Inside
December 16, 2011
Convent of the Sacred Heart High School • San Francisco, California
Volume 16, Issue 2
4 Volunteers aid New Orleans community after Hurricane Katrina
5 Varsity basketball prepares for upcoming season
ISABELLE PINARD|The Broadview
A woman buys mangos and persimmons at the Marina Supermarket on Chestnut Street. More markets are selling organic produce, meats and dairy products from farms in Northern California.
Food becomes more local
Restaurants, markets offering more NorCal-grown foods isabelle pinard managing editor
Eating locally-grown food is becoming more frequent in San Francisco with the rise of grocery stores and restaurants that only offer local produce, meats and dairy products. “I can buy a wide variety of local food in a lot of places here in
the city,” senior Katie Burke said. “I’m a vegetarian so buying fresh produce is important to me and I’m glad there are so many resources.” Rainbow Grocery, a San Francisco Green Business, is one of those sources. It follows the set standards of the San Francisco Department of the Environ-
Students take on new book
ment and focuses is to preserve and strengthen the organic standards, according to its website. “Rainbow Grocery is a fantastic place to get fruits and vegetables,” senior Burke said. “The products taste great and its really nice for me not to worry about pesticides in their food when purchasing groceries from
their stores.” The store opposes the use of genetically-modified food and banned those products from all the private labels they carry, and promotes Fair Trade Certified products producers to receive a fair price for their goods, benefiting over 800,000 farmers See Local p. 2
Interim head selected
JEWEL DEVORAWOOD | The Broadview
Seniors Quinn Reno and Colleen Scullion read Nicholas D. Kristof’s “Half the Sky” a collection of stories from women around the globe about overcoming oppression. Students reading the book will receive extension passes in history class.
Skaters celebrate holiday season at seasonal ice rinks
8 Super Duper lives up to its name
QuickReads ▶ Christmas break begins this afternoon. Classes will resume on Jan. 3.
rebecca lee editor-in-cheif
Director of schools Gordon Sharafinski and an advisory group have chosen Mary Forsyth to replace head of school Andrea Shurley who will be leaving at the end of the 2011-2012 school year. Forsyth — a former CSH teacher and Sacred Heart administrator for 27 years — will be interim head of school for the 2012-2013 school year. “Not only am I looking forward to the traditions that I remember, but I’m also really anxious to find out what the new ones are,” Forsyth said. Major changes since Forsyth’s last year at CSH include the addition of Stuart Hall High School, the building of the Siboni Arts and Science Center and the retrofitting of Stuart Hall for Boys. Forsyth continued her Sacred Heart career as an administrator at the Sacred Heart Schools in Atherton, Calif. for three years after leaving CSH, and later taught at high schools in Phoenix and Pasadena, Cali “I knew that I wanted somebody who was part of our educational community,” Sharafinski said, “knowing the recent history of the school and the importance of having somebody who understands the culture of Convent
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▶ The Alumnae College Panel will be held on Jan. 3 when classes resume. Alumnae from the Class of 2011 will return to discuss their first semester in college. YANE DI NICOLA | with permission
Mar y Forsyth will replace current head of school Andrea Shurley at the start of next year. Forsyth formerly taught at CSH and was a Sacred Heart administrator for 27 years.
High School and understands the sense of the community was very important.” Sharafinski said it was crucial to pick a new leader to fill the head of school position early on because CSH is in the peak of its admissions season and that the definite decision would give families choosing a high school for their daughter a sense of security. “I wanted somebody who was a calm leader and somebody who was respected by the Convent High School community,” Sharafinski said. Some faculty and staff met with Forsyth late last month and there was a unanimous vote of approval that she would be an See Interim p. 2
▶ The Annual Toiletries Drive for the St. Vincent de Paul shelter begins on Jan. 3. Students are asked to donate toothpaste, toilet paper and other toiletry items to aid SVDP. ▶ The First Semester officially concludes on Jan. 6. ▶ Winter Ball is scheduled for Jan. 6 and is open to all CSH and SHHS students. Guests must be added to a guest list. ▶ The SAT Diagnostic Test will be administered to juniors at the SHHS campus 9 a.m. to 1 p.m on Jan. 7. ▶ Varsity basketball will play its first game of the regular season against the Drew School at home, beginning at 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 10. ▶ College Information Night for CSH and SHHS junior families is planned for Jan. 12 in Syufy Theatre from 6 to 8 p.m.
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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news
December 16, 2011
The Broadview
Out with the old
Stores offer recycling for broken, usable electronics
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Sophia Redfern reporter
uring her freshman year, senior Caitlin Martin had a new laptop to replace the one with the broken screen on the top of her Christmas list. She got her wish, but then came the issue of getting rid of her old machine. Martin decided to drop off her broken laptop at her local Apple Retail Store, where store employees took the laptop at no charge to be recycled. More than 2.25 million tons of electronic waste ended up in U.S. landfills in 2007, according to the United States Environmental Protection Agency. If not disposed of properly, toxins and metals from the electronics leak
into the soil and create waste buildup, lowering fertility in the soil and making it unsafe and unusable for agriculture. “I’ve been recycling since age five probably,” Martin said. “In the past we have recycled cell phones at a store on Geary Street that sends the recycled phones over to soldiers fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.” Some electronics manufacturers and retailers recycle products. Apple’s Reuse and Recycle program accepts old Apple iPads, iPods and computers, issuing consumers gift cards for the current value of products or recycling the parts at no charge if the product cannot be reused. Apple also offers 10 percent off of new iPods when consumers
recycle their old device at an Apple Retail Store. Some large retailers such as Best Buy have recycling programs for electronics and large appliances. “We have what’s called ecycle at Best Buy,” customer specialist Désirée Laurent-Clavier, who attended CSH for two years, said. “Every type of electronic is accepted, no matter the model, age or original place bought.” Consumers can drop off small electronics and batteries in big bins at the front of Best Buy. Alternatively, consumers can trade in an old or broken electronics for new products, with consumers paying the difference between the old and the new product.
