the broadview

the broadview

December 17, 2009

Convent of the Sacred Heart High School | San Francisco, California

Volume 14, Issue 3

‘

3 Alumnae

turns art skills into career

6-7

Simple moves provide useful protection

INA HERLIHY | the broadview

Markeith McDaniels spent the majority of his childhood living on the street after running away from his aunt when he was 14. After attending rehab for a drug and alcohol addiction, he found a job at Glad Tidings Church.

SF youth struggle on city streets 9 Junior pursues dreams through musicals

12

Tearoom leaves customers feeling the ‘love’

Jovel Quierolo Managing Editor Luke Burton invites homeless children for dinner every Tuesday night. Over the past three years as a member of the faith-based outreach group The Outer Circle, he has met hundreds of the estimated 1,400 homeless youth living on San Francisco streets, shelters or with friends or family.

“Think about the power and privilege we were born into,” said Burton. “I had a house, lots of things, and didn’t have to earn it — the same way homeless kids didn’t earn their poverty. I’ve been fortunate enough to get an education. It seems selfish not to share what we have to help others who

can’t even help themselves.”

Fifteen percent of the city’s homeless youth fall between the ages of 13 and 18, according to city emergency shelter statistics. Dawn Stueckle, co-founder and the Executive Director of Sunset Youth Services, says that without normal comforts like food and shelter, homeless youth go through a state of trauma.

“Things start to dissolve,” said Stueckle, whose organization evolved from a youth group that helps troubled kids with unsafe family structures. “The kids don’t feel safe. People lose the ability to make cognitive decisions when they’re in survival mode.

They can’t focus at school. Wondering where their next meal is coming from or where they’re going to sleep, they are just trying to stay alive.”

This was the case with Markeith McDaniels who was born in Oakland in 1984 and grew up in San Francisco’s Hunter’s Point where he lived with an aunt after being taken away from his mother after he fell off a two-story balcony.

“My mom had problems with drugs and alcohol, so we lived with my aunt,” said McDaniels. “She kept us for a long time, but she was a victim of sexual abuse and it was hard being only guy in the household. I didn’t know what to do. I ran away when I was 14.”

At the time, he was a student at A.P. Giannini Middle School in the Sunset and lived in the neighborhood with a friend he met at school.

“I met some really nice people,” ▶ see HOMELESS p. 2

▶ Members of the student body were recently asked to participate in small group, tape-recorded interviews with marketing PR firm Crane Brandwork.

Students, faculty, parents and alumni gave insight into how CSH relates to other San Francisco schools. School publications may be changed pending the results of the interviews.

“We’ll see what they’ve got from the interviews and see if we want to make print changes from there,” said Dean of Students Celine Curran.

With over 700 private schools in the Bay Area, schools turn to public relations firms to show exactly what they have to offer.

“We talked a lot about other private schools around San Francisco, how we look at them, and about how we view our school,” said junior Nora Wilkinson.

The previous brochure advertises a single-sex school in a coed community, involvement in the arts as well as athletics.

“We need to communicate our of education,” said Curran. “They’re going to take what they saw and help us communicate what we have to offer.”

— Katy Hallowell ▶ The Operation Smile Club raised $5500 in ticket sales from the third annual Smile Ball in early December, with 150 students and guests attending the dance in support of the international charity that funds reconstructive surgeries for children with facial deformities.

“Club members [sent] out letters to family, friends and other organizations asking for donations,” said club co-president Tiana Abdulmassih.

The club also raised another $500 for the charity through paid free dress and bake sales.

Operation Smile has financed over 200,000 surgeries for children with cleft palates in more than 50 countries since 1982. Money raised from this year’s Smile Ball may fund 22 surgeries. “[The surgeries] can help [children] because now they have a smile, but the surgeries do more than give them a smile,” said freshman Sophia Sanchez.

“The kids can eat and talk easier.

— Liz Smith

‘Expensive’ pets fill up SPCA shelter Ina Herlihy Editor-in-Chief The San Francisco Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SFSPCA) is reporting a rise in pet abandonment because the weak economy

has left the guardians unable to care for their pets, which is turning out to be a hardship and a blessing for the agency.

“We have witnessed that there are more pet owners that can’t afford treatment, and we try to help them,” said David Tateosian, Chair of the SFSPCA Investment Committee. “We have also

seen more instances where people will unfortunately abandon their animals, or if they have adopted their animal they will return it. One of the reasons is because of the cost to take care of an animal.”

Expenses for buying and caring for a dog for the first year range from $511 to $6,600, and range from $287 to $2,485 a year thereafter, according to Doctors Foster and Smith Pet Education.

“In California, the economy has hit hard in terms of people losing their homes,” said SFSPCA President Jan McHugh-Smith. “In many places, people have had to give up their pets because they have lost their homes.”

California has more houses foreclosed than any other state at 523,624, according to a CNN Money Special Report, more than doubling 2007 levels.

SFSPCA has laid-off 16 percent of its work force and reorganized its

ANJALI SHRESTHA | the broadview

Volunteers Arthur Frieman and Kim Pachuga hold one of the many abandoned cats living at the SFSPCA. The shelter takes in around 5000 cats and dogs annually, but the 2009 count is expected to be dramatically higher. budget — including eliminating the Santa Paws social activity where families take a group photo with their pet and Santa Claus.

“It is sad that those memories aren’t there,” said SPCA foster parent Dixie

Conner who has worked at Santa Paws for the past four years. “The kids would get larger and the pets would look the same. Probably Santa was sorry, too.” ▶ see SPCA p. 2

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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2news

December 17, 2009

Uniform begins journey School to consider changes in daily uniform

Homeless youth face physical, mental strife from SPCA p. 1

Sara Kloepfer A & E Editor In the last three weeks leading up to Christmas vacation, CSH students have been unrecognizable. Gone are the typical gray skirts, replaced with the jeans and baggy sweatpants of free dress.

On a chilly dress uniform day in November, Head of School Andrea Shurley announced free dress until Christmas Break, with the exception of three dress uniform days.

“It’s been an ongoing conversation among the administrative team, teachers, parents — what is the most practical way for students to dress,” said Shurley.

The administration sees the period of free dress as an information gathering time for students to help them evaluate how the uniform fits into the school community.

“No decisions are being made, but we are testing this in order to have better conversations in the future about our uniform,” said Dean of Students Celine Curran.

Students will be asked for input towards mid-January, beginning with Student Council. Curran wants students to consider how the uniform reflects daily activities.

“When participating in coed community, it’s important for girls to be comfortable,” said Curran.

In the past, students have succeeded in appealing to the administration for changes in the uniform, such as the options of sweats and school-related tshirts, adding to the variety of uniform possibilities for students.

“We are not trying to change the uniform or move away from it, we are trying to balance all these options,” said Curran. “That includes dress uniform, modified uniform, dress code and free dress.”

Shurley has collected handbooks from Sacred Heart schools from around the country that have both a uniform and dress code to use as a reference point. Both Curran and Shurley agree

INA HERLIHY | the broadview

Freshman Yun Ji Kim-Bertken and sophomores Nini Maine, Natalie Sullivan and Sarah Hegarty talk outside Syufy before Principal’s Meeting. Their uniform styles are diverse, and possibly to change with an upcoming re-evaluation. that a seniors-only option, such as the navy blue sweater, would still be in effect.

“We always take senior leadership into account,” said Curran.

Students, as well as alumni, have already started sharing their opinions.

“Alums are always weighing in,” said Curran. “For me they play a critical role in the spirit of tradition of the Sacred Heart, but right now our current students and families are the most important. We will continue to focus on developing strong traditions.”

Curran emphasizes that the changes are being considered with the concern that students feel the least pressure about what they wear. Some students

believe that the uniform best applies to this statement.

“I love the fact that we have uniforms,” said junior Monica Rodriguez.

“It makes getting dressed so easy and simple. I don’t understand why we’re trying to fix something that isn’t broken.”

Others welcome their newfound freedom.

“I like the free dress because I can dress more comfortably and warm in this cold weather and I have more choice in my clothing,” said sophomore Nicola Forbes.

If a dress code is established, Curran, Shurley, and Dean of Studies Doug Grant will decide the specifics.

SPCA sees rise in abandonments from SPCA p. 1

The SPCA is also encountering an unexpected positive effect of the weak economy — more people have free time because they have been laid off from their jobs, and they are fostering animals.

“When people are out of work, instead of feeling sorry for themselves, they are deciding they want to use the time to help,” said Alison Lane, SPCA foster care coordinator. “Right now I have 216 foster parents. About 150

are pretty consistent. [We had] about 190 foster parents before the economy went bust.”

Fostering pets is a cheaper alternative to adopting because the SPCA provides all of the food and medicine.

“You just have to provide all of the litter and love,” said Conner, who has fostered over 500 kittens in the past 10 years.

Foster parents are vital in the adoption process because they socialize kittens in their homes until the potential

pets are old enough to be spayed and neutered meet the adoption weight of two pounds, according to Lane.

“We generally foster out 1,100 animals every year,” said Lane. “The majority of kittens that you have seen in the adoption center have been through foster care.”

SPCA cats and dogs available for adoption are in the Macy’s windows at Stockton and O’Farrell Streets until Jan. 3. Two live Web cameras are linked to http://www.sfspca.org/.

said McDaniels. “Being in the neighborhood, I met Dawn [Stueckle]. [She] had a heart for people — people who don’t have opportunities to succeed. I was one of those people. But even though I ran away from my problems, they never really got taken care of.”

Under pressure of simply surviving from day to day, the body shuts down, according to Stuekle. To deal with the pain and fear of not having food or a place to sleep, homeless youth may give up on themselves and end up with addictions.

“The kids struggle at school and in relationships because it is hard to live and sleep at a shelter or on the street,” said Stueckle. “Some shelters are considered worse than the streets. You could have babies crying and people snoring. Lots of times, kids end up sleeping in these big rooms filled with bunk beds. In the morning, they can’t just wake up take a shower and have breakfast.”

McDaniels had freedom but no motivation without anyone to raise or mentor him, so he quit trying at his education by the time he was in high school.

Without adults in his life to provide a positive influence, he didn’t have any motivation to succeed in school or make a better life for himself.

