity for students to see the application of research in so many different areas as far as industry is concerned.

”

Anita Chetty, Upper School Science Department Chair

WiSTEM members organize the event, moderate student speakers’ speeches, create the badges, and publicize the event. After a large number of people showed up for last year’s Symposium, WiSTEM decided to modify the layout of the displays in order to simplify the traffic flow.

“When I was at [the] Symposium [before], it didn’t seem like it would be that much to organize to me. It just seemed like everyone was walking around in lab coats. But from this side of it, I realize it’s a lot more work to do,” WiSTEM member Samyukta Yagati (9) said.

WiSTEM invited three keynote speakers and an alumnus to share their scientific knowledge. Vinod Khosla, co-founder of Sun Microsystems and Khosla Ventures, will serve as the morning speaker. In the afternoon, Atul Butte, a professor at Stanford University, and John West, CEO at Personalis, Inc., will present about their work in human genome engineering and technology. Alumnus ‘07 Jacob Bongers will also speak about his experience in publishing his research.

“I think Vinod Khosla is actually

really well-known in the industry, and I hope [the speakers] will attract a lot of people. I’m sure they will be wonderful,” President of WiSTEM Ramya Rangan (12) said.

In addition to speakers, local companies have the chance to exhibit their products. Participating exhibitors this year include Microsoft (presenting the science behind Kinect with hands-on demos and videos), HP, Symmetricon, Rector Motors, Genophen, Hunter Labs, and East Bay Cardiovascular Surgeons.

Also manning a poster stand, members of the Upper School club Triple Helix, who contribute to an online science journal, will be discussing their recent trip to Cambridge and handing out copies of their publication. “[It’s a] chance to talk about our experiences and our work overall,” coeditor in chief Paulomi Bhattacharya (11) said.

The event will also feature the annual Chemistry Magic Show sponsored by the Chemistry Club. With pyrotechnics and eye-catching experiments, the show will feature both tried and true favorites as well as some new creative experiments.

“We try to incorporate the experiments in creative ways; for example, last year we incorporated flash paper in a staged prom rejection,” Chemistry Club co-president Rohit Sanbhadti (12) said. “People can be entertained while they relax and eat.”

Near the end of the day, a student panel composed of high school seniors will discuss the school’s research program and ways to get involved. A key component of the Symposium is helping students make the most out of opportunities like internships, project ideas, and the research support provided by the school.

“The teachers were always there for us when we needed to [work on our research],” Payal Modi (11) said. “The Open Lab program really helped with that, and the new research rooms are really nice, so we had enough materials and enough resources at our hands to be able to conduct our project.”

The Symposium will begin at 8:00 a.m. with registration, and the concluding remarks will commence at 4:30 p.m. The event is open to all members of the school community.

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Students choose books for ReCreate Reading program

JASON CHU - WINGED POST

News

April 20, 2012 the Winged Post

LITERATURE Physics teacher Chris Spenner will facilitate a discussion on Carl Hiaasen’s Tourist Season for ReCreate Reading this fall. Between all the different groups offered, a wide range of genres and authors will be covered.

jason chu & manthra panchapakesan reporters

Throughout March, freshmen, sophomores, and juniors selected their books for the ReCreate Reading program. This year, ReCreate Reading will feature larger book lists and different discussion groups than those in previous years.

All students are required to read their books over the summer and engage in a comprehensive discussion with fellow readers in August. Each book group will have at most 15 people and will be supervised by a faculty member.

“

[ReCreate Reading] leverages the enthusiasm that already exists for books and reading to create more enthusiasm.

”

Lauri Vaughan, librarian

This year’s book list includes a vast range of genres such as detective fiction, horror, chick lit, and fantasy, as well as specific novels.

ReCreate Reading coordinator and librarian Lauri Vaughan considers it a motivation for students to read leisurely. “[The program] encourages

reading for recreation, for fun-and hopefully reminds all of us what a great habit reading is to have and develop,” she said. “It leverages the enthusiasm that already exists for books and reading to create more enthusiasm.”

Daniel Hudkins, Director of Instructional Technology, is sponsoring the Ender Wiggin series this year.

He feels that ReCreate Reading is an enriching experience for students because it gives them the chance to fit recreational reading into their busy schedules.

“For the students, it’s an opportunity to take reading that you would already do for pleasure, and discuss it with a bunch of other people,” he said.

The ReCreate Reading program has made several major changes this year. In previous years, advisories could opt to form exclusive reading groups, but now all groups must be open.

Sophia Shatas (9) approves of this change. “I think it’s good to form new ReCreate Reading groups outside your advisory so you meet new people,” she said.

However, Arihant Jain (12) prefers to be in discussions with his advisory.

“I like being in advisory groups because ReCreate Reading allowed us to bond over the book,” he said.

ReCreate Reading will continue to make improvements to encourage students to discover new books and read for pleasure rather than work.

Landmark: The Golden Gate Bridge turns 75 shilpa nataraj global editor The orange steel suspension bridge that has kept a watchful eye over the city of San Francisco since the Great Depression will be celebrating the end of its construction 75 years ago on April 19. An array of historical exhibitions, celebratory events, and festivities are currently being held to commemorate the construction and use of the Golden Gate Bridge.

Under chief engineer Joseph

Strauss, the Golden Gate Bridge was built from 1933 to 1937, but the idea of a bridge connecting San Francisco to the Marin County had been conceived two decades earlier. Spanning approximately 8, 981 feet, the bridge required over $35 million dollars for construction.

“I think the Golden Gate Bridge represents the joining of multiple cultures and people in a city that’s known for its diver-

sity,” Bridget Nixon (12) said.

According to Deka Motanya, Guest Concierge at the California Historical Society, in an interview with The Winged Post, the Golden Gate Bridge is an important part of San Francisco’s history and is one of the most photographed bridges in the world.

“The most significant historical aspects [of the Golden Gate Bridge] is that it gave a lot of people jobs, helped the Bay Area population skyrocket, and it made us known on the international stage [of bridge construction],” Motanya said. “[During the Great Depression], [the bridge] really gave hope to people at a time when there wasn’t a lot of hope.”

From February 26 to October 14, the California Historical Society is having an exhibition called “A Wild Flight of the Imagination: the Story of the Golden Gate Bridge,” which fea-

tures photography, artifacts (including the hard hats that the construction workers had worn), preliminary sketches, and authentic letters written by architects and engineers.

Additionally, on April 7, a Golden Gate Jubilee presented by the San Francisco Cultural Arts Tradition (SFCAT) featured cultural dances to celebrate the bridge.

“We’re so happy to be a part of the celebration with the bridge and the Carnaval,” said Maria Medina Serafin, Master of Ceremonies of the Golden Gate Jubilee and Percussionist, in an interview with The Winged Post. “I was here for the 50th anniversary 25 years ago, and it was phenomenal. I can only imagine how it will be this year.”

English teacher Jennifer Siraganian lives in San Francisco and enjoys riding her bike across the Golden Gate Bridge.

“It’s such a fabulous ride, because you feel the wind, you can look directly

down at the sea, you can see the waves crashing, all these boats, and huge carrier ships, and it’s just the most beautiful ride too, because you get to see the city as well as the mountains,” she said. “I don’t think anyone can imagine what the city would be like without the framing of the bridge behind it. It’s become the symbol of the city.”

Kilian Burke (10) agrees that the Golden Gate Bridge harbors significance.

“I think the Golden Gate Bridge is the symbol for the city, because San Francisco and the Silicon Valley [are] a really innovative area, and the bridge— a lot of work goes into it,” he said. “It shows that a lot of hard work goes on and that people are willing to fight through difficulties to succeed.”

Other events include a film that is being shown of the building of the Golden Gate from January 1 through December 31, an exhibit called “The Golden Gate Bridge—An Icon that Changed Marin” from January 28 through September 1, and other weekly activities, culminating in The Golden Gate Festival on May 27.

SHILPA NATARAJ - WINGED POST

News 4 HHMS and Teacher-Student Portal may merge soon April 20, 2012

the Winged Post

rachel salisbury reporter

For the last two years, Daniel Hudkins, the Director of Information Technology Service and Support, has been writing up a proposal that includes changes he would have to make to combine Harker Homework Management System (HHMS) with the Teacher-Student Portal, which is run by the company PCR Educator.

PCR Educator is currently rebuilding its website and has opened itself up to proposals from the schools using it. Although PCR Educator has an assignment system similar to HHMS, it does not have all of the same features; Hudkins’s proposal will suggest how PCR may incorporate the functionalities of HHMS to its program. Currently, teachers go to three different websites to

Sophomores to vote for Honor Council student representatives juhi gupta & mariam sulakian reporters On April 26, the sophomores will vote for their Honor Council student representatives for the next two years.

The Honor Council, composed of students and faculty who promote moral and academic

update assignments: they must update HHMS to notify students about the assignment, the gradebook to make the assignment part of the grade, and Athena if necessary. If HHMS functions are added to the Teacher-Student Portal, teachers only have to visit one hybrid site, instead of having to go to HHMS and then the gradebook.

“On the teacher side, it’s about not having to do three things to get one thing done,” Hudkins said.

Along with benefiting teachers, the changes would also benefit students since they can go to only one place in order to get the information that exists on both HHMS and the Student Portal.

“The student portal combined with HHMS would just add one less step when checking everything,” Alex Tuharsky (9) said.

With the two sites combined, students

integrity, will be organizing the election process for the Class of 2014. Three new upperclassmen members for the Council will be chosen, either including or replacing current members Maneesha Panja (10) and Divyahans Gupta (10). The topic for the speeches each year is decided on by the Council, who assign a prompt to which candidates must write an essay response.

“These three positions are pretty important because these three students will follow [the] class into [their] senior year. They will be responsible […] for helping educate [the students] about the honor code and also hearing any cases that might come up,” Honor Council faculty chair Dr. Pauline Paskali said.

“

On the teacher side, it’s about not having to do three things to get one thing done.

”

Daniel Hudkins, Director of Information Technology...

The sophomore elections are a distinctively important part of the Honor Council’s agenda each year.

“I noticed in my sophomore elections that people took the process a little more seriously; they put a lot more thought into their speeches, and the people who did run were more enthusiastic,” junior representative Emily Wang (11) said.

Learning about what the Honor Council does and how it relates to daily life is one of the reasons current members enjoy participating in it.

“It’s taught me a lot about honor, the honor code at the school, all the different rules, and how to uphold yourself at Harker,” freshman representative Nathan Dalal (9) said.

Student Council CONTINUED FROM FRONT Additionally, said Enzensperger, on the proposal early next fall. Were it they would work “more year-round” on to pass this second time, the student coordinating spirit endeavors within body would vote on their Spirit Oftheir classes, in contrast to the “crunch” ficers at the end of September around of effort Student Council currently the time of the freshman class elecmakes right before major spirit events. tions. Otherwise, Enzensperger would The other possibility is that En- appoint the new Spirit Liaisons. zensperger simply appoints Spirit LiWith the details of the aisons. Analogous to their community new positions far from setservice counterparts, these Spirit Li- tled, debate over their meraisons would make spirit announce- its and duties, particularly ments, coordinate event signups for those of the Spirit Officer, their classes, and facilitate communica- remains lively. According tion between class councils and Spirit to Williamson, one of the Club but would lack voting power in primary reasons he and the council.

Enzensperger pursued the According to ASB President Re- idea in the first place was the vanth Kosaraju (12), Student Council Upper School’s growth over the first considered having popularly elect- years. ed officers in charge of spirit and com“We’ve had this [current] munity service about two months ago, system since we had 100 students began intensely debating about these per class,” he said. “There’s need positions after the Hoscars show was for more representation.” over, and voted on the proposal this Students such as Keri Clifpast month. The Community Service ford (11) do not feel too underOfficer proposal failed unanimously: represented though. “As class the council members felt that Enzens- council works, I think four is perger, not the student body, would be enough, but I think to represent most knowledgeable about which stu- the whole school, [ASB] is a litdents would best represent service. tle small,” she said.

Nonetheless, Williamson, EnThe additional officer was zensperger, and the Council members also intended to relieve some of agreed that increasing the prominence the stress Student Council memof community service was still a desir- bers face during those “crunches” able goal, particularly since the school Enzensperger mentioned. pledges to honor service in the mis“In those times, you really want sion statement. “Right now, [commu- one point person,” Williamson said. nity service] is kind of its island off on “Particularly if [Spirit Officers] are beits own, and people cross that bridge ing elected by their peers for that job, I when it comes time to complete their think it puts more pressure on them to hours,” Enzensperger said. follow through.”

Hence, they decided to establish Junior Class Presithe liaison role. dent Simar Mangat In contrast, the vote over the agreed with WilSpirit Officer proposal was far closliamson. “I see a er: according to Williamson, it Spirit Officer failed “marginally” to gain the as a person two-thirds support needed who can defito pass. The juniors and nitely help out with sophomores largely supincreasing the morality of ported the proposal; the class, with organizing most dissent the rally,” he said. “There’s a came from lot of work to be done, and the sea lot of the time, there’s not niors, who enough people to do it.”

WilliamHe feels a spirit lison said aison, though a “step up” tended to from nothing, would not espouse be adequate. a “why “When you get ALL ARTWORK KACEY FANG - WINGED POST c hange elected, you feel responsible what works” attitude. Two freshmen for the class, and the class looks up to officers also abstained from the vote. you,” he said. “The liaison is a lot less Because of the narrowness of the so. Sure, you can announce that this is margin, it was decided that next year’s your spirit liaison, but the class doesn’t Council, who would be more directly feel like they have a part in it because affected by the outcome, would revote they didn’t elect the liaison directly, so

they can’t hold the person as accountable,” he said.

On the other hand, Senior Class President David Fang felt that accountability might make the officer a victim of unjust criticism.

“People can naturally direct anger towards this one officer if something goes wrong. This has happened in the past to spirited individuals who take a lead,” he said. “Because [the position] is so public and because it’s elected by the people, naturally [the officer] becomes like a scapegoat, but it’s a team effort.”

He also felt that a fifth council member would be extraneous.

“Right now, we don’t even use each of the four members to their full potential, with so many ideas flowing around,” he said.

“That’s the good part of democracy—you have a lot of ideas—but at the same time, if you have too many people, it just slows things down, and you don’t get anything done.”

Others, including Freshman Class President Sarah Bean, worried that the Spirit Officer position would detract from the responsibilities of current officer roles.

“A lot of us felt that it would take away from what we already do […] and leave our job to be something that only happens at Student Council meetings,” she said.

Rather than voting against the proposal, however, she abstained because she thought the position had potential to be “really helpful if we just made their job description such that they didn’t take all the spirit stuff from the rest of us,” she said.

Many students reacted positively when asked whether they would be interested in having another council member in charge of spirit.

“I think that our officers already do such a great job organizing spirit, but I definitely think a spirit officer would be really helpful. An additional person would be pretty crucial to getting a lot more work done near Homecoming and all those spirit events,” Avinash Nayak (10) said.

The fate of the Spirit Officer proposal will remain unknown for months.

In the meantime, Student Council will work to draft and refine descriptions of the new positions that satisfy most members.

would also be able to look at all of their homework for all of their courses over the next month.

“I think this would be great because we could plan ahead, [and] now this tool would already be there so we’ll be able to save a lot of time,” Kevin Susai (11) said.

The proposal faces some obstacles that could possibly prevent the changes from being made.

HHMS, which was originally written by Aaron Kleinsteiber and Ozon Demirlioglu from the Class of 2004, contains some very complicated coding, according to Hudkins, that PCR Educator might not want to take the time to adopt.

If PCR Educator does make the changes, systems like HHMS will be used at other schools as well. So long as PCR Educator has the new system working in time for Hudkins to test it over the summer, it will be used next year.

The sophomore Honor Council elections are critical because of the three long-term positions, which are coveted for different reasons. As well as doubling as an educational experience, candidates from the Class of 2014 also believe that joining the Honor Council results in character growth.

“Honor Council teaches me to be both a representative for my peers and a decision-maker.

Being both mindful and fair to events in my peers’ student lives is my number one priority,” Maneesha said, who is running again in the upcoming election.

After the candidates deliver their speeches, a ranked voting next Thursday, April 26, will determine who the three representatives are.

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6

opinion

april 20, 2012 the Winged Post

2011-2012 Pacemaker Finalist: TALONWP 2010-2011 Gold Crown 2009-2010 Silver Crown 2007-2008 Pacemaker Award 2011-2012 Gold Crown: TALONWP 2010-2011 Silver Crown: TALONWP 2009-2010 Gold Crown: TALONWP

Editor in Chief Priyanka Mody

Assistant Editor in Chief Michelle Deng

Editor in Chief in Training Samantha Hoffman

Managing Editor (Copy) Nayeon Kim

Elections: Knowing what you’re voting for

Chalk on the pavement. Fluorescent posters taped to the wall. T-shirts, business cards, even an entire website. That’s right: student council campaign season is here again, and the ASB elections are today–perfect timing.

Of course, the elections would be incomplete without at least some moaning and groaning about how “student council does nothing” and that “elections are just popularity contests.”

Does it have to be this way, though? Is there really nothing we can do but sit on our behinds and expound upon our lack of influence?

Actually, the power to execute change is not only incumbent upon the four elected members of ASB. If we want to see something happen, whether it is providing seats for school meeting or improving campus facilities, we have to embrace some responsibility and approach our candidates to make it happen.

Complaining to each other or grumbling under our breaths is admittedly satisfying, but it accomplishes nothing. Let us instead establish more constructive communication with the people we have chosen to lead us, making our thoughts and grievances heard.

Many of us have already taken the initiative to contact student representatives; the rest of us who yearn for change have yet to do so.

Not only do we have to reach out, we have to reach out to the right people. Exactly whom we elect becomes integral to effecting change in

our community. Oftentimes, those running for office are our friends, so it may be difficult to for us to vote impartially.

Granted, it is hard to say no when a close friend asks for your support, and it is even harder to admit to them that you favor the other candidate without feeling as though you betrayed your friendship. However, for the most effective, productive student council possible, your feelings of guilt might have to take a backseat to your better judgement.

EDITORIAL THE OFFICIAL OPINION OF THE WINGED POST To be honest, you don’t have to tell anyone– even your best friend–exactly who you voted for.

How about a “guess you’ll find out” or an “I’d rather not say”?

A mob mentality is detrimental to the election process. Voting blindly for friends is no longer excusable, if we truly wish the best for our school and its leadership.

Let us go beyond the neon posters and elaborate campaign speeches and delve into campaign platforms instead.

To those who are indifferent towards student government as a whole, why vote if you do not care? Apathetic, arbitrary voting undermines

the integrity of the future leadership.

If you arrive at the polls, it is not out of any interest; perhaps your class is trying to achieve 100-percent voter turnout or your friends asked you to come with them as they made their decisions.

Regardless, if you are placing your vote without any thought, you might as well not vote at all. Seriously; if this rule were followed, perhaps the election results would reflect the desires of the people who truly care.

These elections are an opportunity for us students, especially those who have not yet reached voting age, to exercise democracy in our school and shape the growth of our community.

One of the reasons student council is so useful to us as a student body is that we are all very busy people here.

Sure, there may be a third of us who have great ideas and would be perfectly capable of representing ourselves to the administration and making a change, whether individually or through clubs.

But, we have our own lives and other activities we are passionate about, while student council members have chosen to make representing students their priority.

They are willing to do the legwork of fulfilling our desires, if we elect the people we trust and tell them what we want. Is that not quite simple and quite wonderful? It sounds like something we would wish for if we did not have it.

Managing Editor (Business & Design) Kevin Lin

News Editor

William Chang

Opinion Editor

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Patrick Yang

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Pavitra Rengarajan

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Aditi Ashok & Priyanka Sharma

Photo Editor

Looking for McHealthy in the world of McFried kevin lin

managing editor

Mercedes Chien

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Advisor

Chris Daren

Reporters Anishka Agrawal

Emily Lin

Alyssa Amick

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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.

The Winged Post staff will publish features, editorials, news, and sports in an unbiased and professional manner and serve as a public forum for the students of The Harker School. Editorials are the official opinions of The Winged Post. Opinions and letters are the personal viewpoints of the writers and do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The Winged Post. All content decisions are made by student editors, and the content of The Winged Post in no way reflects the official policy of The Harker School. The opinions expressed in this publication reflect those of the student writers and not the Harker board, administration, faculty, or advisor.

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The Winged Post is the official student newspaper, and it is distributed free of cost to students.

I am a victim of unhealthy fast food restaurants. And to attest to this, as I am typing away at this article, I’m eating delivery pizza.

Unhealthy fast food chain restaurants consist of burger joints, speedy delivery pizza places, or Americanized taco drive-thrus, to name a few.

It also doesn’t help that those foods are super tasty and super convenient.

For example, it only takes a good five to ten minutes to hop in my car, drive along a street, spot a fast food joint within seconds, order my food, and grub down. I can name at least eight of them around the Upper School. But tell me to name a healthy, equally swift fast-food restaurant and I can come up with... zilch.

Do they even exist?

And another thing: why is it that healthier foods seem more expensive than unhealthy ones?

By unhealthy foods, I’m talking about burgers, fries, tacos, fried foods, pizza, etc. Not to mention the more vaguely disguised foods such as subs, grilled chicken, and loaded dressing. Although I don’t mind paying a few extra dollars for healthy fast food, it shouldn’t be that way. Cheaper fast food joints are a recipe for disaster, making it easier for everyone to eat unhealthily.

Sure, there are healthy options at the unhealthy fast food places, like salad, and salad, and more salad, but I want to see something other than leafy vegetables and dressing!

Please find me a drive-thru chain devoted to fast, healthy, delicious cooking. I want to see foods like steamed vegetables, grilled lean chicken, and light pasta.

The aforementioned foods would be on the menu of my dream healthy food joint. However, ordering and getting my foods need to happen fast. Call me lazy, but time is money. It’s important to me that when I’m hungry, I get food pronto.

You see, I am a busy guy. I have places to be and specific times to be there at, which is why I look for fast, filling foods. Cooking food for myself is also out of the question on weekdays with so much schoolwork. Plus, the parents have a lack of cooking ability.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m always satisfied with a good burger, shake, and fries every now and then. I even like eating the food to some extent. But I do wish that I could have an equally convenient healthier choice whenever I’m hungry. Alas, I know of none that serves up the food drive-thru style.

Instead of succumbing to the tasty McBurgers, I’d like to see more McHealthies in my area.

Hypocrisy: Not that much of a sin alyssa amick reporter

The word “hypocrite” defines someone who says one thing but does the opposite, whether it be in religion, morals, or basic principles of everyday life. We all have our own set of idealistic principles that we strive to follow, but as humans, none of us can perfectly adhere to them.

A “hypocrite” is often frowned upon in today’s world.

Why does the word reflect such a negative connotation when everyone is a hypocrite to a certain extent?

In my experience, the most common phrase said when the topic is brought up is “I hate hypocrites.” I’ve found myself saying the exact same thing more times than I can remember. Just as many times, I have heard this phrase and then watched as the person who said it, goes on to do some hypocritical act.

