Feb. 6, 2009

the broadview

february 6, 2009

convent of the sacred heart high school | san francisco, california

vol. 13, is. 4

Convent greets Obama 6-7

news review: The Obama administration returns to civic values.

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music review: Katy Perry’s tour, Hello Katy stops in San Francisco.

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player profile: Senior Megan Cohn prepares to leave the basketball team.

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concert review: The Opening Ceremony for the Inaugural events featured a performance

by Bruce Springsteen.

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photo illustration INA HERLIHY | the broadview

s President Barack Obama spoke to the country and the world with the words “let us brave once more the icy currents, and endure what storms may come,” his words were taken quite literally by CSH students and faculty standing in the 20 degree weather on the Mall.

Thirty-five students and six faculty traveled to Washington D.C. for five days in January to attend the inauguration of Sen. Barack Obama as the 44th President of the United States.

“It was zoë newcomb freezing but reporter it was worth it,” said senior Kat Eanmen.

“I started crying because it was such an historic moment. Fifty years after African-Americans couldn’t even eat in some restaurants we are electing a

mixed-race president.”

Students had risen at 3:15 a.m. on Jan. 20 to beat the crowd of 1.8 million people to find a spot on the Mall close behind where ticket holders were seated.

Street vendors were among the masses taking advantage of the crowds by selling Obama merchandise. Ranging from pins to t-shirts to Obama air fresheners, the widespread fixation made for quick cash.

“There was an Obama-craze that had never before been seen during a presidential election,” said sophomore

CSH students started standing in the Mall at 6 a.m. to watch the Inauguration of Barack Obama in the Mall in front of the decorated Capital on Jan. 20. Volunteers passed out American flags to the crowd that students Kat Eaneman (left to right), Lauren Jung, Kristy HartyConnel and Elena Dudum are waving.

Obama and his wife Michelle Obama wave to supporters at the Opening Ceremony Jan. 18.

Students watch the arrival of the Presidentelect with 1.8 million other “guests” on one of 10 JumboTrons in the National Mall in front of the Capital.

RENA HUNT | the broadview

Katie Shulman. “People are fascinated with Obama.”

Students began the trip by attending the California Democratic Inaugural Bash at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum on Jan. 18 where they were able to speak with other Californians who were in the capital for the inauguration.

Highlights of the evening included remarks by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and an original song about President Obama by musician Peter Yarrow of the 1960’s folk group Peter, Paul & Mary.

in brief

▶ The third annual Simple Gifts fashion show next Thursday will have models from CSH, CES and SHHS modeling clothes from Rugby, Alexis, Union B, Meggie, Amy Kuschel bride and Lululemon.

“Out of all of our fundraisers, the fashion show brings in the most money,” said Simple Gifts president Emma Fahy.

Simple Gifts is a student-run charity benefiting women and children in San Francisco. This year the group is raising money for incarcerated women.

Tickets cost $30 and are available by RSVPing through the school’s Web site, http://www.sacredsf. org . The fashion show is Feb 12 at 7:30 p.m. with a pre-gala beginning at 6:30.

“I enjoyed the event because I like Obama and everyone else there was really excited as well,” said senior Rosie Keehan.

Throughout the trip, students were given opportunities to tour the monuments and explore around D.C. “I knew that this was going to be a trip that made history,” said Head of School Andrea Shurley. “But the best part of the trip was just walking around, exploring, and getting to know the girls better.”

see students p. 4

▶ CSH and SHHS were tourists for a day as they visited informational sites, including the Academy of Sciences, the Palace of Fine Arts, the Exploratorium and the Cable Car Museum on Jan. 29 for an all-day Breakfast Club fieldtrip.

“It was an educational learning experience that was away from the classroom,” said freshman Nikki Hvid. “This was a chance to get out and learn for ourselves.”

Faculty and the Student Council announced on Jan. 22 that Breakfast Club will change from the usual weekly one-hour activities at the CSH and SHHS campuses, and will now be a monthly full-day fieldtrip. This semester there will be two trial session fieldtrips, in addition to the original five one-hour morning sessions.

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED the broadview Convent of the Sacred Heart HS Schools of the Sacred Heart 2222 Broadway San Francisco, CA 94115

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op-ed

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february 6, 2009

Congress needs to compromise

he passing of the stimulus bill by the House of Representatives last week without a single Republican vote and without the Democrats negotiating the bill with the Republicans, reveals that bipartisanship may be only a fairytale for the Obama administration without the importance of compromise among both parties being fully realized.

The soaring rhetoric of President Barack Obama may have captivated the American people, but it doesn’t look like it has swept away the mounting polarization within Congress, particularly within the House of Representatives, or that it has really changed the way politics

works.

It seems that the only way Obama can successfully change the partisanship within Congress is to be assertive, yet willing to listen with both parties in Congress.

That includes Republicans. It is through communication, negotia-

tion and compromise that policies will have a chance of being passed with more than just the support of the majority.

By refusing to sit down and go over the stimulus bill with Republicans last week, Democrats were choosing to pass the bill as quickly as possible to let America know that a Democratic House is effective and responsive. However, the Democrats ultimately revealed a Democratic House is not willing to listen to those who have R’s at the end of their names.

Although both parties are at fault, it was the responsibility of the majority party to take the initiative and negotiate with the Republicans, whose view was to take more time on the passage of

the bill in order to be certain that it will genuinely be effective.

The bitter polarization in today’s Congress, however, is only a magnified exaggeration of the partisanship amongst most Americans. Congress represents members of the Democratic party who are far more to the left than the rest of the country’s Democrats and members of the Republican party who far more to the right than the rest of the country’s Republicans.

This partisanship within politics is not reflective of the majority of the nation.

In dealing with the tug-of-war game of partisanship and party control, Congress is essentially like a couple of stubborn 7-year-olds fighting over the rights to a tiny

sandpit (or, in this case, a stimulus bill that has the potential to either make or break the country’s economy). The power at stake may be a tad greater, but the rules haven’t changed. It’s time for Congress to stop bickering and start listening.

Whether or not Congress is even remotely capable of listening to each other will be the true test of the Obama administration’s ability to change politics.

The more polarized Congress becomes, the less effective the Obama adminstration will become. As much as Obama may be criticized by his supporters for negotiating with the other party, the truth is that compromise in politics is the only way to get things done effectively.

vantage point lauren jung

Targeting private life to make an extra buck

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s I walked around Washington, D.C. during the days leading up to Jan. 20, every street and corner had some kind of vendor selling inaugural memorabilia: T-shirts, buttons, ribbons, hats, bobble head dolls.

You name it, they had it — with the face of now President Barack Obama stamped on.

Although the national economy continues to spiral downward, it was hard to believe as I witnessed the countless transactions taking place along the National Mall. Obama’s stimulus plan has yet to begin, but the public’s exuberance for Obama and his family, especially with his young daughters, Sasha and Malia, looks like it has given our crumbling economy a little pick-me-up.

When Malia and Sasha wore J. Crew wool coats to their father’s inauguration, that afternoon, J. Crew’s Web site crashed with the overload of visitors. And by Wednesday, shares of the company jumped by more than 10 percent.

But one company, Ty Inc., appears to have taken the commercialism of the first family one step too far.

Ty Inc., which created the Beanie Babies phenomenon in the ’90s, has released two dolls this month named “Sweet Sasha” and “Marvelous Malia” as part of their TyGirlz doll line. The 12-inch dolls do not physically resemble the Obama’s two daughters, but they are the only African-American dolls released from the line as of yet. And it is a strange, uncanny coincidence that they share the same names as Obama’s daughters — too much of a coincidence.

Ty Inc. claims that the dolls were not created with the Obama

daughters in mind and that even the names were just that — names.

But Ty Inc., you aren’t fooling anyone.

With his job as president, Barack Obama is a public figure, and so is first lady Michelle Obama, but their daughters, Sasha and Malia, are not. They are part of the first family, but they are still private citizens and therefore their names should not be manipulated without permission to make a buck.

Ty Inc. should remember that first and foremost, Sasha and Malia are members of the Obama family.