“I didn’t think about much when I was younger,” said McDaniels. “I tried to block stuff out. I had it in my mind that I didn’t really excel at anything. I could care less about school. I was always interrupting the class and didn’t do homework. I liked basketball and music, especially rap. I didn’t have anybody cheering me on or anything.”

Without support, McDaniels led a dangerous lifestyle.

“I ended up drinking and smoking a lot,” said McDaniels. “I could do whatever I wanted to do. Partying late nights, going out with these girls. Then my friend’s mom had enough so she put us out on the street. That was my first experience with being homeless. Sleeping in cars and stuff like that. In and out of juvenile hall.”

He got help. McDaniels went to Teen Challenge, a drug rehabilitation program, when he was 18 years old and they helped him turn sober and helped him enroll for college education at Bethany College.

“But the thing was, I still had that mentality of being homeless,” said McDaniels. “I’ll come to a point where I start to succeed, and next thing you know, I’m out of

school. In jail again. I was homeless again for six months. Sleeping on the beach, and in abandoned apartments.”

Homelessness inflicts psychological damage on youth that follows them for the rest of their lives, according to McDaniels.

“Being a homeless person robbed me of my childhood,” said McDaniels. “It took away my ability to laugh. I didn’t have people telling me, ‘You can be whatever you want; I believe in you.’ Instead I got ‘You’re going to end up like your uncle who’s on death row — or your cousin who got shot. You’re going to die in prison.’ Those words became curses on my life, and I believed them.”

Being homeless as an adult, McDaniels had luckily received help before from Teen Challenge and knew what it was like to change.

“It was different, I was weird because I still knew what it was like to be good and to make it,” said McDaniels. “From something to nothing. Walking around with that guilt towards people I got into jail for hurting, I finally went back to Teen Challenge.”

McDaniels ended up at Bible college at 22 with time to think.

Now 25, he works at Glad Tidings Church full-time.

“Coming back and facing problems has restored something,” said McDaniels. “I’m serving other people who’ve gone through what I’ve gone through because I know what it’s like to be given up on because I was given up on by family, friends, system, court, school.”

McDaniels has recently begun to communicate with some of his family. He has seen his father, who he had lost touch with for 10 years.

He plays basketball every now and again for the exercise, works at the church and is exploring his old interest in music with gospel hip hop.

Burton says most programs for the homeless are for adults, but advocates increased concern for homeless youth to prevent damage that haunts kids who are scarred at their most vulnerable stage in development.

“These kids have been pushed to the edges of society hearing this message from people that they aren’t worth anything,” said Burton.

“All we can do is help them or hope they get what they need. When they come see me, all I want is to build relationships with them before anything else. I want them to know that they’re valuable. I want them to know they’re worth something.”

UCs to increase tuition Meghan Helms Asst. A & E Editor

ANJALI SHRESTHA | the broadview

ANJALI SHRESTHA | the broadview

A prospective young adopter plays with a kitten close to her age in cat years.

Economic hardship accounts for more abandoned animals at the SPCA.

A kitten takes a cat nap. SPCA kittens spend lots of time asleep.

The California legislator’s 20 percent funding cut of the University of California campuses in response to the state’s current financial crisis is resulting in layoffs, mandatory furlough days and cuts in student services, as well as a 32 percent tuition increase to combat the $913 million deficit, which is affecting many students’ ability to pay for college.

Increase in tuition and budget cuts are not only affecting student access to resources but also students’ ability to continue their academic career.

“When I started college, I was hoping to finish my undergraduate education and head straight into graduate school,” said Kaitlin Van Zandt (’08) who attends UC San Diego. “Now, because of the tuition increases, it looks like I’ll need to take at least a couple of years off in order to find a job and save some money before I can start paying for a graduate education.”

The tuition increase is expected to generate $505 million with $175 million being set aside for financial aid. Also approved at the meeting were expansions of the Blue and Gold opportunity plan in attempt to make college more affordable for low-income California families.

sacred heart

the broadview

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Pass the sprinkles T KATHERINE MIBELLI | the broadview

A gingerbread house builder inspects her project for spots that could use more frosting or candy at the annual Gingerbread Workshop. Parents and high school student volunteers kept the kids stocked with supplies — M&M’s, sour gummi belts, jelly beans, gum drops, candy canes and other sugary treats for house decorating.

Becky Lee Reporter

he Christmas traditions at Convent and Stuart Hall are marked by the singing of traditional French carols and, more recently, activities planned by Sacred Heart alumnae for students and their families.

“Christmas activities are predominately for the [Convent] high school and grammar school,” said Leslie Davlos Bergholt (′90), co-chair of the Alumni Noëls. “All the women grew up singing all of the songs.”

Alumni Noels were hosted by the Broadway Alumnae of the Sacred Heart (BASH) on December second — inviting alumni to return

and celebrate the holiday season with the singing they were a part of as students. BASH does not consider the reunion to be a fundraiser but a “friendraiser” where they ask for donations from the participants.

"It's more for the love and enjoyment of gathering alumni as a kick-off to the holiday season," said Bergholt.

Other activities planned the alumni and Sacred Heart families include the Gingerbread Workshop where families decorate gingerbread houses with candy and frosting.

“It’s the largest fundraiser that the board does,” said Tara Proses (CES′86, CSH ′90), co-chair of the Gingerbread Workshops. “The money goes to scholarships for children of alumni.”

Artistic alum pursues ambitious career in art and design 16 years after graduating Jovel Quierolo Managing Editor

A

large painting of blue irises hangs on the right wall upon entering Dean of Studies Doug Grant’s office. Pearl Ng (’94) gave Grant the piece 16 years ago after it won local awards and compliments from students and faculty.

“It ended up there when former art teacher Dana Hart-Stone was helping me decorate when I first moved into the office,” said Grant.

“He thought I’d need something big for that wall so he found a student’s painting in the art room collecting dust. It was Pearl’s.”

Ng’s development as an artist at Convent has blossomed into a career as a decorated designer with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Industrial Design from the Rhode Island School of Design, a Master of Arts from New York University and starting her own line of high-quality jewelry, clutches and other chic accessories.

“My work has been well-received,” said Ng. “People love it, and moving

into the luxury market, I’m slowly looking to expand to larger retailers like bigger department stores. I’ve chosen to do high quality pieces, which isn’t the easiest route. But I’m learning how to manage my own business, and am just trying to stay positive.”

Born in Hong Kong and raised in Sydney, Ng moved to San Francisco and started as a freshman at Convent where she would work with Hart-Stone and begin her career as an artist.

“I have a clear picture of NG the day she walked into the studio that first year,” said Hart-Stone, now art director at Santa Catalina School in Monterey. “She looked nervous, as all freshmen do, but I knew she would be very successful.

She was warm and enthusiastic, and something in the way she carried herself and the fact that she would live in the studio night and day, it was very clear that she was going to succeed.”

Grant, who was Head of School at the time, worked with Hart-Stone to expand the art department — consisting of a studio in the attic of the Flood Building. The school was supportive of the arts, enthusiasm was growing, and students loved the arts, according to

both Hart-Stone and Ng. “Dana was really the reason I chose this path,” said Ng. “He was really the best teacher in the universe. He motivated and inspired me. I was serious, and he and the school were committed to supporting me.”

Ng’s work ethic set her work apart from other students and allowed her to produce the quality of work necessary for taking Advanced Placement art, according to Hart-Stone.

“With Pearl, there was a trust that you could let her go in whatever direction she wanted and know she would produce something beautiful and intelligent,” said Hart-Stone. “She never ever let me down in terms of quality, thinking and technical aspects of a project down to cleaning up after herself. Lots of students start a project and then throw it away. Not Pearl. She finished everything that she did.”

Cranking out a large quantity of quality pieces in high school, Ng said her style changed from figurative to conceptual. She explored different materials, but painting was the medium with which she moved from depicting real life objects to abstraction and design.

“Teachers always loved my paintings, so I was happy to give them the

PEARL NG | with permission

Alumna Pearl Ng makes accessories that are beautiful, and useful. Ng designed a leopard-print shoe bag as a stylish, practical way to carry shoes. paintings as gifts,” said Ng. “I even sold a few paintings in high school. I once had a painting that was supposed to go to the de Young stolen. I figured people must have liked my work — they were trying to steal it.”

Ng credits Hart-Stone for pushing her as a young artist. His teaching style emphasizes freedom and choice which allowed Ng to try forms of art she may not have chosen to explore on her own.

They keep in touch, and Hart-Stone continues to support Ng as she makes her name as a confident designer in an unforgiving industry.

“I helped her believe in herself,”

said Hart-Stone. “When she was upset or fearful, I would look at her and say, ‘Pearl, you are bulletproof.’ The design world is cut throat competitive. But she’s made it — she’s tough as nails dealing with the lousy economy after starting her own design business.”

Ng continues to give to the Sacred Heart community by contributing to a number of events, and she plans to donate jewelry to the Simple Gifts Fashion show this February.

Meanwhile, Ng’s painting still hangs in Grant’s office and her most recent work may be viewed at http://www. pearlycollection.com .

PEARL NG | with permission

PEARL NG archives | with permission

Designer Pearl Ng (‘94) poses with former art teacher Dana Hart-Stone at her graduation (left). Hart-Stone inspired Ng to pursue art at a level beyond most high school art departments offerings, and the two continue to remain in contact. Ng’s designs are sleek and simple and her line of jewelry, bags and other accessories are meant to be fashionable regardless of season (above and right). Rings, necklaces and bracelets are made to highlight a high quality stone’s natural beauty.

PEARL NG | with permission

4 op-ed staff

editorial

S

December 17, 2009

Homeless youth overlooked by city

an Francisco is known for the Golden Gate Bridge, bone-chilling summer fog, the Seven Painted Ladies and cultural diversity. It’s also known for the widespread homelessness that blankets the city.

Of the 7,000 homeless said to be living on the streets, it’s estimated 1,400 are children. In a city that is in year six of a 10-year plan to abolish homelessness, there is only one shelter in the city dedicated to the plight of

those under 18.

Without support from anyone, homeless youth are left to wander by themselves — struggling just to survive.