Drop-off locations for old electronics
ELIZABETH BURKETT | The Broadview
Best Buy 2675 Geary Blvd. 415.409.4960
Golden Gate Disposal & Recycling 900 Seventh St. 415.626.4000
Radio Shack 1799 Lombard St. 415.922.2973
Apple 2125 Chestnut St. 415.848.4445
Wadleck’s Office Supplies 505 Sansome St., # 6 415.392.9200
Office Depot 2675 Geary Blvd., #100 415.441.3044
Locavores eat in the City From Local p. 1 organized into cooperative unions in 48 countries. “I didn’t think that buying local foods could make such a difference in my diet, but I’m proud to say that I’m a locavore,” customer Brandi Harely from Half Moon Bay said. “I think that buying locally really means that what you get is fresh and there is just something different in the taste.” Locavores, like Harely, are a group of people who try to eat food that is locally produced no more than a hundred mile radius from San Francisco. “My friend and I came from Vancouver and we decided to visit the farmers market here in San Francisco,” tourist Vincci, who asked for her last name to not be used, said at the Ferry Plaza Farmers Market. “We saw so many people and even chefs come out to buy this local produce — it was a great experience.” The Ferry Plaza Farmers Market is operated by the nonprofit Center for Urban Education about Sustainable Agricul-
ture. The market supplies local ingredients to nearly 25,000 shoppers who visit the farmers market each week. “Whenever I walk through the rows and rows of food at the Market I always find myself stopping to look at just how lush and healthy the produce is,” Latham said. “It’s amazing that at the market, the food does taste as good as it looks.” The Plant organic café on the corner of Steiner and Chestnut Street allows its customers to taste healthy food choices to its fullest, according Aram Bedrossian. “I really enjoy eating here at the Plant,” Bedrossian said, while pointing to the burger in front of him. “Every time I visit, the menu always has something new, plus everything is local so people can really get to taste San Francisco at its best.” The Plant’s California cuisine menu uses with 100 percent local ingredients. Its produce is picked seasonal from the Northern California from farms like the Twin Girls Farm in Fresno and County Line Harvest in Marin County.
“The whole local food deal used to be a drag for me because of the limited choices with just a handful of grocery stores and restaurants,” Bedrossian said. “Now, there are so many choices all around the city, that can really get people engaged in eating local like Local Harvest.” The Local Harvest is a website that allows users to find close organic food grown. The categories are online stores, farms, Community Supported Agriculture, farmers’ markets, restaurants and grocery stores. A map on the website shows where organic farms are located. All a user needs to do is type in the city and county, then click search to find a list of possible places to get organic local foods with ratings, pictures, information and reviews. “The amount of options there are here in the city for fresh local produce is incredible,” Burke said. “It is really says something about the people, when a community like San Francisco promotes the importance of locally grown food through so many areas such as education, stores and restaurants.”
SF venues featuring locally-produced foods Rainbow Grocery Open Daily 9 a.m.–9 p.m. 1745 Folsom St. 415.863.0620
Mixt Greens
Monday–Friday 10:30 a.m.–3 p.m. 120 Sansome St. 415.296.8009
Zuni Cafe
Tues.–Thurs. 11:30 a.m. –11 p.m. Friday & Saturday 11:30 a.m.–midnight Sunday 11 a.m.–11 p.m. ••• 1653 Market St. 415.552.2522
Ferry Plaza Farmers Market
Tues. & Thurs. 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. ••• 1 Ferry Building Ferry Bldg. Marketplace 415.291.3276 —Compiled by Elizabeth Burkett
Interim head picked for next school year From Interim p. 1 excellent choice as interim head, according to Sharafinski. “She meets the qualifications of an excellent educator, a Sacred Heart educator and somebody who has stayed in touch with Sacred Heart community,” Sharafinski said. Forsyth currently serves as the western regional director of the Associated Alumnae and Alumni of the Sacred Heart, a nonprofit organization for graduates of present and former schools and colleges directly related with the Religious of the Sacred Heart. “I’ve taught in the general social studies realm,” Forsyth said. “I’ve taught comparative classes, government and [advanced placement] classes. If you know something about history, then it’s a starting point to see what didn’t work and take another approach.” Sharafinski said that he does not know Forsyth intimately on a professional or personal level, but that all the recommendations from teachers and faculty about her were outstanding. “I want students to enjoy every moment of the four years because they go by very, very quickly,” Forsyth said. “That enjoyment should be part of [a student’s] goal and to realize what she wants to get out of her Convent education. It’s not just getting a great GPA and getting into a great college, it’s leaving that experience feeling that it is very important and that it was an experience that was truly enjoyed.”
Forsyth plans to be on campus several times this school year to make it an easier transition for her when she starts on July 1. “For me, it’s like I’m coming to a full circle,” Forsyth said. “It’s been a while since I lived in San Francisco and I never thought I would be teaching at a Sacred Heart school again because [my husband and I] haven’t been living in any cities with Sacred Heart schools in them.” Sharafinski said that he did not know Forsyth intimately on a professional or personal level, but that all the recommendations from teachers and faculty about her were outstanding. “I want students to enjoy every moment of the four years because they go by very, very quickly,” Forsyth said. “That enjoyment should be part of [a student’s] goal and to realize what she wants to get out of her Convent education. It’s not just getting a great GPA and getting into a great college, it’s leaving that experience feeling that it is very important and that it was an experience that was truly enjoyed.” Forsyth plans to be on campus during the school year to make it an easier transition for her when she starts on July 1. “For me, it’s like I’m coming to a full circle,” Forsyth said. “It’s been a while since I lived in San Francisco and I never thought I would be teaching at a Sacred Heart school again because [my husband and I] haven’t been living in any cities with Sacred Heart schools in them.”