And I’m not surprised that the company has decided to try and cash in on the girls’ names, perhaps hoping for a J. Crew repeat, but how they went about it was unethical. Sasha and Malia are not like Britney Spears, whom Ty Inc. based their TyGirlz “Bubbly Britney” doll upon. The two girls had no choice in how they got their fame. They did not run for president — their father did.

As a society and as consumers, we should try and give them the space they need to live a normal childhood. Sure, dolls may be cute now, but if they garner this much attention with toys, it’s not going to be cute if a camera catches one of them throwing a temper tantrum. So companies like Ty, Inc. and the public should give their fascination with Sasha and Malia a break because despite the girls’ high profile parents, when all is said and done, they are still just kids. They have a right to some privacy in their lives because they are normal children — just living in a big white house that has a movie theater and bowling alley.

Corrections The following error was made in the Dec. 18 edition: The editorial cartoon on

Page 2 was drawn by Elisa Asdourin, not by Theresa Grannuci.

broadview online For news updates, photo essays and expanded stories, visit the broadview: online at http://broadview.sacredsf.org

THERESA GRANUCCI | the broadview

“Steve, come back to the group. He’s not coming back. Steve …”

1. There is a new Breakfast Club.

2. January weather was unseasonably warm.

1. There are even more special schedules.

3. Gov. Blagojevich was impeached.

2. Water restrictions have already started in some counties.

4. Oscar nominations are announced, including one for Heath Ledger.

3. There may be more unexposed corruption in American politics than we know.

5. Four thousand women ran in Iraq’s provincial elections.

4. We miss you, Heath.

the broadview convent of the sacred heart high school 2222 broadway san francisco, ca 94115 broadview@sacredsf.org lauren jung editor in chief rebecca kelliher editor in chief

5. U.S. troops are still in Iraq. reporters emily bloch | sarah hegarty | emma herlihy sara kloepfer | susie lee zoë newcomb | isabelle pinard colleen scullion | anjali shrestha meghan helms theresa granucci illustrator tracy anne sena, cje adviser

gracie hays a & e editor ina herlihy news editor rena hunt photography editor jovel queirolo sacred heart editor sophie gilchrist sports editor amanda james web master Unsigned pieces are the opinion of the editorial board. Reviews and personal columns are the opinions of the author.

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the broadview

Bush’s laughable mistakes won’t be missed

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jovel quierolo sacred heart editor

ormer President George W. Bush will not be missed — the election of President Barack Obama overshadowed Bush’s final days in office. At the inauguration, whooping, flag-waving, name-chanting crowds welcomed the new president, but Bush got booing from some — silence from most.

America did elect the former president twice. We look back and wonder how he made it back a second round in the Oval Office, but America was in a time of crisis.

Three years after the terrorist attack of 9/11, people were not ready for change.

Some did see him as worth cheering for and may remember him as an interesting guy. He is, after all, a cowboy who was a cheerleader at his high school and Yale. He ran the Texas Rangers baseball team, and

traded Sammy Sosa to the Chicago Cubs.

But now that Obama had introduced a “new kind of politics,” people are ready for the change proclaimed by this new and far more charismatic president. Bush’s old politics simply do not fit new demands of American people for change.

Bush was occasionally fun to read about and popular, in a sense — but not for the grace, class or charisma of President Obama.

But one thing people will keep from Bush is his Bushisms — quotes now posted on blogs and Web sites to record and remember the occasional slip-ups that left Americans either shaking their heads or laughing out loud.

“There’s no question about it,” said Bush at a private fundraiser in Houston last year while addressing the failing economy.

“Wall Street got drunk — that’s one of the reasons I asked you to turn off the TV cameras — it got drunk and now it’s got a hangover. The question is how long will it

sober up and not try to do all these fancy financial instruments.”

More than one blog said maybe Bush and the Grand Old Party provided the booze. But again, the American people are attacking a president they voted for twice.

He was a mistake-making human who chose one of the hardest jobs in the world and kept America standing. He did more-or-less what people expected of him — he changed very little and kept the country in one piece even with two wars and the threat of terrorism.

Bush had guts, not brains — his grade point average at Yale was 2.35. When Pope Benedict XI came to Washington, D.C. for a visit, the former president coined another popular Bushism that spoke to his often childish behavior.

“Thank you, your Holiness,” said Bush.

“Awesome speech.”

It was something the former president would say — uncomplicated and unsophis-

ticated. His radical oversimplifications did not make him another “Honest Abe,” and acquired some nasty nicknames in office: All Hat, No Cattle; unCurious George and Shrub.

His vulnerability and lack of grace did not aid him as president. But people voted for it. They were not comfortable giving up they leadership that had kept their nation declining but alive. He was not a smooth president, but in his own words, it is not fair to misunderestimate him.

“I have followed my conscience,” Bush said in his farewell address, “and done what I thought was right.”

Wrong. Eight years of mistakes and goof-ups have changed America’s frame of mind. The end of the Bush era marks the end of comfortable conservatism and the beginning of a new kind of politics hard to resist coming from the mouth of a smooth-talking, intelligent-sounding orator. Change.

D.C. not prepared for crowds; district got lucky sophie gilchrist sports editor

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espite initial reports that 4 million people would show up for the inauguration of Barack Obama and only 1.8 million people are estimated to have visited the Washington D.C. area, District officials were ill-prepared for the event.

On inauguration day, I was with a group of students who got off the D.C. Metro around 5 a.m. and walked to an unmarked gate that could be either for the parade or for the inauguration at the Mall. The map in the Washington Post showed entrances for both events, but did not specify which entrances were for which events.

At first there were four concrete barriers where people were standing in line waiting to enter the gates for the parade — it turned out that we were at the wrong entrance and would have to cross the parade to go to the Mall.

After 30 minutes of standing in line, news spread that the gates were going to

open soon, about an hour and a half before the scheduled time everyone then ran forward, leaving the neat lines they had previously occupied.

We stayed jammed-packed without being able to move much for four and a half hours with the space between each other getting smaller and smaller as the time went on.

Although the crowd was told that the gates would open at 7 a.m., the gates opened an hour and a half later. Meanwhile, two people fainted, possibly from complications from the 20 degree weather — plus wind chill. Once the gates opened, it was revealed there were only four metal detectors for the tens of thousands of people waiting at that particular entrance.

Later we learned the other half of our student group bypassed the metal detectors entirely when they found open gates by the Smithsonian on the south side of the Mall and had their seats staked out by 6 a.m.

To get to the Mall we had to pass through the parade. The uniformed personnel kept showing us the passing point but

Biden brings smiles in times of crisis

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lthough late-night comedians are currently mourning the tragic loss of our nation’s little Shrub, hope for comic gold can still be found.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Vice President Joe Biden.

Biden may have been around the political arena for some time (36 years, to be exact), but the next four years promise to add even more to his budding resume of jokes and gaffes. However, the one-slip-a-week fate of Biden could be detrimental to the Obama administration, despite the amusement it provides for the American people.

It is certainly not an exaggeration to say that one of President Obama’s crucial concerns during his presidency will be to keep Biden from saying anything that may be — to put it nicely — politically incorrect. However, this may mean gagging Biden, shoving him in a closet and hoping that no one will notice — politely done, of course.

Recently, Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, went on The Oprah Winfrey Show where Jill let it slip that her husband had the choice between becoming secretary of

state or vice president. Whoops.

Biden reacted to the blunder by loudly shushing his wife and laughing at the major faux pas.

It’s safe to say current Secretary of State Hillary Clinton definitely wasn’t laughing at that moment.

On the campaign trail with Obama, Biden made another slipup by confidently declaring that he had “three words” for what the nation needed to help get itself get out the current economic crisis — “J-O-B-S.” He later said that Franklin D. Roosevelt, when faced with the Great Depression, calmed the nation down by making regular appearances on TV. Sorry, Joe, but FDR had his famous “fireside chats” on the radio, not on the television.

Surprisingly (or maybe not that surprisingly if we are to suppose that the media is entirely liberally biased), Biden’s gaffes have never been seen as evidence of the vice president being unqualified or even stupid by the press. This was definitely not the case with our nation’s beloved hockey mom — Gov. Sarah Palin.