Education and health take a backseat to finding a home for the night and

scavenging food. Many turn to drugs and alcohol to mask the pain.

Helping get these kids off the streets should be job number one for the San Francisco government. It should be more important than greening the city. It should be more important than Mayor Gavin Newsom’s failed quest for governor.

Before the city can improve education or create more jobs, it needs to get to the place where everyone is actually getting an education or where people are stable enough to hold a job.

Despite the hundreds of millions of dollars San Francisco is said to funnel into homelessness, the city is still the seventh meanest city to home-

less in the United States, according to a study by the National Law Center on Homelessness and Poverty.

Considering how common home-

Of the 7,000 homeless said to be living on the streets, it’s estimated 1,400 are children.

– 2009 Homeless Count lessness is in San Francisco, one would think that the city would at least be able to treat the people on the streets with

kindness. Yet, homeless shelters around the city continue to close, and become more and more overcrowded.

As resources for the homeless begin to decrease dramatically, homeless youth are being pushed aside.

Without the proper care and education, these youth will grow up to become chronically-homeless adults with no skills to hold a job and no ability to move out of their situation.

Maybe Newsom’s 10-year plan will somehow begin to take effect in the remaining four years, but the homeless situation in San Francisco isn’t going to change until someone starts paying attention to the kids.

Cutting to the chase Ina Herlihy

Next year I’ll be back.

NSPA takes away award

N

ational Scholastic Press Association has disqualified our Special Edition that won 1st Place Best in Show at the JEA/NSPA Fall Convention in Washington, D.C. last month. Our issue was published too six months too early to be considered for the award. Our adviser missed this, as did at least three NSPA judges and officials who made the mistake of not catching this special issue focusing on the Inauguration of Barack Obama would have been old news had it been published in August.

We could have entered the special edition at the JEA/NSPA Spring Convention in Phoenix with a staff member who attended the convention with our yearbook staff, as our adviser was also in attendance. But the whole staff put the issue out, so we wanted to be together at the awards ceremony when the paper was entered. After all, Sacred Heart Goal 4 is “the building of community as a Christian value.”

As journalists, we always work with integrity. We don’t cheat, we credit our sources, we take our own photos, and we write and edit our own copy. Our concern is that people in the greater journalism community who hear about the disqualification may immediately assume we stole the Inauguration photos we published. Even a judge questioned them in our critique of last year’s work.

On a personal note, I spent months politely badgering politicians and the

Q:

Presidential Inaugural Committee (PIC 2009) to present me with those press passes. I took those photos.

The latest JEA/NSPA convention was the largest gathering of high school journalists in history, hosting over 6,300 attendees. As soon as our first place announcement was made, I texted last year’s editors, we tweeted it and it was posted on the school’s Web site.

Now NSPA is requesting that we mail our trophy back, but we will always have this memory of winning first place, and standing up — jolting up, actually — when our name was called. We are sorry that the second place school will not have the same experience.

Our 2007 4th Place Best in Show Special Edition covering our Representative Nancy Pelosi’s Inauguration as Speaker of the House was also out of the timeframe for the competition. We are voluntarily sending back both awards to NSPA now that we know the rules.

Although this event is a major setback, we are trying to learn from this experience. We have relearned the journalistic lesson of fact checking, of rereading to make sure we understand the information we are given. We have always been taught about integrity, and now more than ever we realize our journalistic integrity is more important than the awards that hang on our wall.

We know that we have nothing to be ashamed of, and we are holding our heads up high for work well done.

How would life be different without the comforts of food, family and shelter?

“I wouldn’t know what to do if I found myself in a situation where I had absolutely nothing. I have no idea what it would be like without the comforts that I have. It must be horrible not to have any kind of care or support from people who love you.”

— Maggie Flannery

senior “I think that it would be an extremely challenging without my comforts. I cannot imagine not having a place to call home and sleep out in the cold with no secure source of food or water.”

— Briana Wilvert

freshman

THERESA GRANUCCI | the broadview

1. Get ready for two weeks of Christmas vacation.

2. UC Berkeley students stand up for their beliefs.

3. The Senate approved $447 billion on Sunday to be spent by Cabinet departments including transportation and veteran affairs.

4. 98 world leaders are gathered in Copenhagen to try and solve the climate crisis.

5. Tiger Woods is taking an indefinite break from professional golf

the broadview Convent of the Sacred Heart High School 2222 Broadway San Francisco, CA 94115 broadview@sacredsf.org Ina Herlihy Editor-in-Chief Jovel Queirolo Managing Editor Sara Kloepfer A & E Editor Zoë Newcomb News Editor Anjali Shrestha Feature Editor Sophie Gilchrist Sports Editor

1. Time to start studying for finals.

2. Protestors violated the Chancellor’s campus residence, breaking windows and throwing burning torches.

3. The spending bill includes 5,244 earmarks — just under $4 billion.

4. Too bad putting the summit together has generated 40,500 tons of C02.

5. He should have focused on his marriage before the media discovered his affairs.

Reporters Sara Blaza | Emily Bloch | Claire Fahy Katie Ghotbi | Katy Hallowell | Caroline Hearst Sarah Hegarty | Aggie Kruse | Ava Martinez Ta’Lynn Mitchell | Isabelle Pinard Elizabeth Smith | Colleen Scullion Theresa Granucci Cartoonist Michaela Wilton | Natalie Garnett Graphics Maggie Cummings Photographer Tracy Anne Sena, CJE Adviser

Meghan Helms Asst. A & E Editor Emma Herlihy Asst. News Editor 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 less and are subject to editing for clarity and space.

op -ed

the broadview

5

School uniform reflects SH goals, community Caroline Hearst Reporter

W

hen Head of School Andrea Shurley announced an experimental period of free dress after the Thanksgiving chapel, everyone around me burst into applause. No more gray skirts, polos or black tights! The excitement was palpable. Although I eventually joined in the clapping, I could not help but feel a sense of loss.

The uniform carries meaning. When we take it away, the implications are not merely external, but also social, spiritual and mental.

Call me shallow, but the clothes we wear say something about us. The uniform sends a message. We all respect ourselves. We take ourselves seriously.

We are all equals. By wearing the same few items of clothing, we indicate common personal values. Take that away, and our community values become less

visually discernable.

Free dress also places undue emphasis on the external. Students attend school to learn and augment their minds, not to exhibit their wardrobes.

The focus of education is the internal self: there is no sixth Sacred Heart Goal that states a desire to cultivate fashion sense.

And yet many members of the Convent community are supportive of the month-long no-uniform experiment, citing the identity-masking ability of identical clothing as a reason to test out free dress. Uniforms squelch freedom of expression, they say. With uniforms, there is no way to distinguish oneself from the pack. Each student blends with the next, unable to manifest her unique characteristics in her appearance.

Such proponents of the experiment need to calibrate the importance they invest in clothes. A student’s interactions with classmates and teachers, her extracurricular involvement and her

personal qualities say more about her inner self than any amount of clothing could show. Let’s not use “freedom of expression” as an excuse to dress distinctly.

If there is any dress code in the world that allows room for such freedom, it is our own Convent “uniform.” Excepting dress uniform occasions, students are typically allowed to wear nearly unlimited permutations of acceptable clothing items. Every category of apparel, from head to toe, offers alternatives. The uniform is so unrestrictive at Convent that one student misleadingly told me before I transferred, “You can wear whatever you want.” The transition from our uniform to free dress is not a leap, but a small step.

And yet, the physical measure of this step belittles its significance. Though uniformity does not necessitate conformity, it does deepen community. A shared set of clothes reflects common goals. Holding the clothing variable constant also elevates our intellectual

NATALIE GARNETT | the broadview

purpose.

It would be a shame if enthusiasm for individuality overtook the honor-

able tradition of uniforms at Convent.

Our gray skirts, polos and black tights offer more than meets the eye.

Canada offers cheaper universities Sophie Gilchrist Sports Editor The rising price of American colleges, both state and private, is leading many students to turn north and apply to schools in Canada. The Canadian Embassy in Washington, D.C. expects as many as 10,000 American students to attend Canadian universities next fall.

This is not a surprise considering tuition, room and board, and extra fees at Canadian colleges are approximately half the cost at comparable

American colleges. McGill University in Montreal charges about $21,000 a year for tuition, fees and room and board while American private schools such as Emory University and Middlebury College can cost up to $50,000 While the cold winters and a lack of a Thanksgiving holiday might be a drawback, they are nothing compared to the debt a student can end up with after attending four years at an American university.

The University of California system’s 32 percent increase in tuition has hit students hard, raising the annual cost to over $10,000 and a whopping $25,000 once room and board and

With all due respect

Q:

Jovel Quierolo

It is the season to be grateful for what we take for granted

T

hanks-giving is always herbroasted turkey and ravioli in Lodi with my dad’s side. After food and card games, my grandma used to tell us stories about Cedarville — the ranch she grew up on — and how my kid dad dubbed himself king of the manure pile.

Another night, usually Christmas Eve, is spent over Peking duck and fried sole and lobster noodles for long life with my mom’s side. A couple of uncles argue about Chinese stocks, the moms compare kids, and the kids — urged to eat — don’t really stop eating.

Every year I’m reminded of who I am while spending time with my family. No matter how hard I try I can never really quite separate myself from a family or community that has shaped or supported me. Chances are they have or will fill that void when I feel like life really does suck.

So I worry when I walk into the locker room and hear, “I hate my par-

ents. They don’t want me anymore. My family sucks. My life sucks. I wish it’d all just disappear. But, OMG, I love Christmas!”

I go home every night. I have hot food to eat, a table to spread out my books for homework, a bed to sleep in. In the morning, my dad gently knocks, getting me out of bed to school.

I don’t have to worry about where my next meal comes from. I don’t have to worry about surviving. I’m lucky.

Bless my parents for dealing with the grotesque state of my room and my vampire-like study habits.

I don’t have to worry about where my next meal comes from. I don’t have to worry about surviving. I’m lucky.

And the people I live with and go to

other college expenses are added.

While the $4,000 difference between a Canadian college and the UC tuition might not seem like much, a number of Canadian colleges, including University of British Columbia and McGill University are more academically competitive than half of UC schools, according to Newsweek International.