The degree of a people’s hypocrisy does vary, and not everyone can be grouped in the same category. Sometimes without thinking or even meaning to, a person will go back on something he or she has said.

Everyone does it every once in a while; it’s not a big deal.

However, others make a habit out of it. People who do it repeatedly are the hypocrites

who are noticed the most and cast a negative shadow on the word in general.

I know it’s especially annoying to see parents, teachers, or coaches act like this, listening to them lecture you about being on time or working harder at something. It’s even worse when you catch them doing the same thing you just got lectured about.

“

Just accept it, ignore it, and move on.

”

When someone in a position of authority is hypocritical, at first, it makes it much harder to respect them and listen to what they tell you.

Think about the situation though: it is just a minor form of hypocrisy compared to other instances. Their actions shows not that the person is a hypocrite or a bad person, but just that they are human. They make mistakes too, and they should not be judged for one or two hypocritical actions. Everyone makes them.

People in higher positions, however, are more susceptible to having their actions scrutinized and mistakes brought to light.

Being in the spotlight

so much is part of the reason why politicians are so commonly known for their hypocrisy. Can you really blame them, though?

In order to get elected, they say what they have to say in order to be elected and re-elected in subsequent terms. When it comes down to doing what they said, other factors make it difficult for them to follow through on their word.

Say they promise to help the environment in order to gain the votes of a green community.

They get elected, but within a year or so, they have to make a decision that could harm the environment because it is the best or only option they have.

People jump on the fact that these instances are hypocrisy and are quick to draw attention to it, thereby hurting the reputation of the politician.

They do not take the time to think about the other variables behind the decision. People immediately assume that the politician was purposely hypocritical.

There is nothing that can be done about it either. Hypocrisy is and always will just be there.

Why is it such a big deal then? Just accept it, ignore it, and move on. There are worse things to worry about.

Sweet 16 mercedes chien

photo editor I often forget how much my parents do for me.

On top of working countless hours five days a week, my mom accompanies me to all of my activities whether that be going to volleyball practice or going to the mall on a Sunday afternoon. My dad works out of town and flies home every weekend just to spend his extra time with me.

So, when my parents asked me if I wished to celebrate my 16th birthday with a lavish party and multiple-digit expenditures, I declined not because of my reluctance to throw one but because of my appreciation for all that I have already.

A typical day for me starts off a little like this. 6:30 a.m. My alarm clock goes off to the harmonious voices of the Script’s “For the First Time.” At that moment, I hit the snooze button, hoping I have turned it off for the last time. I finally lug myself out of bed by 7 a.m. and after preparing for school, I find breakfast and a warm cup of green tea awaiting me at the kitchen table.

I then go to school and attend my classes and spend time with my friends. It’s pretty routine. When I climb into the car after a long day, there will be chopped fruit that my mom prepared in case I’m hungry or occasionally there will be her lunch that she hadn’t eaten, in case I’m starving.

With just my mom and me in the house on the weekdays, we accompany each other in everything. When it’s 9 p.m. and we forget to pick up the mail, we’ll go together to overcome our fear of the dark.

When it’s 10 p.m. and she struggles to check her email due to the superfluous number of pop up ads, I’ll take a break from my studies and check it for her. When it’s 11 p.m. and I’m not close to finishing homework, she’ll make me a cup of coffee to help me last through the rest of the night.

My dad, the more reserved type, expresses his love implicitly. When he comes home on Friday nights, he’ll ask if my printer has run out of ink (which it does often) and offers to replace it for me. He’ll ask if I’ve splurged this past week and offers to transfer more money onto my debit card.

He’ll ask, while going through the Costco coupon book, if I need specific items and regardless of my response, buys them anyways thinking that sometime in the future they’ll be handy.

11-year-old me would have begun planning a sweet 16 bash immediately after the topic was brought up. But in retrospect, the only plausible way to thank my parents is to spend my special day with them.

So, my “sweet 16” is in two days, and how will I celebrate it? By sleeping until 10 a.m. in the warm solace of my bed, by eating brunch with my parents at our favorite café, and by shopping with my mom in downtown Los Gatos (like the unique boutiques reviewed in the Lifestyle section).

april 20, 2012 the Winged Post

Opinion ing, and I’ll admit that I reacted overdramatically in some cases, too. In the much-anticipated days leading up to spring break, I couldn’t think of anything except college and where I’ll be headed in a matter of months.

We are a “college prep” school, indeed, but sometimes I feel as if I’ve worked through high school seeing college as the end goal in sight.

It seemed like my effort over the past four years was measured by a multiple paragraph email sent by an unfamiliar president of a prestigious university.

Yet, here I am thinking about the thousands of more important decisions that I am going to face (picking a school as the first one) now that I’m college-bound.

There is a saying that “today is the first day of the rest of your life.” And frankly, only recently have these words rung true to me.

Some people know early on in life exactly who they want to be when they grow up. They know the exact profession they want to pursue, the type of family they want to have, the town they want to settle in. Heck, they even know what they plan on naming their kids.

As for me, and comfortingly enough, a large number of others, I have no idea. It’s not that I have no aspirations as some come under the misconception; rather, I want to be everything. Throughout my childhood I’ve considered it all, from a police officer to every child’s fantasy of becoming an astronaut to a children’s psychiatrist to a fearless journalist.

I would like to believe that time is not of the essence, and the cliché is true, that I have my entire life ahead of me to decide what to do with my fu-

l

decisions, decisions priyanka mody editor in chief

The past few weeks have been tense. College admissions were the major, if not the only, concern of my peers and me. The buzz around campus seemed unfortunately consistent in content, and as much as I wanted to escape the incessant questions of who and where and how, I could not.

I was followed everywhere, from status messages, to passing periods, to lunch conversations.

I had witnessed a week filled with a hodge-podge of emotions, ranging from shrugged shoulders to smiles that flashed those pearly whites to everything in between.

Students were saying “trauma Thursday,” almost surrendering to the much too dramatic day when acceptance and rejection letters would be delivered.

Support was extended from all directions: class meeting announcements, friendly high-fives, and heartfelt hugs when things didn’t seem to work out.

It seemed as if the end of the world was approach-

“

”

talk around campus

ture.

But as college becomes something more real, I feel as if I can hear a thousand voices screaming all these different possibilities inside my head, each with its own reason: some pragmatic, some pulling on that emotional, free spirit heart of mine, and others just wild and almost impossible.

I have found comfort, though, in the libertarian notion of college in this country, that undergraduate education is a time for exploration.

The beauty of it is that you don’t have to make that final decision just yet, or at least one that binds you to a choice for life.

Even after I graduate, I’ll still have time to do something radical and change my mind. There is flexibility, creativity, and independence in each of the choices that I’m going to make in the years to come.

High school has been a sampling of making decisions, but the class requirements and the structure of day-to-day life are what distinguish the past four years from the next.

What I’m looking for in college isn’t the path that is going to lead me to financial success, or my ultimate profession, though I might find those along the way.

I’m looking for an experience, one that includes mistakes, risks, and hopefully in the end, happiness.

I want to find a subject matter that I absolutely fall in love with and embrace.

I want to distill every opportunity down to the question: is this what I want?

What did you think of the ASB speeches? meena chetty

“Each of the people who was speaking had a very forceful and very accurate assessment of what they were going to be able to do. Some of them were probably promising things that may not have been able to happen, but for the most part, the suggestions that all of the candidates were giving were thoughtful. [...] There [also] should be candidates who are young ladies.”

TALONWP managing editor

“I think they were all passionate about what they wanted to do and they all had really good ideas about the future of the school. I think that people should vote based on the speeches.”

- Lea Daran (10)

- John Hawley, Latin Teacher

“I thought the speeches were really good. [...] They gave a sense that it wasn’t a popularity contest. They actually gave a definition of the voting.”

“I liked the speeches where they conveyed a personal agenda, but some of the speeches, I found, had absolutely no substance.”

- Austin Lai (9)

- Eric Zhang (11) “The candidates showed different kinds of leadership[...] We had some very riveting speeches where the candidate really got interested in the speech and really motivated the audience. There were some very serious speeches[...] I am truly inspired by all of the candidates because they have a lot of courage to run for student council.”

“I always think the ASB speeches are really helpful because you get to know how the candidate would be like as a speaker and what kind of environment that would be like. You get to know their personalities.”

- Ria Desai (11)

- Avinash Nayak (10)

“I very much liked the current ASB members’ introduction[...] about the teamwork involved. I would hope that students could try to generate some kind of [...] grouping which might be as effective as our extraordinary ASB members have been this year.”

“Overall, I thought they were all actually really good. This year’s candidates seemed like they were really enthusiastic about running and all of them seemed like they put a lot of effort into their campaign.”

- Delaney Martin (9)

- Dr. Pauline Paskali, English Teacher

Playing the numbers game

A life of numbers adds up to little value aditi ashok sports editor

The second hand of the clock ticks louder and louder as the hour shifts from night into day.

Around me, there is nothing but silence, punctuated only by the sound of my frantically beating heart.

All of a sudden, 2 a.m. is on the face of the clock. I hold my breath, open my laptop, and log into www. collegeboard.com. And suddenly, three little numbers appear on the screen.

I add them up to calculate one of the four digit numbers that will supposedly define the rest of my high school career.

Although waiting up for my SAT score occurred almost a year ago, the memory is still fresh in my head because I believed the score I received had a large impact on where I will ultimately go to school next year. As a high school senior, I have spent my fair share of time worrying about numbers as my college decisions rolled in.

What if I had bumped up that B+ to an A-?

What if my SAT score was just 20 points higher?

What if that one test I bombed is preventing me from getting into my dream school?

We receive extremely contradictory messages.

On one hand, our society encourages us to take SAT prep classes, stay up late studying, and gradegrub for that last 0.2% on our cumulative grades.

But when we don’t succeed, many will flash us a half-pitying smile and say, “Oh sweetie, it doesn’t matter, you’re more than your numbers!”

Well…are we? Several would say of course, and I do agree. Everyone has much more to them than a few numbers could ever indicate. However, our school has an intensive focus on college admissions, and quite frankly, it is extremely rare to get admitted to an outstanding university without high

stats.

Sure, colleges claim to look beyond your scores, but the percentage of people with lower stats getting into top schools is incredibly low.

Completely disregarding college, the rest of our society is highly numerically based, too. Your weight, your salary, and your zip code are all defining attributes as to how others see you and perhaps even how you see yourself.

From grade school to retirement, we will each

“

We will each be labeled by certain numbers that will follow us and inevitably become part of our identity.

”

be labeled by certain numbers that will follow us and inevitably become part of our identity.

One has to wonder if in this numerically focused society, we are losing sight of the truly important things in life. Traits such as loyalty, perseverance, bravery, and honesty are being obscured by ones such as “4.8 grade point average” or “105 pounds.”

I know oftentimes numerical success is the direct result of hard work and passion. But just as often, students who are incredibly driven and genuinely love learning fail to achieve results that will put them on par with peers who simply test better or grasp subject material faster.

This is not to say I don’t get caught up in the same game. I stayed up until two in the morning to check my SAT score and couldn’t breathe easy until I made sure I had beaten my goal.

I do not claim to be someone who does not care about my scores, but I am not bitter about my ultimate results.

I am perfectly happy, if not downright ecstatic, about where I am going to college next year, but that does not mean the game is fair. All of us know how to play the game, but is the game one we should be playing?

What it comes down to is the question: how can we provide a measure of worth in society that reveals our true characters rather than how well we can fill in bubbles or cram for a test? Is there a way to let our inner selves and moral fiber control our advancing in society rather than our grades and how well we can test?

In all honesty, there is really no clear-cut solution to all of this. Often, people with higher stats do work harder than their peers who barely get by. And maybe the counter argument is that social Darwinism is in play, and measures such as SAT scores and calculating a grade point average are a way of weeding out weaker candidates.

However, it is tragic to think that people with more determination, heart, and kindness than several with high numbers are being overlooked in the college admissions process.

But next time you do poorly on a test or get rejected from a college, just remember what really is important.

Maybe those with higher numbers will succeed faster in the short run, but those with the character traits that really matter will ultimately do better and live a happier and healthier life.

7

on the

DL

daniela lapidous opinion editor

Because it has consumed my waking thoughts and haunted my dreams for the past few months, I think I could write about nothing other than the evolution of Green Teen Summit for this column.

I am not going to talk about how excited I was to actually see Bill McKibben, the founder of 350.org, on the stage on April 14. To express that fully would probably take some jumping up and down.

Instead, I want to start at a moment in December completely unrelated to actually organizing the conference.

I was passing through the stalls of a street market during winter break, when I came upon a woman selling jewelry imprinted with a variety of quotes. I browsed the bracelets, wondering what kind of reminder I needed.

I spotted the perfect one, which said, “Leap and the net will appear.” I bought it and put it on instantly.

At that moment, I had already committed to planning the event with BOSS, our green club. But I was still locked into fear and at the point where I could turn back, say hasta la vista, and peace out!

No, sir, I would not accept so much responsibility. What if we couldn’t get good speakers? What if no one came?

What if we ended up looking like fools?

And … what if the event was so bad that Bill McKibben hated us and we would be pariahs in the “green” world and never be able to get a green job in our lives?! Like, OMG. Looking back, it’s pretty hilarious, really.

But when I saw that little quote in a silly jewelry stand, I knew I had to embrace it. The idea of “leap and the net will appear” removed a bit of the responsibility from my shoulders.

I realized that my co-organizers and I were supposed to do our best and trust that things will work out.

Putting in a lot of time and effort is relatively clear-cut–it’s the faith that your hard work will miraculously turn into something worthwhile that is difficult to keep.

Between December and now, I still panicked. A lot. Ask our club advisors–I was kind of the one who was half-wailing, “but what if….? Or what if…?”

Other factors that kept me motivated–besides a hunk of silver–were a) my real interest in spreading the word about the environment to my peers and b) the sense of shame and regret were I to quit.

Let’s be real: it’s not all nobleminded aspirations that keep us going at all times. At work, it could sometimes be money. In many instances, it is preserving one’s self-image.

Anyways, as we got closer and closer, I worried more and more. But, in the night before the event, when my co-organizers and I stayed up until 1 a.m. working on last-minute touches ... my mind’s worries disappeared, as if a wave had washed away the writing on the sand.

I realized that we really had done our best and that, whatever happened, I was going to be okay with that.

We came into the event on Saturday expecting 40 to 50 people, and we got 75. I was shocked. I’ll skip all the details and say it made me very proud.

Surprisingly, planning this event was perhaps the most challenging thing I’ve ever done in my life. As often as I take on “intense” extra-curriculars, they don’t strike fear into my heart like this did. The difference was definitely the “faith” element, created by our dependence on an unpredictable audience.

Green Teen Summit was essentially an experiment of a control freak (me) who thinks preparation is the key to perfection.

I am extremely happy I chose to follow through with it, because it taught me that after a certain baseline point of preparation, I can let go, stop worrying, and let what will happen, happen. The net usually appears.

And if it doesn’t? That’s okay, too.

I did my best. I’ll get ‘em next time. I just hope I can keep that in mind and save myself a whole lot of stress earlier on in the game.

8

April 20, 2012

Prom

the Winged Post

Student group helps plan prom behind the scenes managing editor & lifestyle editor

Limos, restaurants, corsages, dancing, lights, photos, cameras, dresses, tuxedos, ties, hair, drinks, desserts, red carpet, sequins, backdrops, suits, makeup: it’s prom season.

Many images and items are associated with prom, and behind the scenes of the event is prom committee, a group of students who work directly with Prom Organizer Chris Daren to plan the most grandiose dance

of the year.

Prom committee head Kirsten Herr (12), started planning with her team during January to brainstorm ideas, and after a few meetings, sent a general list of themes to Daren, who, with Kirsten and others on the committee, decided on a final theme: A Classic Hollywood Prom. The committee met several other times to discuss other logistics, including ticket and invitation designs.

“We came up with the elaborate plan of imitating a roll-up piece of film, so we had to roll and fold and stamp and sticker and mail every single invite,” Kirsten said. “Even though it was a lot of hard work, I think that it really [did] pay off in the end because in my humble opinion, the invites looked amazing.”

Upon selling 200 tickets, the number needed to most likely break even with the baseline costs of prom, the committee could begin using its budget. Kirsten described this part of the planning process to be more “hands-on” because as a committee, they are now able to choose what they

KEVIN LIN -- THE WINGED POST

kevin lin & sanjana baldwa

INVITATIONS Made using overhead projection paper, the invitations were made to look like a piece of film strip.

want in this year’s prom.

After planning, the committee began to materialize many of their ideas to make this year’s “classic” Hol-

“

[My sister] said [prom committee] was one of the best experiences she could have had.

Andre Tran (11)

”

lywood prom unique. Aside from the red carpet, they will implement some other ideas, such as prizes, casino games, and some surprises in order to make prom night memorable.

Members of prom committee expressed multiple reasons for joining

the group, such as the satisfaction they receive when they set up for the event.

“Seeing all the hard work that we’ve put into planning, and watch[ing] everything get put up is definitely something,” Kirsten said. “I owe everything to my prom committee.”

Andre Tran (11), first year member of prom committee, decided to join the group because he wanted to get more involved with the community.

“My sister had joined the committee when she was in high school, and she said it was one of the best experiences she could have had,” Andre said.

Overall, the committee hopes that the student body and faculty alike will enjoy the event.

“It’s more a get-together end-ofyear party than it is a dance,” Kirsten said. “It’s a chance for all the upperclassmen to have fun for a night, and I really hope that people will step out of their comfort zone and attend because it’s just so much more fun that way.”

This year’s “Promiere” is on April 28 at the Downtown San Jose Marriott Hotel.

DIY: Corsages and boutonnieres Pre-prom dining guide

A variety of options for every situation of the night

michelle deng asst. editor in chief set yourself. So why not call up a few friends, pay a quick trip to the florist and a local craft store, and have a corsage-making party following this little guide? You’d have fun and save money.

Supplies:

Focal flowers (roses, carnations, etc.)

Fillers (small flowers and/or craft materials) Base greenery Ribbon Floral wire Green floral tape Elastic wristband (optional) Pearl-tipped boutonniere pins Strong glue

Choosing your materials:

1 Select a focal flower to match the girl’s dress.

Roses, carnations, lilies, and orchids are the classic choices, but if you’d like to spice things up, feel free to pick something different—perhaps a small sunflower, a dahlia, or any reasonably sized flower, really.

Boutonnieres usually just have one flower, but wrist corsages often have more; if you’re indecisive and/ or don’t mind the extra weight, you could choose a larger flower and two smaller flowers. Simplicity is elegant though!

2 Select a filler to complement the focal flower.

You can’t go wrong with the small white buds such as baby’s breath, but you could get creative and use other flowers, or even craft materials like pearl strands or feathers.

3 Select base greens. Leaves may come with your focal flowers, but it’s nice to add some fern or polycia leaves too. For a more nontraditional base, you could use tulle or a tropical leaf.

4 Pick a ribbon, preferably under 1/2-inch wide, that accents the focal flower and dress.

Assemble the corsage or boutonniere body:

5

Form wire stems for structure. Using scissors or a sharp knife, trim the stem of the focal flower so that around half an inch remains. With a 7-inch strip of floral wire, puncture the base of the flower (right below the petals) horizontally and thread the wire through until 3 inches of wire remain on either half of the flower. Bend the wires downwards in the direction of the stem and twist them together. If you are making a 5 1 corsage with multiple focal flowers, repeat the process for the smaller ones, except using shorter strips of wire— perhaps 4 or 5 inches long.

lifestyle editor & reporter Prom is one of the most memorable nights of a high school student’s life. However, what will be a tiresome evening needs a proper pre-planned meal to last the night!

The Winged Post suggests some ideas on how to fill the stomach before dancing the night away, whether it be with a group or a special someone.

Dining for Groups:

ALL PHOTOS MICHELLE DENG -- THE WINGED POST

with an elegant bow. To make the bow, wrap part of a long piece of ribbon around your hand two or three times. Then, wrap the ribbon around the middle of the loops, forming the bow center, and tie it tight. Arrange the loops and tail ends so that they are mostly symmetrical. Too hard? Make a simple shoelace bow instead. Fasten the bow on the stem with one pearltipped pin.

Attach the appropriate fasteners:

10

For a corsage, you’ll want to have either an elegant but inconvenient ribbon tie or a less fancy but more functional elastic wristband attached to 9 one or two strong stems towards the center of the back of the corsage.

Ribbon can simply be tied around the stems; when the time comes, the guy can tie it around the girl’s wrist.

An elastic wristband can be attached using floral tape as binding material.

11

10 11 For a boutonniere, depending on the weight of the arrangement, stick one or two pearl-tipped boutonniere pins through the floral tape wrap at the back.

If using two pins, stick them in a slight X-formation; crossing pins will give much more support than parallel ones.

Now, refrigerate in a closed container until the big evening!

Final Product

6 Wrap each of the focal flowers with green floral tape. Start from the base, move down to the tip of the wire, and then reverse 6 and move back up to the base.

7 Arrange the flowers, fillers, and greenery the way you’d like them to look in the corsage or boutonniere. For the most aesthetically pleasing results, first place the largest focal flower in the center, then place smaller flowers and filler below or behind it, and finally place greenery in the very back.

8 Wrap all the stems together extremely securely with floral tape. Multiple layers are highly encouraged; no stem or wire should show at the bottom tip.

9 (Optional) If the barren length of floral-tape-wrapped stem bothers you, cover it

sanjana baldwa & sonia sidhu

One common option is simply eating out with friends. With the luxurious Santana Row right by the Upper School campus, restaurant options are endless. Maggiano’s Little Italy is a popular option, known for its authentic Italian cuisine and relaxing ambiance.

The restaurant has a lively atmosphere but is still quiet enough for diners to be able to hear all conversations.

Raghav Sehtia (11) says that he plans to go to Santana Row. “It’s super close and very fun,” he said.

“I want to go to a nicer place but still have a good time.”

Another popular dining option is BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, known for its classic Pizookie and filling appetizers. BJ’s offers a bustling environment and plenty of fun for a group. However, the restaurant takes reservations only for groups of ten or more, so make sure to have a group of at least that size if dining there.

Jason Yu (12) says that he is considering going to BJ’s but is not sure yet.

“We’re going out to eat for sure and BJ’s seems like it will be a lot of fun,” he said.

The Cheesecake Factory is another potential dining option, which is convenient not only for large parties but also for smaller groups. While quieter than its counterpart BJ’s, the restaurant still provides a vibrant atmosphere. Aside from preparing delicious dessert, the restaurant offers many options including Chinese chicken to Cajun pasta. If dining here, be sure to try some cheesecake, but leave room for the desert offered at prom.

Dining for Two:

For a more romantic dinner for two, try Bella Mia, a romantic Italian restaurant located close to the prom venue. The restaurant is known for its quiet, intimate atmosphere.

Bella Mia’s dining options include pasta, pizza, and a variety of main courses ranging from chicken parmesan to avocado and prawns. Most main dishes are between $15 and $25.