If it wasn’t for the Democrats often flippant dismissal of Biden’s careless remarks and playful an-

just a thought rebecca kelliher

tics by simply saying “that’s just Biden being Biden,” he could have already been known to America as the next Palin. Nonetheless, the prospect of this happening has not died yet, and probably remains the greatest fear among Obama supporters.

Yet, Biden’s “gaffe machine” is still rather refreshing to those who are light-hearted enough to crack a smile. It can give the nation a much-needed break from the well-choreographed world of politicians who are too afraid to say anything that may hinder their next election. Biden once said at a Democratic Debate in 2007 “There’s only three things [Rudy Guiliani] mentions in a sentence — a noun, a verb and 9/11.”

Even though Biden could very well become the bane of the Obama administration’s existence, he certainly makes politics worth paying attention to — especially for a country in need of a couple of laughs. Americans who are seeking a little humor amidst the melting economic crisis our country is facing can take comfort in Good Old Joe — to the dismay of the entire Obama administration and Democratic Party.

THERESA GRANUCCI | the broadview

Q:

would not let the crowd cross the parade to pass until President Obama drove by from his way to the inauguration.

The public was told before the event that the Metro stations near the Mall and the parade route would be shut down for several hours for security reasons.

This caused for a problem for people trying to leave the district, backing up entrances to open Metro stations took over two hours.

When the San Francisco Municipal Railway (Muni) lines or Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) is not working, the transit agencies provide a “bus bridge,” driving buses go along the route that is closed for the trains. Had officials in Washington D.C. did this, people would have been able to leave the Mall and head to their destinations faster and easier.

While the safety of the elected and officials and the crowds was maintained, more could have been done to keep people safe.

Had more people come or had the weather colder, there might have been a disaster.

Washington D.C. lucked out.

What policy do you want Obama to address?

“I want him to address medical care because everyone deserves to be taken care of and not everybody can afford it.”

— Naomi Kunstler, freshman

“I want him to stabilize the economy because this issue effects everyone.” ­— Talynn Mitchell, sophomore

“I want him to address the issue of medical care because our country is suffering by the lack of members getting insurance they need for medicine.”

— Grazia Bendetti, junior

“He can improve health care because healthcare is expensive and people cannot afford it.”

— Stephanie Dixon, senior — complied by Anjali Shrestha

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news

february 6, 2009

Students go to Obama’s inauguration

Dads, daughters attend masque

from convent p. 1

The masses of people in the capital who were trying to take in the sights made exploring difficult.

“It was so hard to get anywhere,” said freshman Katie Ghotbi. “We spent an hour trying to get on the Metro, and then when we got off we realized we had only traveled one block.”

Despite the crowds and cold weather, the trip was something students said they would never forget.

“The best part of the trip for me was dancing with the woman from New Orleans while standing on the Mall,” said Keehan.

“The trip was great because I was apart of history.”

in brief ▶ The Speech and Debate Team brought home several first place awards from the Pepperdine University Invitational Debate Tournament in Malibu in late January.

Sophomores Lindsey Eng and Monica Rodriguez placed first in Novice Parliamentary. Senior Jocelyn Friday and sophomore B Krasnoff placed first in Junior Varsity Parliamentary and tied for first speaker in JV Parliamentary.

This year’s contest included nearly 300 students from more than 30 schools across California.

Students from both CSH and SHHS will compete in the Stanford University Invitational Speech and Debate Tournament next Saturday, Feb. 7.

— Rebecca Kelliher

INA HERLIHY | the broadview

Jerry Sullivan, junior Catherine Noakes, Geoff Noakes and junior Caitie Sullivan (from left to right) talk with each other after eating dinner at this year’s Father-Daughter Dinner Dance. The event, organized by the Junior Class, had the theme Masquerade. Junior Nikea Barconia’s grandmother sang with the band Napata and the Kisses, which performed at the event. ▶ Guests arrived in the Flood Mansion wearing masks and formal attire in the spirit of this year’s Father-Daughter Dinner Dance theme, Masquerade.

“Some people even rented costumes for the dance,” said freshman Annie De Lancie. “Jayni’s [Webster] dad wore a cape

with a ruffled shirt and a mask.”

Guests had the option of dining on New York prime rib, tortellini with pesto sauce, sautéed vegetables or a spinach salad.

After dinner, daughters and their fathers danced to the band Napata and

the Kisses.

“The band was amazing; they were really fun,” said De Lancie. “The band reminded me of Dreamgirls because they wore flapper dresses. The singers came into the audience and danced with us. It was great.”

— Emily Bloch

Lunar New Year celebrates Asian culture, heritage JACKSON

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The new moon ushers in not only a change in the zodiac animals, but also a change in the leader of the United States with the presidency of Barack Obama. The Year of the Ox brings celebration but also holds significance in the current economic downturn.

“Due to the economy, people are hoping that the ox will help them with the stock market,” said Fengyuan Ji, Program Associate at the Chinese Cultural Center of San Francisco. “The New Year means a fresh start and getting together to celebrate with family.”

While Ji celebrates the New Year by gathering with friends to make dumplings because her family remains in China, students celebrated with a celebration in Syufy Theater on Jan. 26.

Seniors Kirsten Chan and Cody Luke, co-heads of the Asian Awareness Club, introduced a performance of acrobats from AcroSports City Circus that included aerial acts and contortion.

“We decided to bring in acrobats because acrobatics originated in China,” said Chan. “We thought it would be fun to show their influence in America and to switch it up from the lion dancers that perform every year.”

Following the performance, the Mandarin II and III classes shared their video about the Forbidden City, in which students explored historic sights. Junior Susie Lee then performed a Korean dance using a kyung-go, or prop drum.

“My dance instructor looked at Korean paintings from centuries ago and she saw dancers posing with little drums, so she thought it would be fun for me to dance with one,” said Lee. Her costume was made to flow with the dance’s modern moves.

Lee says that Korean New Year tradi-

tions focus on revering elders.

“One tradition is to bow down to your parents to show them respect and then they give you bok ju muh nee, which means pocket money,” said Lee. The final piece was the Mandarin IV class’ video of students’ reenactments of Legends of the Great Wall. One such legend was the Legend of the Laughing Mouth, in which a father searches for his son who has not returned home after working on the Great Wall for a long time. They finally ran into each other at Songting Hill and were so happy that they died of laughter.

The school celebration is a prelude to the citywide festivities. The Chinese Cultural Center is holding the biggest indoor New Year celebration in San Francisco on the weekend of Feb. 7 and 8.

“We are trying to provide activities for the community to celebrate Chinese New Year,” said Ji. “For American-born Chinese, even if they are not from China, it is a time to celebrate their culture.”

The celebration will include various activities and events such as dancers, fortunetellers, opera face painting, acrobats, and calligraphy demonstrations.

“Chinese New Year is the most important celebration in not only China, but to all Chinese,” said Ji. San Francisco’s Chinatown community also marks the New Year with the annual Chinese New Year Parade, sponsored by Southwest Airlines, on Saturday, Feb. 7.

Over 100 groups are estimated to participate, including floats, lion dancers, marching bands, stilt walkers, acrobats and Miss Chinatown USA and her court.

The highlight of the parade is the 201-foot Golden Dragon, or Gun Lum, carried by a team of over 100 men and women from martial arts group White Crane.

A television broadcast of the parade is planned to appear on KTVU Fox 2 and KTSF Channel 26.

CO LU M

sara kloepfer reporter

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FRONT REBECCA KELLIHER | the broadview

The Chinese New Year Parade on Feb. 7 starts on Market Street, goes up Geary Boulevard, down Post Street and ends on Kearney at Columbus Streets (above). Named one of the top 10 parades in the world by the International Festivals and Events Association, the Chinese New Year Parade is one of the few remaining night-illuminated parades in the country.

RENA HUNT | the broadview

An acrobat from AcroSports City Circus performs to the student body for the Lunar New Year celebration organized by the Asian Awareness Club (right).

features

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Press organization gives youth a voice T

ina herlihy news editor

en-year-old Sade lives in the Ninth Ward in New Orleans, one of the poorest and most dangerous neighborhoods ravaged by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Despite being bullied everyday by her classmates for making straight A’s, Sade has high aspirations to become a criminal justice beat reporter or the next leader of the United States.