The admission process for the Canadian schools is also easier than American schools because it is based purely on numbers. Students do not have to complete any essays or supplements — freeing students from the burden of all that busy work.

school with take care of me whether or not I want or need them to, believing in me.

The fact that my big crazy family argues and plans to maintain the traditions of squeezing into living rooms and dining rooms to be together as one big huge family fills me with food, of course, but with a sense that I’m loved.

As sense I know I’ll be fighting to preserve when I’m taught how to roast big meats and fit 20 people at a table for 10.

On Christmas morning, I still run upstairs and the big knit sock an aunt made for me hangs from the mantle stuffed. Even Mofie gets a little toy in his cat-sized stocking. Mom and Dad and I sit around tearing open gifts before Mom whips up pancakes and we get dressed up for church to thank Jesus for being born.

He would’ve been a completely different guy without Mary and Joseph, his cousin John and an entire community of followers who never stopped believing.

A student looking for a diverse, academically competitive school may find Canadian schools a viable alternative. More than 18 percent of McGill’s 34,200 graduate and undergraduate students are international, one of the highest proportions in any school in the United States. Canadian schools also have the same breadth of resources as American schools.

In the current economic crisis, Canadian colleges can be an alternative for the American high school senior facing spiraling tuition. I have even tried to mentally prepare myself for no turkey in November in the event I end up attending a Canadian university this fall.

How did the month of free dress work for you?

“I don’t like it. It’s one of the reasons I came to Convent. I liked not having to think that much about my clothes.”

— Kelsey Cottrell, freshman

“I don’t like having to wake up every morning and think about what I have to wear. It takes too much time.”

— Charlotte Williams, sophomore

“I love it. It’s way more comfortable than the uniform is. It creates a more comfortable environment to learn in.”

— Coco Gregg, junior

“It’s really good because I don’t have to worry about buying tights. We don’t have to wear the skirts, and we can always wear the comfortable stuff like jeans that we wear on casual dress days.

— Jessica Peterson, senior — Compiled by Katy Hallowell

6

features

December 17, 2009

Being aware of surroundings can aid in assuring one’s personal safety

Body signs send extra messages Ina Herlihy Editor-in-Chief

J

unior Shannon McInerney was riding the 38 Geary bus alone when she noticed an older man staring at her and shaking his legs up and down, but she was not sure how to react.

“She could just ignore him,” said Linda Talley, President of Linda Talley and Associates who specializes in body language.

“When people get into your space that is a real danger signal. Loud shouting voices can be a dangerous signal to look for. [People] looking directly at you, hands on hip — those are confrontational body language signals that can effect you.”

Interpreting body language can help people to successfully conduct an interview, evaluate a possibly dangerous situation, and understand the opposite sex.

“Body language is not used as a predictor [of what you are going to do next],” said Talley. “It is used as a language. If you want to get close to somebody, you want to make sure what you are saying verbally is congruent to what

someone is saying nonverbally.”

Gestures can help establish a personal connection to a college interviewer, according to body language expert Patti Wood.

“You want to make sure that you make very good eye contact,” said Wood. “Make sure that you get an initial handshake. You want to make sure your palm touches their palm.”

Eye contact is so vital that even mistakes on television can change a message and loose viewers’ confidence. “[President] Obama looked forward, but as he was continuing the rest of the sentence, he was looking down and away,” said Wood in a phone interview 30 minutes after she finished a CNN interview about President Obama’s nationally-televised Dec. 1 Afghanistan speech. “You want to make sure that you are looking at the interviewee for the whole sentence.”

Body language is not the only way to establish a first impression.

“You want to make sure that [your phone] is off,” said Wood. “It acts as a barrier between you and them, and symbolically says that it is more important than they are.”

Ways to fight back

Some people purposely set these barriers when they feel too close to someone by placing a purse or restaurant menu between them.

“If you are talking to somebody and they will put an object between you and them,” said Wood. “It just means that they want to protect themselves.”

Body part movements can be an expression of true feelings because sometimes they cannot be controlled.

“When you are in the presence of someone who finds you attractive, their pupil will dilate,” said body language expert Vincent Harris. “If someone finds you repulsive, their pupils will be very restricted and smaller than usual.”

The entertainment industry in particular uses this knowledge to its advantage.

“Models on the magazine cover will have their pupils airbrushed to look dilated and be more attractive,” said Harris.

Humans take in 82 percent of information from their eyes, according to a study by the Wharton School of Business at University of Pennsylvania.

“People might be maintaining eye contact

Recent Muni incidents raise commuters’ safety concerns Zoë Newcomb News Editor

R Victims can use the palm of hand to thrust towards an attacker’s nose, break the cartilage. This simple method can severely hurt or thwart an attacker.

Abruptly raising arms and turning will force an attacker’s hands off of a victim’s neck.

Source: http://www.leesinclair.org

longer than eight to 10 seconds,” said Talley. “It could be intimacy — they want to get closer to you, or it could be intimidation. If you feel physically threatened, you need to leave.”

Body language often gives meanings that individuals cannot infer.

“The words we can make up,” said Wood.

“The words don’t really reflect how we feel.

The best gift you can give to a person is that you understand. My big thing with body language is that you are getting to the heart of someone else.”

But at other times understanding body language isn’t enough — it is how you react that counts. “[McInerney] could have turned around and started talking to somebody else,” said Talley. “On the city bus the best thing might be to go behind the bus driver and say that she feels uncomfortable.”

There is one fact that all body language specialists agree on.

“The more confident that you appear, the less [likely] perpetrators will strike,” said Talley.

ecent stabbings on San Francisco Muni buses has left much of the student body uneasy and unsure how to protect themselves on public transportation.

The unprovoked stabbings of a 24-year-old woman on Muni and an 11-year-old boy, who was riding the bus for the first time, are just two blatant examples of increasing crime on San Francisco public transportation.

“It’s really nerve-wracking,” said junior Julianna Wetmore. “I’m afraid to wear colors, and sometimes I have to take taxis because I don’t know if the bus is safe.”

Similar descriptions of the stabber have led police to believe they are looking for one man, who is described as having a distinct, strong odor.

The San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA) suggests that passengers “be aware of your surroundings” and inform a police officer or SFTMA employee “if you are genuinely concerned.”

Safety tips on the SFMTA Web site have not been updated since the Sept. 11 attacks, but in light of the recent stabbings, the entire transportation system is undergoing a safety upgrade — beginning with broken security cameras aboard trains and buses.

Police were unable to use security tapes in their ongoing investigation of the stabbings because security cameras aboard the both trains were broken during the attacks.

“The best advice I can give is to just use common sense,” said a SFMTA employee who asked to remain anonymous due to contract restraints. “When it comes

down to it, you can’t control anything except how you handle yourself.”

Despite the Bus Inspection Program, a program that requires police officers to spend their shifts riding buses and providing security, crime aboard San Francisco public transportation is on the rise. Robberies increased from 38 to 57, thefts rose to 50 percent, aggravated assaults doubled in the last three months of 2008 and numbers show no sign of slowing in 2009, according to San Francisco Police Department statistics.

“One time I was on the bus with my grandma and two women got into a huge fight,” said freshman Bianka Quintanilla-Whye. “They were falling on us, and we had to get off and transfer. I was so scared.”

Fights aboard buses are not uncommon, like the infamous “Fight on SF Muni Bus in Chinatown,” a video on the popular video hosting Web site You Tube that gained infamy and over 700,000 views in October.

Transit Watch, a “public awareness and education campaign patterned after the successful Neighborhood Watch program,” engages passenger to work along side SFMTA employees to ensure bus saety.

“I’ve starting sitting in the middle of the bus, because once when I was sitting next to the driver two people got in a fight and I was right in the middle of it,” said Wetmore. “The middle is safer now than the front. To protect myself I sit next to normal looking people.”

The best way to stay safe is to not confront suspicious persons, or packages and leave enforcing rules to professional security and SFMTA employees.

“Ride in groups and keep to yourself,” said Wetmore, explaining her strategy to staying safe. “Oh, and be sure to avoid weird looking people.”

features

the broadview

7

Date rape thought to be common Sara Kloepfer A & E Editor

A

colorless, odorless, tasteless pill dissolves into a Coke. The girl drinking it turns to take a sip, not noticing any change, continuing to chat with her charming date. Hours later she is in her date’s bedroom disoriented and vulnerable, and upon waking cannot remember giving her consent.

Date rape — rape situations where the victim is romantically involved with the rapist — is more common than being raped by a stranger. In a study conducted by The American Academy of Experts in Traumatic Stress, 84 percent of women interviewed knew their attacker and 57 percent of those raped happened on dates. However, teenagers do not see the danger.

“I don’t think date rape could happen to me because when I think of date rape I picture older women getting date rape drugs put in their drinks at bars,” said junior Genevieve Puccinelli. “My mom has always told me never to leave my drinks open and lying around, so I’m really careful about that at parties.”

This advice is helpful, but there are far more nuanced warning signs women need to look for.

“Most men involved in date rape are at the low end of the spectrum,” said Julie Jenkins, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner at the Women’s Community Clinic. “They don’t intend or plan on it. They would never want to believe that they’re capable of rape, but they end up in a situation where they flip the understanding to see it as coercion of a drunk girl.”

Jenkins advises to have a buddy system at parties, especially if alcohol or drugs are involved.

“If women are drinking or taking drugs, that puts them in a compromised position,” said Jenkins. “Their judgment is impaired, they’re physically not as capable, and they’re easier to convince and overtake. Have a designated non-drinker to keep an eye on you.

If you’re interested in someone, that’s one thing, but it’s also good to stay together and tell your friends what you’re up to.”

A woman’s highest risk of date rape is during her freshman year of college. Date rape is most prevalent in college because women are on their own in a new environment where it is common to meet new people while drinking or at parties.

“One of every four women will be sexually assaulted in their lifetime,” said Jenkins.

“Young women need to be pro-active in their defense.”

The most important precaution to take is for women to be clear about what kind of relationship they want with another person.

“We need to change social norms around behavior and consent, so there is a clearer line between consent and rape,” said Jenkins.

