Woodside World December 2012

December 2012

The Woodside World

The Voice of the Wildcats

Students Show

WHS SPIRIT at Lunchtime Rallies pg. 8

SAT/ACT:

A Deciding Factor for CollegeBound Students pg. 11

What’s Up with the New App,

Instagram? pg. 10

Girls Water Polo:

League Champions! pg. 5

Kayley James New Faces of Football t New Quarterback t New Kicker t New Coach pg. 4

Runs in CCS as a Freshman pg. 6

- Woodside World - December 2012

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The Woodside World

Features

December 2012

7 Girls Water Polo Goes to CCS- Powerful shooting and teamwork earn the team a spot in the playoffs.

News

Sports

Student Life

14 A Terrifying Reality of Wooside Seniors Students face a choice of the ACT or the SAT if they plan to attend college .

4 Coach Nic’s Legacy Coach Nicolopulos says goodbye to WHS football.

7 Rebulding Boys Water Polo Varsity Boys Water Polo welcomes a new coach.

8 ďŹ Freshman Kayley James runs at CCS

10 Rally Up! Woodside students enjoy lunchtime rallies, 11 Facebook And College Many change their names on Facebook in case colleges are watching.

15 Hositility at WHS Different perspectives on bullying at Woodside.

Arts & Entertainment

5 New Faces of Woodside Football 12 Instagram New coach, new kicker, new A new and popular app on quarterback. smart phones.

Staff

Alexis Carlson, Luci Cerrillo, Fred Corcoran, Chris Guillen, Ben Gumbley, Kenzie Humphries, Caleb Levine, Joel Cobian, Collin Merwin, Nick Montalbano, Leira Montemayor, Carolyn Oliveira, Emily Orrego, Harry Patino, Diego Perez, Haley Sheetz, Raul Torres, Mackenzie Bray, Makayla Karr-Warner, Maya Kuipers, Kathleen Sandoval, and Abby Taussig Staff Adviser: Peter Cirincione Table of Contents - Woodside World - December 2012

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Coach Nicolopulos’s Legacy

By Nick Montalbano and Alyssa Milanese, Staff Writers Not many people here at Woodside will be able to get used the change that Steve Nicolopulos, former head football coach and program director, made to no longer coach here at Woodside.

Most people did not know Nicolopulos outside of the boys’ locker room, but for those who do they are more used to seeing him inside of the weight room or out on Bradley Field during the summer pre-season football practice. Coach Nic announced that he would be leaving his job as the head coach after the season of fall 2011. This came as a surprise to most of the football players at the time. When the new coach, Josh Bowie, took his place in the mid-summer practices. People began to fi with the Wildcats.

Christian Masulit ‘12 congratulates teammate James Takapu‘14 fi

Coach Nic has been coaching football here at Woodside for more than twenty years out of his thirty-year coaching career and has followed in the footsteps of his father who coached before him. He has won many games and in the fall of 2004 with the help of Julian Edelman, current wide receiver for the New England Patriots, won the CCS championship.

With the help of seniors Gino Cockrum, Jeff Pertromilli, John Mckee, and three-year varsity starter Kiola Mahoni, Woodside was able to send Coach Nic out with a bang by having won their homecoming game and the huge rival game against Sequoia with a record crowd of 3,000. fi Wildcats. He believed in honesty, brotherhood and a sense of tradition, which he used to create the Woodside Football Program. Coach Nic also had his own way of inspiring his players to do better and be great. Ben Jones ‘13 said, ”He had a lot of different little sayings that probably still have some subliminal effect... I know that his appreciation for things like fl

fi

Photo credit: Yary

Players wondered what would happen now that Coach Nic is now just Mr. Nic. One main concern was how they would get by with their new coach. Little did they know, Coach Bowie onced played for Coach Nic. Bowie wanted to follow in the same footsteps as Coach Nic and drive the Wildcats to victory.

Ben Deleo ‘12 and the offensive line prepare to protect the

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Woodside World - December 2012 - Sports

quarterback at all costs. Photo credit: Yearbook Staff

Game-Changers: New Faces in Woodside Football

By Harry Patino and Diego Perez, Staff Writers With a brand new team, staff, and attitude, incoming varsity football head coach Josh Bowie is determined to turn around the Woodside football program.

New varsity head coach Bowie brings a lot of change to the Woodside football program. He’s got experience, a few playoff fi alone in this transition. With a new coaching staff, fresh rotation of players and or quarterbacks, and even a female kicker, Woodside’s 2012 football season is shaping up to be one of the most unique seasons in a while.