“She said on television yesterday that she is now inspired to be the first black female president, and she now will continue to get good grades because she wants to be president too,” said Marsha Ralls, Children’s Press Line Chief Executive Officer in a phone interview.

Children’s Press Line (CPL), a youth media organization with bureaus in New York City, Washington, D.C. and New Orleans, offers youth aged eight through 18, a 12-week training program in journalism.

Once admitted, children aged eight to 13 become designated reporters who ask the questions while teens aged 14 to 18 work as writers and editors.

“We are giving kids — who make up 20 percent of the population — a voice,” said Katina Paron, CPL Editorial and Program Director. “There are so many policies and laws that adults make on behalf of kids without asking for their input.”

Youth can submit their work through CPL, which helps students publish their work in publications such as the BBC World Service, CBS Radio, espn.com and the Boston Globe.

“These kids aren’t covering fluff stories,” said Paron. “They interview politicians, and politicians take them seriously.

The kids come off with these powerhouse questions about social security and juvenile justice.”

Omri Elisha, Professor at Bard College, was part of Children’s Express (CE) from 1981 to 1990. CE changed into what is now CPL in 2001. CPL provides students with the necessary communication and thinking skills, according to Elisha.

“Children’s Express was one of the most important influences in my life,” said Elisha. “I know my life might have been very different if not for the personal empowerment I gained through my work as a young journalist.”

CPL is able to help youths get in touch with their individual voices by teaching them about journalism and by helping them receive press credentials for events such as the Democratic and Republican Conventions and the United Nations’ Global Youth Leadership Summit. CPL youth reporters have interviewed 350 policymakers from President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Sen. John Kerry since 2001.

“CPL’s main focus is to get more youth representation in the media,” said CPL member Jake Faldman. “Kids don’t always get taken seriously, yet about 26 percent of America today is under 18.”

CPL plans to launch its Web site in June.

Youths interested in publishing their work online can contact Ralls at marsha-ralls@ cplmedia.org.

By the numbers: Children’s Press Line New York City youth trained in journalism and community workshops interviews with policy-makers children in need interviewed on issues that affect their lives photos | RENA HUNT

articles published in mainstream media Source: http://cplmedia.org — Compiled by Anjali Shrestha

CSH students attended an event hosted by the Children’s Press Line (CPL), where Judy Woodruff made an appearance and interviewed a member from CPL. Youth reporters from CPL have covered events ranging from the MTV Music Video Awards to the United Nations’ Summit on Sustainable Development.

U.S. History alumn credits interships ina herlihy news editor

Hit the books

Classes at CSH to help prepare you •American Literature •U.S. History •AP U.S. Government •AP Comparative Government and Politics •AP Art History

Careers you might pursue •Anthropologists •Archaelogists •Archivists •Curators •Historians

Related Majors

•Anthropolgy •American Studies •Economics •Ethnic Studies •European History •History Souce: http://www.collegeboard.com — Compiled Anjali Shrestha

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lthough she works today as the Chair of the Task Force for the Environment and Sustainability and Vice Chair of the Piedmont Park Commission, Teddy Gray King (’87) came to her job through a mix of political internships with notable California politicians.

“My work in government brought me to these appointments in politics,” said Gray King. “I have worked in campaigns and in public affairs since I graduated from college.

Now I am focusing on my civic work in Piedmont. I am getting more involved on how the government of Piedmont works.”

Gray King graduated from the University of California at Berkeley in 1992 with a major in U.S. History and was the vice president of the California Democrats while in college.

“Through that experience I met so many people,” said Gray King. “It was those contacts that helped me get a job at the [Barbara] Boxer for Senate campaign, which lead me to get a job at Capital Hill. Don’t underestimate those extra curricular activities in college.”

Gray King interned with then Congressman Ron Dellums (D-Calif.) in the early

1990s, and later interned in Washington, D.C. at Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi’s office and with the Senate Labor Committee.

“When you study politics, you are mak-

Teddy Gray King 87

College: University of California at Berkely (’92) Major: U.S. History Job: Chair of the Task Force for the Environment and Sustainability and Vice Chair of the Piedmont Park Commission

ing history,” said Gray King. “For every campaign you work on, you are a part of history in your own way and it is amazing.”

Gray King says it is important to get work experience while studying a subject

like history.

“If you come out of school with just a history diploma, there can be some challenges in getting a job,” said Gray King.

“You have to hone in on what your interests are in college.”

Gray King also suggests college students supplement their coursework with economics or business administration, and some classes other than history because it makes them more marketable when they need to find a job.

“I just love the study of people,” said Gray King of why she took cultural anthropology, even though she admits it never had an application implication to her life. “I love people stories. It is fascinating how we came from a small population from hundreds of years ago to where we are now.”

The course, ironically, was taught by Laura Nader, sister of Green Party Candidate for President Ralph Nader.

In breaking into the workforce, Gray King advocates going above and beyond the call of duty.

“Just do everything that is asked of you, and go to every event in politics,” said Gray King. “There is no distinction in working hours and after work hours. It is all tied together. Be everywhere by being on the scene and getting fresh on peoples mind. That is how you get jobs.”

6

features

february 6, 2009

We the peo

Millions ca inaugurat changing

Q&A

Actor Jennifer Dixon, 45, lives in Los Angeles.

This past year, she campaigned for now President Barack Obama, speaking to crowds across the country. Dixon answers a few questions for the broadview on Jan. 17 midflight from Chicago to Washington, D.C.

With Jennifer Dixon Q: How were you involved?

A: I first started campaigning

during the primaries, talking to various groups. Then I worked on the general campaign. I did everything from phone-banking, to knocking on doors, to talking to 10, 20, 500 people.

Q: Why were you interested?

A: I was never interested in

Being a natural hermit, this was an unusual experience for me, to say the least. But Obama seemed genuine. He wasn’t interested in perpetuating politics as they had been. He wasn’t afraid to tell people they had to change.

He revealed something to all of us, about us, for us. His was the politics of inclusion. And he reminded us that the most potent political position in the country is that of citizen.

politics before. I just never trusted any of them. Then a friend took Q : W h a t d o e s O b a m a’s me to hear Obama speak. He presidency mean to you? was speaking to a relatively small group of people at a private home. A: Being biracial I must say it is When I left I knew I had to be of exciting to see myself represented. some help. I had to do something. And as for being American —

for the past eight years, being American has in part meant being disenfranchised from your government. Now the U.S. has a leader who acknowledges the intelligence and power of the people. It is a complete paradigm shift. It is a call to wake up. We are a government by the people and for the people. It is an awakening.

by th

Obama’s I agencies collaborated on security measures groups marched in the Inaugural Parade

Dixon photo PATRICOLA/LUST PUBLIC RELATIONS | with permission

Visit the broadview: online at http:// broadview.sacredsf.org for a Q&A with with Dixon’s mother Jeanne Cohen.

tons of garbage hauled away

by Washington trash trucks after the inauguration

Neighborhood Ball Parties organized across the country members of America’s police departments provided security on Inauguration Day

participants marc in the Inaugural P

Sources: http://www.pic2009.org

A day in pictures January 20, 2009 Boarding the Metro around 4 a.m. all photos by Rena Hunt, Sophie Gilchrist and Tracy Sena

Making the pilgrimage to the National Mall.

Stocking up on flags and Obama memorabilia.

Staking out t together to k

features

the broadview

7

ople of the United States

ame together in Washington, D.C. to witness the tion of Barack Obama, a change that is not only history, but also changing the future of America

photo illustration SARA KLOEPFER & LAUREN JUNG | the broadview

New administration calls upon old values

he numbers:

Inauguration degrees Fahrenheit with wind chill

JumboTrons broadcasted the inaugural events on the National Mall bipartisan dinners hosted

by President Obama

volunteers provided support for the inaugural activities

ched Parade

g/blog, http://www.washingtonpost.com

rebecca kelliher & lauren jung

T

COMMENTARY

oday Barack Obama sits in the Oval Office as the 44th President of the United States. Yet, the honeymoon of his inauguration is over, and the reality of the nation’s problems is creeping in.