op-ed
The Broadview
Staff Editorial
Alcohol, drugs are a ‘big deal’
he first episode of the popular United Kingdom show “Skins” features Cassie, a 16-year-old struggling with an eating disorder and overdosing on mysterious pills. Her friends rush her to the hospital where she wakes up delusional, stating that she had, “the most wonderful dream.” Scenes like this are not confined to dramatic T.V. series. “Skins” gained rapid popularity because the screenplay bears dialogue similar to that of normal high school conversations. The presence of drugs in the lives of high school students is unavoidable. At many high school parties, marijuana and alcohol are readily available. By the time
students are second-semester seniors, many have probably either tried smoking or drinking at least once. What most teenagers don’t understand is that any drug can be just as dangerous as the ones they are warned about the most — cocaine and heroin. Marijuana is often viewed as “harmless” or “not a big deal,” but that’s not exactly true. According to the Journal of the American Medical Association, people who have used marijuana by the time they are 17 are more likely to use other drugs or abuse alcohol. While the characters in “Skins” don’t wreck their lives with marijuana or as they call it, “spliff,” many students in the
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December 16, 2011
real world don’t have the same luck. It’s not uncommon to hear about a kid only a couple years older than high school seniors who started smoking pot her freshman year is now addicted to a harder drug and didn’t quite make it to college. Admittedly, many students try marijuana once or have only taken a few sips from any sort of alcoholic beverage. Sometimes though, these students are considered quite as “cool” as the kids who get drunk every weekend and do everything from smoke pot to drop tabs of acid. The social pressure surrounding drugs is incomprehensible to anyone who isn’t directly dealing with it. While it’s easy for parents to say, “Just say no,” it’s harder for
students to say no when all their friends, their boyfriend or their girlfriend are urging them to say, “Yes.” Avoiding this social pressure is near impossible, but a student can rise above it. Teens don’t need to smoke or drink anything to go to parties and maintain a cool social life. There are multiple ways to avoid anything an uncomfortable situation. Whether it is avoiding the environment completely or just saying “Nope I’m good,” to anything offered, there is always an alternative. No one wants to be known as “that girl,” and no one wants to smoke her future away.
when i think about it... Rebecca Lee
Holiday comes early
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’m done with the color combination red and green. Sometimes I feel myself getting tired of Christmas before Dec. 25 even arrives. iTune’s free single of the week is a holiday song, pine trees ride on the tops of cars and especially, almost every commercial that airs on TV relates to Christmas. It feels like all of the advertisements are based on some type of Christmas theme, whether it is Best Buy’s commercial for beating Santa for giving the best presents, T-Mobile’s “4G Wonderland” or Target’s promotion of a mother anticipating sales at the store. Christmas has become more commercialized through the decades and has strayed from the original Christian holiday for most of today’s teens. Shutterfly. com — a website used to create customized Christmas cards — has 0.04 percent of religious-themed holiday cards out of its 1,512 selections. Christmas is a holiday and not a season. Advent — the time where Christians prepear for the coming of Jesus — began on Sunday, Dec. 4 and some of the more religious do not acknowledge the holiday until Christmas Day. Christmas does, however, continue 12 days after Christmas until Epiphany, the arrival of the Magi.
So many times I hear the words, “It’s beginning to feel like Christmas,” before December has even started, but it feels that way because the holiday is overly emphasized and commercialized. Christmas sales, on the other hand, are the time when stores make the most of their profit and draw buyers in with the promise of low prices, usually beginning the day after Thanksgiving — Black Friday. Spenders save up to buy gifts and business want some of the dough. The fact still remains though that Christmas does not officially start until Dec. 25. Decorations around the City also go up soon after Thanksgiving happens. Macy’s Christmas tree in Union Square was lit up for the first time on Nov. 25 — the day after Thanksgiving. Efforts to make the City look more “Christmassy” — in the forms of lights, wreaths and fake snow — add to the excitement for the awaited holiday, but detract from the rest of December, and are a far cry from the celebration’s origins. I want to celebrate Christmas on Dec. 25 and acknowledge the time before the holiday as only December. Holiday sweaters and socks will be reserved for Christmas Eve and ornaments will stay boxed until Dec. 24.
Rebecca Lee Editor-in-Chief Isabelle Pinard Managing Editor Elizabeth Smith News Editor Claire Fahy Sports Editor Nicole Hvid Illustrator Jewel Devorawood Web Editor Rebecca Siegel Design Editor
Reporters Elizabeth Burkett,
Tatiana Gutierrez, Alice Jones Sophia Redfern, Madison Riehle, Shirley Yang
thebroadview
@thebroadview
thebroadviewsf
Unsigned pieces are the opinion of the editorial board. Reviews and personal columns are the opinions of the author. Letters to The Broadview should be 400 words or fewer and are subject to editing for clarity and space.
NICOLE HVID | The Broadview
1. Great weather, no rain for Christmas break. 2. The Occupy Movement is giving the 99 percent a voice. 3. ’49ers have qualified for playoffs — the first time in our memory. 4. New Years Eve is a great idea for a movie.
1. Effects of global warming? 2. Closing the Port of Oakland hurts the 99 more than the 1 percent 3. If they play like last week, it will be their last game. 4. Too bad it’s not worth the all-star cast.
a day in these sandals
The Broadview Convent of the Sacred Heart High School 2222 Broadway San Francisco, CA 94115 broadview@sacredsf.org
No one wants to see her future go up in smoke
Isabelle Pinard
Injury recovery impacts emotions
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hree months and two weeks is the time it took for me to get my knee diagnosed and have surgery — a hundred and one days of prescriptions, physical therapy and pain. I found out about my injury Aug. 29 in the MRI scanning room at the California Pacific Medical Center. The results show a tear in my meniscus from front to back plus a flipped piece of muscle tissue underneath my knee joint. I didn’t wear a brace that much because the doctors didn’t want my body to be dependent on one, and they said I was likely to recover quickly due to the fact that I am young. I guess their definition of “quick” is different than mine. More than one million injuries occur among U.S. high school student athletes participating in practices or competitions every year, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention — and I am one of them. Yet getting the injury isn’t the worst part — it’s the long recovery that puts people to the test.