Once a woman is raped, the recovery process can be long and difficult. Victims can undergo post-traumatic stress, which can include trust and fear issues, flashbacks, or depression.

“It can take a while before you feel comfortable being sexual again,” said Jenkins, who has worked with rape victims in that past, providing forensics exams and rape kits.

Women who want to press charges after the assault must go through a forensic exam within 24 hours. Jenkins says most women are not ready to undergo such an extensive exam so soon afterwards, as evidenced only 26 percent of all rape is reported, according to the U.S. Justice Department.

“It’s most important to find a support group,” said Jenkins. “The best thing to do is talk about it. It brings you to a place where you realize it’s not your fault, which can make recovery time faster.”

San Francisco Women Against Rape provides a 24-hour crisis line — 647RAPE.

THERESA GRANUCCI | the broadview

8

features

December 17, 2009

Museum saves, preserves history Ava Martinez Reporter

W

alking down Union Street among the boutiques and restaurants, it is easy to overlook the Octagon House, a museum containing a variety of items from Colonial to Federalist America.

The house is one of just two eightsided houses remaining in San Francisco — the other three were destroyed in the Earthquake and Fire of 1906.

The museum contains a collection of furniture, portraits and looking glasses as well as English and American silver and pewter, English and Chinese ceramics, and Oriental rugs.

“One interesting thing found in the museum is a time capsule that William McElroy, the original owner of the house, placed in the staircase,” said Nancy McAteer, who has worked for six years for the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America, the organization that owns the Octagon House. “It included a newspaper clipping, a letter about his family, and photographs.”

“My personal favorite is a portrait of James Madison’s sister,” said McAteer.

Although it is located close to school, the majority of the students know very little about the Octagon

House.

“I think the reason not many people notice it is that at first glance it looks like just any other house so people don’t really think about it or what it is,” said junior Chloe Look.

“We don’t see many younger people or students visit the Octagon House very often,” said McAteer. “The museum tends to attract an older demographic and we don’t encourage young children to come because we want to keep the house in good condition.”

One of the most noticeable things about the house from the outside is its shape.

“Octagon houses have always been popular over history and there was a revival in popularity in the mid-1800s, around the time the Octagon House was built,” said McAteer. “At the time, it was believed that eight-sided buildings had more balance and would maximize the amount of fresh air and light that entered the house.”

In reality eight-sided houses limit the amount of light that enters a building.

“Eight-sided houses aren’t as open to light as rectangular houses,” said Jeffery Graham of Graham Architects. “Also, they are more difficult to construct than rectangular houses because of the more awkward angles where the walls meet,”

MAGGIE CUMMINGS | the broadview

The Octagon House sits on a quiet corner on Union Street and features artifacts and historical objects from the Colonial period. Compared to other San Francisco landmarks, the eight-sided building is not a popular tourist attraction. said Graham.

However structurally, eight-sided buildings are efficient.

“Octagonal houses have a lot of exterior siding, so they conserve energy and money because they are easier to insulate [than rectangular houses] so less heating is necessary,” said Graham.

“The most efficient would be a circular house because they have the most exterior siding, but an octagonal house is the second best.”

The house, now fully restored, was

in poor shape when the National Society of the Colonial Dames of America first bought it from PG&E in 1952.

“It had been a boarding house before we bought it and it was nearly falling apart,” said McAteer. “PG&E was about to tear it down but we bought it for $1 because we were interested in preserving the historical building.”

In interest of maintaining the condition of the house, the museum is open only nine hours a month.

“It is the minimum amount of time

we can have it open and still have our tax status,” said McAteer. “We don’t want people coming in all the time because it requires more maintenance. It would also be very difficult to get enough volunteers to work at the house in order to have it open more often.”

The Octagon House is open the second Sunday and the second and fourth Thursdays of the month from noon to 3 p.m. Admission is free, but a donation is suggested.

Junior embraces her voice Isabelle Pinard Reporter

J

unior Elena Dudum joins a group of students gathering in front of the Duchesene Room, all concentrating while mouthing lines and their hands unconsciously folding the corners of already crinkled packets of paper as they wait for their auditions.

“I’ve been in musicals since the third grade,” said Dudum while waiting for her audition for the spring production of The Music Man. “I took American Conservatory Theater classes, theater programs in Music Theater Works and stared in plays and musicals in my elementary school, the San Francisco Day School.”

Dudum started acting at age 9 and has learned to get into characters and memorize lines over time.

“The first time I ever had a main part, I was the lead role in the musical By the Great Horned Spoon in the fourth grade,” said Dudum. “I felt so comfortable as the main role because something just clicked.”

Performing arts has been a part of Dudum’s family for as long as she can remember, giving her the structure to become a strong performer.

“Music was a big part of my life,” said Dudum. “My grandmother was a singer and my father was in a band, so while I was growing up music was all around me.”

Dudum has been apart of the drama performances since her sophomore year and has performed as one of the three sisters in The Fiddler on the Roof and as baby June in Gypsy.

“Elena has grown immensely over the years as an actress and singer,” said Music Director Billy Philadelphia. “She has really pushed herself to go beyond the boundaries by giving a hundred percent when participating in both the coed choir, girls chorus and in our musicals and plays.”

Dudum makes sure that she practices whenever she can because when it comes down to opening night she is determined to put on a show worth watching.

“Putting on the performance is the rewarding part of acting because you

dedicate so much to it and in the end, it feels so great when it all comes together,” said Dudum.

Dudum says at the end of the performance the one thing that she looks for is the response that the audience gives.

“The applause is was really affects me by the end of a show,” said Dudum “It’s like an addiction and after the first taste you just can’t stop.”

Dudum says she hopes to continue performing beyond high school to improve her potential as an actress and singer.

“I am making sure that my college choices have a strong theater program because I want to continue learning about different techniques on acting,” said Dudum.

Perusing her musical career, Dudum is scheduled to sing the “Star Spangled Banner” at the University of San Francisco’s basketball game against St. Mary’s on Jan. 8.

“I have to keep looking for new opportunities,” said Dudum. “As I continue to push toward my goals I get closer and might be able to reach them someday,”

INA HERLIHY | the broadview

Junior Elena Dudum checks lyrics at the annual Christmas Concert. She shared a solo as well as sang with the girls chorus and co-ed choir at the concert.

Student stress can strain parent-student relationships

S

Emma Herlihy Asst. News Editor

ophomore Katie Burke arrives home after Pilates class with math homework, an English essay, history notes and Symposium due the next day, but only wants to finish it all and go to sleep rather than to telling her parents about her day.

A full day at school followed by lots of homework when arriving home can put teens under stress, causing relationships with parents to become strained.

“The way teenagers grow quickly with hormones and their intellectual capacity is expanding and seeing things in a particular way clashes with parents certain worries and concerns with

safety,” said family psychologist Dr. Stacey Shuster.

Stress can set off a series of chemical reactions, which release hormones that are designed to try and suppress these reactions.

“I am especially snappy at my parents during the week because I do not get any sleep,” said sophomore Izzy Holland. “They constantly ask me to do my chores when all I really want to do is focus on my homework. I calm down by taking a break by reading a book that’s not related to school. I also separate myself from my parents or else I know I will snap.”

Teens ho want to preserve a sense of privacy use various methods to prevent parents from seeing what they are doing

on the Internet. Thirty-three percent of teens clear their browser history and 44 percent of parents say they worry about their teens’ safety when they are online, according to Harris InteractiveMcAfee.

“I think there is a lot more exposure through the Web and the Internet,” said Shuster. “There is so much more exposure to every situation. Previous generations were more sheltered to things like that. Knowing more about the world makes parents not be the final authority.”

Teens can have a tendency to be single minded and only see their side of an issue, but parents tend to think in a more practical and safety conscious

way, according to the University of New Hampshire. Many teens want to be allowed to go out at night with no curfew but parents usually want their children home at a reasonable time to make sure they are safe and making responsible choices.

“I never really fight with my parents, it’s just bickering,” said Burke. “When they don’t want me to do something that I want to do, I explain my point until we come to an understanding.”

Teenagers who have a good relationship with their parents tend to start drinking at a later age, according to the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs.

“Our work shows that the preven-

tive effect of a later drinking age is likely to be a side effect of a good parentchild relationship,” said Dr. Emmanuel Kuntsche in a study done by the Journal of Studies on Alcohol and Drugs. “In other words, the circumstances in which that first drinks occurs and how parents deal with it is important.”

Many parents want to feel involved with their children’s lives, but when teenagers have the stress of school, extracurriculars and a social life, they do not want to spend time bonding with their parents.

“I think the main cause for fighting between teenagers and their parents in general is not enough communication,” said freshman Katie Stableford.

a&e

the broadview

9

SFMOMA celebrates Sara Kloepfer A & E Editor

T

he San Francisco Museum of Modern art (SFMOMA) celebrates its 75th Anniversary Jan. 18 with a season of commemorative exhibitions and programs under the title 75 Years of Looking Forward.

“We are celebrating the pioneering spirit of the museum,” said Sandra Farish Sloan, SFMOMA Senior Public Relations Associate. “[SFMOMA] is consistently looking forward. We have an ongoing commitment to embracing new ideas and are consistently breaking new ground in exhibition presentations.”

The museum’s most comprehensive exhibition with 400 works, The Anniversary Show, celebrates SFMOMA’s impact on modern and contemporary works. The exhibit not only features major artists, but

explores the legacies of significant donor Albert M. Bender and founding director Grace McCann Morley.

It is the first complete reinstallation of the second floor galleries since opening in 1995.

“You are seeing works from the permanent collection but presented in an entirely new way, with an eye towards telling the history of the museum,” said Sloan.

The Anniversary Show will reveal part of its anniversary present in June — about 300 works of the Fisher Collection — one of the world’s leading collections of contemporary art, including some 1,100 works by over 185 leading artists. Announced Sept.

25, the donation of the Don and Doris Fisher, founders of Gap Inc., includes artist such as Alexander Calder, Chuck Close, Willem de Kooning, Ellsworth Kelly, Roy Lichtenstein, Richard Serra and Andy Warhol, among many others.