Obama’s mantra from the campaign trail, “Change We Can Believe In” may have swept him into office.

But the change Americans are expecting from him is not the change in store for our country. The real change is in the American people.

Obama can’t wave a magic wand over Washington like a fairy godmother, proclaiming “Bibbity bobbity boop” and expecting all the nation’s troubles — including a crumbling economy, exorbitant healthcare and energy crisis — to disappear into thin air. The Obama administration knows this. It’s the majority of the American people who don’t.

To a crowd of close to two million people crammed into the National Mall, and to countless more watching on television, President Obama said in his inaugural address, “Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real, they are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or

territory in front of the Capitol and huddling keep warm.

in a short span of time.”

The assumption is that Obama will solve the nation’s problems by changing the way politics works — the backhanded dealing, dishonesty and self-interest. However, this is human nature. The cutthroat microcosm of politics only magnifies these qualities.

By campaigning as a “Washington outsider,” Obama played on the public’s fear and mistrust of politics.

But no matter how much he continues to distance himself from “politics as usual,” the democratic process will not change, and human nature will never change. What can change, though, is the American people’s view of their individual responsibilities to the nation.

Americans can no longer blame politicians alone for the shortcomings and failures of the government in an Obama-America. It is time to stand up and take on the civic duties upon which the United States was founded.

During his campaign, Obama utilized his background as a community organizer to shift the focus of politics to civic duty. He incorporated grassroots movements into his campaign strategy such as calling upon local supporters to form groups to phone bank and organize carpools to get out

On the JumboTron, California women represent — Obama’s on his way.

the vote.

Obama’s campaign galvanized the American people, particularly the youth. He took advantage of technology by setting up texting alerts and creating an Obama-centered social networking Web site to appeal to the younger demographic. Obama’s presidential campaign has also inspired many who have never been involved or interested in politics to take action and care about the direction of the nation.

Through the efforts of the grassroots movements, 136.6 million Americans voted in the 2008 presidential election compared to only 122.3 million in 2004. Last year’s presidential election also saw a voter turnout of 64.1 percent, the highest turnout since the 1908 presidential election according to Michael McDonald of George Mason University.

This notion of mobilizing the average American through grassroots movements is now being implemented to the entire nation as Obama’s presidency marks a return to service. As John F. Kennedy said in his 1961 inaugural address, “And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you — ask what you can do for your country,” the Obama administration is revamping this message almost half a century later to address

The highlight of the inauguration — watching Obama be sworn in as the 44th president.

today’s Americans and today’s issues for tomorrow’s America.

“Our challenges may be new, the instruments with which we meet them may be new, but those values upon which our success depends, honesty and hard work, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism — these things are old,” declared Obama in his inaugural address.

And these “things” to which the president alluded to are the cornerstone upon which America was built.

These things are the forces behind our country’s independence. These things provided the insatiable drive behind our country’s citizens to overcome the Great Depression.

“These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history,” said Obama.

In order for America to progress, it must first take a step back. The American people may see the Obama administration as the beginning of an innovative revolution, but the government is not morphing into something different. Rather, the Obama administration is heralding in a reactionary revolution — one in which the government restores the core values of activism and patriotism set forth by our forefathers.

Don’t forget to take a picture with Obama!

8

city life roll over, beethoven gracie hays

‘Rocket roll’:

Where 50’s sock hops enter outer space

D

february 6, 2009

Katy Perry thrilled a crowd, and they liked it

onning Star Trek meets Devo space uniforms and helmets over their gelled pompodours, the Oakland-based rockabilly band The Phenomenauts describe their sound as being “rocket roll.” Because of the theatrical performance the band puts on with toilet paper guns, fog machines and their own futuristic, space ship-like mic stands, it is easy to dismiss the band as merely being a costly gimmick for a bunch of sci-fi nerds who happened to pick up instruments.

Nonetheless, The Phenomeanuts’ sheer musicianship, showmanship and even lyricism — which can be hard to believe with seemingly irrelevant, corny song titles such as “Earth is the Best,” “Giant Asteroid” and “Space Girl”— shine through during every performance, gaining the band a cult-like following of fellow uniformed “cadets” that has started to spread beyond the Bay Area and throughout the nation.

With almost 10 years experience playing together, the band has developed a unique sound reminiscent of ’50s sock hops, but again, with a touch of outer space. The Phenomenauts achieve this fusion through their harmonizing doo-wop vocals and twangy guitar riffs with the accompaniment of the piercing notes from the keyboard synthesizer.

In some ways, The Phenomeanuts’ spacethemed music has allowed for a more inclusive and friendly environment. What people forget is each music scene has its own “costumes” or “uniforms,” so perhaps wearing a space outfit is no more gimmicky than a punk with a blue Mohawk wearing a studded vest or a greaser slicking back his hair and wearing a leather jacket with cuffed jeans. Though The Phenomenauts are based around rockabilly, their shows lack the fashion snobbery that can be seen at other, more generic rockabilly shows.

Because of the band’s abstract appeal, their shows are more diverse, drawing from an eclectic crowd of skinheads, punks, greasers, teeny-boppers, hipsters and people who look like they’ve been going to Star Wars conventions for a long time. Unlike other shows, where there is often a considerable amount of tension between each group, at Phenomenauts shows each audience member chants along with song lyrics in unison, un-fazed by each other’s different cultural backgrounds.

Although there has been criticism from music fans who feel song titles are unattached from the harsh reality of current society, there are far more offensive lyrics floating around on the radio all day. In the end, there’s no harm done in listening to someone spewing scientific facts about Pluto and the camaraderie between an imaginary space crew.

PULSE

INA HERLIHY | the broadview

Pop-star Katy Perry sings for a sold-out audience at The Fillmore (above). Perry plays the acoustic guitar with an electrical guitarist from her band during the performance (left). Perry reaches down to touch a fan’s hand while donning a leopard print unitard. An inflated cat head represents Kitty Perry, Katy’s pet cat who couldn’t join her “Hello Katy” tour due to her crew members’ allergies (right).

A

meghan helms reporter

crowd made up mainly of young women danced around impatiently to the warm-up band, The Daylights, with occasional cheers, but upon rising-star Katy Perry band’s entrance in their glowing white suits, the floor shook with the crowd’s excitement as fans jumped up and down screaming and chanting, “Ka-ty! Ka-ty!”

“Hello Katy,” Perry’s first tour, co-staring her pet cat Kitty Perry, was a sold-out event when the show came to The Fillmore on Jan. 28.

Perry ran on stage to a friendly and excited crowd on time. Wearing a red, white and pink romper, Perry gave a lively and playful show, telling entertaining anecdotes about the origins of the songs that she was to sing and of the large inflatable cathead (Kitty Perry) standing on stage behind her. Blow-up strawberries

and bananas also adorning the stage were not explained. At one point Perry danced the Hokey Pokey, calling for the crowd to join her, and at another time wore a leopard print unitard and cat ears.

Throughout the show Perry seemed to be as excited as the crowd that was occasionally throwing glow sticks on stage and waving around homemade shirts and signs.

The show moved on with prancing and telling short stories until, according to Perry, the crowd had been there long enough so she brought out the cherry ChapStick — a cue to fans that she was going to perform her top song “I Kissed a Girl.”

“How many of you brought your cherry ChapStick?” Perry screamed into the microphone, and was answered by a loud cry from the crowd that left skeptics wondering how may girls actually had cherry lip balm in their jeans pockets.

Perry danced around waving about

a large inflatable cherry ChapStick as the crowd sang her hit along with her.

Towards the end of the song, Perry stepped down closer to the fans and leaned forward into the sea of arms and bodies causing the whole crowd to shift forward and clump around the stage.

According to eaves droppings, Perry actually did kiss a couple of girls as she leaned far into the crowd.

Perry then left without a good bye or backwards glance, leaving the crowd confused as to whether the show was over.