After an era of ups and downs, Woodside football has a fresh face at the head coach position: Josh Bowie. With an impressive coaching record and status as a Woodsdie alumnus himself, Bowie isn’t new to the sport. A star player under Coach Nick’s tutelage, Bowie’s bright college ball career sidelined by a gameday concussion. Undaunted by such misfortune, Coach Bowie quickly kicked off his coaching career.

Titus isn’t the only newcomer this year, he is joined by Randi fi found the transition from soccer to football an easy one. “I love it our there. I mean, besides putting on the pads, I just have to apply my boss soccer skills and I’m set. The team environment helps too. Gender isn’t even an issue, and everyone just treats me like one of the bros.” While holding no prior football experience, Randi claims a deep-seated interest in football due to an intense love for the San Francisco Forty-Niners.

As veteran Varsity Defensive Coordinator Bobby Mitchell puts it, “I love our team this year. Diversity is mixing with nostalgia here, and Coach Bowie brings that classic Wildcat Pride that really gets our boys (and girl) playing their hearts out on game day. I’m glad to be a part of this time, and I’m even more exited to see what they can do.”

Starting off at Cappuchino High School in San Bruno, Bowie quickly cemented his coaching ability by leading the Mustangs to two CCS entries, followed by a four year coaching position at Castro Valley High School. Bowie returned to his native turf for the 2007-08-09 seasons as the Wildcats Varsity Defensive Doordinator before popping off a year of coaching at Sacred Heart Prep. However, following Coach Nicolopulos’s departure before the 2012-2013 season, Coach Bowie jumped at the chance to nab what he calls his “dream job.”

“I want this be an aggressive, With no easy task ahead of him , Bowie has stressed the approach he wishes to take with his Wildcats. “We’re just taking small steps right now, you know? By all means I want this to be an aggressive, passionate team, and you’ve just got to take it week by week. A big part of the learning process is correcting your mistakes and challenging yourself as a player, but quite frankly I just want my guys to have some fun out there.”

Josh Bowie watches his team as they perform drills during a practice fi Photo credit: Diego Perez

Stepping into cleats formerly worn by last year’s Ricky Hoffer, fi lineup as quarterback. When asked about his gameday method, he revealed his Zen approach: “Push yourself really hard and practice. Just treat any game as a test, and if you work really hard and practice your game will go well. Practice makes perfect.”

“Coach Bowie brings that classic Wildcat Pride.” -Bobby Mitchell

Kiola Mahoni kicks from the hold of Josh Holman as Alexis Ypez blocks during an away game that ended in an amazing victory over Carlmont. Photo credit: Yearbook staff Sports - Woodside World - December 2012

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First Time League Champions

By Raul Torres, Staff Writer

Photos courtesy of Yearbook Staff Robert Wang ‘15 drives up the field for a treThroughout this interesting fall season, a very surprising event has ocmendous gain. curred. While the varsity football team struggled, an uprising JV team has rose above the charts with a 9-1 record, and now they have won their Division.

Even though JV has not been recognized by the majority of WHS, they have become a threat to any challenger and have had a successful season against Sequoia, South City and Menlo. Although the team is still not getting the recognition that they deserve, the JV Football team has put WHS back on top of the ranks and has made us as a force to be reckoned with.

Sophomore Remy Kops says that the team is very proud of themselves for winning the division. The team was very hardworking and the players fought through their struggles inorder to achieve the title of League Champions. “I really believe that our team has been very successful. We really did our very best,” said Kops.

He did mention, however, that the players do not deserve all of the recognition because “the coach was a very big help.” Coach Justin Andrews Dylan Maynard ‘15 fights through the line of did not only run drills and make plays, but he also shared his own person- scrimage for a Woodside first down. al experiences with the team. “He told us that in his experience when he played in Oregon, he never disrespected other players, he showed pride and respect. and that’s how we kept it to ourselves. His experience has shown us a lot and I’m proud to have him as our coach”.

Sophomore quarterback Robert Wang strongly believes Andrews motivates the team, which is a key reason for their success. “The coach motivates us really well, when he gets ‘pumped up’ we get pumped up.” Wang also noted that Andrews’ time as a football player himself helps him to coach Woodside’s players. “In his experience as a linebacker in Oregon, he shares his experiences with us.”

The players did not expect such amazing success this year. Wang thought “this year has been very surprising to our team, we never knew we would be this good compared to the varsity team.” However, he does lament the lack of recognition given to the promising JV: “We do not get that much Sisi Mahoni ‘15 boots the pigskin to the receivattention towards our hard work, but we still got the job done.” ing South City side.