“It’s funny, but I never thought I’d be this nervous to get a picture,” said a junior from Balboa High School, who didn’t want his name used. He was clenching his right wrist while waiting for an MRI. “I think it’s because I just can’t afford to be injured during my junior year, especially in my wrist because I use it every single day.” Since my MRI scan, I had physical therapy at Ultra Health on Montgomery Street three days a week after school. Juggling this with the homework and little training I can do for sports is hard to manage, yet I push myself to do it because it keeps me busy. “I have a lot of time to study now that I am injured, but I can’t focus as well as I used to,” said junior Sarah Kelson, who has a stressfracture in her hip. “Sports allowed my body to relax, but with this injury it is really hard for me to get back into a rhythm because I constantly feel like I have to do something. I really hope I will heal soon.”
Even with the physical therapy I sometimes catch myself crying, or not having an appetite because I mentally cannot handle the stress my injury puts on me. When the body is hindered through an injury, everything becomes extremely frustrating and sometimes I cannot do any work. I’m not the only one. “This is the third time I’ve been in this godforsaken room, and I’m still an emotional wreck,” laughed the senior from University High School while leaning on a crutch, modestly decorated with stickers and signatures. He also did not want his name to be used. “The exercises at the clinic allow me to forget about school for a short while, but I never get that sensation of blissful exhaustion like when I do sports. It is crazy, but I really miss training, without it I can’t keep a cool head.” My knee now resembles a small melon since surgery last week, which means a couple more weeks of icing, check-ups and physical training. Although the process is grueling, I keep telling myself that I can persevere and make it through.
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December 16, 2011
Sacred Heart
The Broadview
Katrina cleanup continues Elizabeth Smith News Editor
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SH and SHHS student volunteers traveled to New Orleans to rebuild and clean up the city devastated by the country’s costliest natural disaster to date. The week-long trip had students refurbishing and making homes more energy efficient. Hurricane Katrina, which caused $200 billion of damage, destroyed 204,700 homes according to the Marsh Mission Project. “They needed help with the smallest things, so we gave people light bulbs that are energy efficient saved them a lot of money,” junior Casey Stuart said. “Many of the people are still living in poverty.” Despite wanting to keep the city green, the main priority was to rebuild homes, according to Raymond O’Connor, SHHS
community service director. “Green Light New Orleans took us directly into the homes of people in St. Bernard’s Parish, one of the first flooded areas when the levees broke,” O’Connor said. “We encountered some very lively people in very nice rebuilt homes, and we also met some people still struggling.” Volunteers worked with Operation Helping Hands of Catholic Charities to work on rebuilding two houses, which the students painted and insulated. “The students worked so well together that our project leaders marveled at how much we accomplished,” O’Connor said. There is still much to be done, even six years after the disaster to improve the standard of living, according to junior Christina Farran. “Our country ignored so much devastation and need,” Farran said. “It still sits on the
back burner.” The service trip brought volunteers closer to the issues affecting people in another part of the country, according to O’Connor. “I think students developed a critical consciousness that revealed the depths of poverty and the injustice that so often comes with it,” O’Connor said. “I desire that students learn about justice while learning about themselves too.” Volunteers were exposed to the hardships that came from this disaster and discovered how they could help out a community across the country. “The work we did affected the community because they know that they are not forgotten,” Stuart said. “The community has suffered a great loss and by helping them, we have taught them to never give up and their stories taught me to have hope.” CASEY STUART | With Permission
Junior Megan Wilton repaints an outdoor lamp on the side of the house that had been damaged by Hurricane Katrina and recently remodeled (top). Raymond O’Connor, SHHS community service director, and juniors Serouge Panossian and Ben Carassco look at a photo album containing pre-Katrina images of the house they were repairing (far left). Carassco replaces a light bulb with a compact florescent one to make the house more green (left).
BASH sponsors sweet workshop
Applications start now for summer service
S Shirley Yang reporter
SOPHIA REDFERN | The Broadview
A Gingerbread Workshop builder places a lifesaver on the house she’s decorating. Frosting, gumdrops and M&Ms are some of the candies offered to participants for their gingerbread houses.
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Shirley Yang Reporter
ES and SHB students with frosting-covered fingers smeared messy trails of sugar over each other’s faces as sophomore Francesca Dana handed out napkins to the two icing-covered kids. Dana was one of eight CSH volunteers helping out at the Gingerbread Workshop Dec. 4. “I love kids and gingerbread
houses.” Dana said, “It’s a great way to get the spirit of Christmas and it also raises a lot of money for the school.” The Gingerbread Workshop sold-out its morning session and afternoon sessions with 400 families decorating gingerbread houses in the cafeteria, Little Theatre and Shakespeare’s Landing. “I like seeing what the kids are creating,” said four-year vol-
unteer, senior Sarah Hegarty. Broadway Alumnae of the Sacred Heart (BASH), arranged the event as a major fundraiser for financial aid and scholarships for legacy alumni. Three hundred gingerbread houses were donated by Creative International Pastries, chocolates were donated by Guittard, the gumdrops, sugar strips and other candies were donated by J. Sosnick and Sons.
Sophia Redfern reporter
ummer service is far from the minds of students looking forward to Christmas break and ripping wrapping paper off their holiday gifts, but they can continue the gift giving into the summer by volunteering now for summer service with the Sacred Heart community. “The Network provides opportunities for spending time with an under served community,” community service director Patricia Monticello Kievlan said. “The Network of the Sacred Heart Schools provides opportunities to both students and teachers all over the country to apply to summer service programs in the United States.” Level one service trips are for beginners who have not previously participated in summer service, and level two is for those who have been on summer trips
in the past. All service trips are located in the United States. “Teachers in the Sacred Heart Network propose ideas for service trips,” Kievlan said. “The trips that are approved last a week on average for both level one and two students and teachers.” Service trips take place in states from California to New York. Each trip has a different agenda, including daily workshops focusing on issues of the poor and hungry, working on a farm to learning clown skills to teach kids at community centers for poor families, according to sofie.org. Bay to Waves: Serving the City is planned in San Francisco for July 9—15, and focuses on inner city problems. Applications are online now and have a Jan. 13 deadline. For more information, visit the Sacred Heart School website http:// sofie.org.
