Volume XLVI, Issue XIV
INSIDE THIS EDITION
November 25, 2014 Understanding the election process
Halloween Costume Contest
Athletes sign letters of intent
Page 3 | NEWS
Page 4/5 | SPLASH
Page 8 | SPORTS
Los Altos students volunteered to help out in the past midterm election. Melisa Rybaltowski
Circulation 2000
See how fellow Conquerors dressed up this Halloween.
Softball stars Wood and Delamora signed Wed, Nov 13.
Los Altos welcomes a new assistant principal
BY HILLARY HERMAWAN
This school year, Los Altos High School welcomed new assistant principal Lori Stevens. Stevens started her educational career in 1984 as a high school English teacher and was most recently the assistant principal at Jones Junior High School in Baldwin Park. Stevens’ credentials include a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of California, Riverside, a master’s degree in education from Azusa Pacific University, and a master’s degree in library and information science from San Jose State University. Stevens’ first impression of Los Altos was positive. Because of her warm reception, Stevens felt easily accepted into the Conqueror family. “I was really impressed with the friendliness of the students and adults alike,” comments Stevens. She was impressed not only with the welcoming attitude of the students and faculty but also the level of achievement she detected in and out of the classrooms. “Los Altos is a well-rounded school – it’s very highachieving [in academics] and it’s also good at sports,” she asserts. As she settles into her new position, Stevens faces an array of responsibilities. Her tasks include working with counselor Lorraine Ortega and the students
under Ortega’s charge, enforcing discipline and attendance, coordinating the November CAHSEE and all AP testing, and overseeing the science and visual and performing arts departments. On a typical day, Stevens meets with students in regards to discipline and attendance, visits classes, observes teachers, and supervises after school activities. Students may recognize Stevens from her class visits. She has stepped in on several classes since her appointment to witness firsthand how classes are implementing the standards of Common Core; she has taken special care to note the interactions between students and teachers, students and other students, and students and course material. A proactive faculty member, Stevens uses what she has learned from class visits to suggest new strategies that will help teachers integrate communication, collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking, the four C’s of Common Core, into classroom syllabi. Stevens may have only a few months as assistant principal under her belt, but she already has plans for the future. “I want to help spread AVID [Advancement Via Individual Determina-
tion] strategies school wide, so that we can become an AVID demonstration school, which I know is a goal of the AVID program,” she declares. “I want to help sup-
port teachers as they implement a combination of AVID and Common Core strategies that emphasizes Socratic seminars, Cornell notes, and higher level questions.” Jacob Kim
At the front gate of Los Altos, Stevens smiles as she oversees the school.
Conquerors LiNK in
BY CAROLINE TORRES
On Monday, November 3, Liberty in North Korea (LiNK), a non-profit group, was on campus to educate Los Altos of the dire circumstances many North Koreans experience. Los Altos High School students had the opportunity to watch a presentation on the trials and tribulations undergone by the citizens of North Korea, as well as a demonstration of the difference they could make as individuals. Students shuffled into the Hacienda with a sense of glee at being released from their social science classes for the mandatory assembly. Their chatter quickly subsided into a respectful silence as the presentation began and the gravity of the situation permeated the room. Jibin Park, the social science teacher responsible for organizing the event, brought the room to a hush with just a few questions. “Who is the current leader of North Korea?” Park asked. Students may have known the name Kim Jong Un, but further queries quickly revealed that their knowledge on North Korea didn’t reach very far at all. The thought-provoking questions served as a powerful introduction to the succeeding information. LiNK’s presentation, given by a handful of dedicated volunteers on a crosscountry roadtrip to promote the cause, incorporated a collection of statistics, images of North Korea, and first-hand testimony
Jacob Kim
Jacob Kim
Jacob Kim
Conquerors show their support for LiNk. From left: juniors Aaron Borunda, Andrea Zaragoza, and Daniel Olvera. from North Korean refugees. Many students found themselves enthralled, as Patrick Young, senior, explains, “It was very well conducted. It showed me a side of North Korea I didn’t know about. It was very moving.” The presentation revealed the existence of prison camps reminiscent of the concentration camps of World War II, a government that forbids economic trade but provides no support, and a generation struggling to escape the aftereffects of a mass famine. These trials, portrayed through the eyes of teens and young adults that risked their lives to escape them left a lasting impression on many Los Altos students. Joseph Pyle, junior, states, “As soon as I got home I looked up the website, and I really got involved with it. [The presentation] was inspiring.” LiNK encourages students to get involved by starting their own fundraising pages and contributing to the cause by donating, purchasing some of the merchandise for sale on their website, or volunteering time with the organization. LiNK operates by smuggling North Korean refu-
gees through China until they reach safety in other parts of Asia, such as South Korea or parts of Europe and North America. Park states, “There’s a lot of things that are going on, and it can seem difficult to make an impact individually, but the way LiNK is set up to rescue individuals one by one is definitely more manageable than trying to do something extreme like topple a regime. It’s definitely achievable, what they’re trying to do, and it would be great if Los Altos students got involved.” As it takes roughly $3000 to transport one refugee to safety, LiNK values every dollar donated since it goes directly to saving an individual’s life. Previously there existed a LiNK campus at Los Altos, with a primary goal of raising money for the cause. Young adds hopefully, “The school should continue with the cause, and in previous years there was a LiNK club at our school that was chartered, but it was discontinued. Maybe some of the freshmen or sophomores will pick it up and continue it.” Already, Los Altos students are getting involved. Emma Eriksen, a fresh-
man who was quite moved by the presentation, exclaims, “I’m starting my own fundraising page.” Erickson is also considering pursuing an internship with LiNK. Likewise, Bonnie Luu, a senior who plans on involving herself in volunteer work in Asia after leaving high school declares, “I’m considering involving myself with LiNK, though obviously I don’t plan to actually go in North Korea.” Like others, Luu says, “The most memorable thing about the LiNK presentation were the video clips of people talking about their lives in North Korea, and how it changed when they got out.” Having witnessed other footage of her, Luu was particularly moved by the testimony of Yeonmi Park, one of the many spokesmen of LiNK who provides first hand knowledge of the dangers of life in North Korea, and the equally daunting dangers of attempting escape through China. Luu encourages everyone to donate, explaining, “Just do what you can, even if it’s just five dollars. A dollar from an individual may not seem like much, but when you compile it all together it’s a lot.”