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Woodside World - December 2012 - Sports

Girls Water Polo Competes in CCS Play-in Article and Photos by Abby Taussig, Sports Editor The varsity girls water polo team had a strong season with a 12-1 record and a fi fi

fi it away from the Mercy defnse.

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Head coach Laura Reynolds knew they would make the playoff from the beginning fi playoff game.” Bordy, one of the team’s co-captains, also believed that the varsity team was strong enough to accomplish what they could not quite manage in the 2011 season: “We hope to do better and to beat all the teams we lost to last year.

Hopefully we will be undefeated and go to the CCS play-in game.”

Besides the strong individual players, the team is also powerful as a whole. Megan Wride ‘13, who has been on varsity for three years, noted, “This year our strengths are our shooting ability as a team (everyone can shoot the ball well and is a threat in the pool), and we have endurance.” Christina York, the other captain, saw the team’s optimism as another strong point. York mentioned, “This year our team is very positive, and we are determined to keep getting better and to win.”

Reynolds knows this about her team, but she additionally found other reasons for their success this year. “They know each other well... They come together really well as a team. They don’t get down on each other, and they have fun together.”

Emma Adams ‘13 shoots a well-placed goal during the team’s 15-7 victory against Mercy.

Being such a closely-knit team helped them during their defeat of Mercy, as Bordy fi fi The girls get along well in and out of the pool, which helps them during competition. In a sport like water polo, a teammate must know in less than a second whether to go for the pass or sprint to the goal. Woodside’s players know each other and communicate well to make all of the split-second decisions game-winning ones.

Emily Dunlap ‘14 comes high out of the water to block a shot headed for the goal.

The friendships they have not only take them far during the season, but they also bring back players year after year, as Wride explained, “I play because the team is pretty much a big family. They all have great attitudes and are fun to be around, which is important if you are around them for twelve or more hours a week.”

Sports - Woodside World - December 2012

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Athlete of the Edition:

Kayley James

By Abby Taussig, Sports Editor

Woodside High School is home to many amazing varsity athletes. Over ninety percent of them are juniors and seniors, but a few of them are underclassmen. Four of them are even freshmen, and one of these freshmen went to CCS. On October 27th, freshman Kayley James ran with Woodside’s varsity girls cross country team at PAL Finals. The team placed ninth overall, just barely missing the cut off, as the top eight teams continue their seasons to the sectional championship. Luckily, CCS acfi times, and James was one of those rare runners.

James had been running up to eight miles a day in preparation, so she was glad to have fi it was a mixed blessing for her: “I was happy fi she could not deny her delight that all of her fi mitted, “I am very proud of myself, actually.”

James has run competitively since sixth grade, when she ran on North Star’s cross country team, but she knew she was a runfi playing soccer, she remembers, “My grandma fi of practice and told him that I was born to run.”

She runs both in soccer and in cross country, but they are two far different sports for her. “In soccer and other sports, you can just sub out when you’re tired--not that soccer is an easy sport by any means--but in running you’re only giving up on yourself if you stop, so you have to be a little more strong to run.”

Exhausted yet determined, Kayley James races in the Ram Invitational at Westmoor High School. Photo Credit: Jon Feuerhelm

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Woodside World - December 2012 - Sports

James doesn’t have any concerns regarding her future as a runner. “I’m just going to run for fun and as long as I can.” During track season, she hopes to run anything from the 400 to the mile.

Rebuilding Boys Water Polo Article and photos by Carolyn Oliveira, Staff Writer

Coach Luke Plurkowski brought a new sense of respect and enthusiasm for water polo to Woodside High School.

Coach Plurkowski has smiles proudly on the pool deck.

New boys water polo coach, Plurkowski, not only helped our seniors on varsity have a great last season, but he also set the foundation for a stronger water polo program.

Plurkowski was the head water polo and swimming coach at Antioch High School from 2001-2004. His girls team made the NCS playoffs in 2001, and his boys teams in 2001 and 2003.

Regarding Woodisde High School, Plurkowski said, “The campus is really nice... There is a lot of diversity here.” Plurkowski also wants to “grow the program.” He said, “My long term focus is on the younger guys, the freshman and sophomores, I want to make sure they enjoy it.” Plurkowski would describe his coaching style towards them as “tough, but fair.”

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Matt Cremers ‘13 has been playing water polo for four years.