The sudden drop in sound and atmosphere left the crowd somewhat down as they meandered around the theater floor, kicking plastic cups and hoping for another appearance. Other members of the crowd slowly filtered through the exit doors trying to keep alive the upbeat atmosphere that had so recently filled the theater with music, shouting and dancing — a good time.

what’s pumping in the halls

hipster scarves

1

2

3

4

1- fringe cotton scarf, $30 (Montmartre flea market in Paris, France) 2- woven rayon checked scarf, $14 (Target) 3- vintage rose-print silk scarf, $325 (Ralph Lauren) 4- geometric flower-print scarf, $12 (H&M)

sacred heart

the broadview

Employee in printing office appreciates work zoë newcomb features editor

A

ida Flores-Hemelberg spends her days making photocopies in a tiny room in the basement. She smiles as she explains her job, saying it may seem dull but it is much more than just managing paper.

Flores-Hemelberg began working on the Broadway campus in 1976 as a cleaner after immigrating to the United States from El Salvador.

“I had to leave my 3-year-old daughter with my mom when I came to the U.S.,” said FloresHemelberg. “It was a hard sacrifice, but I needed to make a better life for my daughter than what I had.”

Flores-Hemelberg started working in the printing office when schools decided to switch to a cleaning company.

“It was fun cleaning the school, so I didn’t want to switch,” said Flores-Hemelberg. “They offered me the kitchen, but I don’t like to cook and I wanted to do something fun.”

Flores-Hemelberg’s job in the printing office is to handle mail

and manage big projects for teachers. She misses the effort she had to exert when she was cleaning the building, but says she appreciates any type of work Flores-Hemelberg’s father died when she was 5-years-old, leaving her mother struggling to support a family of five children. FloresHemelberg FLORES-HEMELBERG says that it was a difficult life, but watching her mother work hard gave her a strong work ethic.

“We were really poor,” said Flores-Hemelberg. “When I had my first child, I decided that I would do better.”

Flores-Hemelberg’s two sons, Jonathan Hemelberg (SHB ’00, SHHS ’04) and Fidel Alvarez (SHB ’90) both attended Stuart Hall. Flores-Hemelberg says she’s been apart of Schools of the Sacred Heart so long that her co-workers have become family. In fact, kitchen coordinator Elsy Bran is actually her sister.

“She has a very strong spirit,” said Bran. “She’s been through a

lot, and her relationship with her children is great because it.”

Flores-Hemelberg says that she has seen the school through so many changes and so much growth, that it has become an important part of her life.

“It’s not like a job for me because everyone is nice, even the students are nice,” said FloresHemelberg. “I’m comfortable here, because it’s my home. I know all the traditions, sometimes I remind the teachers when they forget.”

The hardest part of the job for Flores-Hemelberg is watching the people who have become her family leave.

“Everyone leaves, nuns and teachers, they all leave,” said Flores-Hemelberg. “Some of the nuns even die, they were my friends and then they die. Sometimes I enjoy the change a lot, but sometimes there is nothing I can do. I just follow the rules.”

The change that she sees everyday is just a part of how life works, Flores-Hemelberg says.

She says that saying goodbye to one old friend is worth making a new one.

“This school has seen me through a lot,” said Flores-Hemelberg. “It’s my home and I don’t plan on leaving.”

9

RENA HUNT | the broadview

From 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. Aida Flores-Hemelberg can be found in the basement right next to the cafeteria making hundreds of photocopies of worksheets for teachers and Thursday Notes for the elementary schools on a commercial printer, as well as handling shipping for the Broadway campus.

Alumnae experience election in the Capital jovel quierolo sacred heart editor

O

n election night, Abby Miller (’05) personally witnessed the loud celebration of President Barack Obama’s victory from the nation’s capital.

“I had gone to a friend’s house and we were watching all the states turn, so I decided to leave early,” said Miller, who goes to school a t G e o rg e Wa s h i n g ton University (GW) only blocks away from the White House. “I MILLER got off the Metro and heard screaming. I ran home and burst into tears as I listened to his speech.”

“Living so close, I went over in front of the White House where there had to be thousands of people going crazy for Obama – paper cutouts and all. Even on my way back home, you could still hear people going. Everyone was in a good mood.”

C S H alumnae attending universities in HAMMONS and around Washington D.C. had a unique take on the election of President Barack Obama as they were in the thick of the action.

“On election day, I got permission to miss class to work at the polls,” said Jazmyn Hammons (’06), who attends Howard Univer-

sity. Hammons worked from 6 a.m. difference and despite how critics to 9 p.m., but by the time she got thought he could not make it, his done working, she was too tired perseverance to create change and to attend one of the many parties form a new country shows how important taking initiative is,” on campus.

“I watched his speech in my said Miller.

Kyle Cannon (’05), also at GW room but I could hear people running up and down the streets took part in the inaugural festivishouting ‘O-BA-MA!’ just chant- ties, purposely and just by living in the nation’s ing, shouting, capital. screaming,” When I see him, “ A l l said HamI don’t think, week semons. “It curity was was literally ‘black president.’ up and stua march in the People care more middle of the dents were night. Obama required to about what he really opened carry their has to say, and up a gate and school ID’s showed peoas a requirein that way he ple that anyment of the thing is posenhanced is representative sible regards e c u r i t y, ” of our country. less of what’s said Cannon happened in whose dorm — Britney Atkinson the past.” is only a few Morgan McGovern (’06 ) at blocks away from the National Georgetown University remem- Mall. “My street was closed the bers a large number of Facebook entire weekend.” statuses flashing “[name] is fiCannon attended the inaugunally proud to be an American,” ration, an inaugural ball thrown by on the night Obama won the 2008 GW and the concert at the opening presidential election. According ceremonies. to McGovern, Obama’s message “I didn’t have a ticket to the of change and unity is one people inauguration, so a friend and I are proud to consider. went out just to feel the excitement “Obama isn’t emregardless of whether barrassed by who he or not we’d get to see is,” said McGovern.

Obama,” said Cannon.

“He isn’t ashamed and “I was impressed by believes in his message how kind people there so people aren’t embarwere; there wasn’t a rassed with him.” lot of pushing or shovMiller agrees with ing.”

McGovern that Obama Events had people MCGOVERN is an individual who waiting for hours durrealized the importance of his mes- ing the week surrounding the sage at this time for the country. inauguration but the show of “He took initiative to make a kindness and courteous behavior

in long lines and diverse crowds reflects the equality many Americans have waited for — the equality Obama symbolizes as the first black president.

“My family has an interracial background and my mom used to talk to me about how difficult for her it was growing up,” said Britney Atkinson (’08). “It’s nice to see people finally getting past color barriers.”

Atkinson, who attends Philadelphia University, got on a bus that Tuesday morning and CANNON attended the inauguration with her school, ending up in a viewing site.

“It was amazing how many people there were,” said Atkinson.

“I looked out from Capital Hill to the Washington Monument crowded with people from every age from everywhere and was overwhelmed in a good way.”

From encouraging citizens to participate and getting involved ATKINSON to celebrating a victory, Obama and his election have brought a new sense of equality to the country.

“When I see him, I don’t think, ‘black president,’” said Atkinson.

“People care more about what he has to say, and in that way he is representative of our country.”

Colleges by the Capital George Washington University 2121 I Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. distance from the White House: .6 miles Howard University 2400 Sixth Street, NW, Washington, D.C. distance from the White House: 2.6 miles Georgetown University 37th and O Streets, NW, Washington, D.C. distance from the White House: 2.2 miles Trinity Washington University 125 Michigan Ave. NE, Washington, D.C. 20017 distance from the White House: 3.2 miles American University 4400 Massachusetts Avenue, NW Washington, D.C. distance from the White House: 4 miles Potomac College 4000 Chesapeake Street N.W., Washington D.C. 20016 distance from the White House: 4.7 miles

10 sports

february 6, 2009

4 years brings bittersweet ending A

fter four years on the varsity basketball team, senior Megan Cohn is finding her last season on the team bittersweet.

“It’s upsetting and exciting at the same time,” said Cohn. “It’s a big part of my life that will suddenly be over so I have to prepare myself mentally for it. I’ve had a really good experience with the different players each year and I’m glad that I was given the opportunity.”

Cohn plans to continue playing basketball in college, but at an intramural level rather than at varsity. Yet, Cohn says she still considers playing on the varsity team since freshman year in high school a learning experience.