Selected Sacred Heart Service Projects PROJECT HARVEST I (Sprout Creek Farm)
HEARTS FIGHTING HUNGER
ST. MADELEINE SOPHIE CENTER
SERVICE AND JUSTICE
Poughkeepsie, NY July 31 - Aug. 5
El Cajon, Calif. June 19 - 25
Greenwich, Conn. & New York City June 25 - 29
Greenwich, Conn. July 18 - 22 Source: http://sofie.org
Love
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sports&fitness
December 16, 2011
Basketball
Varsity squad’s line-up prepares to continue school’s legacy into January’s regular season
The 2011–12 Cubs roster includes sophomore Jaime Hum-Niskikado (back row, left to right), sophomore Lizzie Whittles, junior Claire Fahy, junior Izzy Borges, junior Bianka Quintanilla-Whye, freshman Erin Hanley, senior Caroline Welsh, sophomore Shannan Lum (front row, left to right), sophomore Marina Menchero, sophomore Alyssa Viscio, Not pictured, junior Gina Domergue.
Photo illustration: CLAIRE FAHY | The Broadview
Varsity team looks to repeat past success Elizabeth Smith news editor
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arsity basketball’s dynamic has shifted from last year’s senior-dominated team to a younger squad predominantly comprised of sophomores and juniors who are rising to leadership positions. “Our biggest team challenge is to stay strong and live up to high expectations, especially since India (Pearce, ’11) left,” junior Bianka Quintanilla-Whye said. “My biggest challenge will be to be a great leader for my team as an upperclassman.” The 2010-11 season set the bar high for current players with an undefeated record. “We’ve only had practices for a few weeks, but it’s amazing
to see how much our team has improved already,” junior Gina Domergue said. “Last year’s players were a large force on our team, but because they’re gone, it’s made all the returning players really step up and help lead the team.” Small forward QuintanillaWhye and forward Domergue are two of the five varsity veterans with the team adding freshman Erin Hanley as well as five players from last year’s JV team and a new coach, Jon Mercado from the Olympic Club. “I already knew Mercado from Olympic Club, so being coached by him has been fine so far,” varsity novice Alyssa Viscio said. Varsity has had three coaches in three years. Mercado joined
Good Call
Facing Failure
claire fahy
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ictory was in the air in Kezar Stadium and the fans could sense it. Cubs followers stood in the stands, clad in red, faces painted, signs waving excitedly. All the varsity basketball team had to do was hold on for a few more seconds and the Cubs would advance past the second round of NCS for the first time in years. There was talk of a 2010 state championship. The opponent was the University High School Red Devils, whom many consider to be the Cubs’ rival. The game was supposed to be routine — UHS had met defeat by the Cubs at least twice over the course of the season — but the Devils were
only down one with seconds to go. University took the ball out in the backcourt and the Cubs met them with a full-court press. University had no chance. A Devil launched it from just inside the half-court line — a Hail Mary shot. It sailed through
the team as coach with the same emphasis on fundamentals as past coaches, according to Domergue. “The coach’s main priority is for us to have fun, but we’ll still learning a lot in the process,” Domergue said. “The drills that we practice are similar to last year, but we’re approaching the game in a different way this year.” Last year the team practiced the basics of the sport like dribbling, shooting and defense,” according to Domergue. “This year, we’re doing the same thing, but we’re applying techniques to use in the games onto the foundation Coach Phil created for us last year.” Mercado and the team have their work cut out for them — the air like a missile, rocketing off the backboard and falling through the hoop as the buzzer blared. Victory cheers froze in the mouths of Convent fans. It was over. The game, the season, the dreams. Failure is universally experienced by athletes of all ages, but that doesn’t make it easier to accept. Athletes often define themselves by the sports they play, and many facets of their personalities can be linked to their athletic experiences. Work ethic. Dedication. Determination. Selfconfidence. Despite best efforts, things don’t always go as planned. The basketball bounces out of the hoop; the bat fails to connect with the baseball; a rival runner makes a pass in the race’s final stretch. In that
the team’s biggest deficit this year is height. “Even though we lost some size, we have speed on our team so we’re working with what we have,” Quintanilla-Whye said. The tallest player, Hanley, is only 5’8” compared to Pearce and Shannon McInerney — who were both over 5’10” — according to Domergue. “The majority of our team isn’t very tall, and we’re playing teams with tall players,” Domergue said. “Although we don’t have much height, we’ve adapted our playing strategy to help us get ahead in the game without many tall players.” For this reason, Mercado has the players learning each position in case there is a point in a game where a player may need moment, the athlete is no longer who she believed herself to be. She is defeated. It is in these challenging situations that athletes truly learn who they are and of what they are capable. Giving up is the easy way out — the path to redemption is far more challenging. Pity and mockery
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Giving up is the easy way out — the path to redemption is far more challenging.
to adjust which position they are playing based on the lineup. University posed the greatest threat to the Cubs last season, and this is not expected to change now according to Quintanilla-Whye. “After we’ve been undefeated in league a couple years in a row, [University is] out to get us,” Quintanilla-Whye said. “But one of our goals is to do it again.” Despite the heat that will come with this rivalry, the players and coaches like to keep things light in practice, according to Quintanilla-Whye. “It’s great to have young coaches who can connect with us,” Quintanilla-Whye said. “We have fun with music during practice but they know when to keep things serious.” winning shot, there is the team who watched their dreams of a championship dissolve with one lucky lob. For every tie-breaking goal, there is the team who worked equally hard for the drawn score, but fell short in the final minutes. For every unbelievable win, there is an unbelievable loss. Those who invest themselves the heaviest stand to lose the most, and so it is those athletes who try and care that are left devastated in the face of defeat. But if they didn’t care, if they didn’t try, they wouldn’t truly be an athlete. If they didn’t know how it felt to lose, they wouldn’t truly be an athlete. It is the fact that we keep showing up; we give our all and strive to improve our teammates and ourselves, win or lose, that makes us athletes.