Left Bank Brasserie is another restaurant located in Santana Row that has a romantic ambience. With a classy, trendy feel to it, the restaurant is perfect for those looking to enjoy a romantic meal but in a more lively restaurant than Bella Mia. The restau-

rant provides a variety of French cuisine. As Left Bank is a steak house, the options for vegetarians are a bit limited, but for meat eaters, Left Bank will provide a fun yet elegant meal.

At Home: ALL GRAPHICS KEVIN LIN -- THE WINGED POST

Corsages and boutonnieres may seem like delicate works of floral art, but they’re actually little more than a few carefully arranged plants, wires, and ribbons—which means you can easily make a

If all else fails, dinner at home is not a bad alternative. Try getting a group of friends together to have a potluck or a do-it-yourself dinner to add a more homely and casual aspect to the dawn of the night. Another idea is getting food catered. Contact a favorite restaurant and have a more casual dinner in the comfort of a familiar environment.

Nina Sabharwal (11) and her friends

are getting food catered for convenience.

“It’s kind of hard to organize transportation [to a restaurant],” she said. “Catering seemed like a great thing to do.”

Even if you opt to have dinner in a restaurant, getting together at a friend’s house before for appetizers or light snacks is a potential option. This route provides some food at home but still allows for the classic experience of dining out before prom.

DESIGNED BY KEVIN LIN -- THE WINGED POST

features

April 20, 2012 the Winged Post

9

Spirit: Classes prepare for upcoming activities mercedes chien, nayeon kim, priyanka sharma, & corey gonzales photo editor, managing editor, sports editor, & reporter

regatta, and the Rally.

According to Student Activities Coordinator Kerry Enzensperger, this year’s Spirit Week activities will be “more studentbased” than in the past.

“I try to get more student input; it’s really about what [the students] want,” she said.

CLASS OF 2015 approaches, none of the supposed volunteers actually attend.

“They all say that they want to [be involved], but getting them in the room [actually participating] is hard,” Vivian said.

Class Dean Diana Moss attributes this difficulty to the many activities that occur during this time of the year, including the spring musical and sports.

After they shocked all of

now that they have proven that they can succeed.

Moss emphasizes the underlying aspects of the Spirit Rally: to enjoy their time and unite as a class, regardless of whether they finish first or last place.

“It’s totally fine to be fourth, but what’s important is that everyone gets involved and has fun and feels proud of the job that they do,” she said.

Furthermore, Moss comments on this particular class’s enthusiasm compared to that of her previous classes.

“I love the way they really had fun with the skit in the fall,” she said. “I just feel a positive and fun energy in the group.”

The freshmen have been SKIT Freshmen Vivian Isenpracticing the skit for the past berg, Sheridan Tobin, and Riya few Wednesdays during long Godbole discuss preparations lunch and have been creating for their fantasy themed skit. the regatta boat whenever time the other classes with their sec- permits. ond place finish during Homecoming Week, the freshmen class gained confidence in their work ethic, and President Sarah Bean (9) anticipates more involvement COREY GONZALES - THE WINGED POST

F

or their very first Spring Rally, Class of 2015 officers are determined to perform just as well as they did in the Homecoming Rally.

The freshmen class voted for a fantasy theme; for the skit, they have incorporated aspects of Disney and Pixar by including characters such as Buzz Lightyear in the script. For the duct tape regatta, they will base their designs on boats that previously won to give them a general idea of what may be successful.

After losing to the seniors last fall, freshmen have changed some of their techniques and strategies to ensure that they are fully prepared to go against the other classes next week, according to Vice President Nikita Mittal (9).

However, the inconsistency between commitment and action proves to be a challenge for the freshmen class. Secretary Vivian Isenberg (9) said that many students are enthusiastic about being a character in the skit or rowing the boat in the duct tape regatta, but when practice time

T

make a bold move.

“We’re using a lot of new ideas for the skit, so hopefully we’ll be making the right changes,” Secretary David Lindars (11) said.

The juniors’ movie genre theme this year is action and adventure. For last year’s Spirit Week, juniors chose the childhood TV show Rugrats for their skit. However, according to one of the participants Apricot Tang (11), they faced unexpected technical difficulties during the execution of the skit.

“We had [everything] planned out, but then the music didn’t work,” she said.

Determined to prevent any mishaps from happening again, President Simar Mangat (11) vows to keep a careful watch over all technical aspects of REHEARSAL Junior male cheerleaders the skit. According to practice their routine for the Powder Puff scrimmage to be held on Wednesday during Simar, the juniors are busy organizing and long lunch.

MERCEDES CHIEN - THE WINGED POST

ith two years of experience under their belt, juniors participating in Spirit Week activities have expressed their readiness to

CLASS OF 2014

he sophomore class has started their preparations for Spirit Week in order to revive a class spirit similar to that during last year’s Spirit Week.

The class of 2014 voted science fiction to be their movie genre. According to President Arjun Goyal (10), this theme allows the class to creatively incorporate many science fiction elements into the competitions.

“Our theme gives us a lot of room and territory when it comes to embodiment,” he said.

“In the regatta, we’re decorating our boat to transform it into a spaceship, and in our skit, we’ve included e l e -

ments from major sci-fi movies, and the costumes and props are definitely accurate. It’s going to be awesome.”

According to the student council members, the skit has made a lot of headway, as the script is almost finished and casting nearly completed. For the duct tape regatta, the class has all the dimensions and sizes planned out and has started duct-taping pieces.

The sophomore class council wants to promote more spirit among the members of the 2014 class by organizing a sophomore decoration day.

“As we did in Homecoming, we will be choosing a day where we come to school early and decorate the campus.

We find that decorating the school increases the spirit within our MERCEDES CHIEN - THE WINGED POST class, even REGATTA Working on creating the boat for duct tape if it isn’t regatta, sophomores Sahithya Prakash and Vincent actually a Lin hope to win in the competition.

BOAT Benjamin Chu (10) measures the dimensions for the cardboard that will be used for the duct tape regatta boat.

competition part of the rally,” Vice President Sahithya Prakash (10) said.

Apart from the usual class competitions, the sophomores are also working as a class to redecorate their flag and establish a mascot.

Arjun believes the class will perform better this year than they did last year.

“I’m definitely most excited about the regatta,” he said. “After getting first place last year as freshmen, the pressure is on us to win again. We’re ready for the challenge.”

CLASS OF 2012

CLASS OF 2013

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Over the past few weeks, Spirit Club members have been organizing the various activities that will occur next week, while class councils and other interested students have been preparing for their respective events in the Rally.

“Everything is different each year. It’s always fun trying to see what the classes will come up for skits,” said Indu Seeni (11),

MERCEDES CHIEN - THE WINGED POST

Three...Two...One... AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!

One by one, each class roars into the decibel meter at the top of their lungs. The scream-off competition on Davis Field marks one of the highlights of Spring Spirit Week. From April 23 to 27, all four classes will participate in an array of spirit activities that include a mattress race, funny dress up relay, Powder Puff, duct tape

planning, and they are confident that all their hard work will lead to a positive performance.

“We have [all the supplies we need], our script is done, and we’re looking really good for the Powder Puff [game],” he said.

“We’ve gotten a lot of [new] people involved, and everybody’s been pulling their load.”

The juniors are also prepared to bounce back from their somewhat disappointing performance in the fall.

“We got started much earlier this time around, and are much more familiar with the guidelines and rules for each event. We are already in a much better place than we were a week before Homecoming,” Vice President Maverick McNealy (11) said.

The juniors have established themselves as a force to be reckoned as this year’s Spirit Week edges closer.

are planning to build the regatta boat as an imitation of a ship in the movie Ghost Ship and feature zombies in their skit.

Akshay Tangutur (12), Ananth Subramaniam (12), and Derek have been involved in NAYEON KIM - THE WINGED POST organizing the skit PLANNING Akshay Tangutur (12) and David since freshmen year.

Fang (12) brainstorm ideas for the Spring Rally skit. The seniors have chosen horror as The seniors betheir movie genre theme. gan brainstorming for the skit during s the end of the year apSpirit Night in first semester and proaches, seniors look forhave made progress in drafting ward to participating in their last the script and casting. According Spirit Rally in high school. to Akshay, more students have The senior class voted horshown interest in taking part in ror as their movie genre, and spirit than in previous years. student council members are “It’s kind of crazy to think incorporating elements of the about it. Spirit Week’s next week, theme into the spirit competiand it hasn’t hit a lot of people in tions. According to Secretary our grade yet, but as soon as the Derek Huang (12), the seniors weekend comes, it’s going to be

A

really fun,” Akshay said. “I know people are already talking about getting started with the skit and spirit, [so] it’s pretty incredible.”

Although President David Fang (12) hopes for the seniors’ victory, he emphasizes that the results are not the most important part of participating in the Rally.

“Because this is our last Spirit Rally, we just want to enjoy it and make the most of it,” he said. “This is like the closing of high school for us, the celebration of our whole year.”

NAYEON KIM - THE WINGED POST

MATERIALS According to class council members, the seniors plan to build the duct tape regatta and finish other preparations for Spirit Week soon.

Students pursue archery competitively and recreationally reporters While Katniss Everdeen of The Hunger Games displays her finesse with a bow and arrow on the big screen, students at the Upper School participate in archery in the real world, both for recreation and competition.

Brian Tuan (10), Christophe Pellissier (12), and Katherine Woodruff (11) are each experienced with a bow and arrow. They believe that archery has a unique appeal, different from any other sport.

“It’s not only just a physical sport, but there’s also a lot of mental game to it. The more you actually learn about the mental game, the more interesting the sport is,” Brian said.

Brian has been doing archery competitively for nearly two years. As a dedicated archer, he competes in state and national tournaments and plans to start participating in international competitions. In the 2012 Indoor Nationals and JOAD Nationals, Brian placed 15th among the “Male Cadet Recurve” division. His favorite event is called a “team round,” in which an archer teams up with a partner and shoots against other teams.

“There’s a lot of cheering and fanfare in the background, so it’s really fun,” Brian said.

Ever since his mother took him to an archery shooting range on a summer excursion, archery has become one of Brian’s top interests. He takes instruc-

tion from a coach in San Diego and flies down for lessons about once every one or two months. In addition, Brian shoots at the Palomo Archery range in Palo Alto four or five times a week.

Currently, Brian has reached what he calls a “performance plateau.”

“It’s really just a frustrating moment where you don’t see any marked improvement no matter how much you

“

It’s not only just a physical sport, but there’s also a lot of mental game to it.

”

Brian Tuan (10)

do,” he said. “I think one of the biggest challenges [in archery] is actually breaking through that plateau.”

Unlike Brian, Christophe and Katherine only shoot recreationally. For Katherine, archery is more of a social activity. Originally, a few of her friends introduced her to archery as a fun way to hang out. After her friends moved to England, Katherine continued to shoot in the summertime with her family or another friend.

“Whenever I go there, I just kind

of remember [my friends], and if they ever come back to America, I’ll take them again, and we can do some archery together,” she said.

For Katherine, archery is also somewhat of a family activity. Most often, she shoots with her dad or her sister.

“I think it’s something they can do together and there’s some competition involved. [It’s] outside and in the trees, [and] they can have a good time together,” Katherine’s mother, Toni Woodruff, said.

Christophe became familiar with the sport when he attended the Lower School’s summer camp in third or fourth grade. Later, he also discovered that his father used to be a semi-professional archer, and he has remained interested since.

Christophe disagrees with the notion that archery may require less exercise than other sports.

“There’s a repetitive motion that is completely exercise in archery,” he said. “Small variations in your form can change the entire shot, so it really does bring attention to detail in your entire body.”

Both Christophe and Katherine visit the Stevens Creek Archery Range, a site that includes a conventional indoor target setup as well as a range that winds along outdoor trails.

“It’s nice [because] you get to shoot uphill, downhill, [...] and it’s very nature-oriented; you feel very part of

it,” Katherine said.

Because of his busy schedule and other commitments, Christophe is unable to do archery on a regular basis.

He hopes to shoot more on weekends and during the summer once he graduates.

Like Christophe, Brian finds it difficult to weigh his other activities with his interest in archery. “[Archery is] one of those sports where if you don’t shoot for a few weeks or so, you pretty much lose everything, and so you have to balance,” he said.

The equipment required for archery is also expensive as various components besides the bow are required

to improve the accuracy of the shot. “[When] getting my bow, the base cross was $200, which isn’t much, [but] once you add the whisker biscuit which holds the arrow, peephole, sights, all kinds of things, [...] that’s another $200 of add-ons,” Christophe said.

Although time and price may be inconveniences, all three students expressed that archery is a fun and unique way to spend time. While Brian hopes to start competing in world tournaments sometime during the end of the year, Christophe and Katherine simply wish for more free time to allow them to get to the range.

SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST

kacey fang & dora tzeng

BOW AND ARROW Brian Tuan (10) has been pursuing archery competitively for close to two years, participating in state and national tournaments. In addition to Brian, Christophe Pellissier (12) and Katherine Woodruff (11) shoot recreationally.

10

April 20, 2012

Features

the Winged Post

Nine Upper School teachers serve as AP readers sanjana baldwa & darian edvalson The CollegeBoard is recognizing many Upper School teachers this year, inviting nine teachers to be table leaders and readers for the AP exams in May. These teachers will either be readers, who grade the same question on each test continuously for the duration of the grading, or table leaders, who supervise the readers and check their work for consistent grading. Teachers are awarded the position of table leader after many years of reliable work as a reader.

Robbie Korin: AP Chemistry teacher Robbie Korin has been a reader for the AP Chemistry test for the past seven years and hopes to continue doing so for at least as long as he continues to teach.

“I really like the grading because you get to work with other graders, see how they teach and just get to know them better,” Korin said. “Also, travelling all over the country, and [getting paid] doesn’t hurt.”

Korin thinks that being a reader for the AP Chemistry test has helped him improve his teaching, because it has given him insight into what and how his students need to write to earn full credit on each free response question.

His effort and work as a reader earned him a spot as a table leader; he coaches readers and reviews their work.

Daniel Ajerman: Prior to coming to the Upper School, Honors Biology teacher Daniel Ajerman had been a science teacher for more than 40 years, but he only decided to become an AP reader just a few years ago, after the CollegeBoard asked him to.

However, Ajerman is not just a reader; the CollegeBoard offered him the opportunity to write a section of multiple choice questions about ecology and molecular biology for the 2012 AP Biology exam.

“Writing the multiple choice questions is interesting because the CollegeBoard has a [video conference] with teachers all over the world, discussing how the test [and questions] should be formatted,” Ajerman said.

Despite being asked to be a table leader, Ajerman decided to continue as a reader for the time being, as he enjoys the process of grading a single question.

SANJANA BALDWA & DARIAN EDVALSON - WINGED POST

lifestyle editor & TALONWP editor Mark Janda: AP World History teacher Mark Janda has been grading AP World History exams since 2003 the second year of the test’s creation.

Janda is currently a table leader; he uses his nine years of experience to help his students excel in the essay portion of their exams, which counts for 50 percent of AP READERS Nine Upper School teachers await grading AP exams this May; many consider this experience to provide new perspective on the exams. AP Environmental Science exam reader Jeff Sutton is not pictured. the final grade. “[AP essays] are test really works and get a sense of the the AP Calculus AB or BC test. legeBoard as a reader. very unique and strictly graded beasts skillset a student needs,” he said. “You Stoll said he is excited to grade the “I did it just because I thought it because there are certain things you see that working in a classroom is not AP exam and has been waiting for this would be interesting and just because have to do. We know exactly how you an isolated activity; it’s part of a whole opportunity ever since submitting his I thought it would be good for my caare going to be evaluated, so we know continuum.” application five years ago. reer,” he said. “I thought it would be exactly how to teach our students,” Though he has been involved with “All these teachers have been kind of cool to see what it would be Janda said. the grading committees for quite some teaching Calculus for quite a few years. like going to grade the exams.”

In his opinion, being an AP read- time, Manjoine, who serves as a table I’ll be able to tell if I’m expecting too Silk has found that being a reader er is “one of the most amazing pro- leader and member of the test develop- much of my kids in a certain topic, or has provided him with more informafessional opportunities a teacher can ment committee, notes that he tries not I can tell my kids what [AP graders] tion on grading to share with his stuhave,” and he recommends that all AP to let his insider perspective affect his expect of them,” Stoll said. dents and better prepare them for the teachers apply. teaching. exam. He hopes to stay involved with He is unsure of his future particiJeff Sutton: the organization and potentially move pation; he is considering taking a break Science teacher Jeff Sutton has to positions with more responsibility in or stopping completely after this year. been an AP Environmental Science the future. reader since 2007.

Mary Mortlock: “At the beginning, I thought it Troy Thiele: AP Statistics teacher Mary Mort- was going to be horrific sitting down This year marks mathematics lock has been grading AP Statistics and grading papers for eight to nine teacher Troy Thiele’s fourth year as an exams for 12 years, beginning almost hours a day,” he said. “But once you get AP Statistics exam reader for the Colright after the exam was created. This there and you meet colleagues and pro- legeBoard. year, as opposed to previous ones, she fessors and other teachers, it just seems Thiele has found that being a will focus on grading the exams held to click.” reader allows him to notice nuances in overseas.

Sutton has really enjoyed the pro- student responses that help him inform “I’ve seen the program go from 40 fessional development he has gained his own students of what works and readers during the second year to about through the grading conferences. what does not in the AP exam.

400 readers now,” she said.

“I’ve met climatologists, anthro“It also makes me really appreciMortlock first got involved when pologists, archeologists, all sorts of cool ate some of the blessings that I have Mark Janda, one of the chief readers came to do a people, so it’s been really cool,” he said. been given at Harker such as great stuworkshop in North Virginia, where she Sutton was asked to be a table dents, supportive parent community History Teacher was teaching at the time, and asked if leader this year, but because the job re- and faculty, and administration that are Mortlock wanted to travel to Califor- quires him to fly out to the base earlier willing to do anything I ask if it’s for nia Polytech University to be a reader than the readers, he declined. However, the good of the program,” he said. with her. he is considering that option for future Thiele hopes to stay involved in Nicholas Manjoine: Over the years, Mortlock has dis- years, along with applying to be an AP the future and is excited for the gradFrench teacher Nicholas Manjo- covered that there is a technique to Psychology exam reader in the future. ing period to come. ine started grading AP French exams answering the AP-style questions and even before joining the Upper School. recommends that students really pracAnthony Silk: These teachers will be joined by He has graded the AP French Lan- tice before taking the exam.

Calculus teacher Anthony Silk others from the Upper School in years guage exam four times and the AP grades mostly the AP Calculus BC to come, a testimony to the effort and French Literature exam twice when it Bradley Stoll: exam but also grades some of the AP work put in by both teachers and stuexisted.

Bradley Stoll has been teaching Calculus AB exam due to some over- dents.

“I just thought it would be in- AP Calculus BC for 14 years, but this lapping questions. This year marks his teresting to get an insight on how the will be his first year as a reader of either third year of involvement with the Col-

“

[Being an AP reader] is one of the most amazing professional opportunities a teacher can have.

”

Self-proclaimed “travel-holic”

A look into the life of Paul Petrianos samantha hoffman chief in training Students of Ramsay Westgate’s AP U.S. History classes were greeted with a different but familiar face when they walked into class several weeks ago: Paul Petrianos, a substitute teacher at the Upper School.

Born in 1945, Petrianos grew up in San Francisco, where he was able to enjoy “the culture of the city.”

“The urban life was a wonderful place to thrive and it’s a nice cosmopolitan place to grow up,” he said.

His interest in teaching stemmed from “the motivation for learning” he accrued as a student. He chose to study history because of its depth.

“With history, there’s so much that you could only learn a few drops of it if it was the ocean,” he said, spreading his hands wide. “I wanted to peel back the layers of the onion to discover more of these cultures and histories.”

Before completing his teaching degrees, Petrianos entered the U.S. Marine Reserve Corps instead of being drafted in the Vietnam War, even though, he says, he is a pacifist. During his six years there, however, his regiment never saw conflict.

Petrianos went on to earn a B.A. in History from San Francisco State University in 1968 and completed graduate work both locally and in Europe and received four National Endowment in Humanities (NEH) Grants and earned two Fulbright Scholarships which he used to travel abroad.

“I love school so much,” he enthused. “When your passion comes together like that, you grow up and develop new interests and new passions

and it never stops.”

During his first years teaching for the Campbell Union High School District, Petrianos quickly became tired of the “Eurocentric” curriculum and began to expand his global knowledge by traveling to a multitude of different places including the Middle East, South America, and Tibet. As he collected materials to create slide lectures for his classes, he realized that his passion for history augmented his love of traveling.

“When I traveled, I started to realize how little I knew. I would go to a foreign country and go, ‘I didn’t know about the [cultural] background of this country; I just know t h e surface history,’” he said. “I’m a travel-holic. I’ll travel as long as I have the health.”

Over the course of his travels, Petrianos has visited

over 100 countries and collected over 40,000 slides, 2,400 books, and other materials to augment his teaching, most of which he paid for himself.

Above all, Petrianos’s teaching philosophy is to “dazzle” his students with “phenomenal” and engaging materials.

“As a teacher, you’re an actor – you have to act and dramatize,” he said.

His desire to inspire students extends far beyond the walls of the classroom; Petrianos often led local excursions in San Francisco and even several international trips with students. He also encouraged fellow teachers to dive deeper into their fields as well, helping them earn both Fulbright Scholarships and NEH Grants.

Petrianos currently lives in San Jose with his three dogs and will be Westgate’s substitute for the remainder of the year.

SHARING KNOWLEDGE Paul Petrianos enthuses about his love of teaching.

He uses many interactive techniques to engage his students.

SAMANTHA HOFFMAN - WINGED POST

Biking to school

Some choose alternate method of transportation anishka agarwal & alyssa amick reporters Around 8 a.m. every morning, cars flood the parking lot. Some students and faculty, however, have chosen to take a different mode of transportation: the bike.

Different reasons inspired Cherry Xie (12), Nicky Semenza (10), and science teacher Chris Spenner to take a two-wheeled trip to school every morning.

“I like biking, and it’s a little longer than driving but not that bad,” Cherry said.

Nicky, on the other hand, has biked to school since eighth grade, because he has no choice.

“My parents make me,” Nicky said. “[However,] it’s quite convenient to be independent from my parents driving me.”

During the winter and spring, a weather forecast predicting rainfall presents a problem for daily bikers such as Cherry.

“It depends on how bad it is raining. Usually, I check the forecast every night, and if it’s heavily raining, then I won’t bike to school,” Cherry said. “I did that once and that wasn’t very good. [...] I came completely drenched and my shoes weren’t dry at all.”

Spenner, on the other hand, has found ways to work around the rain.

“Very windy days and wet days those don’t bother me so much. I have some rainproof gear that I put on and I just wipe down my bike,” Spenner said.

Without cars to carry all their belongings, the students must find

ways to balance their books and laptops in order to make it to and from school. While getting most work done at school is a solution, it prevents Cherry from spending time with friends.