Cremers considers the old coach as “like a friend to us.” Cremers described the team’s reaction when they found out they were getting a new coach as “a little sad,” but he also said that Plurkowski is “working out well.”

Plurkowski and the team had similar predictions for this season.

Cremers simply said he thought that the team would “win some, lose some.” Plurkowski expects that team will be “improving as the season goes on.”

Matt Cremers believe that water polo should get more attention because “the football team has not done very well, and the water polo team has.” Plurkowski, also, agrees. he stated “I think [water polo] is a great sport, it contains all the best aspects of basketball and soccer into one game,” and that it is “one of the most physical sports you can do.”

Focused on the goal a Wildcat polo player aims a shot.

Sports - Woodside World - December 2012

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Rally Up!

By Alexis Carlson, Staff Writer Even though many Woodside students enjoy the lunchtime rallies, is there enough spirit, and are all sports being acknowledged?

As students gather into the quad at lunch, they are excited to see what the band, cheer teams, and dance teams have in store for the rally. What new tricks will they do? What songs will they play or dance to? While the band plays, everyone takes his or her seat, anxiously awaiting for the entertainment to begin.

JV Cheer shows one of their many tricks to students.

Photo Credit: Kathleen Sandoval

Varsity Cheer strikes a final pose!

Photo Credit: Christoper Guillen

When asked why she enjoys the rallies, Jaclyn Hovsmith ‘16 said, “I like the feeling of togetherness, and from the perspective of a dancer, you see everyone on the steps and you really get this wonderful feeling of community.” But in the end, what is the main purpose of the rallies? The goal is for students to get pumped up and excited about the football games taking place later that day.

However, this does not seem to be the case.

A few Woodside students think that the lunchtime rallies that have taken place in the quad so far resemble more of a show or an ordinary rally. Harpeet Dehar ‘16 says “I think it’s just a rally. Not really a pep rally but not a show-- kind of in the middle. I feel like those performing have a lot of spirit, but that students just watch and miss the purpose of the rally, school spirit.” Some students say that the only sports ever acknowledged in rallies are football and basketball. However, Leslie With, Student Activities coordinator, has a different view of it, “Other sports have most definitely been honored and recognized during rallies. We have had captains come down and even say a few words. It’s a matter of who is willing to listen.”

Most students agree that the rallies are extremely entertaining and that it shows how great our dance, cheer, and band truly are. In between each performance, students on leadership take the mic and interact with the crowd. “I like the dance team performances and the music during the rallies. The activities that happen in between JV Dance Team gets ready to perform a new dance for the crowd. can be funny sometimes too,” says Lindsay Ringman ‘14. Whether it be an announcement about the game or a set of interactive Photo Credit: Christopher Guillen questions, students are never left with a dull moment in a rally.

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Woodside World - December 2012 - Student Life

Facebook Can Compromise Getting into College

By Haley Sheetz, Staff Writer The acceptance of Woodside High School seniors into college could be compromised by the information on their Facebook profiles.

College admissions officers have been looking into prospective students’ Facebook profiles for a number of years now. In response to this breach of privacy, Woodside seniors have attempted to protect their privacy by changing their Facebook profile names. Students have elected to change their names for a number of reasons, but first and foremost it seems to be an issue of privacy.

There are also students who feel that they have nothing to hide, and therefore have chosen not to change their Facebook names, leaving their profiles open to the public.

One such senior, Kaylee Kuipers (‘13) says, “Nothing that I post on Facebook could hamper my chances of getting into college.” Though Kuipers feel that her private life is adequately protected, she does feel that there is an issue of online safety amongst her peers. She believes that students should be more aware of the pitfalls of posting private things in public places, saying, “What you post on the Internet is not private and you are aware of that when you post something. It is permanent and students should be ready to accept the consequences.”

It would appear that the true problem within all of this is that the content posted by students onto the internet world is growing more and more risque. Whether students have decided to change their profile name or not, both can agree that certain things have no place on a public profile. Students agree that if it is not something you would want to show to a parent or teacher, it should not be posted online.

Kuipers says that such things include “alcohol and drug abuse, revealing clothing, and excessive partying.” Such things would certainly be unattractive to potential admissions officers and could in fact damage that student’s reputation irreparably.

It is clear that the Internet world needs a wake up call, whether it be from a counselor, a parent, or a college admissions officer. It is time for students to realize that what they put on the internet is public and irreversible. Matavulj offers a sound resolution to the chaos of the internet world: “Don’t do any permanent damage.”