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meet the player who walks away with her head hanging, while satisfaction and admiration await the one who dares to try again. For every victor there is a loser, those who fall short. For every buzzer-beating
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December 16, 2011
features
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Ballerinas balance studies with demanding schedules
said. “I try to be really efficient with my time and stay organized. I usually don’t do homework past 9 Elizabeth Smith news editor p.m. and then I’m in bed by 10.” Carter spends only half of her day ancing is not just at CSH, which is not unlike the school an activity for senior schedule for other dancers in the ballet Jordan Carter, it is her school. Sophomore Madalyn Trouton life. Carter not only takes dance attends ballet class everyday beginclass twice a day, but she has left ISABELLE PINARD ning at 12:30 p.m., followed by anThe Broadview her parents and twin sister in other ballet class two hours after the Dallas to attend San Francisco first is dismissed. Ballet School to pursue dance. “Managing ballet and school are really “School can be really challenghard to do,” Trouton said. “It’s a chaling because I’m living away lenge this year because ballet starts in from my family at the dorm,” the middle of the day, so I only go to Carter said. “I have to balance school for two classes a day.” grocery shopping, cooking and Trouton says the downside is ballet laundry with school and baltakes some time away from her CSH let — which is definitely a chalfriends. lenge.” “There are so many classes on the Carter, who has danced or 15 years, weekends that I find myself always hangsays ballet practice keeps her focused on ing out with my ballet friends because I her academics. am already with them,” Trouton said. “I “I think that the discipline I’ve gained try really hard to plan time to hang out from ballet has helped me at school more with my friends because I don’t want to than living in a dorm has hurt me,” Carter lose the social aspect.”
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Learning resource teacher Patricia Monticello Kievlan says one of the greatest challenges that students she works with face is time constraints. “When dancers have a place to be each day at a certain time, it’s hard to make a schedule,” Kievlan said. “You Carter have to be on top of everything when you have school, practice and rehearsal.” The commitment to dancing makes school tough, according to Kievlan, but in the long term, it teaches a dancer important lessons about balance. “Although it may seem like baptism by fire, you can surprise yourself with your successes,” Kievlan said. Carter’s work to balance school and ballet is inspiring, according to Kievlan, who prides herself on her connection to Carter as a fellow Texan. “I’m so proud and impressed by [Carter’s] perseverance and attitude,” Kievlan
said. “She is a great example of grace under pressure.” Aside from time management, energy management is another difficulty that dancers face, according to head of school Andrea Shirley. “Time management is hard, but school and dance reTrouton quire energy and focus,” Shirley said. “A dancer can figure out days to do schoolwork, but it can be hard to find the energy.” Ballet is a major time commitment, but the benefits far outweigh the hours spent perfecting a dance routine, according to Trouton. “Ballet is not just about winning — it’s about enjoying yourself and being able to show your love for dance and music with other people,” Trouton said. “I dance because I think [it] is the closest thing to being part of music that you can get.”
Holidays offers opportunities for ‘greening’ home, city
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MADISON RIEHLE | The Broadview
A skater is able to glide on the ice in just a hoodie,T-shirt and shorts at the Safeway Holiday Ice Rink in Union Square. Along with a second rink at the Embarcadero, outdoor skating is available through January.
Traditional winter fun alive in unseasonably warm SF madison riehle reporter
I
ce skaters lacing up their skates and gliding onto the frozen ice may be a winter cliché, but it’s an odd phenomenon in San Francisco’s 50 degree weather. The Holiday Ice Rink at Embacadero Center at in Justin Herman Plaza next to the Vaillancourt Fountain offers outdoor ice skating alongside a view of San Francisco Bay and the Ferry Building through Jan. 6. “[Ice skating] is one of those holiday activities that anyone can do,” the assistant manager of the Embarcadero rink said, then declined to give his name due to company policy. “It’s fun, and you can do it with your friends and family.” The Safeway Holiday Ice Rink at Union Square near Geary and Powell streets is open through Jan. 16. The rink is flanked by an 80-foot Christmas tree and a deck
offers passers-by an overlook of skaters below. Skating sessions at both rinks run 90 minutes, beginning on even hours. “Our most popular times are Friday and Saturday nights, the entire session is sold out at these times, and lines start fast,” the assistant manager of the Embarcadero rink said. Admission to the Embarcadero rink is $9 for adults and $5.50 for children under 10, Monday through Friday before 6 p.m. and $3.50 for skate rental. Admission all other times is $9.50 for adults and $6 for children. Union Square ice skating prices are $10 for adults and $6 for children 8 and under. Skate rental is $5. Both rinks close for rain as well as for private parties. Check http://www.unionsquareshop.com and http://www.embarcaderocenter.com for public skating hours each day.