“Playing at a varsity level was better to start for me because as a freshman it got me to improve,” said Cohn. “By playing with people better than me it forced me to develop my skills.”

Besides team practices four days a week, Cohn works one day individually on shooting or ball-handling drills with a coach she has had since eighth grade, a year after she began playing intensively.

“I work on ways to look at the court so that I can set up a good shot for myself and get past the defender,” said Cohn. “It is good for me because it is a way for me to learn how to be a smarter player and to get a good hour of a workout in.”

A versatile athlete who also plays on the soccer and tennis teams, COHN Cohn switches between playing guard and post on the court.

“The post is the one that stands inside the box and asks for the ball,” said Cohn.

“Hopefully one of the guards will see that

the post is open and can get a shot off. They are both equally hard positions but I think that I prefer playing guard because when I play post in the middle I just don’t feel very tall.”

Cohn points the success this season of the 14-3 record, including preseason, to her large team.

“She supports our team by showing good leadership and always cheering us on,” said sophomore India Pearce. “Megan’s positive attitude keeps us looking to the next game and how we are going to do, disregarding how our last game turned out.”

— Anjali Shrestha

B-ball wants to play Blues again T he Bay Counties League (BCL) West season is almost at an end, and with a recent defeat against the Urban Blues 65-49, the Cubs say they cannot wait for another chance to play them.

“Urban has been our rivals since before I came to the high school,” said co-captain Scarlett Kirk. “Each time we play them everyone knows how exciting those games get so a lot of our classmates show up which makes the games even more intense.”

The team started getting revved up in November by taking a trip to the woods in Marin County.

“In the pre-season we organized a paint-balling and ropes course bonding trip so that we could develop trust with each other,” said Kirk. “We have a lot of new

Senior Megan Cohn is finishing her fourth season on varsity basketball.

RENA HUNT | the broadview

other teams like Urban are wanting to beat us because of our [league] win last year, and this means we have to work extra hard,” said Kirk.

The team was undefeated until last Thursday’s game when they played Urban — who was also undefeated and now is first in BCL. “We could not get ourselves mentally ready,” said co-captain Emma Fahy. “This year, the fact was that we have lost has just increased our intensity. We can’t wait to get another chance to play them.”

The next game is scheduled as of press time tonight at 5:30 at home against Marin Academy.

— Sophie Gilchrist and Colleen Scullion

RENA HUNT | the broadview

RENA HUNT | the broadview

Captain Emma Fahy takes a free-throw during the basketball game against The Urban School on Jan 29. This is the first time the Cubs have matched up against the Blues this season.

Both fans and the JV basketball team cheered on Varsity on Jan. 29 in the Kezar gym. JV Cubs beat JV Blues earlier in the night. Over 100 spectators attended the varsity game.

On The Sideline sophie gilchrist

I

players this year and three new coaches so the bonding trip was essential and I think it paid off.”

Coach Kara Okamoto has been getting the team in shape since the start of the season by making them run the hills on Webster and Fillmore Streets.

“In the beginning of our season it was painful, but now playing in games it has really helped us because in the end because we are all faster and in great shape,” said guard Amanda Aish.

The team practices five or six days a week and participated in three tournaments in December and early January to prepare for the season.

“There is a lot more pressure on our team and our coaches this year because

have been on the field running and kicking a soccer ball at least three days a week — every week — for the past 12 years. Despite the prominent role that soccer takes up in my life, it seems odd to me that this sport isn’t as big a part of the American life as it is in mine.

When considering the most popular sports in America, one normally thinks of baseball, football and basketball. I cannot deny that I am a fan of all of those sports, aside from baseball — which I believe is the most boring sport on the face of the earth).

I support the New York Giants and the Golden State Warriors, often devoting my Facebook and iChat statuses to their games.

One night my status read “AWW come on Eli!” during a game where the New York Giants’ star quarterback Eli Manning was tackled about eight times.

Those sports are found easily on the major television networks, but I had to buy a special station (Fox Soccer Channel 401) to see Major League Soccer (MLS) and European soccer games.

Soccer still looking for respect

Even salaries between soccer players and the more popular sports in America show a preference. An American professional male soccer player makes an average of $180,000 a year while an American professional baseball player makes an average of $500,000.

This is ridiculous considering a soccer player has to be fit enough to run 90 minutes around a 75 by 120 yard field.

However, a baseball player only has to come up to the plate twice or three times a game to hit a tiny ball — and maybe jog around the bases.

Yet, hope came to American soccer fans in the form of British soccer star David Beckham in 2007 when he moved from the club team Real Madrid, based in Madrid, Spain, to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Some soccer fans were upset with Beckham’s move to America because they thought he would act like a celebrity more than a soccer player. Others, however, hoped that with Beckham would come a greater respect for soccer.

Since Beckham’s arrival, 20 percent more Americans have started watching soccer.

Nevertheless, Beckham comes from a world where soccer is taken more seriously than in America, even to the point of violence. As shown in the movie Green Street Hooligans, soccer is such a big part of the British culture that gangs are formed over the different United Kingdom club teams.

It is the opposite in America. The women’s soccer league, founded in 2001, was suspended after its third year in the United States because of inadequate funding. This league, the Women’s United Soccer Association (WUSA), included some of the best women’s soccer players in the world.

Thankfully, a new women’s professional league, the Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS), will begin in the spring of 2009. It seems improbable that if the men’s league does not have a lot of support, this new league as well as this sport will not be able to get the proper respect that it deserves.

Highest paid athletes in the world $100 million

Tiger Woods (Golf )

$43 million

Oscar De La Hoya (Boxing)

$42.2 million

Phil Mickelson (Golf )

$40 million

Kimi Raikkonen (Race Car)

$36 million

Michael Schumacher (Race Car)

$33 million

David Beckham (Soccer) — Compiled by Sophie Gilchrist

11

health & fitness

the broadview

Applying sunscreen during cold weather protects skin susie lee reporter

U

ltraviolet (UV) rays have grown stronger over the past few decades and ������� a�� p� plying sun protection products regularly is necessary to prevent skin damage, even in winter.

“Sunscreen is a necessary evil,” said AP Environmental Science teacher Marisa Kendall.

“When I was a kid, there was no such thing as ‘sunblock’. Back then, normal ultraviolet type A (UVA) rays caused minor sunburns.

But today, as the thickness of the ozone layer is decreasing, the more powerful ultraviolet type B (UVB) rays are now hitting the earth’s surface. They cause deeper burns and have the ability to penetrate deeper into the skin and even scramble the DNA.” Kendall and her students have studied and performed experiments on the effectiveness of sunscreen. Their results showed that skin protected by sunscreen is more resistant to UV rays than skin without protection.

“Make sure you’re applying sunscreen slowly, thoroughly, and [not being] stingy with the product,” said Kendall.

It is important to rub a thin layer of moisturizer onto one’s skin to trap moisture and prevent dry skin before applying �������������� sunscreen����� ,���� es� ��� pecially during the winter when it is windier and there is less humid� ity in the air, according to estheti� cian Kay Jung of Zen Skin Care. “ S i n c e t h e d r y, w i n d y conditions of winter create brown spots and they make the skin dry and darker, it is very important to apply moisturizer underneath sunscreen on a normal basis,” said Jung. “It is a good idea for someone outdoors to reapply sunscreen every two hours because the wind can thin the sunscreen out, too.”

According to a recent statisti� cal study done by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), only 9 percent of high school students surveyed said they regularly use sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 or higher.

Sophomore Katie Carlson said she does not apply sun protection products on a daily basis because the temperature is cooler and she feels milder heat waves from the sun.

Wearing sunscreen in the winter protects skin, but it should be at least SPF 15 to be effective. Higher SPFs give more protection.

“I sometimes put on sunscreen during soccer practice when I am more aware of being in the sun and I actually feel the sun,” said Carlson. “But if I don’t feel like I’m getting burned, then I’m not going to put on sunscreen.”

Other times, people might be aware of the sun’s harmful effects but are unwilling to �������������� apply moistur� izer and sunscreen routinely.