“What you post on the Internet is not private.” -Kaylee Kuipers College advice counselor, Ms. Matavulj, seeks to dispel some of the confusion involving the correlation between Facebook and college admissions. She says that “we should all just be mellow because Facebook profiles are not really considered by college admissions officers.”

While this does erase some of the tension, Matavulj also makes it clear that a few colleges do peek onto a student’s online profile. She also believes that there is a greater issue amidst all of this, which extends beyond the realm of putting up a good facade for colleges. She says, “Students are likely protecting their privacy somewhat by changing their FB names, but they are not solving the real problem–acting crazy and having that posted on FB.”

“They are not solving the real problem–acting crazy and having that posted on FB.” - Zorina Matavulj

A student gets help with applications in the College and Career Center.

Photo Credit: Haley Sheetz

Zorina Matavulj works to help students get into the college of their choice. Photo Credit: Haley Sheetz Student Life - Woodside World - December 2012

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A New Platform in Photography?

By Luci Aguilera, Staff Writer

The popular photo-sharing app Instagram has skyrocketed to fame among teens and adults alike. Since its launch in October 2010, Instagram has gained over 100 million users and over 150 million photos have been uploaded as of April 2012.

When Woodside students were asked for their take on Instagram, fi each response was different. Jessica Patton ‘16 says, “I love to look opened. at cute pictures of my friends and some of my favorite celebrities.” Photo Credit: Luci Cerrillo When it comes to popularity, Patton claims that Instagram will continue to prosper because “it’s a really good photo-sharing app.”

Though it may be popular, Instagram is only available to a limited amount of technology devices. Sarah Weller ‘16, who is unable to download Instagram on her Samsung phone, thinks that Instagram should increase its availability because “it is getting more popular and more people want to download it.”

Instagram has become almost as well known as the social media apps Facebook, Twitter and Tumblr. Gianna Lyle ‘16 claims that the app will surpass most social media apps in popularity while Patton claims that Instagram will not surpass the others because “they have been around a lot longer than Instagram has and they’re more addicting.”

Just like the many other commonly used social media apps, Instagram was created for entertainment purposes only. Lyle says, “it’s just for sharing and looking at other people’s pictures. It’s not very useful to me.” Weller agrees with this statement adding, “unless pictures are useful for you, then the app isn’t all that useful.”

Both Lyle and Patton highly recommend the app because of its unique ability to share high quality photos while Weller does not see what the big hype is all about. “It’s annoying how some people are just glued to the app and are on it for hours.” Whatever your opinion on the app may be, one thing’s for sure: Instagram will continue to soar in popularity with its unique, fast and beautiful photo sharing. page of the Instagram HQ.

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Woodside World - December 2012 - Arts & Entertainment

Photo credit: Instagram user @gioni17

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Meet Ms. Burbank!

By Makayla Karr-Warner, Editor-in-Chief, and Brianna Wurz, Staff Writer As Ms. Burbank wanders Woodside’s campus during lunch, she encounters hundreds of new faces. She entered an fi as the new principal. We set out to get to know a little more about our new principal and her plans going forward.

Have you always known that you wanted to work in education?

“I remember walking into 1st grade and saying ‘oh my gosh well that’s what I’m going to be. I’m going to be the one who gets to stand in front. So I went all through elementary school, middle school, and then high school knowing that as soon as I got out I was going to go to college to be a teacher.”

What is it that you like most about Woodside High School?

“I like the eight conditions of student success with the fl staff are committing to that and working on it all the time.”

How are you trying to get to know Woodside?

“I’ve got to have open eyes and big ears and ask fi working, and what could be working better. Woodside is not fi fi well.”

How would you describe your role at Woodside High School?

“I am an advocate for students, and for those whose needs aren’t being met, who don’t have options or who don’t think they have options.”

Bottom: Happy to be at Woodside, Burbank is an advocate for students.

Top: The administrative staff welcomes the world. From left to right Diane Mazzei, Maureen Campbell, Diane Burbank, and Alvaro Calderon.

Photo credit: Peter Cirincione News - Woodside World - December 2012 13

The Terrifying Reality for Woodside Seniors Article and photos by Leira Montemayor, Staff Writer

Colleges in the United States have always required either the ACT or SAT to judge all students by a common measurement of academic intelligence and common sense . The two exams are known as the universal equalizers because they measure high school students’ educational development and capability regardless of the school they came from.