“I just try to do [homework]

“

It’s quite convenient to be independent from my parents driving me.

”

Nicky Semenza (10)

at school, but that means that after school I have to work and I can’t hang out with friends,” she said.

On the other hand, Spenner does not face this problem and has very little to bring home.

“I’m pretty good about getting work done at school that requires heavy things like books, so I don’t have to take those home. The only things I take home are some papers to grade and the change of clothes needed,” Spenner said.

Despite the disadvantages, these three are some of the few that choose to bike to school, instead of taking the more popular form of transportation, a car.

April 20, 2012 the Winged Post

Features

Senior Showcase

11

Conservatory seniors prepare for their culminating performance aditi ashok & shilpa nataraj

In order to receive a certificate in a particular emphasis and build a portfolio, seniors had to complete an array of cross-disciplinary requirements, including workshops, classes, auditions,

tificate program to learn more about performing arts. He was placed in the vocal certificate Four years of dancing, singing, due to his love for singing. playing, acting, and tech-ing. Four years “The most rewarding part of hard work, dedication, and perseverof [the certificate program] was ance all leading up to one final event: the fun I’ve had and the friends Senior Showcase.

I’ve made over the years, that At the end of April, senior conhave made being in the conserservatory members will give their fivatory amazing,” Alex said. “I’m nal performance on the Upper School going to perform “La Donna e stage as a culmination of their time in Mobile,” an Italian aria I began the certificate program. working on as a freshman, as Laura Lang-Ree, Performing Arts my first piece for certificate. I’ve Department Chair, has enjoyed watchworked on this song throughing the seniors grow over the last four out high school, and I’d like to years. end in the same way I began.”

“This year’s group of seniors will Although many choose be greatly missed as they graduate from to perform on stage, some like the Conservatory,” Lang-Ree said. “All Christophe Pellissier (12) have of the advisors are very proud of their earned their certificates through hard work and contributions to [our tech-ing various shows and perAlex Najibi (12) program]. Senior Showcase will be an formances. Seniors with an emawesome night!” phasis in technical theater will There are several different categocritiques, and performances. be tech-ing the show. ries that students can earn a certificate Seniors from all different disci“As far as Technical Thein: acting, dance, vocal music, instruplines have been rehearsing their own ater goes, this, alongside with mental music, musical theater, and performances in order to reflect their being able to construct other technical theater. Each subcategory has growth over the years and signal an end worlds and help them come a different advisor, with Jeffrey Draper to their time in the conservatory pro- alive through means of sets, costumes, advising acting, Amalia De La Rosa gram. every tiny detail that contributes to the and Karl Kuehn advising dance, Susan For some like Alex Najibi (12), overall illusion, are the most enjoyable Nace and Catherine Snider overseeing performing arts have been an integral parts of the emphasis,” Christophe said. vocal music, Chris Florio heading inpart of their lives for several years. Alex Tina Crnko (12) said she stumstrumental music, Lang-Ree advising became involved in performing arts bled into the Conservatory certificate Musical Theater, and Brian Larsen adin Middle School and joined the cer- program by accident her freshman year vising Technical Theater. and initially felt that her lack of previous training would not let her qualify CONSERVATORY SENIORS for the program. However, with the encourLauren Pinzas Nandita Krishna Ashima Agrawal Katherine Marcus Reker agement of Draper and Neha Kumar Sarika Asthana Lang-Ree, she decided to Kovid Puria Jeffrey Kwong Sanjana Baldwa explore the Conservatory Dylan Qian Charles Levine Sonya Chalaka disciplines and discovMaddy Rao Vivian Li Tina Crnko ered a passion in acting.

“I know that I Indraneel Salukhe Jessica Lin Farrah Gulzar would not be the person Govinda Dasu Michelle Lo Vishesh Gupta who I am today without Jessica Shen Cole Manaster Kirsten Herr the development that was Sona Sulakian Robert Maxton Sebastian Herscher fostered by Mr. Draper’s Noel Witcosky Alexander Najibi Sarah Howells guidance and through Kathryn Wolfson Bridget Nixon Melody Huang the Conservatory and all the shows that I’ve done,” Gene Wong Dwight Payne Abhinav Khanna she said. “You learn so Lucy Xu Christophe Pellissier Margaret Krackeler much about working sports editor & global editor

“

ALL PHOTOS MERCEDES CHIEN - WINGED POST

The most rewarding part of [the certificate program] was the fun I’ve had and the friends I’ve made over the years.

”

IN THE SPOTLIGHT Top left: Seniors Jeffrey Kwong and Melody Huang play the cello in the spring orchestra concert. Bottom left: Sarah Howells (12) practices ballet. Top right: Seniors Tina Crnko and Noel Witcosky rehearse for the Spring Musical.

with people and being a part of a team, that […] it’s just really a rich experience to have.”

Tina will be performing with fellow acting certificate Kovid Puria (12) in a scene from Angels in America by Tony Kushner for her senior showcase.

Dance certificate Margaret Krackeler (12) appreciates the crossdisciplinary training that she received by fulfilling the Conservatory requirements and said that she now knows that she “really like[s] performing arts, not just dance.”

In addition to the dance aspect, she said that through her time with the Conservatory, she has realized that she enjoys being a teacher and mentor to other certificate candidates and has seen an improvement in her choreographing abilities. Margaret will be performing a lyrical dance that she and Michelle Lo (12) choreographed to the music of “Lost and Found” by Katie Herzig.

“Michelle and I have been in senior showcases since freshman year, so we wanted to use this opportunity as a

mentor device [by featuring] freshmen, sophomores, and juniors in our showcase,” she said.

Jeffrey Kwong (12), instrumental music certificate, said he enjoys the Conservatory program because he can work with others who enjoy music as much as he does. In addition, he said that his Conservatory experience has helped him as he plays in orchestras outside of school. “[The most rewarding part of this experience is] being able to work with the wonderful musicians that our teachers are and such wonderful peers,” he said. “The Conservatory as a whole, even people who are not doing instrumental music, have been supportive by coming to concerts and generally being interested in what we’re doing.”

For his senior showcase, Jeffrey will be playing the prelude to the sixth suite that Johann Sebastian Bach composed for cello, as he said, it signifies “the beginning of the end.”

Senior Showcase will be held on Friday, April 27 at 7 p.m. at the Blackford theater.

College Counseling: Seniors share advice Windsurfing

Math teacher describes passion for this water sport

JUHI GUPTA - WINGED POST

jackie jin & pavitra rengarajan TALONWP chief & features editor As the year rolls to a close and seniors prepare to make their final college decisions, the juniors are only beginning their college counseling process.

Though many consider the process to be high in stress and tension, the graduating class has some advice that will, hopefully, make the process a bit easier to get through for the class of 2013.

Co-director of college counseling Nicole Burrell says that the counseling office’s “ultimate hope is that everybody ends up at a school they love.”

Weekly college counseling sessions begin in second semester junior year and continue through first semester of senior year. In addition, students can arrange for one-on-one sessions with their respective counselors.

College counselor Martin Walsh has enjoyed his experience with the class of 2012. Although he says the UC system was far more competitive and unpredictable than expected, he says he is “thrilled with the results.”

He looks forward to working with the juniors in the upcoming year.

“The junior class is filled with some real characters … they have provided me with some wonderful laughs,” he said. “I also really like the fact that the students are looking at universities that are a bit different. I think the class is not quite so traditional.”

Junior Michaela Kastelman expressed her opinion on seniors’ greater familiarity with the process.

“This time is very stressful for juniors,” Michaela said. “It would be helpful to hear how they dealt with it since they’ve already gone through it.”

Though it is no secret that bigname schools are always in high demand, many seniors reflect that applying to many “reach” schools, or schools more difficult for the applicant to get admittance to, is not always the wisest choice.

“Be more intelligent about where you apply early,” said senior Sachin Jain. “Don’t try to pull a ‘hail Mary’ and apply somewhere you won’t get in.”

Senior Sonya Chalaka agrees, and

SENIOR PANEL In first semester, seniors shared their advice with freshmen during a LIFE assembly. Having finished the college counseling process, the class of 2012 has suggestions to share with future classes.

notes that students should look for schools that will suit their personalities best.

“I was going to apply to a bunch of schools because of their name,” she said, “but after doing more research I

“

Do solid research on what specific university programs you like, and talk with as many alumni as possible.

”

Evan Yao (12)

ended up finding the schools that were actually the best fit for me.”

Seniors also noted the importance of keeping track of the balance of schools. College counselors refer to the four categories as “reaches,” “possibles,” “likelies,” and “safeties.”

Senior David Brunfeld suggests a higher percentage of “likely” schools.

“You won’t need as many reaches,” he said. “Applying to more likelies also allows you to apply to fewer safeties, which you might not be as interested in.”

Though initially hesitant about the process, several seniors found the counseling classes and meetings to be helpful.

“The whole college process was

most helpful in that it kept me motivated and on track,” Jessica Shen (12) said. “I really appreciated the weekly reminders; they helped for appointment scheduling and essay writing.”

Senior Robert Maxton agreed, and said their critique and support was helpful. “It was nice that the college counselors helped me make up my mind on what to put down quite a bit, especially because I’m kind of indecisive on my own,” he said.

Even so, many seniors, such as Max Quertermous and Ishika Peravali, stressed the importance of being proactive throughout the process, and suggested researching and writing essays over the summer. Juniors such as Kiran Arimilli note the value of seniors’ opinions on how they “budgeted their time.”

Other seniors recommend taking advantage of resources provided through the college counseling department and online.

“Do solid research on what specific university programs you like, and talk with as many alumni as possible in those programs so you can adequately prepare and know what to expect,” Evan Yao (12) said.

Senior Divya Sarathy (12) also recommends that juniors go to “rep meetings,” or meetings in which admissions office representatives visit the Upper School to provide more information about their university.

Though certainly an intensive process, college counseling does not need to be a hectic and last-minute procedure. A combination of savvy research, time management, and an open mind can help future classes begin to make the transition to college.

meena chetty TALONWP managing editor At the age of 18, Mathematics teacher Victor Adler decided to try out windsurfing at a local lake. Recalling his first encounter, he described that the combination of his passion for water sports and the power of the wind led to “love at first bite.”

Adler enjoys windsurfing because of the adrenaline rush he gets while on the water. Compared to sports he has pursued in the past, windsurfing allows more of a “connection with nature,” he said.

He described experiencing an addiction to the sport during one phase of his life. In between his engineering and teaching jobs, he spent the summer of 2004 soul searching. “[After] nine days straight of [windsurfing], I was good for a day. I

would take a day off, recover, and get back at it,” he said.

During that period, when windsurfing was his favorite sport, Adler found that the only way to cure his obsession was to completely stop for a while. However, he still admits to feeling “jittery” when it is windy outside.

“That power in your sail, that power pushing you along, that adrenaline rush-- that’s the addiction, so it’s something chemical going on there,” he said.

Adler said that, currently, his children keep him too busy to windsurf as often as he used to. One of the challenges to his windsurfing career is finding enough time to drive to a location, rig the sail, and then actually windsurf.

When he manages to fit a trip into his schedule, he usually goes to the area around the San Mateo Hayward Bridge, where he finds a steady flow of wind.

Adler finds that the hardest part about windsurfing is learning how to do new tricks. One type of move is the “jibe,” or a downwind turn, in which the windsurfer navigates away from the wind and maneuvers the board around.

“When you do [the jibe] perfectly, it really is a thing of beauty,” he said.

“Once you get that, then you kind of advance to the expert spot.”

The “expert spot” entails windsurfing in more challenging conditions and riding waves while learning new moves.

“You just have to be resilient because you’re going to fall a lot,” he said.

According to Adler, the most valuable traits that windsurfing promotes are tenacity and dedication due to the sport’s level of difficulty.

WATER SPORTS Math teacher Victor Adler has been windsurfing since age 18 and loves the adrenaline rush he gets while on the water. He usually windsurfs around the San Mateo Hayward Bridge, where the wind is generally steady.

SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST

12

April 20, 2012 the Winged Post

Presenting: The

Drow sy Chaperone

Take a leap in time back to the 1920s. At one moment, you witness the nuances that occur in a man’s apartment; in another, you delve into his imagination, one with no limits and no restrictions. Welcome to The Drowsy Chaperone.

Lead characters: Whether this musical marks the beginning of their career or the end of their pastime, Tristan Killeen (12), Lauren Pinzas (12), and Noel Witcosky (12), a few of the principal characters, described their relationships with their characters and the significance of this specific show.

Tristan plays the narrator of the show, the only natural character, and guides the audience through the fast-paced ,complex plot.

Because this is his first lead role in any musical, the hours of arduous work has been an entirely new experience for him. He stated that one of the most difficult aspects of preparing is memorizing all of his lines.

Another is mentally preparing to be on stage the entire duration of the show.

“You need to be able to do all the transitions in your head and know where you are without having any time to drop character,” he said when describing the challenges of playing a lead character.

Tristan relates to his character since both try to “escape the dreary horrors of the real world for a little while,” by, relative to the play, reminiscing on past moments.

Noel plays Janet, the young movie star who steals the spotlight. She dresses to impress and is “infatuated by all of the drama and glamour that comes with being a movie star.”

In that sense, Noel struggles to identify with Janet. She describes herself as an introvert at times so this role has strengthened her confidence and pushed her to explore the different acting styles that come with playing a pretentious and materialistic character.

“Every single year that I’ve been [in the Performing Arts Department], Ms. LangRee has really pushed me to step out of my boundaries and just step out of the box,” she said.

Noel stated that she will miss the theater community the most because of the perpetual support from the cast members to the directors.

Lauren describes her character as a sardonic and sarcastic old woman who is jealous and envious of Janet. She always puts in her 110 percent effort into everything, a trait Lauren says she shares with her character.

From performing in musicals like Pippin to Les Miserables over the years, Lauren believes that she has experienced the full spectrum of theatrical performances. The Drowsy Chaperone will be her debut singing solo, which she admits has made her more nervous for the upcoming shows.

“I realized that people aren’t

SPRING MUSICAL Top Left: Tristan Killeen (12), who participated in a musical for the first time this year, narrates the show. Top Right: The entire cast practices dancing for a group scene. Middle Left: The ensemble sings in unison at a dress rehearsal. Catherine Snider, musical director of the show, teaches proper technique. Middle Right: Bottom: Noel Witcosky (12) practices her role as Janet.

mean, they are actually really supportive [to the performers on stage],” she said.

She clearly notes that her favorite aspect of the rehearsal process is the costumes and the moment when the director says, “and we have a show,” marking the end of rehearsals and the beginning of performances.

Tristan, Noel, and Lauren are only three of the twelve leading roles in the musical.

Directors: Director Laura Lang-Ree chose this musical because of the wide breadth of experience that the musical offers.

As a play within a play, the outer frame of the narrative takes place in the present day while the internal story goes back to the 20s.

Therefore, the musical offers two different genres for the performers to experience.

“One of the goals that we have in the conservatory is to have a broad range of experiences and so I try to have different styles of musicals every year,” she said. “This year, it was time for a more classically oriented musical and one that was just about fun and joy and that trains our students in vastly different ways.”

Lang-Ree likes that the musical offers the opportunity for several students to take on principal roles; there are 12 to 15 main characters. Additionally, the musical requires a prominent ensemble, which is what she considers to be the most significant part of the show.

“The goals are to learn how to be a very strong ensemble from the get go. Everybody is of equal importance,” she said. “You can take anybody and make a lead look special, but when you can take 43 people and train them how to sing and dance and move an audience together, that’s much more important.”

Lang-Ree reflected this idea when describing the importance of proper stage mapping so that everyone is seen and space is used effectively. Another challenge was the lack of scene changes or stage directions in the original script.

“They almost did it as a trick for directors,” she said. “There’s no direction whatsoever in terms of when [something] happens or what it should be or what it shouldn’t be, so it leaves things wide open in terms of interpretation.”

Upper School Performing Arts teacher Catherine Snider is the musical director for the show. As a part of her job, she teaches the cast about musical aspects of the show and conducts the orchestra come show time, assisting the director in ensuring that the show flows musically.

Snider identifies that one of the musical challenges of the show is singing in the correct style of the time period.

“Right now, that big, belty, high, power voice is really popular,” she said. “In the 20s, it [had] to sound more clipped, their accent [had] to be different, [and] they [had] to breathe in different places.”

Snider identifies that teaching the performers to sing in the style of the 20s is very different from what they usually learn, especially since what is normally considered “correct” on Broadway changes as the years pass and the Upper School has not previously done a musical from that era.

Tech Crew: An integral part of this process is the often-overlooked tech crew. This 19-member team is crucial to the success and flow of the show; they build the scenery and background of the main stage, manage the props during scenes, and organize all of the technical aspects from lighting to audio.

Once the musical was announced, Paul Vallerga of the Performing Arts department began outlining and planning the details of the set on paper.

Over Spring break, the staff built the physical features of the musical, which include platforms, flats, and back drops. The week prior to show week is when the crew actually begins most of the work.

As the first time this musical has been done in the performing arts department, Brian Larsen, Upper School Technical Director, indicates that the lack of a frame of reference to design the set off of is an entirely new experience for not only him, but also for Vallerga and the crew members. They have noted that difficulties comprise fitting all 43 cast members on stage and creating the complex scenery.

Additionally, contrary to previous performances, every single member is needed due to the large number of costumes and the multiple big background shifts that occur, including the transformation from reality to a man’s imagination.

With seven years of experience behind the stage, Simon Orr (11) said that the main difficulty about working on set is placing the constructed items on stage since nothing ever fits the way it is expected.

“It’s nice to be able to see how things get put together rather than just the finished project,” Simon said.

Vallerga said that one of the most interesting parts of the show to look forward to in terms of the set design is going to be a surprise for the audience at the end of the performance.

Guest directors and designers: Guest directors and designers for the show include costume designer Caela Fujii and choreographer Katie O’Bryon, both of whom have been working with the Upper School directors for the past seven to eight years.

“I like working with the adults here and I like working with the kids as well; everyone is pretty organized and very professionally behaved, which is very nice at school,” Fujii said. “It’s great that Harker hired theater professionals [for] the students.”

Before commencing her work on this year’s production of The Drowsy Chaperone, she had never seen the play before. This is the first time that she designed a show for the Upper School without having a foundation to base her work off of.

“I couldn’t rely on productions from the past,” she said. “There were no stage directions to script. That was really difficult.”

Fujii’s job essentially entails finding clothes, wigs, and shoes; building costumes if the need arises; and managing hair and makeup. She describes this year’s costumes as “fun, colorful, [and] art deco,” but “no weirder than normal.” She incorporated a lot of geometric shapes into the clothing this year as well.

In addition to Fujii, Lang-Ree hired O’Bryon from the Peninsula Youth Theater to choreograph and manage the dance routines in the musical.

“There’s a big tap number that’s really reflective of the 20s dance style [and] Charleston and big group numbers,” performer Rohan Chandra (11) said.

The dancing, along with the costumes, portrays the light-heartedness characteristic of The Drowsy Chaperone.

The annual spring musical premiered on Thursday night at 7 p.m., with subsequent shows occurring tonight and Saturday at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. at the Blackford theater.

ALL PHOTOS MERCEDES CHIEN - WINGED POST DESIGNED BY MEENA CHETTY & MERCEDES CHIEN - WINGED POST

Lifestyle

April 20, 2012 the Winged Post

13

Trendy and chic boutiques in the South Bay Area mercedes chien & shannon su photo editor & reporter

Have you looked in every store at Valley Fair and still haven’t found that perfect prom dress? Or are you fed up with embellishing your wardrobe the same as someone else’s with Forever 21, Hollister, and Abercrombie apparel everywhere? Or do you just love shopping and want to broaden your horizon? If any of those is the case, you have come to the right place. Compiled here are reviews of various boutiques from all over the Bay Area to satiate your needs and desire -- whether that be last minute shopping for prom dresses or restyling your closet to accompany the Spring season.

10 N. Santa Cruz Ave.., Suite M Los Gat os, CA 95030 377 Sant ana Row San Jos e, CA 95128

130 N. Sant a Cruz Ave. Los Gat os, CA 95030

Price: Moderat e-High

Are you looking for the perfect prom dress? If yes, Penelope’s Boutique is the number one place to go.

The mannequins in the windows are always dressed in the most adorable and elegant dresses, which alone will lure you in. A genuine boutique, Penelope’s sells an incredulous variety of dresses, specifically manufactured for prom; they carry long and short, sleek and puffy, bejeweled and plain dresses that complement any body type. There are only a couple of dresses in each style, so you don’t have to worry about having the same dress as another girl.

But the dresses are not cheap. If you are lucky, you may find one for under $150.

Once you have spotted the dress, the manager will guide you through the rest of the process until the purchase. She will fit it perfectly; whether the problem occurs in the length or the waist or the bust, she will pin it respective to your size and hem it for no additional charge.

Her service will leave you so grateful that to thank her, you have no other choice but to buy the dress.

A main imperfection is the boutique’s location: it is hidden on Santana Row’s outermost border, often to be overlooked.

Also, the petite venue creates disaster when big crowds shop. With only two dressing rooms, the manager has trouble managing her time between two customers, let alone 10.

Overall, though the issues are negligible, and customers will surely walk out of there with smiles on their faces.

284 Main Street Los Alt os, CA 94022

Price: Moderate

Price: Moderat e-High

Price: High

130 N. Santa Cruz Ave. Los Gatos, CA 95030

Among rows and rows of boutiques in downtown Los Gatos, Kitsch Couture must not be disregarded.

With a light-hearted and jovial atmosphere, this boutique, just like any other, sells almost every type of apparel from dresses to tank-tops, but what sets Kitsch apart from others are its aesthetic styles and chic designs. Anything from a white, innocent Easter-day dress to a cropped, bohemian print T-shirt can be found in the organized racks along the walls in the boutique.

The clothing Kitsch sells appeals to all ages, from budding adolescents to mature adults. While shopping, customers can relish in the expedient service and proper fashion advice, if needed, provided by the friendly workers. Otherwise, when employees are not aiding prospective buyers, they are often found caring for the birds. A couple of beautifully-colored birds nest in a circular cage located towards one of the two entrances of the store. Surrounded by racks of clothing, the birds add a unique touch to the amiable ambiance, with the bird chirps as a good surrogate to the background music often played in a typical clothing store.

When it comes to price, the seemingly expensive dollar amount is offset by the quality material and ingenious design of the apparel. Therefore, don’t expect to buy simple tank tops and T-shirts for under $30.

As for the Maxi dresses and summer outfits, their price is left for you to go and find out.

With mannequin dolls displayed in the windows, Kiss and Make-up seems to be like any other boutique bypassers brush aside when sauntering along the streets in Downtown Los Gatos. But, as you should never judge a book by its cover, you should never judge a store by its appearance.

A makeup counter sits in the back of the 300 square feet lot while counters of foundations, lipsticks, and eyeshadows are displayed along one side of the wall. The other side consists of subpar clothing such as rows of generic shorts and racks of atypical blouses.