“I mean, I know I should use sunscreen often because it’s absolutely necessary, but some� times I don’t have the time to or it gets sticky,” said freshman Nikki Havid.

While some people do not

apply sunscreen unless they are sweating from the summer heat, others regularly apply sunscreen regardless of the temperature or weather.

“It’s important to put on sun� screen because anyone is prone to skin diseases,” said Danielle Sabalvaro who plays tennis year round. “You shouldn’t second guess whether the sun will harm your skin or not.”

In addition to applying m o i s t u r i z e r a n d s u n s c re e n , wearing sunglasses that cover both the sides of the face or have large frames may reduce tanning, which is another form of skin damage.

“Shading your eyes from both UVA and UVB rays tricks the brain into thinking the body is not exposed to bright light,” said Jung.

“When this happens, the body responds as if it hasn’t been in the sun by producing less melanin, and the skin does not become as tanned as it would if the skin were exposed to the sun.”

Whenever a person’s eyes are exposed to any form of light, the brain produces melanin, a pigment substance that gives the skin, hair and iris their innate color in an ef� fort to protect the skin. Exposing one’s eyes to more intense light, such as sunlight, triggers this re� action that makes the skin darker.

Yet, wearing sunglasses shields the eyes from bright light and prompts the body to produce less melanin.

Thus, the body becomes less tan, reducing skin damage.

Other prevention methods to protect oneself from harmful UV radiation include staying in the shade instead of in direct sunlight, wearing long-sleeved shirts to cover up exposed skin and wearing hats with wide brims.

The skin becomes damaged with� out sun protection products and proper protection during the winter months, despite the cold weather.

How to do a wallsit

Staying warm in 12-degree weather.

Almost 2 million people crowded into the National Mall to witness Barack Obama’s swearing-in as the 44th President of the United States in front of the Capitol. Large crowds were waiting near the National Mall at 5 a.m. and people were covered

Fleece Beanie

Knit Scarf

Insulated Jacket

The North Face - $249 A heavy jacket keeps the body warm and protects against wind.

Leather Gloves

Lands’ End - $30 Protects hands from hypothermia and retains body heat.

Bag Necessities

These simple items can make the difference between being toasty or chilled.

Hand Warmers - Walgreens $5 Chapstick - Walgreens $1 Fleece Blanket - Target $17

Fur-lined boots

2 feet in front of a wall and lean against it.

Ugg Australia - $100 Keeps feet and toes warm.

— photo Rena Hunt — compiled by Zoe Newcomb

Slide down until your knees are at a 90-degree angle and contract the abs for 20-60 seconds.

‘White Rabbit’ may cause illness, death

3. Breathe in and out slowly

T

so the abs and leg muscles get the entire workout.

4.

5.

Hold the squat at different angles to work different muscle groups in the lower body.

Repeat 20 times.

The North Face - $30 Keeps the head warm by trapping heat throughout the body.

Sports Basement - $10 Covers the neck, and can be used to protect the face from wind.

1. Stand with your back facing 2.

in blankets, huddled in groups and stomped their feet in an effort to keep warm. Many prod� ucts were used to keep warm while waiting in the 12-degree wind chill.

— Emily Bloch

— photo by Anjali Shrestha — compiled by Isabelle Pinard — Source: www.exercise.about.com

he Lunar New Year is cel� ebrated with fireworks, tra� ditional dances, and plenty of food, but this year the most popular sweets will be banned from the United Sates because of health concerns.

White Rabbit candy, which has been exported to Chinatowns around the world since 1943, has tested positive melamine, an industrial chemical used to make plastics and fertilizer, according to health officials in Singapore and Hong Kong. Melamine is present in both the edible rice paper that is wrapped around White Rabbit

candy and in the candy’s milky base.

Melamine has also been de� tected in baby formula in China causing nearly 53,000 children to fall ill and killing four others.

Although this brand of Chi� nese-made candy is off limits, many other Asian style candies can be used as substitutes. Pocky sticks, prez, Yan Yan, fruit gum� mies, rice crackers and chocolate filled biscuits can be found in the Ichiban Kan store in Japantown, grocery stores in Chinatown and the Hong Kong Supermarket.

— Isabelle Pinard

12

a&e

february 6, 2009

Opening ceremonies attract thousands despite weather

D

espite the 20 degree temperature, HBO estimated 400,000 people gathered in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. and stood for six hours to witness the opening ceremonies of President Barack Obama’s Inauguration, which proved to be worth withstanding the cold combined with frigid winds.

The lineup of the concert was a motley crew, featuring on-stage collaborations from artists such as Shakira, Usher and Stevie Wonder, who together sang Wonder’s 1973 hit “Higher Ground.” Eclectic performance combinations, like this which crossed genre, age and race barriers, seemed fittingly appropriate given the ceremony’s title: “We Are One.” Nonetheless, there gracie hays a & e editor were times when artist combinations on stage were so random that the performance seemed forced and unnatural, resembling an awkward teen mixer.

Soul singer Bettye LaVette and rock singer Jon Bon Jovi’s duet of Sam Cooke’s famous song which has come to represent the ’60s civil rights movement “A Change Is Gonna Come” exemplified one of the staging faux pas of the afternoon. Although LaVette was able to convey a balance of both pain and hope in her singing, Bon Jovi’s lack of range diminished the stirring, heart wrenching effects Cooke’s original recording provided. The two singers traded off singing verses, yet it seemed that just as LaVette started to hit the right notes and point the song back in the right direction, her verse would end and Bon Jovi would continue to water down each word as though the song was a cheesy commercial jingle over the radio. The conflicting styles of singing during the performance created a sort of vocal tug-o-war on stage for listeners in the crowd.

The strongest performances came from artists such as Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp who were given the opportunity to play their own songs without the accompaniment of mismatched artists.

Because those that sang covers mainly did so without tweaking their tonal style to fit the song, the listener was often left the original artist was performing or that the performer would simply sing his/her own song.

That said, country singer Garth Brooks was an exception. In 20 degree weather, Brooks was wearing only a thin, denim

jacket, but was still able to get the whole Mall as well as the entire Congressional stand clapping its frozen hands and stomping their near-frostbitten feet with his rendition of “You Make Me Wanna Shout.”

In between musical acts, ­­actors, athletes and musicians — again, crossing both age and race barriers — read quotes from and about civil rights leaders and past presidents, focusing mainly towards Abraham Lincoln because of the location of the concert and the Illinois roots which Mr. Obama shares with the late president. Being a somewhat introverted, melancholy man, it readily became apparent that Lincoln was not a terribly outspoken president when the quotes presented started to resemble one another and collectively lost their significance.

The selection of readers was somewhat perplexing and at times hard to take seriously when comedians were chosen to address topics of race, the economy or the country’s shared values. Perhaps most eyebrow raising, was the appearance of Kal Penn who got his claim to fame playing the role of Kumar in Harold and Kumar Go to White Castle, a film about two stoners who get a bad case of the munchies and as a result travel miles away in an attempt to get cheeseburgers. Having been in no other movies that received as much public attention as White Castle, it seemed curious why the organizers would choose an actor who has become a symbol of America’s drug culture.

In most cases the readers seemed unknowledgeable and seemed to be moved more by the teleprompter than by the historical event itself. Most embarrassing was when a certain actress unknowingly incorrectly told the crowd of thousands that John F. Kennedy was the youngest president.

Ultimately, the feeling of unity was not achieved by the program itself, but by the audience who came to celebrate a new era. The sight of a young black child and a young white child sharing a blanket while waving an American flag seemed to bring Martin Luther King’s “I have a dream” speech full circle.

photos INA HERLIHY | the broadview

An estimated 400,000 withstood the cold at the Mall in Washington, D.C. for the Opening Ceremonies (top, clockwise). Then Presidentelect Barack Obama and Michelle Obama wave to the crowd with Vice President-elect Joe Biden and his wife Dr. Jill Biden. Bruce Springsteen performs his hit song “The Rising” with accompaniment of a full gospel choir.

Betty LaVette and Jon Bon Jovi perform in a duet of Sam Cooke’s legendary soul song “A Change is Gonna Come.” Biden and wife watch the performance alongside the Obama family while Maliya Obama takes pictures of the festivities.