On the other hand, some seniors and juniors at WHS took either the ACT, SAT, or both. The said tests were conducted to see how well students can do, they both serve the same function, they’re both lengthy and challenging, and they’re both treated like a holy grail of college admissions.

Students are having a hard time choosing the best test for them to take, they want to make sure that they will make the right decision, and that, is to choose the most valuable and useful of the two.

can use for admission, 90 percent of colleges require either the ACT or SAT. These two exams are not necessary for graduation.

Some students also voiced out their visions and opinions about the two exams. “It could be challenging at times but i think the best thing to do is just take your time on it and if you have any problems just try to guess the best answer possible and you’ll get through it pretty easily. I can’t say that I did well but I think I did it as best as I could and at least tried,” Austin Merrill ’14 at WHS said. Nevertheless, Linda Sanchez’13 suggested that students who failed on fi

To clarify the confusion, Ms. Zorina Matavulj, Woodside High School’s college and career advisor stated that, “They’re both multiple choice tests, but they’re different in format and structure, and it really depends on the students…they’re the one who can determine which test is better for them to take.”

Many seniors conclude that the SAT is superior to the ACT. “I took the SAT because when I was looking for colleges that’s what most of them prefer.” Linda Sanchez ‘13, stated. However, others believe that the ACT is the better choice.

According to Ms. Matavulj, the most common thing she hears from students, is that the ACT’s guess-lenient grading system makes them feel better about their scores.

However, she disagrees: “There are two tests that colleges

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Woodside World - December 2012 - News

These are just some of the universities where students can qualify if they passed either the ACT or SAT.

Hostility within Woodside and Those Who Take a Stand

By Joel Martinez-Cobian, Staff Writer

When it comes to bullying, the Woodside student population is torn between opinions. When questioned on the common types of harassment within Woodside, most students are quick to express their unfamiliarity with the concept and defend the integrity of their school as a welcoming environment. “What makes Woodside so special compared to other public high schools in the bay area,” confessed Tory Ward ‘15, “is that it’s not a hostile environment. It is a safe place.”

So, in a country where one out of four students report fi lied, and approximately 280,000 students miss school excessively due to fear of harassment, is Woodside truly a uniquely positive school? Perhaps the answer lies in the preventive measures that the Woodside staff and a number of concerned students have undertaken throughout the years to build a peaceful learning environment.

Juan Mendoza ‘13, considers the number of students that fi one in twenty. “I think about 15% [of students get bullied]… probably not more than twenty percent.”

And although he observes that physical bullying is rare on campus, he claims to have witnessed verbal abuse countless times. “I’ve seen it happen, a lot of times somebody will be walking, and other people call them names, make fun of the way they dress, and laugh. They don’t usually say it to their face, but the person notices.”

To put the numbers into perspective, if 5-20 % of the Woodside population faces continuous harassment, that means that 85 to 340 students wake up everyday knowing that their smiles will go unanswered, their clothes will be critiqued, and at best, they will be given the cold shoulder when they try to expand their comfort zones.

The Safe School Ambassadors (SSA) program, a subdivision of Students Offering Support (SOS), is a prime example of preventive action. In the words of Laura Perdikomatis, PE teacher and department chair, and SOS coordinator, “the SSA is a program in which we train about forty students a year on eight strategies to combat mistreatment.

We train them on how to react and help the victim.”

Alex Herrera ‘13, a member of the SSA, expressed steadfast support for the cause that he and other ambassadors commit to. “We try and prevent bullying as much as we possibly can…It isn’t easy to stop something like that, but we do our best. There are people in the SSA who have seen things that need to be stopped, and they do stop them.”

Laura Perdikomatis, SOS coordinator, takes a stand against bullying.

Photo Credit: Joel Martinez-Cobian News - Woodside World - December 2012

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Student Art

“Savannah” by Alexia Cunha ‘13, Medium: acrylic paint

“Levi” by Annelise Barriga ‘13, Medium: acrylic paint

Snap, Crackle, Pop

by Rachel Crane ‘16

He was hit hard. Right along the face. The crack echoed as the crowd silenced in anticipation. What was going to come of him?

Was he going to make it?

He’s up. He’s going. He’s over the fence, never to be seen again.

Home Run.

“Rain Drops” by Brittany Barvich ‘13, Medium: photograph

Passing the Time

by Alec Mullen ‘16

There he stands. Pulse quietly tapping away. His arms holding out a signal no one is looking for. He waits: tirelessly. All he does is wait and hope that someone will need him for that signal he is to communicate. Remaining calm as always. Someone is near.

“It’s 12:45. Let’s get going!”