Deviating from the norm, this boutique offers makeovers and apparel, relieving shoppers of the burden of running from store to store.

According to the owner, Rebecca Sell, the make-up offered is meant to “work well for the everyday client.”

The clothing, similarly, is “high quality with an edge,” but the price may be a little unreasonable. Target customers are those in their mid 20s to mid 40s.

Due to lack of space, this particular boutique provides only a limited selection of clothing and falls short in the cosmetics department. For those who would like to get their makeup done, it cannot be done with the perfection and focus needed without the distraction and chatter of the shoppers.

So, for now, hold back on buying at this boutique; until it expands or until it focuses on one specific department, Kiss and Make-up is not worth the time.

Price: Expensive

While walking down the streets of downtown Los Gatos, one finds it hard to miss the propped-open double doors and the hot pink balloons floating outside She She Shoes.

This girly and glamorous boutique offers a variety of shoes, handbags, and jewelry for women.

“We’re very trendy. We range from Diane Von Furstenberg to TOMS, so we have [...] anything from eveningwear to just casual [wear],” sales associate Ceanne Schlemmer said.

Due to the large variety of footwear, She She Shoes is perfect for those of you who are looking for new pairs of stilettos or sandals to spice up your spring wardrobe at prices that will work with any budget.

The store occasionally offers great deals such as no-tax shopping and raffles for prizes. And vendors such as Kendra Scott and Jennifer Tuton sometimes present their merchandise here in a trunk show with a special sale.

Upon walking into this adorable boutique, the plates of snacks neatly arranged on a table will immediately catch your eye. Only at a boutique like this will you find food prepared for you to enjoy while shoe shopping.

The saleswomen stand off to the side, always ready to assist. When trying on the shoes, customers can sit comfortably on a circular ottoman in the center of the store.

With an inviting store setting, great employees, and affordable prices, She She Shoes is an ideal boutique for fashionable and stylish shoes.

For those with more money to spend or those searching for a oneof-a-kind casual dress, Fina Lifestyle will not fail to meet expectations.

Located in the heart of Downtown Los Altos, this little boutique sells all types of clothing and accessories from blouses and babydoll tops to belts and earrings. Fina carries the most unique prints and styles, those which you may not find anywhere else.

Like Kitsch Couture, Fina’s diverse designs add to its reputation.

“We also have customers younger and older as well because we carry a lot of basics and a lot of classic style dresses,” employee Dominique said.

The service also willingly supplies the clothes customers desire in their size. But, contrary to that of Kitsch, the price tag may have one too many digits. Needless to say, the quality of the clothing Fina sells is pristine, with each design meticulously made and detailed beautifully.

The half-door entrance, resembling that of a barn, adds a refreshing and homely twist to the elegance of the store. Once customers lay eyes on the apparel after entering, they will immediately be attracted to the accessories or apparel, whether that be skinny jeans or necklaces.

The boutique’s dark turquoise shaded walls and miniature chandeliers create a high-class ambience, appealing to guests of wealth. Additionally, those simple colored camis priced at $150 surely contribute to the luxurious atmosphere.

From paper to the silver screen

The Hunger Games movie inaccurately recreates novel

SCHOLASTIC

reporter Four years after the book’s release, The Hunger Games has made its way to the big screen. While the film remains predominately faithful to its printed counterpart, the story’s on-screen debut leaves much to be desired.

The Hunger Games portrays a post-apocalyptic world where the twelve districts of Panem, a falsified excuse for a nation, select two contestants each to fight to the death in the annual Games. Featuring Katniss Everdeen ( Jennifer Lawrence), a rebellious young woman who participates in the Games herself, where her indecisive love life, hatred for the Capitol, and desire to rebel collide, the plot provides an almost psychoanalytic perspective on human survival and burning desire to question authority.

Known by her epithet, the “girl on fire”, Katniss ignited the film’s standings in the moviemaking industry with her scintillating bravery and admirable passion for her beliefs – an inspiration to Hunger Games fanatics everywhere. Unfortunately, Katniss stands alone as the film’s sole character to leave an

explosive impression both on-page and on-screen.

Everdeen’s sector, District 12, is hardly the amour-propre of the mighty Panem. The people live in poverty, wasting their days away in the mines, barely scraping by in the Seam, where Katniss’ home is located. This exact image portrays the cruelty and injustices of the Capitol, helping us realize why it is important to overthrow Panem’s ruler: President Snow.

But this vital depiction of the penniless lives lead in District 12 was left out in the movie, allowing a solid image of the region to slip away. Inevitably, it was difficult to truly relate to the characters on screen and express empathy toward the impoverished lives they lead.

VERSUS

DIGITAL & OFFSET PRINTING

Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hensworth), a childhood friend and hunting partner to Katniss, or “Catnip” as he calls her, plays a chief role in the novel. He gives Katniss strength, encouraging her as she leaves her home in District 12 to fight for her life in the arena. The thought of Gale lingers in Katniss’ mind throughout the novel, as she constantly wonders about how he is doing back home; his persona was so prominent and endured throughout the plot.

In the book’s big-screen release, however, Gale hardly made an appearance. His character remained a mystery; there was no opportunity to get a real sense of Gale as a person and uncover the hardheaded, insurgent, heartthrob of a man that fans had read so dearly about.

Moving forward to the arena, there is a serious lack of connection between Peeta Mellark ( Josh Hutcherson), the second tribute from District 12, and Katniss. According to the book, their “relationship” dates way back when to an episode where Peeta throws a starving Katniss a loaf of bread. Ever since, Peeta claims to have watched Katniss, to have even fallen in love with her.

Unfortunately, the “star-crossed lovers” façade, or lack thereof, was but a mediocre attempt at satisfying the couples’ obsessive fans when the movie hit theaters. There was hardly any downtime for Katniss and Peeta during the film, while within the pages of the text, they were able to truly acquaint themselves and share their lives with eachother. The lackluster emotional bond between the two on screen was desperately missed.

While the film managed to retain a steadfast hold to its original plot, it seems to have foregone the prequel to the storyline, complete with its emotional atmosphere. Someone who has yet to read the books would be unable to firmly grasp the audacity of the Capitol’s cruelty, the air of District 12, the incredible bond between Katniss and Gale, or the necessity for Katniss and Peeta’s romance.

To each their own, however, as The Hunger Games soared at the box office, dominating the charts for four weekends in a row. Although die-hard fans may find the film subpar in contrast to the text, tenderfoots and Hunger Games crackerjacks alike will still find what they’re looking for in the film: an original, exhilarating plot, leaving viewers eagerly anticipating its successor.

LIONSGATE

samar malik

14

April 20, 2012 the Winged Post

LIN’S

lessons A

HOW-TO

Lifestyle

One Direction fanbase swells

Upper School students’ hearts swayed by British boyband

BUSINESS COLUMN:

1984

1995

1993

2005

SYCO & COLUMBIA RECORDS

2010

BOYBANDS This timeline shows the progression of trending boybands over the years. Even before New Kids on the Block, who really defined the term ‘boyband,’ came The Beatles who really formed the template for future bands, followed by groups like The Monkees and A-Ha.

allison kiang reporter Tickets sell out in less than an hour with hordes of people pouring into the concert venues, fans swarming over each other to catch a glimpse of them, and the world watching another boyband climb their way into music history.

All the while, yet another fandom is born filled with plenty of posters, different editions of albums, T-shirts, and more merchandise for fanatics.

“They’ve basically taken over my life,” Madi Lang-Ree (9) said. “I consider myself to be a huge Directioner [...] they really have inspired me to think about how I, as a performer, want to continue.”

Aged from 18 to 20 years old, their names are Liam Payne, Harry Styles, Zayn Malik, Niall Horan, and Louis Tomlinson. But millions of people worldwide might know them better as One Direction, the latest boy band to break the charts.

Prior to their US debut, One Direction achieved fame in the United Kingdom following a stint on season 7 of Simon Cowell’s reality TV show “The X Factor UK.” The boys auditioned as solo artists, and they were originally eliminated during the competition’s boot camp rounds, only to be called back by the judges to continue on the contest as a group act instead.

One Direction then went on to advance to the finals with a third place showing under mentor Cowell following public vote.

Their first album, Up All Night, released three months after “X Factor,” went on to peak at number 2 on the UK charts, as seen in the archives of the Official Chart Company. Later, with their American release on March 13, One Direction achieved a historical feat as the first British group to ever debut at #1 on the Billboard 200. Currently, after four weeks on the chart, they sit at #5.

According to their Facebook page, One Direction is most popular in the 13 to 17 age group with a total of 4.3 million “Likes” and counting, and undeniably, some of their popularity may arise from their heartthrob status.

“I have to admit, all five guys are pretty cute, and they even have decent voices. Unfortunately, their songs are also really catchy,” Pooja Shah (11) said.

Not just girls, but guys alike have become fans of the boyband.

“I like how they were on “X Factor” and on world tours and how they’re starting a new boyband revolution and [fandom],” Gaurav Kumar (10) said.

The Wanted, another group come from across the pond made a splash with their US debut single “Glad You Came” just a few months before 1D. American Big Time Rush also recently became a hit on the charts.

But even before One Direction, The Wanted, and Big Time Rush, some may fondly remember the days of ‘NSYNC, The Backstreet Boys, and the New Kids on the Block in the late 1990s, or even more

recently, the Jonas Brothers.

Other than the possible revival of the boyband trend though, One Direction’s relatability has also drawn fans.

“My main reason for being such an avid fan of theirs is surprisingly not their phenomenal, heartwarming singing but actually the collective down to earth vibe the group sends through their lyrics and interviews,” Aaron Bisla (12) said.

In order to accommodate the sudden mania for the band, two tours, one in May/June and one in 2013 were added. Admission to the June Madison Square Garden concert sold out in less than an hour.

Even so, some students believe the One Direction obsession is unrequited.

“I think their popularity is based a lot off of their like attractiveness, which shouldn’t really be what music is about,” Tiara Bhatacharya (9) said.

“On top of that, their lyrics are really basic, and they use a lot of autotune.”

Others find the fan enthusiasm to be “annoying.”

“I believe that girls have to have a constant reminder if they’re pretty or not and that’s why [One Direction] is so successful,” Katia Mironova (10) said.

“I think it’s a typical stereotype band, and I think it’s annoying that little girls obsess over it.”

One Direction will be performing in the Bay Area at the San Jose Event Center on June 13.

Coffee: Popular health conceptions unraveled allison sun & trisha jani

TALONWP editor & reporter It is six in the morning, and you grab your daily cup of coffee without hesitation. But have you ever stopped to think about the effects that the seemingly widespread drink causes? Coffee is often said to stunt growth and improve memory, among other things. But are these ideas true? Here are the facts behind some common conceptions about coffee.

Belief Belief Belief Coffee is an addictive Coffee improves memory Coffee has no health and affects perception. benefits. substance.

You had drugs when you were a toddler. You had drugs when you were a teenager. And you probably have had drugs within the past month.

That drug is caffeine, which is present in a variety of forms, ranging from chocolate to soda to energy drinks. Coffee also has caffeine, and like all drugs, caffeine is addictive.

According to Dr. Haas, who has published several works pertaining to coffee, the net benefit of coffee depends on whether it is consumed in a proper fashion.

“If it is used everyday as a crutch and your body isn’t producing its own source of energy, it is a problem,” he said. “If you can’t easily stop and you need it so badly that your body can’t properly function, it is a problem.”

Dr. Haas explained that people who stop their daily drinking habit often develop their own natural rhythm, have more energy, and sleep better at night.

Due to sleepless nights, fatigue, or all-nighters, many people rely on coffee to jolt their senses and increase daily performance. According to Elizabeth Somer, alumna and author of three nutrition books, coffee stimulates the brain and central nervous system and reduces drowsiness, thus allowing the mind and body to be more alert.

“Thought processes and regulatory processes, such as heart rate, respiration, and muscle coordination, are affected after drinking even one cup of coffee,” Somer said. “For the groggy morning older student, drinking a cup of coffee improves driving skills in rush-hour traffic, increases typing speed, elevates mood, and improves short-term memory.”

Although coffee has little impactson long-term memory, it does improve mental capacity and energy, but only temporarily.

“Caffeine is a wolf in sheep’s clothing,” Somer said. “Yes, it is the jolt that we need to start our engines in the morning, but it also fuels fatigue.”

While an excessive amount of coffee may prove to be harmful to one’s health, the drink does offer some health benefits. Similar to tea and fruit, coffee beans contain substances known as antioxidants, which strengthen the immune system. “[Some] recent studies show that moderate intake of coffee might lower heart disease, diabetes, and other health conditions [because it] is an extract,” Somer said. “And, like other extracts, such as red wine, tea, or cocoa, it is rich in health-enhancing antioxidant-rich, anti-inflammatory phytonutrients.”

Still, coffee should be drunk with caution. “Drinking coffee late in the day probably has adverse effects for the next day and just your sleep pattern in general,” Upper School nurse Clare Elchert said.

While it is hard to find a substitute for the rich, aromatic, and bittersweet flavors of coffee, comparable alternative drinks include decaffeinated coffee and tea.

Belief Coffee stunts growth.

Parents often advise children not to drink coffee because doing so would prevent them from growing taller.

However, this statement is not entirely true. Professionals such as Dr. Elson Haas, Medical Director of Preventive Medical Center of Marin, have said that coffee stunts teenagers’ growth only if they are nutrient-low and drink three to four cups of coffee daily. Caffeine is depleting and dehydrating; that is, it causes a loss of water and minerals from the body. Because both water and minerals are necessary for bone growth and development, coffee has been cited as a potential cause of osteoporosis.

“Coffee consumed with food can reduce mineral absorption, especially iron, by as much as 90% and can rob the body of other minerals, such as calcium,” Somer said. However, students with a healthy intake of minerals, in particular calcium, do not face a major risk of reduced bone development.

ARTWORK BY VASUDHA RENGARAJAN

Run Time: 101 min. • Starring: Zac Efron , Taylor Schilling • PG-13

Run Time: 78 min. • Director: Alastair Fothergill & Mark Linfield • G

Zac Efron stars as a soldier whose obsession with a photograph leads him on a lucky streak and unlikely romance.

Scott Hicks directs the adaptation of Nicholas Sparks’ novel.

Disneynature takes moviegoers deep into the forests of Africa with ‘Chimpanzee,’ introducing an adorable baby chimp named Oscar and his entertaining approach to life in a story of family bonds and individual triumph.

Run Time: 123 min. • Starring: Chris Brown , Gabrielle Union , Kevin Hart , Meagan Good , Regina Hall, Taylor Schilling • PG-13

Four friends conspire to turn the tables on their women when they discover the ladies have been using Steve Harvey’s relationship advice against them.

SONY PICTURES

SCREEN GEMS & RAINFOREST FILMS

DISNEYNATURE

Feature films to be released in theaters this weekend

WARNER BROS

“Tell me a little about yourself.”

It’s the first question of an interview, and you have no idea what to say. “Uh... Uh… well. I’m, uh.” Your palms feel sweaty, your words sound unrecognizable, and your sight starts blurring. And out of nowhere – BAM – you faint from embarrassment. Your head smashes into the cup of coffee, staining the interviewer’s nice burgundy tie and leaving a look of utter disgust on his face.

An interview is sometimes involved in an application process, and since many of us are preparing for our future endeavors, it’s good to make note of how to prepare for an interview. Therefore, I propose these tips for an effective meeting. Note that the following tips are only for interviews pertaining to colleges and jobs – not for relationships. I haven’t tried these tips on a date. If you do, tell me how it goes.

1. Dress for success, because after all, you are what you wear. Unless you’re applying to be a super rock star, crazy tees with leather pants are a no-no. A more impressive dress style would be some sort of business getup. Please refer to my Issue six column for more information on business casual wear.

2. Predict answers for certain questions. Your interviewer will probably ask you general open-ended questions in order to draw information on how well you respond to a type of situation. Such questions may include prompts on problem solving, taking initiative, and showing leadership, to name a few. Be expected to here questions that start with “Can you describe a time where you…” or “How would you respond if…” After thinking about how you would reply, practice. However, one drawback to this tip is that your answer may sound too rehearsed, thereby making you sound like a robot. Beep boop. But don’t fret! My subset tip is to throw in random “ums” and “uhs.”

3. Answer questions “STAR” style. Find a story that shows rather than tells the answer. This useful anagram means “situation/task, action, and result,” and it helps you answer questions in a systematic way.

I personally attribute my discovery of this anagram to Bruce Dwyer, a worker for a major IT Recruitment Company, who wrote an article about interviewing. Start by finding and describing a situation or task that relates to the prompt. Next, delineate what actions that you specifically took in that situation. Finally, explain the beneficial outcome that resulted from your action and how it answers the question.

4. Research the organization.

Whether it is for college, an internship, or a job, always study up. This may involve looking at a direct website, reviewing a job description, or talking to related sources. Also, plan on rereading your application, because you don’t want to contradict from what you wrote.

5. Bring related materials.

Printed resumes are a must, but don’t be afraid to get a little creative. Mix it up a little. Perhaps you’re applying for a marketing/public relations internship. Some things you may want to consider bringing are press release samples or design samples.

6. Follow up with a thank you note. After your interview, send either an email or a card to your interviewer. Besides thanking them for their time, the note is designed to “leave a nice after-taste.” What I mean by this is that the note is an opportunity to reiterate why you are the best candidate.

Now that you wield the key to the treasure trove of interviews, I’m expecting presents or tips when you’re a big CEO at a company or get into that one college. Don’t be shy. I need a new pair of dress shoes anyways.

COLUMBIA RECORDS

managing editor

RCA

kevin lin

BATTERY STUDIOS

COLUMBIA RECORDS

SURVIVING INTERVIEWS

Run Time: 103 min. • Starring: Kevin Kline , Diane Keaton , Richard Jenkins , Elisabeth Moss • PG

Lawrence Kasdan directs a comedy drama about a couple whose crumbling marriage is put to the test after their dog is lost during a vacation.

15 in the bay April 20, 2012

the Winged Post

Lifestyle

policy change announced

Company plans to put new mandate in effect disallowing posts about body image controversy

may 2012

Outlook 2012 - Featuring Pres.

Clinton, Sec. Condoleezza Rice, Gov. Brown & Leading CEOs

4 5

1:00 - 6:00 PM California Theater $200 San Jose Downtown Farmers’ Market Returns 9:00 AM - 1:00 PM San Pedro Square FREE Bassnectar 7:30 PM San Jose State Event Center $20-174 May Day Market

5

10:00 AM San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles FREE Festival of the Silk Road

6

3:00 PM The Mexican Heritage Plaza Theater $18 Bay Area Cabaret presents Tony Award winner Laura Benanti

19

8:00 PM The Venetian Room of the Fairmont Hotel $45

19

10:00 AM - 10:00 PM Santana Row: Left Bank

Mother’s Day Celebration

varying Professional BusinessWomen of California (PBWC) Annual Conference

19

7:00 AM Moscone Center - West Building $295

20

Relay for Life of Willow Glen 10:00 AM Willow Glen High School varying

21

opinion editor

Animation 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM CreaTV San Jose

“I am such a disgusting human being. Food isn’t worth this feeling. I’m not eating anything today,” one user posted on the popular blogging platform Tumblr.

Such statements are not uncommon amongst the posts tagged with “thinspiration” or “anorexia,” and the words do not tell the whole story. Pictures abound of idolized thin models, of average girls posing with protruding collarbones and comments like “getting there,” or of users asking each other whether they are fat.

“I’ve seen a lot of those,” Farrah Gulzar (12) said. “One of the ones that really stood out to me was a black and white image of a girl who was so skinny that you could see the bones and her ribs, and she was looking into a mirror. She saw herself as extremely fat, and I thought that was really sad.”

Now, much of this content will be prohibited. Tumblr’s new Community Guidelines ban the “promotion and glorification of self-harm,” including eating disorders, self-mutilation, or suicide.

Tumblr first opened the dialogue for the change with a post on its staff blog in February.

“These are messages and points of view that we strongly oppose, and don’t want to be hosting,” the company wrote.

They proposed to both take down content that glorifies self-harm and run PSA-style language to accompany specific search terms in order to direct users to helpful resources.

After receiving more than 2,500 e-mails about the issue and collaborating with the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA), Tumblr officially changed their Community Guidelines on March 23. NEDA provided Tumblr with a list of red-flag terms that users could be searching for and language to show users who are indeed doing that, according to Claire Mysko. She is the project manager for Proud2BMe.org, a website run by

NEDA launched at the end of February.

Proud2BMe was designed by a recovering teen from the Netherlands to be a positive body image alternative to “pro-ana” and “pro-mia” sites, as anorexia and bulimia are referred to. It has content written for teens, by teens, including stories of recovery and interviews with body image activists. NEDA recently launched the site for an English-speaking audience.

“It’s an uphill battle in terms of eradicating pro-ana and thinspiration content from the Internet altogether,” Mysko said.

“Of course, as soon as you shut it down in one area, people are going to look for other platforms.”

“

These are messages and points of view that we strongly oppose, and don’t want to be hosting.

Tumblr

”

As a new website, Proud2BMe has a membership of just under 1,000 users, and Mysko is seeking to grow it quickly.

“We want it to be a space where young people can come and feel supported and feel like they can connect with others who get what they’re going through,” she said. Mysko noted that she struggled with eating disorders as a teen and that she thinks having such a site would have helped her recovery process.

Mysko said she considers the prodisorder content dangerous for people who may not even have a full-blown eating disorder but who could be vulnerable and triggered by the imagery they see.

Promoting body image activism is another substantial part of Proud2BMe’s goals: “We need to start talking back to the media, getting angry about this stuff, taking steps to address it in the culture,” Mysko said, giving an example of stu-

dents at Santa Monica College who made a collage of the media’s beauty ideal and photographed themselves in front of it to show the contrast.

At press time, the PSA messages crafted with NEDA are yet to be posted. The Tumblr staff blog suggested that there would be a grace period for offending blogs to take down or download their content and that Tumblr would work with other health organizations to craft PSA language for self-mutilation and suicidal search terms.

Some of the dialogue around the issue has revolved around the question of free speech rights. Tumblr does have the right to ban or host any kind of language as a private company, according to Rebecca Jeschke, digital media analyst at the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).

“What’s the difference between a blog that’s harmful to people with eating disorders and just like a journal about your diet? When you decide to censor content, you are faced with some really hard questions,” Jeschke said.

Jeschke mentioned that there was a good addendum to have to any censorship policy: “It would be a really good idea to have a way for people to contest removal.”

Many students use Tumblr blogs, but Darby Millard (9) said that neither she nor her friends had blogs that focused on “thinspiration” or the like.

“I don’t really follow blogs like that, but I have seen the thinspiration posts and it’s kind of disappointing. But, it’s good that they’re doing something about it,” she said.

Farrah agrees. “I don’t think it’s Tumblr’s responsibility to carry out such measures, but I think it’s beneficial that they are doing that,” she said.

As the policy becomes implemented more prominently, it is likely to see an even stronger reaction from the Tumblr and Internet communities.