rebecca lee editor-in-chief
trands of Christmas lights decorate house façades and cast a glow in the dimming winter night — each small bulb using about three watts of electricity. “Going green” is a trend in recent years and the holidays are no exception, especially when deciding on light decorations and Christmas trees. “We usually don’t have our lights running for very long,” sophomore Kellie La said. “They usually turn on around 7 or 8 [p.m.] and we have them going until about 11 [p.m.]” CSH’s club based off of 350.org advises chaning light bulbs to spiral, compact fluorescent lights (CLF), which save energy on a daily basis especially since holiday lights increase energy usage. Larger holiday incandescent bulbs use between four to 10 watts per bulb while smaller incandescent light bulbs use about one-tenth as much, according to the U.S. Energy Information Association. Light emitting diode (LED) lights can use 0.04 to 0.1 watts per bulb. Changing lights from incandescent bulbs to LEDs make a difference but a greener option that does not including replacing all lights is buying a living, potted plant, according to the Green Business Bureau. Friends of the Urban Forest and SF Environment work together to offer potted pine tree substitutes — such as the southern magnolia, small leaf tristania or strawberry tree — to families looking to keep a living tree but a greener option. Not all city dwellers have space for a tree, so after the holidays the trees are returned to the organization and planted in city neighborhoods, helping to reduce water pollution and clean the air, according to SF Environment. “I do my part to recycle,” junior Alex Milton said. “As a family, we recycle our Christmas tree at the end of the year.” Milton and her family are part of 93 percent of people who recycle their tree after the holidays, according to the University of Illinois. San Franciscans can recycle their undecorated trees between through by placing them out with the their trash
on collection days through January. Additional information is at http://recologysf. com. Artificial trees have a larger ecological impact than living trees do, contrary to what most believe, according to the Sierra Club. Real trees can be turned into wood chips that can be used as garden mulch, preventing soil erosion for beaches or natural barriers for hiking trails after their use, while artificial trees are usually made out of petroleum products, that must be thrown out and can leech hazardous chemical into the earth, according to the Sierra Club. Trees grown on a Christmas tree farm offer habitats to wildlife, reduce dust and air pollutants, provide oxygen and can decompose after their use while most artificial trees are produced in China and transported to the United States creating carbon dioxide, according to the University of Illinois. “It’s good to try and have the smallest impact on the environment,” Milton said, “especially during a season that is all about giving back.”
SOPHIA REDFERN | The Broadview
LED lights line the outside of the creche of the Nativity scene in the Main Hall. LED lights run cooler and use less energy than traditional filament lights.
features
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Teens take parties to another level
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Rebecca Siegel Design Editor
hree seniors from Burlingame High School sat on the floor of a dark dusty basement off of Van Ness Avenue on a recent Friday night. Their heads were nodding rhythmically keeping track of the heavy bass that was pulsating through the building. Their eyes were glazed over in fascination as a junior from a San Francisco independent school gave them a light show, following the beat with light up gloves. Gloving is one of few nondrug related activities that the rave culture fosters.The high energy, all-night dance parties have become increasingly popular over the last decade especially among 15 to 18-year-olds. Raves — originally started in the 1980s — were secret, late night, private dance parties attended by young adults. But today, some raves have reached a mainstream audience and have become fully-organized, legal social events. With the influx of
teenagers into rave culture, some events, like Dubstep concerts, have lost their unsafe and illegitimate stigma. “One common misconception about raves is that everyone is on thizz [MDMA] or other drugs or alcohol,” junior Cate Svendsen said when asked about raves. Svendsen is not so far from the truth. At any rave, dealers can easily sell illegal substances like MDMA, more commonly known as ecstasy, openly. Club-drugs like
MDMA or acid have found resurgence in the teenage rave phenomena and reach
younger and younger demographics as raves become commercialized and supposedly safer. However in conversation with some ravers, teenagers and young adults who attend raves regularly, the emphasis on drugs is secondary to their personal experience. “I’m here for the music, the people, the sense of community, and the adventure, I’m young!” said one college freshman who declined to give her name because of future employment opportunities. A common slogan heard at any rave is “P.L.U.R.,” an acronym for peace, love, unity, and respect. While illegal drug use holds the most significant place in the popularity of the rave subculture, a message of acceptance also attracts many people. “It’s completely non-judg-
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mental, you’re free to do you,” said a junior from San Rafael High School, who refused to give her name because she said wants to get into college. “I’m not interested in drugs, but I have an amazing time here.” The majority of raves are not commercialized or legitimate, in fact, most raves are underground or illegal, and take place in secret locations like basements in abandoned buildings. The parties are policed by private security, not necessarily to ensure the safety of participants, but to warn organizers if law enforcement decides to crash the party. At around 1:45 a.m. the bass is still throbbing, people are dancing on tables, and some of the organizers, a group of Asian men no older than 25, were pushing drugs on late arrivals. Then the lights went up. “Shut Up!” screamed an event organizer to a crowd of excited young people. The energy and eagerness in the room quickly changed to fear and confusion as par-
Teens dance in an underground rave wearing neon shirts and wayfaer glasses as the beat blasts through the room.
ticipants quickly realized he was very serious. “We have a situation,” he called out, “Some chick overdosed off of seven tabs of acid and an ambulance was called, the police will be here soon.” In the rush to the door there weren’t any fights, and party-goers created an orderly line up the stairs and out the back door. Girls helped each other put jackets on and boys made sure no one was trampled. Most party goers are easygoing because they are under the influence according to ravers. Individual drug dealers as well as event organizers were pushing dangerous club drugs such as ecstasy (MDMA) and acid (LSD) throughout the night. Despite the danger surrounding them both raves and illicit drug use gain popularity. “The experience and people here are great, I had so much fun,” the college freshman said. “The drugs, though, are definitely a bonus.”
ISABELLE PINARD | The Broadview
College SURVIVAL 101 LAUNDRY How to do your
1,2
3,4
4,6
7,8
1. Sort clothes based on color (whites, colors and darks) and types of fabrics.
4.Select wash cycle. Cold water saves energy, prevents dyes from bleeding, protects colors and avoids shrinkage. Warm water keeps whites white and is used for durable clothing like preshrunk cotton.
6. Start the machine before loading clothes. Let detergent dissolve in water to avoid spots on clothing. Add color-safe bleach for colors and regular bleach for whites in bleach dispenser.
higher temperatures for shorter times, while the more shrinkable clothes are dried in lower temperatures for longer times. Check the tags to make sure. Hang delicates to air dry.
2. Empty all pockets, zip-up sippers and check laundry labels for washing and drying temperatures. 3. Pretreat stains with soap or stain remover.