The donation of the extensive

SFMOMA Exhibits

each artist’s work.

Oct. 22-May 23: Focus on Artists looks at 18 artists whose iconic works are hallmarks of the SFMOMA collection. Nearly 100 paintings, sculptures, and photographs dating from 1944 to 2006 narrate the evolution of the museum’s artist-focused collecting process, with a single gallery showcasing

Nov. 7-July 6: Dispatches from the Archives displays the variety and vision of both in-house and commissioned SFMOMA designers throughout the museum’s past.

Dec. 19-Jan. 16: The Anniversary Show will fill the second floor of the museum, mixing artwork from the

General admission Sara Kloepfer

Disney doesn’t disappoint life long fans

I

learned the true meaning of jealousy one day in freshman year English when I learned my friend Tiana had the same name as the next Disney princess.

Ever since I was a little girl collecting the white plastic video cases emblazoned with that iconic castle, I have idolized the Disney princesses. Maybe it was the tiaras, or the romantic princes, or the magical fantasies — some enchanting allure made these the defining movies of my childhood.

I thought the era of my cartoon heroines was over until Disney announced the release of its newest movie: The Princess and the Frog, starring Princess Tiana.

Of course I was there opening weekend.

Disney recalls its glory days with old-school 2D animation, not seen since 2004’s Home on the Range. Set in jazz-era New Orleans, the film’s retro aesthetic is tempered by new twists to the classic formula. For starters, Tiana is Disney’s first African American princess. And she is no damsel in distress. Her motto is “You can’t just wish on a star” — you have to work hard to make your dreams to come true.

Tiana’s dream to open a restaurant is waylaid by the arrival of Prince Naveen of Maldonia, a handsome party-boy shopping for a wealthy bride. Transformed by an evil voodoo doctor into a frog, Naveen mistakes Tiana for a princess and kisses her, turning her into a frog as well.

Spending most of the movie in amphibious form, Naveen and Tiana’s romance ends with the expected happily ever after, but the classic journey never grows weary. The supporting characters nearly steal the show. Tiana’s spoiled childhood friend Charlotte La Bouff is a hilarious Daddy’s girl, with a trumpet-playing alligator named Lou and a hopelessly romantic Cajun firefly named Ray adding originality.

Although directed by Ron Clements and Jon Musker of Aladdin and The Little Mermaid, The Princess and the Frog does not offer such timeless tunes as “A Whole New World” or “Under the Sea.” Not to say I did not find the soundtrack enjoyable — Randy Newman’s New Orleans-inspired score features catchy Cajun beats and beautiful ballads.

Disney’s entertaining return to its roots will resonate with both old-school admirers and new viewers alike as it fuses sparkling animation with witty storytelling to create a clever throwback. The Mouse has not lost its magic, nor this diehard princess fan.

Fisher collection coincides perfectly with S F M O M A’ s previously considered expansion plans.

The museum announced the planning phase of its major expansion last April, looking to triple gallery space.

“A major change for the SFMOMA | with permission museum was the Jackson Pollock’s Guardians of the Secret will be featured in The Anniversary Show at SFMOMA from Dec. 19opening of its Jan. 16. The museum hosted Pollock’s first solo museum exhibition in 1945. current location in 1995,” said dition will push it to the forefront as in an SFMOMA press release. “Doris Sloan. “We are about to enter another one of the world’s leading museums and Don Fisher have made an incredhistoric turning point with the addifor contemporary art. ibly generous offer, and SFMOMA tion of the Fisher collection and the “This amazing collection belongs is the ideal partner and location to building expansion.” right here in the City of San Franhouse this collection. This is a gift SFMOMA officials hope this adcisco,” said Mayor Gavin Newsom for the ages.” collection with historical documents and artifacts from SFMOMA’s history Jan. 16-18: SFMOMA will commemorate the anniversary of its founding on Jan. 16, 1935, with a free weekend celebration featuring a variety of performances and presentations.

Jan. 16-June 27: Ewan Gibbs: San Francisco premieres 18 of Gibbs’s hand-drawn urban portraits.

Long Play: Bruce Conner and the Singles Collection premieres the video installation THREE SCREEN RAY by the late San Francisco– based avant-garde filmmaker.

The View from Here explores California photography from the 1840s to the present.

Q&A A: I spend a lot of time writing songs that don’t go anywhere that were pretty good, and it’s frustrating but then there are moments where I keep writing, because when the inspiration comes, I have to be sure my song writing tools are sharp enough that I can execute any idea that I might come up with.

Q: How did you get to be the opening act for Kelly Clarkson?

June 25: The first public showing of 300 works from the Fisher collection will run through the fall.

Hutchinson is currently the opening act for Kelly Clarkson’s “All I Ever Wanted” tour. His song “Rock and Roll” featured in The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2

with Eric Hutchinson

Q: Describe your song writing process.

May 14: SFMOMA will host a gala birthday party with dinners spread throughout the building.

A: I’m not sure how it originally got set up. We did a bunch of shows with her this summer at a fair. We got along really well and our bands got along really great.

Q: What is your favorite thing about performing?

A: I just like the energy. I love seeing people either sing the songs back to me or learning the songs for the first time. I just love that feeling of connection. I always think it is

amazing to watch people singing along to my songs that I wrote by myself somewhere.

Q: What advice do you have for teenagers who hope to have a career in music?

A: I think any teenager needs to go out and live life and that’s where music comes from. It is from real things happening, and experiences. You just need to keep performing and toughen your skin up because it is definitely not a forgiving industry but it can be really rewarding at times.

Hutchinson photo AUTUMN DEWILD

PULSE

what’s pumping in the halls

sequins 1 - Purple sequined dress, $90 (Free People) 2 - Black blouse with colored sequins, $34.95 (H&M)

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3 - Black blouse with colored sequin shoulders, $34.95 (H&M) 4 - Black shirt with black sequin bow, $ 31.50 (J.Crew)

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10 health & fitness

December 17, 2009

Hop, skip and a jump

Anjali Shrestha

Bikram yoga helps rejuvenate the body

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ust as I went into the second set of the seventh pose, “tuladandasana,” and the room reached 110 degrees Fahrenheit, I asked myself why I signed up for a Bikram yoga class. The gratification came hours later when I was home and had recovered from the experience.

Yes, my back was sore — but I felt rejuvenated, less stressed and more limber. “[When] you make it through that class you feel accomplished,” said Elizabeth Palmer, 500 Registered Yoga Teacher, who founded and owns Fluid Yoga in the Sunset district. “I think you also feel a better sense of yourself.”

posture sequence making the stretches more effective and a l lowing the

tion, and strengthen the muscles and spine.

“I have seen people change their blood sugar levels, cholesterol levels, weight, and approach on life,” said Palmer. “Somehow they are able to clear their mind here.

You learn to balance and focus, you can build better strength in your core.”

The high temperature paired with movement is said to balance the metabolism. The heat opens up the muscles during

Bikram yoga was developed by Bikram Chourhury in India and consists of 26 fundamental posture exercises.

“In the world of yoga, Bikram is a specific type,” said Palmer. “It is hot yoga with a specific series of poses. People know what they are going to get into since it is the same beginning poses. In these poses there is an aspect to every posture that people can achieve.”

Bikram yoga claims to reshape the body, increase flexibility and circula-

particip a n t to push flexibilit y b e yond her usual limits.

Bikram yoga helps to open joints, and release toxins fairly quickly so the body can move, according to Palmer.

I am not used to temperatures above our mean San Francisco 60 degrees Fahrenheit — and even less used to strenuous activities in extreme heat. As the temperature slowly escalated, the term, “dripping with sweat” became real as I swerved from an incoming bead of sweat from the outstretched arm of the woman beside me. These radical temperatures forced me to focus on the poses and energy of the room.

The typical, breath in, breathe out of yoga was necessary to distract myself from the heat and successfully tackle the poses.

Yo g a is a unique exercise program because it focuses on working personal ability. Yoga works a different muscle structure than traditional western exercises. The slow twitch muscle is the muscle at the bone level, and this is what is worked during yoga.

“Yoga can clean out the organs, flushing the hormone surge,” said Palmer. “It can help ease bloating and cramps and anxiety because the work we do through the organs with the compressions in some of the poses.”

The instructor introduced dandayamana-bibhaktapada-janushirasa, and told us to touch our heads to the floor from a standing position. I laughed and thought how impossible this was, but the people around me easily tackled the pose. Being the youngest person in the class, I thought I would be at the same level of ability and flexibility as some other participants, but I was easily overshadowed. Instead of attributing this flexibility of my peers to natural talent, or my lack of, I learned that with con-

tinued yoga, n e w l y- f o un d flexibility is possible.

Yoga is not just an alternative to standard running and weights. Big time athletes such as the 49ers football players and San Francisco Ballet dancers incorporate yoga into their training to establish teamwork and strength.

Bikram is often suggested.

Whenever you can clean up the body completely, lubricate the joints, expand lung capacity, strengthen the heart and improve spine, the body becomes balanced,” said Palmer. “This ensures there is not a deficiency.”

The receptionist at the beginning of the class warned me that Bikram was addicting I ignored her, thinking you had to be crazy to force yourself to sweat that much. But the relaxing atmosphere paired with strenuous yet refreshing poses did force me to crave more. I want to go back and brave the heat, and finally touch my forehead to the floor.

Diet soda can harm Cancer check rules shift, cause concern for women teeth and kidneys Katie Ghotbi Reporter

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Coke. It helps to wake me up and it tastes good,” said sophomore Solana Boboschi.

Caffeine, excess sodium, and phosphoric acid are just some of the ingredients in diet sodas that have been proven to damage health. While soda companies try to appeal to weight-conscious America with advertisements like Coke Zero’s “Real Taste, Zero Sugar,” the companies don’t mention diet sodas have been proven to increase appetite and heighten blood pressure.

alorie-free sodas have been a staple of the American diet for about 50 years, and many health-conscious teenagers replace their favorite sugary sodas with the diet versions, but popular drinks such as Diet Coke and Diet A&W Root Beer contain substances that may be as unhealthy as the added sugars in Snack Attack! regular sodas.