$120

Neon Trees brighter than ever allison sun

TALONWP editor We tend to think of the word “neon” in a visual context: bright, intense, and dazzling.

However, rock band Neon Trees does the unthinkable by applying the term to their music.

Released on April 17, their new album Picture Show lives up to the same brilliance, or as one would say “neon-ness,” that the band astounded the world with in 2010 from their debut album Habits. Neon Trees delivers a high dosage of 80’s spirited, carefree rock infused with a retro feel while incorporating their own modern twists.

The band of four immediately sets the album to dance mode in “Moving in the Dark,” and as they do best, they elevate and maintain the energy level throughout the album. Following, “Teenage Sounds” introduces a punk flair as lead singer Tyler Glenn belts “We’re making teenage sounds.” Indeed, it is a cacophony of sound, mainly screeching vocals that lean dangerously close to heavy metal. Though the quartet’s bold experimentation with a new style of music is commendable, “Teenage Sounds” lacks the usual brilliance and Neon Trees is better off sticking with their original roots: rock.

Single “Everybody

Talks” is perhaps the

most contagious of the

tracks. The song bears a notable resemblance with smash hit “Animal” in which Glenn croons “It started with a whis- per and that was when I kissed her,” an undeniably infectious chorus despite the meaningless strewn words.

Neon Trees collaborates with DJ Kaskade in the propulsive remix of “Lessons in Love,” a vibrant addition to the album. While the majority of the tracks in Picture Show follow the same formula as those in Habits, the song presents a refreshingly new approach while revealing a more techno side of the band.

The tempo notably declines in “Close to You,” in which the lyrics also significantly

MERCURY

3

daniela lapidous

NEON TREES The new Neon Trees album Picture Show, released on April 17, shows a different side of their musical style, taking their listeners back to the sounds of the 1980s.

change to a much darker and meaningful tone: “All we need now is the dark, dancing shadows move on to white walls. […] Heavy eyes been watching me, rhythms beats and melody.”

But in a world where trees are neon, the presence of melancholy never lingers for long.

The upbeat energy is restored without further ado in the following song “Hooray for Hollywood,” which falls short in comparison with the other tracks. The title already sends an irritating vibe and then overly auto-tuned vocals result in a nasal sound.

In this album, Neon Trees tends to drag out their songs, leaving listeners eventually worn out. While the five-minute length of a few of the songs is bearable, the six minute mark of “Trust” is pushing the limit.

Despite the general success of Neon Tree’s music, the songs all lack originality in lyrics and song titles. For the most part, the lyrics are clichés and a mindless medley of mish-mashed words, and track titles lack creativity.

Though the use of instrumentals lurking in the background and synthesizers is praiseworthy, the vocals of Glenn prevails them all. Nailing every note, he showcases robust vocal versatility that few singers evince.

Overall, the band’s throwback to the 80s is refreshingly pleasant as they manage to find the perfect balance between old and new.

Their music is neither blatantly pop-like nor excessively outdated.

Local Green Events nikhil dilip

Celebrating this Planet In honor of Earth Day – Sunday, April 22, 2012

TALONWP editor To celebrate Earth Day, several organizations will host free events around the Bay Area that promote awareness of environmental issues and the consequences of climate change.

Cupertino Earth Day Festival April 21 • 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. • Cupertino

According to the event’s website, the festival will be held in the Civic Center Plaza, and various volunteer groups will host events during the festival. This is the city’s fourth annual carnival, and the various booths will provide food, entertainment, and hands-on activities.

Since the event has grown every year for the past three years, the city expects over 3,500 people to attend.

Earth Day San Francisco Carnival April 22 • 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. • SF

The City of San Francisco aims to educate the public on environmental issues and raise awareness of climate issues during its annual Earth Day Carnival in the Civic Center Plaza on Sunday.

According to a press release, The Parks Alliance will sponsor the event, and attractions include an organic food showcase by a local chef and a local high school club’s fashion show of clothes made from recycled material. The City intends to bring together environmental activists from around the area; the carnival will feature speakers such as Sarah Hodgdon, the Conservation Director of the Sierra Club, and Jamie Henn, Co-Founder and Communications Director of 350.org. Many performing arts groups, including a world music DJ and a bhangra dance group, will be there.

Youth iMatter Rally to Support Global Warming April 22 • 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. • SF

About a hundred youth from all over the Bay Area will march through the streets of San Francisco to spread awareness on global warming and encourage climate change in youth. The event’s website specifies that it is not limited to youth, as anyone concerned about the future of the planet’s environment is invited to the rally.

Starting from Justin Herman Plaza, the procession will end at the Civic Center Plaza, where the group will join the Earth Day San Francisco Carnival.

Sunday is Earth Day. According to earthday.org, Earth Day, which has been observed since 1970, strives to bring attention to presentday environmental issues. Earth Day is said to have led to the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency as well as environmental legislation such as the Clean Water and Clean Air Acts. Earth Day often inspires people to bike or walk rather than drive, turn off lights for an extra hour or two, or otherwise act environmentally consciously.

Annual beach cleanup to occur tomorrow darian edvalson

TALONWP editor Tomorrow, from 10 a.m. until 5:30 p.m., 16 students, accompanied by Key Club advisor Kerry Enzensperger and History teacher Dr. Ruth Meyer, will take a bus to Santa Cruz to clean up the beach and have fun at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk.

The Upper School students will participate in their annual cleanup of Seabright Beach, a tradition the Key Club started more

than five years ago. They will walk up and down the beach for about two hours, cleaning up trash from the sand and water.

“It’s nice to be able to go to a beach and walk around barefoot without stepping on something that’s going to hurt you. Besides that, it’s better for the environment to not have a bunch of trash around,” Enzensperger said.

After cleaning the beach, students will have lunch and go to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk before returning to the beach at a

private bonfire to rest and make s’mores with friends.

“It’s not just community service but a way for students to unwind and relax for a day,” Key Club President Farrah Gulzar (12) said. “I think it’s a way for students to realize that community service can be fun, so that they would keep volunteering in the future.”

The Key Club hopes to continue this annual end-of-the-year BEACH Last year’s cleanup volunteers pose at Seabright Beach for a group photo. Key Club has tradition for as long as the club organized this trip every spring for over five years. continues to exist.

Bay Area students attend GREENTEENS: summit at Upper School Rallying against climate change samantha hoffman & apoorva rangan that can rise to this occasion. [...] We’re never really going to stop global warming. The best we can do is to keep it from getting worse than it has to be,” McKibben said.

chief in training & reporter On Saturday, April 14, environmentalists from around the Bay Area attended the first Green Teen Summit in Nichols Hall, an event organized

by BOSS club.

BOSS club members had been preparing for the event for several months, finding speakers, planning activities, and publicizing the event.

“Hopefully we’re inspiring students in the school to even just do the little things and be greener,” Shreya Indukuri (12) said.

Students from both the Upper School and schools like Bellarmine, Irvington, Saratoga, and Pioneer, faculty, and other interested adults all attended the event.

“I was really interested in the idea that finally all of the high schools in the Bay Area could work together for this cause,” said Senior Kavi Reddy of Athenian High School.

Elizabeth Guimarin of the EcoGreen Group, one of the attendees, appreciated that the summit gave teenagers an opportunity to express their interest in the environment.

“I was happy to see that young people are being active in the green movement,” she said. “You’re just beginning to get involved and you have so much potential.”

After registration, keynote speaker Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org, spoke to the audience about the present state of the climate and the massive movement that he deems necessary to stop the planet’s deterioration. “ We ’r e trying to build out of nothing a movement

“

I was really interested in the idea that finally all of the high schools in the Bay Area could work together.

Kavi Reddy, senior at Athenian High

April 21 • 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. • Santa Cruz

Create-With-Nature Earth Day Celebration April 21 • 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. • Stinson Beach

During this eighth annual cleanup of Stinson Beach in Marin County, the beach will be changed into an outdoor art gallery, and attendees are encouraged to create sculptures using only elements of nature found on the beach. Various performing arts groups will be at the event, and anybody can showcase their nature artwork at the gallery.

Christa McAuliffe School Electronics Recycling Event April 28 • 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. • Saratoga

The Christa McAuliffe School, a public elementary and middle school, will host an Electronics Recycling Event, allowing anybody to deposit electronic items for free.

Any electronic item is accepted, and the school will recycle the e-waste.

”

Following a presentation and seminar on leadership by the Alliance for Climate Education (ACE), the attendees enjoyed lunch in the Edge while several environmental mentors answered questions and spoke about their experiences.

Ethan Burke, the event’s second keynote speaker, spoke about his two and a half year long journey in a bus that runs on solar power and vegetable oil. He now travels in it as part of an educational circuit called BioTour, which is currently on its fourth tour.

Everyone then split up into different workshops, which they had signed up for earlier in the day. The workshops covered a variety of topics, ranging from fashion led by alumna Priya Bhikha (‘10), to how to start movements, a popular workshop hosted by Susan Gordon, Director of Nonprofit Services for causes.org.

Around half past three, BOSS club led the closing of the summit. The club plans to donate $500 to 350. org and hopes to host the summit in future years.

Earth Day Santa Cruz Carnival The City of Santa Cruz will host an Earth Day Carnival in San Lorenzo Park to raise public awareness about climate change. Some highlights of the event include a gallery of electric vehicles and a fashion show of clothes made from recycled material, according to the City of Santa Cruz. Various organizations and sponsors will provide workshops, especially involving gardening and the benefit of local food.

SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST

the Winged Post

A HOFFMAN

SAMANTH

- WINGED

POST

ACTIVISM Attendees at the Green Teen Summit converse during a break between events. The summit welcomed environmentalists from around the Bay Area to Nichols Hall.

samantha hoffman & apoorva rangan chief in training & reporter

Grassroots campaign 350.org spreads its mission to stop climate change to the far corners of nearly 200 countries.

Though seemingly arbitrary, the number 350 signifies 350 parts per million (ppm), the threshold of acceptable carbon levels in the atmosphere. Today, the Earth carries about 390 ppm of the heat-trapping substance, a dangerously high level according to Bill McKibben, founder of 350.org and keynote speaker at the Green Teen Summit.

According to McKibben, this alarm is like a canary in a coal mine: it is not especially important as a floating number but foretells climate calamity.

“Arabic numerals have the great advantage of translating wherever you are since 350 will mean the same thing in California and China,” he said.

In his keynote address for the Green Teen Summit, McKibben showcased the journey of 350.org.

“Four years ago, [seven college students and I] started this thing, 350.org, because we wanted to do global climate organizing, and we knew we needed a big movement,” he said.

Political standoffs between fossil fuel companies also fueled the campaign’s birth.

Little did his team know how huge the organization would grow. On October 24, 2009, the number 350 became a rallying call. In over 5000 reported demonstrations across nearly 200 countries, thousands wrote the number with paint, sandbags, flowers, and even their own bodies, demanding government action to decrease carbon levels in the atmosphere. Participation ranged from the banks of the Congo River to soldiers stationed in Afghanistan, from the rapidly sinking Maldives to McKibben’s current home state, Vermont. “[The pictures] show that care for the planet transcends boundaries,” BOSS member Tiara Bhatacharya (9) said.

McKibben believes that the public will only turn to alternative sources of energy when the price of fossil fuels has been driven up significantly by adding charges that “reflect the damage that it does on the atmosphere.”

He said that successfully implementing an additional charge on fossil fuels requires widespread awareness of the cause and a large-scale movement pressing for change. On May 5, 350.org will hold another global rally, called Connect the Dots, which will focus on current impacts of climate change.

Eco-friendly clubs: Cultivating green passions apoorva rangan

reporter Students with green thumbs and solar panel enthusiasts pursue their interests through environmentally friendly clubs such as Bio Gardening Club and Clean Tech Club—and have fun in the process.

Clean Tech Club Started this year, Clean Tech Club creates environmentally friendly machines with practical and innovative uses.

“I was actually really interested in Clean Tech because we have a lot of environmental clubs at this school [...] but not a lot that incorporate technology, which is one of my interests,” club secretary Lorraine Wong (11) said.

Recently, three club members placed third in the Clean Tech Competition Student Challenge on March 20, coordinated by the National Science Teachers Association and Applied Materials, Inc. The competition asked young engineers to create technology that would aid humans in the case of a natural disaster, and the group designed and created a prototype for a solar-powered wheelchair.

“We have to be more aware of technology that can help us in the future,” club advisor Dr. Smriti Koodanjeri said.

The club would like to expand and add members so they can develop projects on a larger scale.

Bio Gardening Club Bio Gardening Club members pursue their gardening passions in the greenhouse outside Main, a temperature and humidity-controlled room that houses a wide variety of ferns, flowers, herbs, fruits, and vegetables.

The students take extra care to make environmentally friendly choices that also benefit their plants.

“Environmentalism is definitely important, but we also do it because it’s fun and because it’s good for the plants,” club president Katherine Woodruff (11) said.

Katherine, who has been a member of the Bio Gardening Club since her freshman year, stated that the club sparked her interest in growing plants.

The club grows several fruits and vegetables, including tomatoes, carrots, and celery, and gives the produce to the school kitchens. Additionally, club members take home some of the produce that grows during the summer.

“It’s great, because sometimes I go out to the garden and pick something and make it for dinner,” club advisor Dr. Ben Spencer-Cooke said, adding that a great benefit of gardening is eating food that is as local as possible.

In addition to produce, the club grows exotic plants, such as fire lilies and the carnivorous Cape Sundew, which eats insects. Club member Simon

APOORVA RANGAN - WINGED POST

16

April 20, 2012

SELLING PRODUCE During long lunch, club advisor Dr. Ben Spencer-Cooke sells produce to students to raise funds for Bio Gardening Club.

Orr (11) also takes care of the medicinal and exotic plants in the greenhouse.

“It’s nice to see [a plant] that was going to die, live again,” Simon said.

The club composts the majority of their plant waste, sustainably creating rich soil for the flowers.

“We’re doing it because it’s the morally right thing to do. [...] We have so much waste that we would normally throw away,” Katherine said.

On Wednesday, April 18, the club held a produce sale. In future years, the club hopes to gain more members who can enjoy the fruits of their labor.

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April 20, 2012 the Winged Post

Global

Perspectives on teenage independence

global journalism project

Each year, the highway of teemagehood has many milestones presenting greater independence. In California, 16 is the minimum age to acquire a driver’s license; 17, the minimum age to purchase R-rated movie tickets; 18, the minimum age to vote, and so forth. Nevertheless, around the world, these minimums can at times differ from

country to country, as cultures vary in their perceptions of teenage maturity. For instance, in Belgium, the minimum drinking age is 16, while in the United States, it is 21. By collaborating with sister school Saint Stephen’s College in Australia, The Winged Post hopes to present different perspectives on teenage independence.

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 its 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 Winged Post.

HOW TEENAGE INDEPENDENCE LAWS COMPARE AROUND THE WORLD

MINIMUM DRIVING AGE AUSTRALIA (varies by state)...........................17-18 INDIA........................................................................... 18 TAIWAN...................................................................... 18 UNITED KINGDOM.................................................. 17 UNITED STATES........................................................ 16

Saint Stephen’s College anneke meehl reporter

For young people, the period of adolescence presents various challenges and risks. 16 to 25 year olds around the world encounter different positive and negative experiences during this time in their lives. For Australian youth, this time presents them with many freedoms, along with added responsibilities and obligations.

In Australia, the legal drinking age is 18 years. This is, of course, higher than Europe’s average legal age of 16, but lower than North America’s minimum age of 21 years.

Although this age certainly does have its supporters, Georgia Tipton, a Year 12 student at Saint Stephen’s College, does not entirely agree with it.

“Although 18 is the age at which we are given a lot of other freedoms, such as voting, we are still a bit immature at this age, and possibly not as able to make responsible decisions as we will be in the future.”

The debate as to whether the drinking age should be raised in Australia has been raging for generations. It was lowered from 21 to 18 at the time of the Vietnam War on the premise that if 18 year-olds could be conscripted, they

also had the right to consume alcohol.

Nowadays, however, experts are arguing that alcohol has become more easily accessible than water in Australia.

Dr. Gisela Meehl, a former high school teacher, believes that excessive drinking has become engrained in the Australian culture.

“A lot of young people are drinking at home before their eighteenth birthdays, but it seems to be a rite of passage to become seriously drunk on your eighteenth birthday in Australia.”

Not only are Australian eighteen year-olds given greater freedom, and personal responsibility, they are also viewed as adults by the Australian Legal System. They are therefore tried in court as adults, and can serve their jail sentences with older, hardened criminals, still at the sometimes-tender age of eighteen.

A year earlier than this, however, Australian teenagers can drive without a supervisor, though still under strict provisions. These provisions are still relatively new, but were introduced by the Australian Government to combat the growing road toll on Australian roads, specifically relating to the death of young people.

The Winged Post

In 2008, 1,464 people died on Australian roads. 465 of them were aged 25 years or below.

To help Australians become safer drivers, the Australian Government implemented a graduated licencing system in 2007. Under the new laws, young people wishing to drive must sit a theory exam on or after their sixteenth birthday. Upon passing this exam, they must complete 100 hours of supervised driving, and can apply for their first Provisional Licence at age 17 after passing a practical driving test.

Although this seems like a very rigorous process, the measures have been worthwhile, with the death toll of under 25’s dropping by 7.85 per cent from 2007 to 2008.

Although Australian youth are given much freedom after the age of 17, this also presents risks and potentially life-threatening situations.

Drink driving is still an issue that the Australian Government is working hard to reduce the prevalence of, especially in young people.

Perhaps a revaluation of the responsibilities we are entrusting our young people with in such a short period of time will help to ensure that they can grow up to be the very best Australians possible.

shilpa nataraj global editor MINIMUM DRINKING AGE AUSTRALIA.................................................................18 INDIA (varies by state).................................... 18-25 TAIWAN........................................................................18 UNITED KINGDOM.................................................. 18 UNITED STATES........................................................ 21

MINIMUM VOTING AGE AUSTRALIA (varies by state)............................... 18 INDIA.......................................................................... 18 TAIWAN...................................................................... 20 UNITED KINGDOM................................................. 18 UNITED STATES....................................................... 18 ARTWORK BY KACEY FANG

Although one wants it, one may not always get it. And, the amount one may enjoy it is defined by parents, the school, and the law.

Independence affects teenagers and their daily lives.

As such, students and faculty at the Upper School harbor different opinions about the freedom that should be granted to teenagers.

Around the world, countries set minimums to ensure that teenagers do what is appropriate for their age. These minimums can vary and reflect the culture and ideologies of different countries. For instance, the minimum driving age in California is 16, while in other countries, it is commonly 18. Additionally, the minimum voting age across the nation is 18, while in 2007, Austria lowered its voting age to 16.

“I think laws concerning driving at the age of 16 is about right, because we’re about to go off into college, so it’s a good trial run, and it’s not too young either,” Jenny Chen (11) said. “As for voting, I think 18 is about right, because, again, we’re at the college age, and we’re not as dependent on our parents and have individuality and our own opinions.”

In contrast, Max Isenberg (12) commented that the laws pertaining to teenage independence are, in his opinion, not always correct, as maturity is difficulty to quantify.

“I think that in general a single age often doesn’t work for everybody,” he said. “It’s very subjective to define when someone reaches a particular maturity level to partake in activities.”

Though the law permits certain actions, parents may have differing philosophies based on their childhood experience. If students come from immigrant families, the belief-system that characterizes their heritage may factor into their amount of independence.

“Probably depending on family or religion, different people have different restrictions about what minors can or cannot do,” Lea Daran (10) said.

For instance, Math teacher Mary Mortlock said that her British heritage has influenced the independence that she gave her children when her family moved from Britain to America. The minimum drinking age in America is 21, while in Britain and a majority of other countries it is 18.

“When [my children] went to college [in America], they were aware of the effects of alcohol: it wasn’t new, and it wasn’t a big deal,” she said. “I’m not saying they didn’t drink underage, but I’d like to think they were responsible.”

Parents may also define curfews for the safety of their children. According to Justin Gerard (11), the authority that parents may have can even influence their children’s aca-

demic choices.

“Many of my friends tend to have restrictions, such as curfews, and whatever their personal desires may be, their professional futures tend to be directed for them by their parents,” he said.

Ashwini Iyer (9) has noticed that, in general, once teenagers in America cross the age of 14 and 15, they are less dependent on their parents and are better able to take care of themselves. She said that trust correlates to more freedom.

“As you get older, you get more confidence, so your parents are more okay with how responsible and how capable you are of taking care of yourself,” she said. “And especially in America, when you go to college, you have to take care of yourself and eventually start earning money.”

In various countries, students can experience independence by working. Minors in California aged 12 through 17 are allowed to get work permits and subsequently have a job.

“In my experience, I’ve had no trouble with restrictions on my independence,” Kirsten Herr (12) said. “I had a job where all the employees were teenagers and everyone worked about 15 hours a week.”

Laws pertaining to teenage independence are at times under revision and are subject to change.

“I’ve never seen a campus so alive with students being involved in everything.” - Sam Cleary

monica thukral reporter As “a life-long learner,” Sam Cleary, a teacher at Saint Stephen’s College in Coomera, Australia, is visiting the Upper School from April 8 to 28 to observe and teach humanities classes.

In Australia, Cleary teaches Senior English and Humanities. He is the Debating Coordinator at St. Stephen’s and Secretary of the Gold Coast Debating Competition.

As a part of this exchange program, English teacher Jennifer Siraganian will travel to St. Stephen’s over the summer.

“I just thought it was such an incredible opportunity,” Siraganian said.

“This experience really allows me to understand a whole different side of another culture.”

Jennifer Walrod, Director of Global Education, explained the benefits of the annual teacher exchange program with St. Stephen’s.

“Having an outside teacher visit the classrooms has always enhanced what our teachers are teaching,” Walrod said. “It benefits [our] students as their teachers learn new ways of thinking about topics and different perspectives on their own subject[s].”

Cleary is teaching several English classes in which he will introduce the students to Australian poetry. He had come across the opportunity to visit the Upper School after hearing from both a colleague and History teacher Dr. Ruth Meyer, who visited Saint Stephen’s College last summer. “[They] said that Harker was fantastic, so then when there was talk [about] sending someone else over, I just put my hand up, and the next thing I knew, I was organizing [plane] tickets,” he said.

Thus far, Cleary has observed a variety of humanities classes. He explained that the main differences between the Upper School and his school are the smaller class sizes and teaching style here.

“I have seen a lot of really great ways to lead a discussion without giving the answers to students,” he said.

Saachi Jain (10), a student in one of his classes said, “We focused more than usual on the background and context of the poem, which was both informative and refreshing. His unique teaching style really made us see the poem in a different light.”

Cleary noticed that the two schools are similar in that the students and teachers are enthusiastic and passionate.

“The students are so switched-on and driven here,” Cleary said. “I’ve never seen a campus so alive with students being involved in everything.”