5. Add laundry and wait for the machine to finish.
7. Put laundry into the dryer, then clean lint tray. Preshrunk cotton clothes can be dried in
Compiled by SHIRLEY YANG | The Broadview
The Broadview
city life
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December 16, 2011
Exhibit honors Houdini’s feats
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isabelle pinard managing editor
he man locks himself inside crates, entangles his hands with chains and is now being hung along the walls of the Jewish Contemporary Museum in “Houdini: Art and Magic.” The journey from poor Hungarian immigrant to internationally-famed theatrical presenter is seen in the exhibit and in the multiple works of 26 contemporary artists who grasped the themes of the man’s physical audacity, celebrity, props and illusionist effects of metamorphosis and escape. “Houdini captivated audiences with suspense during his performances — there was a real element of danger and excitement with each one of his physical feats,” museum curator Colleen Stockman said. “Perhaps part of the draw was that he was both very human in his humble beginnings and small stature and yet he was completely otherworldly in his abilities and illusions.” The exhibit gives insight to Houdini before he was the famous stunt performer by showcasing his private diaries and silent films that have not been shown to the public before. “The exhibition was curated by Brook
Kamin Rapaport for The Jewish Museum (New York) which organized the exhibition to travel to other venues including the Contemporary Jewish Museum,” Stockman said. “Through a great deal of research, the curator and The Jewish Museum worked to identify which contemporary artworks and vintage material they wanted to include in the show and in doing so collaborated with various lenders who own the materials.” Visitors stand in front of wall-length projections, cringing and placing their hands over their mouths as they watch Houdini manage to struggle out of suspended apparatuses. Houdini probably got the same reaction in San Francisco in 1923 when he performed his famous midair straitjacket escape suspended from the side of the Hearst Building at 3rd and Market streets in front of 30,000 spectators, according to Stockman. “Once I started to learn about Houdini and how a single person had changed the street show of magic into an art form, I wanted to unveil what Houdini did inside the audience’s mind, imagination, through my hologram,” artist Ikou Nakamura said. The entertainer’s life works are all here for the public to soak in — the straight jacket, milk can and even the legendary
Metamorphosis trunk, the first contraption from which Houdini escaped while in a bag, all within arms reach. The exhibit describes the detail and thought Houdini put into each device, but does not expose how the young Hungarian immigrant made his performances possible. “Houdini certainly had a special power that let the audience to believe what he was doing,” Nakamura said. “I not only found him to be a great magician and inventor, but also a very unique human being.” Houdini served as president of the Society of American Magicians from 1917 until his death in 1926, and is still a lasting influence on magicians and stunt artists to come, according to Stockman. “People may have seen something of themselves in Houdini – an immigrant, a man who overcame and a loving husband,” Stockman said. “Since he embodied such incredible strength and cunning, people may have been truly inspired by Houdini – that they too could do something amazing.” The Contemporary Jewish Museum is open daily 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., 1 to 8 p.m. on Thursdays, and closed Wednesdays. General admission is $12, but visitors 18 and under can see the exhibit for free. For more information visit http://www. thecjm.org/.
NINA SAZEVICH | With Permission
A green hologram of Houdini’s hands breaking free of chains through a metal milk container by Ikou Nakamurais on display at the Jewish Contemporary Museum.
New burger joint lives up to name
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Alice Jones reporter
ven though Johnny Rockets has left Chestnut Street, an even better burger restaurant has taken its place in the same location. Super Duper, which opened two months ago, offers a natural and partially-organic menu at reasonable prices in a high-priced neighborhood. Super Duper prides itself on Bay Areagrown and produced products from the buns to the meat on its burgers. The menu is simple and sticks to just two types of hamburgers —(4 ounces or 8 ounces; bacon and cheese, extra), two vegetarian options (veggie burger or portabello sandwich) and a chicken sandwich, making it easy to decide what to eat. The biggest decision is the choice to get a Super or a Mini Burger. The Super Burger, $6.50, is juicy and not too flavorful, but can be jazzed up with the offered condiments — which are the only items, along with the chicken, that aren’t organic. The burger is large and hard to manage — the drippings makes it a messy meal, but its juiciness makes it worth it. The buns are made fresh everyday by La Boulange Bakery, making the burger that much more enjoyable. The addition of house-made
pickles — that aren‘t too crisp but have a nice spice — make the burger seem that much more personal. The Mini Burger is perfect for a smaller appetite. Its is plenty for a full meal and is $2 off the Super Burger, making it a customer favorite. Don’t be fooled by these Minis — they are not sliders. The name gives that impression, but they are actually a decent size. For an alternative to the burger, try the 100 percent free-range chicken sandwich. The house-made chipotle aioli isn’t too over whelming but has a slight hot spice that makes the tender chicken just that much more delicious and flavorful. The thinly-stripped fries have just the right amount of salt and are so delicious, it’s foolish to not order them. The fries make a nice companion to anything on the menu. Super Duper offers the classic shakes — strawberry, vanilla and chocolate — made with organic ice cream from Strauss Creamery. The popular chocolate shake is more creamy then chocolaty, but still works with the classic burger, shake and fries combo. The salad is a bit lackluster and comes in a plastic box, making it feel as if its being served in a cafeteria. The rather bland cucumber, tomato, Romain lettuce and an abundance of onions come with a Caesar dressing that doesn’t
help the flavor. Using organic products is one of the big business grabbers for today’s budding restaurants and has increased the popularity of Super Duper. Although organic produce can get expensive, Super Duper has managed to keep affordable prices for its above-average burgers.
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SF Super Duper Locations Downtown
Open daily, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. 721 Market St. 415.538.3437
Castro
Open daily, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. 2304 Market St. 415.558.8123
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A mini hamburger with cheddar cheese, onions and lettuce come and a side of fries come in fully compostable wrapping (left).
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Gap Puffy white fitted vest
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Patagonia Purple puffy jacket TATIANA GUTIRREZ | The Broadview