Women who drink two “It’s a common or more diet sodas a day mistake that the sugar are more likely to have in soda is what is bad for your teeth,” said renal failure compared to those who dentist Dr. Patricia Lee. “But in fact it drink only one or less, according to is the carbonate and artificial coloring researchers at Harvard University. The which is damaging,” artificial sweeteners such as aspartame The vending machine near the were shown to cause kidney dysfuncFreshman/Sophomore Locker Room tion in study participants. that serves Diet Coke for $1.25 is a “Ever since I found out diet sodas popular stop for thirsty students bewere potentially harmful, I stopped tween classes. drinking them. I dislike the artificial “After math class I love stopping taste of the sweeteners in the diet by the soda machine to get a Diet sodas anyways,” said sophomore An-

Aggie Kruse Reporter

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evised guidelines suggesting cut backs on routine mammography screening are causing concern for many women as once standard detections for the second most lethal cancer in the United States now appear ambiguous.

An article in the Journal of The American Medical Association in early November found little evidence supporting annual mammograms beginning at the age of 40. A U.S. Preventative Services Task Force follow-up study recommends routine biennial exams beginning at age 50. Both sources are concluding that breast selfexaminations may be superfluous.

Regular Coke: 97 calories Diet Coke: 1 calorie Coke Zero: 0.7 calories Source: http://www.thecoca-colacompany.com

THERESA GRANUCCI | the broadview

“Mammograms are important for a certain set of women but not all,” said Dr. Kimberly Baltzell, Assistant Adjunct Professor in physiological nursing at UCSF, “Having a mammogram is not insurance that you do not have breast cancer. The biggest problem is we don’t

know exactly who is at risk. It is very much generalized.”

Baltzell, mother of sophomore Nini Maine, is a breast cancer survivor herself, and detected her cancer through breast self-exams, rather than screening.

“If it creates a dialogue about what we should be looking for in this disease, then [the changed recommendations] could create something positive,” said Baltzell, “It is an interesting wake up call for women to feel unsatisfied with the tools which are out there.”

Mammogram screening enables doctors to see tumors within the breast and can locate unknown lumps, allowing for earlier treatment to prevent spreading of invasive cancers.

Those protesting against the guidelines fear an increase of malignant cancer diagnoses because of infrequent examinations. Monthly self-checking exams, once essential for early detection, may now be considered optional.

Joanne Oppenheimer, CES and SHB computer teacher, endured chemotherapy and recovered from breast cancer after a routine mammogram detected a tumor five years ago.

“If I had skipped that one [exam],” said Oppenheimer, “that would have been very bad.“ Breast cancer is one of the most common non-skin malignancies among

women in the United States, second only to lung cancer in causing the highest number of cancer-related deaths.

The risk for developing breast cancer increases starting in the fourth decade of life. Cases rarely occur in young adults, but those that do are incredibly virulent.

Few trustworthy preventative actions for breast cancer exist, yet selfchecking exams, even with the recent recommendations, offer some benefits.

“I am a believer [in self-checking] because they keep women in touch with their bodies, despite the uncertain effectiveness,” said Baltzell.

Oppenheimer said she could not feel her tumor when first diagnosed but then detected the lump with practice.

“Self-checking is like learning how to write, you have to train yourself to know your body. Just because you don’t see [a tumor], keep feeling.”

Meanwhile, the medical community continues to reassess guidelines.

“We need to move it [cancer technology] all forward and stop [cancer] ahead of time rather than looking down the line when it is actually diagnosed,” said Baltzell, speaking of her goals for the future.

“For now, I think the best thing women can do is really talk to their primary care provider about what their risk looks like,” said Baltzell, “They should try to find out what their personal risk is and be guided by that. Women should be involved in whatever sort of activist event appeals to them to keep this issue of how we test and who we test at the forefront.”

11

sports

the broadview

Economy has impact on college recruiting TaLynn Mitchell Reporter

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ith the recession creating a financial drain for both public and private colleges, student athletes looking to be recruited for collegiate sports are facing even more competition for scholarships.

Student athletes such as Scarlett Kirk, who has been playing basketball since she was 5 years old and plans to play in college, participate on advanced club teams that attract college scouts to their competitions as a way of increasing the odds of being selected.

“It is very competitive at the competitions,” said Kirk who plays basketball and soccer on club teams. “You want to show the scouts that you are worth their time and are skilled at your sport.”

Only 6 percent or fewer of hardworking student athletes will compete at a college level, according to Stateuniversity.com, demonstrating the reality of the process, the hard work and dedication required to become a student athlete.

A high school athlete may only receive an inquiring letter from a potential school the summer before her junior year, under National Collegiate Athletes Association (NCAA) guidelines, although a college may still converse with the student about opportunities available at the school.

Kirk, a senior who plans to play both college soccer as well as basketball, has received letters from universities — such as Amherst, Middlebury and Emery —who want her to be aware of the school as she starts her college process.

“I was contacted within my freshman year of high school for both soccer and basketball,” said Kirk. “Scouts set up interviews with me when they realized I was interested. I was able to stay the night at a school with a teammate as well as sit in on a game.”

Prospective schools often look at an athlete’s national and sectional place within a league when recruiting for sports.

“I participate in my sectional team which allows me to see an assortment of scouts at tournaments,” said India Pe a r c e , who plays

On the sidelines Sophie Gilchrist

Women continue to fight for equality

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INA HERLIHY | the broadview

Co-captain Scarlett Kirk fights for the ball against a two Lowell players in a game against Lowell on Dec. 11. The next day Kirk was accepted to Middlebury College, which she will attend to play basketball and soccer. basketball. “I think this is a fair way of judging because schools range in difficulty so the playing field is evened out by looking at the national and sectional rank.”

Althoug h Web sites provide subscriptions in which t h e y claim t o put KIRK a young athletes name on a scout “list,” create a sport resume and send it to different coaches, not everyone agrees that this is the best way to be known by potential recruiters.

“I have heard of such subscription Web sites, but the athletes here at CSH do not use those,” said athletic director

Elena De Santis. “The best way to get your name out there is to let the school know you are interested in them.”

De Santis advises when looking toward the sports recruiting process the best route is to keep an open mind and as many options as possible.

PEARCE “ The b est advice I can give to a student looking to play a sport in college is to take initiative when contacting coaches in your junior year and let them know that you are interested in the university,” said college counselor Rebecca Wandro. “Send an athletic resume as well as a cover letter to promote yourself to colleges.”

t was one of the dirtiest plays in a match I’ve seen since Zinedine Zidane’s head-butt in the 2006 World Cup. In early November, the University of New Mexico’s defender Elizabeth Lambert was suspended indefinitely for foul play in a game against Birmingham Young University (BYU).

There is a dual standard regarding gender in sports. If a woman acts overly athletic she is thought of as “manly,” as if all men are good at sports. Likewise if a woman acts overly aggressive in sports, she is often given more press exposure.

If a man did the same action, game commentators only briefly analyze his behavior.

Yes, while, Lambert’s hair pulling of an opponent was obviously uncalled for, men have acted worse without receiving similar attention.

The video on YouTube of Lambert’s offense during the game against BYU has had over 3.5 million views. Video clips of her aggressive behavior have additionally received airtime on not only ESPN but also on national news networks.

In one play, Lambert retaliated to an elbow in the chest by literally punching her BYU opponent in the back. While this is foul play, it is also part of the physicality of sports.

When I played soccer on a club team, my coach used to teach us that when jumping up for a header, plant your foot on your opponent’s foot so they cannot jump up to compete against you for the ball.

When an athlete signs up to play

a sport, unless he or she is planning on playing miniature golf, the athlete signs up for physical and dirty play. To be honest, that’s part of the fun of sports.

Just because I am a girl does not mean that I cannot steal a ball with a slide tackle, just as the guys do. And when I do make that slide tackle, that does not mean that I want any more exposure and shock than a boy making that slide tackle would get.

Dirty plays often don’t come in punches to the back or stomping on an opponent’s foot. Foul language can as abusive. During this year’s U.S. Open, Serena Williams launched into a sideline referee threatening she would take the tennis ball and put it in a place that isn’t fit for print.

I overheard an ESPN reporter say, “unsportsmanlike conduct is a universal penalty, it applies to every sport on every level and you know it when you see it but what is rare is when women athletes are involved in any of this type of behavior.” If this is not an example of the double standards, I do not know what else is.

We cannot accept tantrum after tantrum from John McEnroe, with the excuse “Oh, but it’s just McEnroe,” or should accept Michael Vick’s apology for his dog fights. Some are calling for a life-ban from soccer for Lambert for her aggressive play.

Women are still fighting for civil rights in the world of athletics.

Women’s firsts in sports Women’s singles competition begins at Wimbledon.

1884 1900

The All American Girl’s Baseball team is formed

1943 1973

Women first compete in the Paris Olympics Billie Jean King defeats Bobby Riggs in “Battle of the Sexes” tennis match

— Compiled by Sophie Gilchrist Source: http://www.infoplease.com/spot/womeninsportstimeline2.html

Bball wants another winning season

S Senior Scarlett Kirk takes a free throw in a game against Lowell High School. The Cubs lost by one point.

INA HERLIHY | the broadview

ince the Cubs won the Division V State Championship in 2003, Convent has been a threat in the Bay Counties League (BCL), having made it to the BCL championship game every year for the past four years, and winning the championship in 2006 and 2008.

“Our goal this season is to win [the] league championship,” said co-captain Rebecca Halloran, “Almost our whole team is returning players so we clearly remember barely losing that championship game last year.” “[We want] to make it further in NCS (North Coast Sectionals) than we did last year,” said co-captain Scarlett Kirk, who agrees the team’s first goal is to win the league.

Coach Kara Okamoto shares high hopes for the season.

“My personal goal is to have a

perfect season,” said Okamoto, “I would love it if the girls varsity basketball team could win the BCL league this year and continue on to do well during NCS.” Okamoto is unsure which team will give the Cubs a run for its money this season. Marin Academy and University traditionally have had good teams, and Lick Wilmerding also gave the Cubs a scare in the playoffs last year. Okamoto says all three teams could be serious opposition this season.