Cleary explained that his school has been focusing on its international relations, as the current principal believes that students are competing with people all over the world for jobs and thinks that they should be aware of the world outside of Australia. Cleary described the “sister school relationship” between the Upper School and Saint

MONICA THUKRAL - WINGED POST

Saint Stephen’s College teacher experiences Upper School life

EXCHANGE In Marc Hufnagl’s Study of British Literature class, Sam Cleary facilitates a lesson on Tennyson’s poem “Ulysses” by working closely with the students. Cleary is visiting the Upper School from Saint Stephen’s College in Coomera, Australia as a part of an annual teacher exchange program.

Stephen’s College as a benefit because the teachers can visit similar academic environments in different countries

and take back what they learn to their respective schools.

April 20, 2012 the Winged Post

Global

Language department offers field trips Triple Helix trip

SPANISH NHS LUNCHEON Spanish teachers Isabel Garcia and Abel Olivas help themselves to food at the Mexico Lindo restaurant in Willow Glen on April 11 during a Spanish National Honor Society (Spanish NHS) field trip. Students on the trip feasted, as the new Spanish NHS members were inducted.

students will dine at a Taiwanese restaurant; these food-centered field trips will provide students with language practice as well as firsthand experience of Chinese cuisine and customs.

Mandarin III students will eat lunch and visit the Chinese Culture Center in Chinatown, San Francisco to learn about Chinese culture and its local influences.

“For third-year students, I want them to learn about the immigrant community and the history of people coming from China to the United States, because we’ve studied immigration in the course,” Mandarin teacher Dr. Shaun Jahshan said.

Junior Michelle Zhang, who attended the trip last year, felt that visiting Chinatown offered her a new perspective.

“Practicing in class is so different from real-world experience,” she said.

Although it has not yet been set in stone, the AP Mandarin field trip will mostly likely be held at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco.

Spanish During long lunch on April 11, Spanish National Honor Society (Spanish NHS) had an outing to the Mexico Lindo restaurant in Willow Glen to feast and induct new club

SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST

By the end of this year, students will have embarked on cultural field trips to locations ranging from the bustling streets of Chinatown to the verdant grounds of Japanese gardens. Hosted by the Japanese, Mandarin, and Spanish language departments, these outings provide students with firsthand opportunities to practice language skills in a recreational group environment.

Japanese In February, AP Japanese students walked to Tomi Sushi with the two Tamagawa exchange students and practiced their language skills when ordering food and communicating with the Tamagawa students. Japanese I students will also be eating at Tomi Sushi next month.

“Bonding with the Tamagawa students was really fun. [We] were able to practice Japanese with people around our age,” AP Japanese student Iris Xia (11) said.

On April 18, Japanese II, Japanese IV, and Honors Japanese IV students traveled to the Hakone Gardens in Saratoga. At the gardens, students explored the different landscapes and then went to the tea master’s traditional Japanese house, where they participated in a tea ceremony and learned about its history.

“We learned about how [the Japanese] still have the spiritual connection to nature and [that] Shi Chuan Zen Buddhism still exists in Japanese culture,” Kenny Zhang (10) said.

Japanese teacher Masako Onakado hopes that the trip allowed students to see a different side of Japanese culture.

“The field trip definitely focuses more on the traditional aspects of Japanese culture, with the appreciation of tranquility, nature, seasonal changes, simplicity, [and] discipline,” she said.

Mandarin In May, students in all levels of Mandarin will go on field trips to further their knowledge of Chinese culture and language. Mandarin I students will travel to a tea cafe and Mandarin II

SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST

reporter

TEA CEREMONY In a traditional Japanese tea house in Saratoga’s Hakone Gardens, students pose for a picture with Japanese tea masters. Annually, students partake in a tea ceremony in order to experience a facet of Japanese history and culture. These and other field trips expose students to language and culture.

members. According to Language Department Chair Abel Olivas, the purpose of this trip was to provide a fun bonding activity that would allow old and new members to unify and “share our energy towards Spanish culture.”

New inductee Shreyas Parthasarathy (10) enjoyed the opportunity to interact with fellow students in an enriching cultural environment.

“I really liked the atmosphere, and I gained a new appreciation for Spanish culture,” he said.

Later this year, Spanish I students will embark on their annual Spanish lunch field trip that will most likely be held at Isabella’s Restaurant in Saratoga, which specializes in Peruvian cuisine. Students will have to communicate solely in Spanish to the servers in order to practice their language skills, according to Spanish teacher Diana Moss.

“They get to be exposed to a new type of cuisine. I always try to take them to a restaurant that’s not Mexican so that they can try something different [because] everybody here in California is very familiar with Mexican food,” she said.

This trip reinforces the material that Spanish I students learned in class about Spanish food and culture.

Students present at Cambridge University sonia sidhu reporter Testing drugs on small animals, the manipulation of the human body for the purposes of scientific research, and many other ethical issues surfaced during the trip of The Triple Helix, the school’s scientific publication that started last year under the guidance of Science Department Chair Anita Chetty.

The annual magazine includes articles on multiple scientific issues from antibiotic resistance to climate change.

The school’s publication is the only high school chapter in the world to date. Other universities with chapters include Stanford University and Yale University.

Over spring break, five students, biology teacher Dr. Gary Blickenstaff, and Chetty from the school’s chapter of The Triple Helix traveled to England and France, attending a Science in Society conference at Cambridge University as well as sightseeing.

The conference, the first of its kind, was co-created by Chetty and Francesca Day, Chief Operating Officer of the

“

We are once again pioneers.

We are once again leaders, and I am so proud of my students.

Anita Chetty

”

European Triple Helix. Though Chetty is a leader of the school’s science program as well as the Science in Society conference, she said the students took initiative.

“We are once again pioneers,” she said. “We are once again leaders, and I am so proud of the poised manner in which the students conducted them-

SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST

emily lin

19

CAMBRIDGE Students and chaperones stand in front of Cambridge University, where they attended a conference and presented their work.

selves.”

The conference lasted one day and consisted of a science ethics panel discussing patents, animal testing and human transplants. Later, the students broke up into small groups for Britishstyle debates, during which they expressed their personal viewpoints on issues scientists face today.

“The conference was groundbreaking and exposed me to new ideas,” The Triple Helix Co-Editor in Chief Paulomi Bhattacharya (11) said.

The students toured a lab in Cambridge, England where the brother of Biology teacher Dr. Kate Schafer works. Also, the students were able to attend lectures of Cambridge University professors.

In addition, all members of the group each presented one of their articles in a poster session to prepare for the upcoming Research Symposium on April 28. Freshman Ayush Midha was glad that he became involved in the program. “[The trip] exposed me to so many different aspects of science and the world internationally,” he said.

The students stayed in Cambridge for four days; during the remainder of the trip, they visited London’s museums, the Louvre, and the Eiffel Tower.

“Visiting those places helped me really tie together everything I’ve learned not only in science but also in [AP European History],” Apurva Tandon (11) said.

Chetty hopes that the conference will be longer and draw more students from all over the world next year.

Tech

the Winged Post

Before fifth grade, when I moved to Saratoga and started attending this school, I was part of a tight-knit group of close childhood friends who attended a public elementary school in Cupertino. We all lived within walking distance of each other’s houses, and we were the greatest group of little rogues ever.

Every day after school, we would all walk or bike to Murdock Park, a little grassy area with a few playground structures, and let our imaginations run loose.

Some of the memories of Murdock Park truly define my childhood, looking back. Tree-climbing, for example: my friends and I were daring little youngsters, willing to risk a little danger for adventure.

When I heard from my parents that they had bought a house in Saratoga, 15 minutes driving distance away, I broke down in tears. I treasured my friends, my school, my neighborhood. And yet somehow I convinced myself and my friends that 15 minutes away would not be too far to stay connected. I had a phone, right? I could still call, I could still keep in touch easily, right?

I was beyond wrong. Technology could not be the lone support for the bridge of friendship.

In the strictest sense, I was able to talk to any of my old friends whenever I wanted. Still, calls could not replace sitting down with all my friends at a lunch table together. I could not see any of my friends’ faces over the phone. Our emotional exchange withered.

My parents both work, so I had no way to get to Murdock every day.

I could no longer participate in their daily adventures — no more pretending to be the Murdock Pirates, captaining Playground Battleship. A scant four hours a week was probably the most I ever saw of the friends I had known for ten years.

Even the advent of Facebook and widespread instant messaging could not keep me in touch as closely as before. Sure, I could talk in real time even more easily, but even those still reduced my friends to data.

Our times at Murdock couldn’t be captured as data — there was some magical quality to interacting in person that rendered technology useless as a replacement.

Looking back, this really was one of those situations where I did not realize what I had lost before it was irreparably gone. One way or another, though, I was powerless to stop the distance from separating me from my childhood friends. Even now, I think technology is inadequate for keeping old friends connected, and I cannot envision it ever replacing seeing people in person.

In some sense, social networking and instant messaging actually makes me more distant from my friends. Where before I would always see my friends’ facial expressions, sense their emotions, while talking, I now often do not.

Of course, social networking is useful though; it has made talking and sharing information much easier. But I advise everyone to try and evaluate: are you using technology to maintain a human connection, and if so, how well is it working? I do not think it is viable — my musings on Murdock Park have taught me that I need to be wary of overusing technology as a bridge between people.

ONLINE harker.bnstore.com is one piece of the new online textbook purchasing system being added. The site will focus on letting students purchase digital texts.

department was the transition of print to digital resources being used in the classroom. Hudkins explained that with the free downloadable NookStudy, students would have the ability to not only highlight and make comments, but also collect, save, and organize their annotations throughout the novel. These notes are saved on the cloud and can be accessed by logging into one’s account from any location.

“It’s a new frontier for English,” Department Chair Marc Hufnagl said.

In his class, students seldom use their laptops for everyday discussion

or lecture. So the dynamics of having hardware in the classroom will evoke change from both the instructional and learning approach. However, Hufnagl has already tested this new mix of paper and technology among students, allowing them to experiment with an e-reader during the reading of Shakespeare’s Hamlet.

“I see it as an exciting possibility that will challenge me to think in new ways,” Hufnagl said. “There’s going to be a lot of buy-in from the English department.”

He praised this “e-text movement” or “revolution,” as some call it, for its sensitivity to educators’ already

established affinity for books.

“It’s aware of how these books are used in education […] It’s improving in flexibility, and I trust that’s going to continue to happen,” he said.

Certain classes, such as AP Biology and AP Psychology, have already given students the option of using an e-text provided by the textbook publishers themselves. For sophomore Monica Kumaran, being offered the choice between a digital or print form of certain textbooks would be helpful.

“It’s easier to read the print version,” she said. “But carrying it around is a lot better if you have a digital copy.” However, when it comes to novels for English, she said she would probably still use a hardcopy for her annotations.

Ultimately, Hudkins emphasized that since the school first began using technology in students’ hands in 2000, the student work product has always been a greater priority than the device being introduced.

“We want you to learn how to be effective problem solvers and selfguided learners much more than we want you to use a white computer or a black computer,” Hudkins said.

Considering the speed at which technology is changing, especially in the realm of education, Hudkins said “the important thing we’re teaching you is the technique of how to learn to use the next tool to solve the problems.”

AirCurve Play amplifier for iPhone review

Worthwhile purchase emily chu

reporter Do not pass up Griffin’s new product because of its plain appearance, for the AirCurve Play made for the iPhone 4 and 4S successfully amplifies sound while remaining compact and easy to use.

By simply slip-

ping the cellular device into the non-electronic case, the iPhone’s vol- ume is significantly amplified. In fact, Griffin advertises that the device is able

“

The convenient product’s largest advantage is that it does not contain any electronic parts.

”

to increase the volume by 10 decibels, about twice as loud. In practice, the AirCurve Play is best suited for smaller spaces such as a classroom or a living room.

The convenient product’s largest advantage is that it does not contain any electronic parts; rather, it amplifies sound through its physical shape. Thus, users do not have to worry about finding outlets to plug in their speakers during their travels.

Though AirCurve itself does not charge the cellular phone, the iPhone can be connected to a computer or outlet with a standard iPhone charging cable while it is in the AirCurve Play.

One other benefit that comes with the AirCurve is its size. Because of its small, sturdy structure, the AirCurve redefines the meaning of a

portable iPhone speaker. Compared to Sony’s portable iPhone speakers, the AirCurve is much more appealing to bring on vacations. It can be placed in the corner of a suitcase without fear of it taking up too much room or being damaged during travel. Another useful feature of the device is its versatile metal stand that allows users to prop the AirCurve upright either horizontally or vertically.

A limitation is that the volume must be controlled on the iPhone itself, though this is not a huge inconvenience. Because of the position of the iPhone in the case, it is easier to change the volume through the screen rather than the buttons on the side.

Another drawback is the fact that the device can only be used once the iPhone is out of its own case; however, users also face the same inconvenience while using many other speakers. Furthermore, the iPhone does not fit snugly into the AirCurve case, which means that users risk damaging it.

Though it has its flaws, the AirCurve seems to be advancing in the right direction, and the company’s new product deserves a place in the lives of iPhone users who need speakers.

ENEMYGRAPH

tech editor

CONTINUED FROM FRONT

HARKER.BNSTORE.COM

patrick yang

D PO ST

HUMAN CONNECTIONS

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about

MBS Direct matched the closest to these priorities.

The concept of an online bookstore provides a number of advantages to students looking to purchase textbooks for the school year. Each textbook list is personalized for users upon logging in, matching his or her current course list. Additionally, each book has up to five options for purchase. Students can buy a brandnew or used print copy of the book, a digital copy to be downloaded on any e-reader, or they may rent either a print or digital copy. Depending on the specific copyright issues, however, certain books may not be available in digital form.

MBS also allows students to sell back their books. Later this year, certain representatives from the resource company will be on campus whereby students of all grade levels may choose to return their books for a lower price.

Because MBS Direct was particularly low in stock in its number of digitized trade books, or books that have been published under several sellers and are available to the public, including many of the required novels for English, the school created an alternative. Under the website harker. bnstore.com, a digital-only bookstore partnered with Barnes and Noble, additional copies of digital books are available. Of the books bought on this site, the school will make an eightpercent profit off the original prices, according to Hudkins.

One of the major concerns expressed by members of the English

U-W

Patrick Ponders

Online bookstore

EMIL Y CH

20

April 20, 2012

App allows users to mark enemies darian edvalson & apoorva rangan

TALONWP editor & reporter Like a duel translated online, a expressing their dislike of certain pagnew Facebook app called EnemyGraph es or public figures. Top “enemies” inallows users to declare foes, giving clude Justin Bieber, Internet Explorer, their “enemies” a ranking from “hardly and FarmVille. worthy” to “archenemy.”

Though the app elicited a large Dean Terry, director of the public reaction due to its controversial emerging-media program at the Unipremise, many Upper School students versity of Texas, Dallas, teamed up have not yet heard about the applicawith Bradley Griffith, a research astion. sistant, to create and publish Enemy“I don’t really know what it is, but Graph, which allows users to declare I think it’s kind of awkward, because their own enemies, see the enemies of you are turning friends into enemies, their friends, and view trending and even if it is just for fun,” Vincent Lin top enemies.

(10) said. “I personally wouldn’t want Although the app has attracted to use it.” negative attention from the media for Upon being told of the app, most enabling cyber-bullying, Terry and Upper School students had negative Griffith insist that their app is meant opinions. Many students thought that not to be malevolent or to upset peoit was hurtful and unnecessary, despite ple, but rather to have fun and to joke its harmless intentions. with friends.

“There are other ways to express “We wanted to simply see what, opposition to something, because you if anything at all, users would do given can use it [to hurt people],” freshman a chance to express a negative relation Nephele Troullinos said. to people and things,” Griffith said in David Dominguez (12) agreed, an email interview with The Winged adding that the negative consequences Post. “We didn’t know how people of EnemyGraph outweigh the poswould use the application, we wanted sible benefits. them to make that decision and for “I think that Facebook was origiconversations to take place around it nally designed as a place for friends organically.” and family to get connected. So to To prevent cyber-bullying from create an app that allows you to make occurring on EnemyGraph, the enemies is a bit pointless and rather app requires people to be Facebook stupid,” Dominguez said. “It would “friends” before being “enemies,” has add a whole layer of jealousy and haterms of use that prohibit bullying and tred and allow people to express who teasing, and includes a “report” button, they dislike.” which has not been used to date by EnemyGraph, despite rapidly any of the app’s users. gaining popularity on Facebook, has However, the majority of the not yet expanded its fan base at the app’s users refrain from making their Upper School. personal friends their enemies, instead

tech

April 20, 2012 the Winged Post

Trojan affects Mac computers worldwide

School adds digital signage around campus

Apple releases fix for Flashback malware nikhil dilip & vasudha rengarajan

TALONWP editor & reporter On Thursday, April 12, Apple malware. The antivirus company released a software update to reannounced that this was the largmove a malware affecting about est Mac malware threat ever and that 274 of the infected computone percent of all Mac computers. ers were from Cupertino, where Dr. Web, a Russian antiviApple is based. rus company, announced that the “Apple reacted pretty darn Flashback malware infected hunfast by getting it out, considering dreds of thousands of Mac comthat there are hardly any Mac viputers, over half of which were ruses out there,” said Ernie Porter, in the United States. In less than who runs the Student Help Desk. a week, Apple distributed its first “[The trojan] made their comJava update and released two puters slow and sluggish, and it more updates within another week opened up things that they didn’t to counteract the trojan, a type of

want. It did not harm them; they didn’t lose anything.”

One student and one teacher have been infected, and Porter has posted updates on the Daily Bulletin this week, asking students to install the most recent Java update to remove the virus and to visit the Student Help Desk if the trojan was detected.

According to the security company Symantec, about 140,000 computers were still infected after the update and as of Tuesday, April 17, fewer than 100,000 computers continue to have the malware.

As of Wednesday, Apple has released three software updates to address the issue and ensure that it does not arise again.

The virus affected Java applets, small applications using Java, particularly on the web, and Apple fixed the issue by changing the way that the applets may run automatically.

Porter believes that if all Mac users install the update, the issue should not arise again.

methods of payment. Along with traditional coin payment, credit cards and San Francisco parking cards will also be accepted by the improved parking meters.

Regina Chen (10) would not pay a fee of $6 per hour for parking in a busier street.

“Within economics, it is a great idea and it successfully utilizes and manipulates

the market system,” Regina said.

“But as a customer, I think it is unfair to be pricing this way because it makes people spend more than they did previously.”

Other students like Raghav Sehtia (11) would rather park a few blocks down in order to “save money and get exercise.”

If the pilot plan proves to be a success, these parking meters may be implemented citywide, according to the website.

patrick yang

managing editor Imagine the same parking meter. One day, its parking rate is 50 cents. The next month, it doubles. And then triples. And triples again. Before you know it, you end up paying nine dollars an hour for parking.

Although the parking rate price fluctuation is not as drastic in San Francisco, there are street parking meters that utilize new technology to change its prices de-

“

I think it is unfair [...] because it makes people spend more than they did previously.

Regina Chen (10)

”

pending on the law of supply and demand. For example, crowded areas have higher parking fees while less packed streets have lower parking fees.

These improved parking meters are part of a project implemented by SFpark to improve

parking in San Francisco. Funded by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Urban Partnership Program, the project aims to ensure at least one parking space per block.

According to sfpark.org, the official site for the parking project, the new plan would reduce double parking, pollution, and road congestion.

“By reducing congestion, better parking management will benefit everyone – drivers, business owners, transit riders, bicyclists, and pedestrians,” Alice, a SFpark representative, said.

Equipped with around 7,000 of San Francisco’s 28,800 metered spaces, the following eight areas in San Francisco are pilots for the plan: Civic Center, Hayes Valley, The Financial District, SOMA, Fisherman’s Wharf, Mission, Fillmore, and Marina.

The technology behind the parking involves high tech sensors that are implanted in the streets.

Using real time information and demand responsive data, the parking meters measure whether or not the spot is available and the rates change accordingly. Rates may be checked online or by smartphone.

Besides offering flexible rates, the parking meters have new

SPACES New parking meters such as this one work in conjunction with sensors on the street to determine which streets have higher demand for parking. Based on this information, it adjusts parking prices to try and ensure a space on every street.

SFPARK

High tech: New parking meters installed in SF kevin lin

21

tech editor In the last week of April, the school will be adding digital signage to several areas around campus, with the hope of displaying a rotation of useful information to students and visitors starting in the first week of May. The digital signs will be used to recognize donors to the school, display the Daily Bulletin, recap recent sports games, and more.

“One of the continuing issues at Harker is there are an enormous number of things going on that are very difficult for everybody to keep track of so they can make appropriate choices of what to do,” Director of Instructional Technology Daniel Hudkins said.

Hudkins says he hopes the signs will help students by giving them glimpses of useful notices as they walk by.

In addition to the screen already in Nichols, which will be added to the new system, three more signs will be hung in the last week of April: one outside the office of Nan Nielsen, Director of Admission and Financial Aid, against the Gym wall; one against the College Counseling wall in Main office; and one outside the College Counseling office itself.

The rotation of content on each sign can be changed real-time and will be different between signs. For example, the one against the College Counseling wall will display information relevant to visitors to the school and prospective students, while the one in Nichols will contain things such as the lunch menu, which are more relevant to current students.

In addition, student-created content will likely make its way onto the signs. Hudkins says it is likely that everything from club week content to student-taken footage of sports games will find a place on the signs’ content rotation.

The central system, known as the Cisco Digital Media Manager, was donated to the school in association with Cisco employees who are also parents of students.

Three other screens, linked to the same central hub, will be placed on the other campuses – two at Blackford, one at Bucknall.

Once the central system that controls all the screens’ content is in place, the cost of adding an additional sign is just the cost of the screen itself plus wiring. The school is currently considering adding more signs in the Edge, Shah, and Main hallways.

Sports

the Winged Post

Alison Rugar (11)

Having already pitched a perfect game this season, Alison Rugar (11) is a critical member of the softball team.

Her primary strength is pitching. As of April 18, she has pitched 143 strikeouts in 13 games. According to Head Coach Raul Rios, she pitches around 60 miles per hour, a fast pace for softball.

“She’s pretty much our dominant pitcher; she can really throw,” teammate Angela Singh (12) said. “It’s really amazing comparing [her] to other teams’ pitchers. She’s probably [one of ] the best in our league.”

Alison’s dedication to her team and the sport is clear in her effort and leadership shown during practices and games.

She is always willing to assist her teammates so that they

can improve.

“I see her always leading the pack. Whenever we do drills or exercises, she’ll be one of the first ones out there,” Rios said. “If someone needs help, she’ll be out there helping them out. If someone makes an error she’ll tell them ‘oh next time try to do it this way’ and show them the correct way.”

Her positive attitude has a significant impact on her teammates’ ability to keep their spirits up during games regardless of the score.

She has been playing club softball since her freshman year in order to maintain and improve her skills outside of the school season.

Softball captain Ashley Del Alto (11) is amongst her team’s strongest hitters and is a strong contributor to the team’s 5-6-2 record.

According to her teammates and coach, offensively, her skill at bat makes her stand out the most. As of April 12, she batted a 700, meaning she has made seven successful hits out of every 10 chances at bat.