University may pose the biggest threat this year as one of Urban’s key players, Rachel Pecota, graduated last year.

“Last year our biggest competition was Urban, but this year it could be anyone,” said Okamoto.

Convent’s first taste of competition is in the upcoming Urban Holiday Tournament, Dec. 17-19, where the

squad will take on many of its rivals.

The Convent-Urban rivalry runs deep, and Convent has played well at this tournament before.

Varsity plays in the West Coast Jamboree Dec. 28-31 in Brentwood, bringing together teams west of the Mississippi River. Varsity won its division last year, beating teams from as far away as Canada.

The first regular season game is Jan. 12 against Urban at Kezar Gymnasium, with the regular season continuing through Feb. 12 and BCL Championship Playoffs begin Feb. 16.

Meanwhile, the team’s seasoned a roster of seven seniors, three juniors, one sophomore, and one freshman practices at least five times a week with intense conditioning and drills.

“This is our year,” said Halloran.

— Claire Fahey

KATHERINE MIBELLI | the broadview

Junior India Pearce races the ball down the court in a game against Lowell on Dec. 11. This is Pearce’s second year on varsity.

12 city life

December 17, 2009

Snow at the ballet

Timeless classic retains popularity in SF Meghan Helms Asst. A & E Editor

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t does not snow when winter comes to San Francisco — except on December evenings at The War Memorial Opera House where snowflakes dance in Helgi Tomasson’s Nutcracker.

Seat cushions offering slight seat elevation for children line the back walls of the theater. Bartenders serve hot chocolate to the young members of the audience, dressed up in their holiday best for a single night at the ballet.

The ballet begins at the eye-patch wearing Uncle Drosselmeyer’s, played by Val Caniparoli, toyshop in “The Jewel City,” San Francisco of 1915 — a perfect setting to draw in an audience of mostly children. As the show progresses with Drosselmeyer’s visit to Clara and her family’s home, magic manifests itself in a life-size dancing jack-in-the-box, a mechanical ballerina and of course, the Nutcracker.

The sets, designed by Michael Yeargan, are Maria Kochetkova and Davit Karapetyan dance in the Grand Pas de Deux in Tomasson’s Nutcracker. Nutcracker’s premiere in the United States was with San Francisco Ballet in 1944.

Erik Tomasson | with permission

simple but powerful. Clara’s house is comprised of a fireplace, bookshelf, stairs and windows — strongly illustrating the time period while grounding the dance in a suitable environment.

After Clara and her family end their Christmas festivities and retire for bed, Clara sneaks back downstairs to sleep with her beloved Nutcracker. As she falls asleep, Droselmeyer take control of the stage with a fantastic transformation of Clara’s home into an oversized magical wonderland and the Nutcracker undergoes a metamorphosis into a living figure.

The ensuing battle between the mice and Nutcracker is visually frightening as the Mouse King and the Nutcracker duel. Toy soldiers roll out and fire a miniature cannon that makes a loud “Pop!” to stir the audience. Although good, the Mouse King, danced by Aaron Orza, lacks the dramatic intensity of past Mouse Kings.

Together, Clara and the Nutcracker-turned-Prince with the removal of his wooden head — revealing a bad hair day — travel to the Land of Snow where they are welcomed with a dance by the Snow King and Queen.

The snowstorm levels of snow falling during the Waltz of the Snowflakes adds to the awe-inspiring nature of the dance as the Snow Queen turns and white flakes spin off her skirt.

The audience leaves the land of snow for the Intermission and returns to the snowless gardens of the Crystal Palace where ladybugs, dragonflies and butterflies dance in celebration of their guest, Clara and the Nutcracker prince return to the stage with smoothed down hair.

Classically-trained ballerinas dance in Spanish

skirts under giant black fans and a ballerina-turnedArabian dancer elegantly slithers out of an impossibly small lamp on pointe but in Arab garb.

The Spanish dancers are almost lost in the folds of their long white skirts, long in ballet standards —loosing their ballet foundations.

Geared for younger children with its softening of classical undertones visible in some of the costumes, Nutcracker is enjoyable for all ages who enjoy music and dancing with a good story line.

The Russian dancers are always a crowd pleaser with their dramatic entrance from paper-covered eggs.

The lively music and high jumps and turns inspire the audience to “Aww” and clap enthusiastically.

The story reaches its pinnacle with the transformation of Clara from the graceful but granted somewhat gangly preteen to the beautifully elegant Sugar Plum Fairy, leading up to the Grand Pas de Deux with the Nutcracker prince. Here, the music, dancing and story return to their ballet roots with classic costumes and music irreplaceable by acting.

And just like that, all of the ballerinas come out and dance their goodbyes before the sleeping Clara returns to her house and called upstairs to bed by her mother.

She may never realize, but the audience knows that Nutcracker was not just a dream. If it was, it’s worth dreaming again.

The Nutcracker plays at the War Memorial Opera House through Dec. 27th. Tickets are $18 to $236.

This year’s performance features SF Ballet students attending CSH, Caroline Hearst, Lauren Hawkins and Caroline Echerd. For more information on tickets, see http://www.sfballet.org .

Vintage stores are in Tearoom brings charm to 21st century Emma Herlihy Asst. News Editor

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econd-hand stores can provide affordable clothing, holiday gifts and the opportunity to sell used clothes, which is especially valuable in the state of the economy.

“We hand-select our items, so instead of going to a store trying to find something nice – like digging through a thrift store – you can come here and all of the items are good,” said employee Tatiana Kartomten of the second-hand store Wasteland on Haight.

Many second-hand stores buy clothes from the general public, only accepting clothing that are high-end vintage, designer and contemporary, while thrift stores usually accept donated clothes of varying qualities.

“Stores that choose the clothes they accept usually have the best things because they know what people would buy and they are easier to look through,” said sophomore Chloe Polite, who occasionally shops at thrift stores. “The best thing I have found was a nice dress for $15.”

Prices usually run from $10 to $150, depending on the quality of the clothing

and the designer. Clients who sell used clothing receive a portion of the selling price. At Wasteland, sellers receive 35 percent.

“Lately the prices I have seen second-hand stores are actually expensive considering that part of the point of the store is to buy things at a discounted price,” said sophomore Lily Kaplan. “I have noticed that jeans are especially expensive lately. The designer jeans are only being marked down $10 or $20 from the original price, so they are staying in the hundreds.”

Clothing at Retro Fit Vintage is either delicately dry cleaned or hand washed before being put on sale.

“The quality of the garments and the care set our store apart from others,” said Steven Lemay of Retro Fit Vintage.

“The garments are in good quality and no repairs need to be done and they are all clean.”

Clothing in each store reflects the style of its neighborhood, because he people living in the area tend to be the main contributors to the store.

“I found a lace sweater from Chris Consignment that felt like it was oneof-a-kind,” said Kaplan. “It was my favorite sweater for awhile and I got so many uses out of it.”

KATIE GHOTBI | the broadview

Ashley Weber sells a vintage sweater at The Junior League of San Francisco’s Next-to-New Shop & Consignment Boutique. Next-to-New re-sells used clothing and donates portions of the proceeds to community programs.

Local vintage stores:

Wasteland — 1660 Haight Street Crossroads Trading Co. — 1901 Fillmore Street Retro Fit Vintage — 910 Valencia Street

ANJALI SHRESTHA | the broadview

Junior Frankie Incerty pours tea at Lovejoy’s Tea Room. Although the sign says “Reserved for Royalty,” Lovejoys welcomes tea drinkers of all ages — specializing in warm scones and dainty sandwiches with the crusts cut off.

Anjali Shrestha Feature Editor

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he soft murmur of ladies chatting paired with the clink of porcelain lend to the homey atmosphere of Lovejoy’s Tea Room in Noe Valley.

Lovejoy’s, founded by an English couple 14 years ago, is a quintessential San Francisco restaurant with its random spoons, frames and carvings on the wall that add to the comfortable, yet, quirky feel of the tea room.

“Sitting down to a cozy day with mismatched porcelain keeps the elegance of tea but with familiar characteristics,” said Muna Nash, Lovejoy’s co-owner.

Lovejoy’s manages to pair a relaxed setting with friendly waiters and quality edibles. The tearoom offers a full tea service and delicate finger foods like small sandwiches and crumpets.

Guests can choose combinations like “High Tea for Two” or “Queen’s Tea.” The petit fore offered at the end finishes off the tea fit for a queen.

Tea sandwiches ranging from cu-

cumber and cream cheese to roast beef and horse radish serve as a delicious snack. The homemade Devonshire cream and jam complimenting the raisin crumpets leave you feeling stuffed but satisfied. Lovejoy’s collection of seasonal teas, in addition to their large selection of year-round teas, is the highlight of the trip.

“The pumpkin spice tea was tasty and made me think of Christmas,” said junior Francesca Incerty.

Patrons celebrate birthdays, anniversaries and bridal showers at Lovejoy’s.

“Tea service is associated with celebrating something special,” said Nash.

“It has an affordable elegance.”

Lovejoy’s provides the ambiance of a great aunt’s parlor with antique couches and chairs with mix matched table clothes fill the small room. The tea room is bustling on any given Sunday afternoon. “[Lovejoy’s] has that old fashioned feeling to it, we work hard to keep that touch,” said Nash.

Each customer’s sits before a tea setting consisting of mixed china — a unique feature of this teahouse.

“We love china, it is very eclectic,” said Nash. “We like the idea of reusing items, we like the way things look when they are mix and matched.”

An antique hat rack from Scotland, replica of an old English telephone box and signs at the reserved tables reading “Reserved for Royalty” are some items that add the old-fashion style and eclectic feel of the tearoom.

Nash attributes the success of the tearoom to the popularity of tea as a timeless treat and ambiance preserved at Lovejoy’s.

“People feel good in here, it is like people are escaping from outside the outside world.

Across the street sits the tearoom’s antique shop — thought up five years ago selling products for customers to host their own tea party.

The tearoom provides an activity for people of all ages from small children having tea parties or grandparents sitting down for a relaxing cup of tea.

“I love sharing this place with my girlfriends,” said customer Eleanor Gomez. “I love the character and how it is run and operated by women. It is a taste of yesteryear in a modern world.”