“She’s really solid [and] hardly makes any errors. [She has] a really strong arm, and is very softball smart,” Head Coach Raul Rios said.

In games against The King’s Academy and Gunderson High School, she had six and four runs batted in (RBI), respectively. She has a total of 20 RBIs thus far.

As a result of her success as a hitter, her teammates have nicknamed her “Smashley.”

Although, she primarily plays shortstop, a main fielding position, according to her teammates and coach, she also performs well as a pitcher.

Aside from her technical skill, one of her most significant contributions to the team is her leadership. Her coaches and teammates agree that she is a key factor in keeping the team focused and spirited during both high and low points in games.

“Ashley’s a great leader,” teammate Nithya Vemireddy (10) said. “She knows what to say in every situation, and she’s always talking on the field.”

According to Rios, Ashley will continue to help the team especially in their upcoming game on April 20 against Alma Heights Christian.

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Whenever the team faces a tough situation, Head Coach CJ Cali knows that he can count on Noah to help the team out with his optimism and drive.

“The things I feel Noah brings to the team are energy, a desire to give his best, a positive attitude, and his drive to keep improving,” Cali said.

Teammates share the feeling that Noah is constantly trying his hardest and that he matured into a great player throughout his time in the program.

“He’s become more a leader this year,” teammate Jacob Hoffman (11) said. “We know he gives a lot, so we all give a lot.”

The team hopes to end the season on a strong note with Noah leading the way as he concludes his four years on the baseball team.

Maverick McNealy (11)

As of April 18

priyanka sharma sports editor

The 2012 spring season has progressed well for the Upper School swim teams, as many swimmers have qualified for Central Coast Section (CCS).

The Varsity girls won 10 of 11 events at a home meet on March 28 against both Notre Dame and Castilleja. Because of these victories, many girls including Kimberly Ma (10), Lucy Cheng (12), Katie Siegel (12), Amie Chien (11), Manon Audebert (10), Rachelle Koch (12) and Tiffany Wong (12) qualified for CCS. The 200 Medley Relay consisting of Kimberly, Lucy, Katie and Amie; The 200 Free Relay of Manon, Amie, Rachelle and Tiffany; and the 400 Free Relay of Manon, Katie, Tiffany and Kimberly were all won and helped the girls qualify for CCS. Moreover, individual wins and qualifiers include Manon who won the 200 Free, Kimberly with the 200 Individual Medley and 500 free and Katie with the 100 Fly and 100 Back.

Additionally, both the boys and the girls took first in a home meet on April 18 against Mercy High School, Pinewood School, Priory, and Crystal Springs Uplands. Lucy qualified for another event in CCS: the 200 IM. Likewise, Manon, Amie, Rachelle, and Tiffany qualified for the girls 200 free relay. Finally, Daryl Neubesier (12), Kevin Kojasteh (12), Manon, and Kimberly made CCS cuts but had all done so in previous meets.

Assistant coach Steve Hurko noted that the early qualifications bode well for the team.

“Everyone who makes the cut gets

strengths, he is also humble and works hard in order to constantly improve.

“Although he’s very talented and works hard, he’s never satisfied,” Head Coach Ie-Chen Cheng said. “[What] I love most about Maverick is his sense of humor and humility.”

According to Cheng, the ability to recover after a bad shot is necessary as a golfer. Maverick possesses a mental strength that allows him to remain composed.

“Maverick brings a lot to the team. He’s very calm, which is important in golf,” teammate Kyle Roter (11) said.

According to teammate Sameer Vij (10), Maverick, leading by example, quietly inspires his teammates with his work ethic and passion for golf.

In the future, both his coach and his teammates hope to see him play at a more competitive level.

E vents April & May

Baseball

Lacrosse

4/25: Crystal Springs Uplands 4/28: San Lorenzo High School 5/2: Menlo School 5/5: Cupertino High School 5/9: Sacred Heart Preparatory School

10 Wins

5

0

Losses

Ties

6 Wins

Lacrosse

7 Wins

5/2: Los Gatos High School 5/4: Mountain View High School

Boys Tennis

0

Losses

Ties

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Losses

Ties

5 Wins

6

2

Losses

Ties

Swimming

Boys Golf

Track and Field

4/23: Menlo School

4 Wins

Softball

5

Softball

4/24: Menlo School 4/26: Mercy High SchoolBurlingame 5/2: Harbor High School 5/11: Castilleja School

4/25: King’s Academy and Sacred Heart Preparatory School

6 Wins

4/18: WBAL #3 Track and Field

Swimming

Volleyball

2

4/19: Santa Catalina School 4/20: Woodside High School 4/24: Mercy High SchoolBurlingame 4/26: Notre Dame High SchoolSan Jose 5/3: Mercy High SchoolBurlingame

4/17: Leigh High School (away)

Golf

Tennis

one dip. We want to have a good first swim and put ourselves in a good position [in CCS],” he said. “We got two last league meets to really tune things up in preparation for league finals.”

Lucy and Kimberly were both pleased with the many early qualifications to CCS this year.

“It’s nice. I actually haven’t gone to CCS. It was a wish of mine, and I’m kind of glad that I was able to achieve it. I was really happy and I’m really excited for CCS,” Kimberly said.

Amie expressed that qualifying for CCS as a relay team was expected this year.

“Relays are not so much a big deal, it’s more of the individual that CCS is a big deal because we make all the relays. But even as a relay, it’s definitely exciting to go to CCS and say that you went,” she said.

Moreover, the boys’ team also had successes as senior Kevin broke the Upper School’s 500 Freestyle record originally set by Daryl.

According to Lucy, the swim teams have been performing in accord with their expectations this year despite new changes.

“Due to the staff changes, the team has been run slightly differently than in the past. The team as a whole has been doing pretty well. The boys’ team, especially, is doing better, since the freshmen are strong,” Lucy said.

As the swim teams continue their season, more swimmers strive to qualify for CCS and perform well at meets. An upcoming home league meet on April 25 against King’s Academy and Sacred Heart Preparatory School will be the swimmers final meet until league championships.

Eagle

Boys Volleyball

Captain of the golf team Maverick McNealy (11) leads the team and has also stepped up this year to compete for the title of top golfer in the league.

Maverick has been a medalist, meaning he was first place, in all seven of the matches so far in the season. He is currently battling Andrew Buchanan of Menlo for the individual league title, an honor that has never been achieved in the school’s history.

Maverick started a strong streak when he shot a one under par, a 32, to help the team defeat Sacred Heart Preparatory for the first time in school history. In the next match against King’s Academy, he set a school record shooting four under par with a 31. Then, he shot three under par with a 33.

After that, Maverick accomplished his greatest feat to date: shooting five under par with a 31 in the rain.

Though Maverick’s athletic abilities are one of his

Records

CCS QUALIFIERS Lucy Cheng (12) races to the end of the pool in order to beat the times of the other competitors in a swim meet on April 18. Lucy was one of many Varsity girl swimmers to qualify for CCS early on in their season. The CCS trials start on May 11.

Noah Levy (12)

The adrenaline rushes, the crowd yells, the pressure builds. However, Varsity baseball captain Noah Levy (12) manages to stay calm as he gives his team a pep talk.

Noah leads the team both on and off the diamond with his impressive statistics and leadership skills as a captain.

With 18 runs batted in (RBIs) and three home runs, Noah has the most RBIs on the team. Noah has improved this season specifically in terms of his positive attitude and determination.

Noah bats fourth on the team and is currently hitting 4.25 or 4.25 balls out of every 10. So far, Noah has scored 10 runs and stolen four bases.

Noah is also able to motivate other players on his team to do their best. His determination is inspiring to the young members on the team.

Overall

Athletes qualify for CCS

Ashley Del Alto (11)

ATHLETES AD

Swimming

EMILY CHU - WINGED POST

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April 20, 2012

9

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On March 28, Harker won 10 of 11 events against Castilleja School and Notre Dame High School - San Jose, resulting in many CCS qualifications.

Baseball

Track and Field

8

0

Losses

Ties

On April 14 at the Serra Top 7 Meet, Isabelle Connell (11) placed 1st in the 400m and 2nd in the 200m. Corey Gonzales (9) placed 2nd in the freshmen/sophomore 2 mile.

April 20, 2012 the Winged Post

sports

23

Sports Commitment: Teams tackle underlying issues

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Kids are still being pulled in many different directions.

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Dan Molin, Athletic Director Molin believes that some of the problems stem from students who are still exploring other extracurricular activities and may not understand the commitment that comes with playing a sport.

“We’ve always been talking about commitment, but for various reasons, maybe because kids are still being pulled in many different directions, we

Student gymnasts tumble with their extracurricular activities allison kiang & rachel salisbury to finish homework, cancelling plans

SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST

reporters Leaping, twisting, and twirling in the air, gymnasts experience the thrill of being able to do what some students can only imagine.

After six years of gymnastics, Christina Andrus (9) is familiar with the adrenaline rush that comes with doing tricks on a beam, flipping over a vault, and perfecting a new stunt.

Christina’s gymnastics career began when a friend asked her to accompany her to a gymnastics lesson; subsequently, Christina continued to pursue her newfound love for gymnastics. Since then, she has gone on to compete at the eighth level out of ten and competes in all four events: bars, beam, floor, and vault.

According to Livestrong.com, competitive gymnastics begin at level seven with state contests. Starting at level eight, gymnasts are permitted to choreograph their own routines rather than follow those mandated for lower level competitions.

For Christina, the floor event is the best part of gymnastics. She earned second place in floor in her most recent state competition and placed third overall.

However, the practice that it takes to place as high as Christina does in competitions can be strenuous to her schedule, forcing her to make decisions in order to keep up her passion.

“You have to find the right balance between school and the other stuff. [...] You just have to sacrifice something,” she said.

Christina chose to give up basketball for gymnastics. Although being a gymnast at such a high level can be difficult, she enjoys being with her friends and learning new skills with her favorite being tumbling, most difficult being the yurchenko vault, and the most terrifying, the double back jump.

Katy Sanchez (9) is also familiar with the sacrifices that gymnasts of her level have to make. Staying up late

competed up to level seven, which was with her friends, and avoiding all other when she decided to quit because of the extracurricular activities were often four-hour practice schedules required required to fulfill her commitment to on every other day of the week, includgymnastics. Katy explained that when ing Saturdays. training for four hours a day five days a Her favorite event was the bars, week, “You’re either at school or in the because performing the act went by gym.” quickly in comparison to floor or beam.

The commitment paid off, and For students interested in gymKaty reached level seven out of the ten nastics, Pooja believes in the imporgymnastics levels before she was forced tance of focusing on goals. to stop participating last year due to “[I think] you should keep your back injuries. mind locked down,” she said. “You should be focused on that one skill and [have] a positive attitude whenever you go to the gym and whenever you leave.”

Gymnastics has proven useful for Pooja’s dance skills. She says that the conditioning that went into her 10 years of gymnastics has made her stronger and more flexible and she hopes to return to gymnastics recreationally.

Bridget Nixon (12) also participated in gymnastics. She practiced four times a week at a gym with a long commute, and to manage her time, she would do her homework in the car during the travel time.

In her sophomore year, she too stopped because the time commitment proved to be too much with her academic load and SAT preparation work. “[Gymnastics is] very rewarding because it’s cool to be able to do tricks and show other people,” she said.

Even though Bridget did not GYMNASTICS Katy Sanchez (9) performs reach the competitive level, she still a Scale on the beam, before she stopped practiced in all four events. Her favorlast year due to back injuries. ite was being on the beam, while she disliked being on bars.

Although her long-term involve“When you accomplish a skill on ment with gymnastics caused these the floor, it’s really cool when you can injuries, she says the experience and translate that to the beam […] so you friends that she gained from it was feel like you can do anything,” she said. worthwhile. She is still close with her “There’s something about being higher gymnastics teammates, who have “be- up […it is] a little more dangerous.” come like [her] second family,” accordGymnastics provided a “good ing to Katy. foundation,” according to Bridget, beLikewise, Pooja Chirala (10) also cause it gave her skills that were helpful had an early start in the sport; she be- to cross-train in recreational dance and gan training at the age of three and yoga, which she continues today. practiced in three different gyms. She

want them to stay focused about their athletic commitment before they decide to enroll and try various things.

We want to make sure they’re communicating effectively,” Molin said.

Softball Coach Raul Rios believes that there are different levels of dedication on his team. He keeps athletes committed to the team by telling them that they need to practice as a team to win together.

“I have players that are really dedicated to the team, and I have others that are out there but actually miss more than they are there. I believe that in order to be successful, you need to be fully committed to the team,” Rios said. “Overall, we have a good group of kids that are coming out the majority of the time, but there is still a lot of room for improvement. Our program has come a long way, and I believe that it is because of the commitment and dedication that our players have shown in previous years.”

Victor Adler, Boys Water Polo

MAX: kacey fang

Coach, states that the team remains competitive during the season but not in the off-season.

“Players now understand that you can’t miss practice because it hurts everyone. Our off-season commitment is good, but could be better,” Dr. Adler said. “That is, the days of the seasonal athlete are long gone. If you want to win, even in the league that we play in, our athletes need to stay in shape and practice in the off season.”

Varsity Volleyball player Akshay Tangutur (12) believes that the varsity team is fully committed.

“I’m pretty sure people rarely miss practice,” Akshay said. “Every now and then someone is late, but it’s excusable in general. I think the whole team is invested in the game or practice [...] No one gives up ever.”

Molin encourages athletes to remain committed to their team during both the season and the off-season.

Runner recovers from surgical procedure

reporter As a track and cross-country runner who faced personal health challenges, Max Maynard (12) received recognition for his perseverance when Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area chose to air his story on Sunday, March 25.

In his junior year, Max experienced problems with his kidney, a complication that had been occurring since he was six but started to worsen. Upon visiting the doctor, he found that the flow in his left ureter was impeded and was causing damage to his kidney.

As a result, Max underwent surgery. However, the problem was still not cured, and doctors planned to operate on him once more. During the time in between procedures, from June to December of 2011, Max had to make do with a temporary tube. With crosscountry season around the corner, he made a goal to take on the challenge of running 500 miles over the summer as pre-season training. However, he came up short on mileage due to the increased physical aggravation caused by the stent as well as other summer activities. “[The injury] really kind of brought into perspective how much I love running and how lucky I am to have a fully functioning body,” he said.

“I just can’t imagine being physically disabled to the point of not being able to run or walk on my own.”

By September, Max had a new goal in mind: to make the varsity cross-country team. Through working through the pain and shaving nearly eight minutes off his five mile run, he achieved his goal.

“He’s a great runner, and he probably will go on and do many more things in running,” said fellow crosscountry runner and track captain Tyler Yeats (11).

The former head cross-country coach nominated Max for a scholarship concerning athletes against adversity. After going through the necessary paperwork with the help of

Athletic Director Dan Molin, Max submitted his essay about overcoming his struggles and how it affected him as an athlete. Soon, the essay attracted the attention of Cal-Hi Sports Bay Area, and they contacted track coach Brian Dougall with an interview request.

“I think [the fact that they chose Max] says that he encountered a significant challenge and that he worked through it,” Max’s mother, Julia Maynard said. “I think it gave him more confidence, and I think he’ll appreciate running more after this.”

The filming crew arrived last week at the Blackford track to conduct their interview as well as film some of Max’s daily practice routine. The feature aired as part of Cal-Hi Sports’ weekly segment involving a Bay Area athlete who faces personal challenges in his or her sport. It was broadcasted on Sunday, March 25 on KOFY TV 20.

Track teammate Priscilla Pan (9) felt that Max deserved this opportunity.

“In track, he motivates everyone to run fast- er and do their best, and [when] watching him run in races, his perseverance is so inspiring,” she said.

Max is now engaged in the track season without having to worry about the pain in his side. He hopes to continue running throughout college and into the more distant future as well.

OST

Gymnastics

a successful team, so they’ve definitely been emphasizing that this season.

They expect a 100 percent effort out of us but really run a dynamic and spirited practice to keep us motivated.”

SUN- W INGED P

sports editor & TALONWP editor From early morning workouts to grueling after-school practices, playing on an Upper School sports team requires a sizable amount of time; however, recently the question has been brought up regarding the commitment to sports teams.

Upper School athletes are expected to commit to practices five days a week. In early March, Dan Molin, Upper School Athletic Director, sent out an email to all spring sports athletes regarding the issue of commitment.

In his email, Molin wrote that athletes should not have to miss a practice or a game and should inform the coach if a conflict arises as soon as the issue occurs. According to him, athletes must stay focused on their athletic commitment and communicate effectively with their coaches. Although additional workouts are optional and morning practices are occasional, ath-

letes are responsible for coming out to practice every day.

“In order [to] get the most out of their experience, if somebody plays a sport, they should do it for the right reasons. We will work with students with other Harker conflicts, generally at the JV and freshman level. Once you become a varsity athlete, then you really need to be dedicated,” Molin said. “[This issue] is something from year to year that has gotten better as athletics communicate more effectively with performing arts, debate, robotics, science symposiums, and more.”

Wendy Shwe (11) says that the coaches motivate them to stay committed to the lacrosse team.

“I think that as the season’s been progressing, our team has grown closer, and team commitment has been improving. All of us have tried to make every single practice and game, or at least let the coaches know about any conflicts,” she said. “The coaches recognize that commitment is important for

ALLISON

aditi ashok & nikhil dilip

CROSS COUNTRY Max Maynard (12) participates in a cross country meet during the fall season. He was able to make a full recovery after his surgery.

riya godbole & sheridan tobin

reporters From quirky locker room rituals to post-game slumber parties, many of the Upper School’s sports teams bond in unique ways both during and after their respective seasons.

Girls’ soccer players grew closer together as a team at their annual tournament in Bakersfield. Cross-grade roommates were assigned by Coach Jason Berry to encourage forming new friendships and mingling between upper and lower classmen.

“There’s nothing like staying in a tiny hotel room with three girls you barely know to help bring everybody together,” co-captain Adrienne Mendel (11) said. “I think that the amount we trusted each other helped us throughout the season because we knew that we could rely on one another.”

In addition, the team watched a movie together, had dress up practice days, and held a post-season slumber party at Adrienne’s house.

The varsity boys’ basketball players also made time to bond throughout the season. They enjoyed numerous trips to Subway for meals before many of their practices. In addition, they had pizza dinner parties at various players’

houses. According to co-captain Nikhil Panu (11), outings like these helped improve their performance throughout the season.

“I think team bonding definitely helped build our team chemistry. On the court we were able to make the connections that we wouldn’t have if we didn’t have that bond,” he said. “We know each other very well so were able to communicate with and help criticize each other and help each other out.”

Additionally, the girls’ water polo team bonded during the season through team dinners at restaurants such as BJs and The Counter, as well as through team sleepovers. However, the friendships they formed lasted past the end of the season, as they have continued to plan team events. Most recently, they saw The Hunger Games on opening night followed by a team sleepover.

According to Anna Levine (10), the bonding has had a significant impact on the girls.

“I love my teammates so much and I think of them not as teammates but as friends. I trust them and I can rely on them. [...] I think the reason I feel that way is because of the team bonding we’ve been through,” she said.

Football players had several recurring rituals before the start of every

home game. While leaving the locker room, each boy would slap a football plaque that hangs above the door for good luck. During the walk from the locker room to the field, a player would lead the team in a loud chant: “I’m fired up, you fired up? (Yeah!)”. Over the summer, the boys also enjoyed frequent trips to Mitsuwa for pot stickers after hard training sessions.

David Dominguez (12) feels that bonding with the team helped improve their season’s outcome.

“Any team that has good chemistry and has a good bond and relationship with each other [will be more successful],” he said.

Likewise, the cheerleading team almost always had team dinners before each of the home games, usually at Applebee’s. The girls did a cheer from the movie Fired Up before almost every game: “Cheer (You bet!), Cheer (You bet!), Cheer (You bet!), Let’s go Harker!” In addition, they ventured on several outings, one of which included watching the Broadway musical Bring It On! in San Francisco. According to captain Saira Ahuja (12), building trust is crucial to the team, especially because of the level of stunts they perform.

“We really need to have that trust and that bond or we wouldn’t be a func-

SPECIAL TO THE WINGED POST

Upper school teams host bonding events to foster team chemistry

GIRLS SOCCER The girls soccer team used their tournament in Bakersfield to become closer to each other and bond as a team. Several Upper School teams have different methods to have fun and become closer groups.

tional, successful team; it also makes the sport more enjoyable, overall, to be with friends during hard practices and the long hours we spend with each other,” Saira said.

The swim team captains held a practice that they designed themselves, followed by a team dinner at the beginning of the season to begin bonding as a team. Additionally, the team went out for lunch at Chipotle together after a Saturday meet. Even the simple act of cheering each other on during races has helped bring the team together. “[When fellow teammates] are

standing behind your lane, it gives you that extra umph. When you feel like you can’t swim any faster, you have somebody there telling you that you can,” assistant coach Allie Lamb said.

During grueling workouts, long practices, and pre-game jitters, team members have supported each other through the thick and thin. Getting to know one another and bonding as a unit are crucial parts of being a team player.

The Back Page

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April 20, 2012 the Winged Post

24

I look forward to spending time with the little kids because I want to try and be a good role model to them and teach them how to be a good person and have good character.

- Eric Holt (9) I look forward to seeing my buddy and seeing how she’s doing, what she’s up to, and just spending time with her and getting to know her better.

- Laura Thacker (10)

I really wish our grade got it. I want one because the juniors are always talking about how fun it is.

- Angela Singh (12)

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LAURA YAU - TALON

DEVIN NGUYEN - TALON PRIYANKA MODY - WINGED POST

JENNIE XU - TALON

ADITI ASHOK - WINGED POST

PRIYANKA SHARMA - WINGED POST

The Upper School Journalism program studies famous journalists and photographers as a part of the yearly curriculum.

From photojournalist Dorothea Lange to celebrity photographer Annie Leibovitz, students learned about various styles of photography from action shot to head shots.

Students recently completed annual portrait projects of teachers, friends, and family, as well as self-portraits to showcase the skills they learned throughout the year.

Students in Advanced Journalism had to recreate famous portraits by notable photographers from various time periods using green screens and Photoshop.

Featured here is a glimpse of the recreate portraits taken by the journalists. All the photos will be on display in the Upper School Main Office.

DARIAN EDVALSON - WINGED POST

KRISTI SUN - TALON

MICHELLE LO - TALON

MICHELLE DENG - WINGED POST

PAVITRA RENGARAJAN - WINGED POST

EAGLE BUDDIES Members of Donna Gilbert’s advisory pose with their Eagle Buddies at the “Eagle Buddies Circus” last Friday, April 13. The students enjoyed performances by circus performers and took part in other circus related activities such as face paint and juggling. Next Friday, the third graders will visit their sophomore Eagle Buddies to attend the Spirit Rally.

NAYEON KIM - WINGED POST

I think [Eagle Buddies] is a really great thing that Harker does because it allows the little fourth graders to see what it’s like to be around older kids and role models. It’s really fun being around them.

- Sean Fernandes (11)