March 2013 - Contra Costa Journalism.net
Transcription
March 2013 - Contra Costa Journalism.net
–Page 4 Clayton Valley installs black turf! –Page 8 Pinerest catching on with teens –Page 10 FEATURES –Page 6 Preach, practice anti-bullying ATHLETICS BACK PAGE Dream of ballet GUNS IN AMERICA realized Time to reload or renounce? –Page 12 OPINION March 2013 CC Spin March 2013 Volume 6 Issue 2 News & Views From Contra Costa County High Schools Northgate jazz bands excel at Folsom By Jessica Bautista & Jana Magwili Northgate High School In a first time achievement, Northgate High School's instrumental music department showcased not one, but two, jazz bands at a major Northern California music festival. Jazz Band II debuted while Jazz Band I took second place in late January at the 24th Annual Folsom Jazz Festival, beating out over 100 other Northern California jazz bands. “It was wonderful,” said senior Will Painter, a baritone saxophone player and three-year band member. “We spent so much time and effort preparing for that moment, and to play as we did was amazing.” Jazz Band I, Jazz Band II and the school’s six-person combo competed in their respective categories at the event at Folsom Lake College. Jazz Band I won its division, earning a spot on stage in the encore evening performance at the 800-seat Rolling Hills Christian Church. Jazz Band II, a new addition to the music program, earned all superior scores from the judges in their category. The Jazz Sextet, made up of Eric Nakanishi on alto sax, Jeff Brown on tenor sax, Edward Evans on trumpet, Nate Schwartz on guitar, James Harrington on bass and Mitchell Collard on percussion, earned top honors for combos in their performance. This is the first year for the addition of the second jazz band. Jazz Band II, composed of 19 students in all grade levels, made their big debut the previous weekend in the jazz festival that took place at Northgate in mid-January. At that festival, jazz bands from around the Bay Area came to perform in Northgate’s Jack de Rieux Little Theatre. The two-day festival consisted of a theater performance for each of the 29 bands, followed by a sight- reading challenge, where a band plays a new piece of music for the first time. The instrumental music department hosts the event, which raises some money but also brings attention to the school and program. “It takes the support and enthusiasm of the parent boosters and parents to make this project happen,”said attendance secretary Margaret Vercammen, whose daughter graduated from Northgate and was part of the jazz and music program. “You can plan and organize until the cows come home, but it takes extreme teamwork to actually make this happen.” In addition to the adult volunteers, instrumental music students volunteer to help run the festival. “This year we had over 30 non-jazz students working at the festival, for a total of 75 total student workers in all,” Music Director Greg Brown said. NORTHGATE musicians Joey Harrington, Ben Lugten and James Willis at the Folsom Jazz Festival. Photo by Jessica Bautista, Northgate High School. Monte Vista students protest stricter ticketing By Gretchen Koenen Monte Vista High School DANGEROUS HABIT, and illegal. Joey Peterson pretends to text while driving in the back parking lot of the school to raise awareness. Photo by Kat Nelson, Deer Valley High School. Despite bans, teens still text By Ariane Hamner Deer Valley High School Despite "hands free" laws like California instituted two years ago, almost half of all drivers between the ages of 18 and 24 are texting while driving, according to Edgar Snyder and Associates, a prominent personal injury law firm. That statistic alone should scare all drivers. If one of every two young drivers text while driving, then our lives are in danger. Experts say that younger drivers often do not have enough experience to handle many distractions while driving. Not only do they put their lives in danger if they text, everyone on the road is placed in danger, too. To address this issue, AT&T has launched a campaign called, It Can Wait, that encourages teens to make a pledge not to text and drive. People can take the pledge on AT&T’s website, which also has informative statistics about texting while driving. On other online sites, you can find numerous groups against texting while driving, each highlighting the possible deadly aftermath. For example, there’s Mothers against Texting and Driving, a group formed by mothers who have had one of their own children killed as a result of someone’s texting and driving. These campaigns are not just aimed at teenagers; some adults are guilty of texting and driving as well. According to a CNN report, “27 percent of adults say that they have sent text messages from behind the wheel.” Currently there are 39 states that outlaw texting while driving for all drivers, and an additional five outlaw texting by probationary drivers. For a first offense, the ticket costs as little as $20, but after court fees, it can end up costing as much as $140. Since California’s hands-free law took effect two years ago, authorities have issued an estimated 500,000 tickets to violators. Now there are numerous smartphone applications to help people avoid using their phones while driving. Some apps that you can download are txtBlocker, CellSafety, iZup, Zoomsafer and Cell Control. These applications block all texts and calls while smart-phone users are in a vehicle that is in motion. The danger represented by texting and driving is completely preventable. If one person at a time stops texting while driving, accidents can be prevented and lives can be saved. College website, the Gateway to College Program enables high school students to complete their high school diploma requirements while simultaneously earning college credit toward an associate degree or certificate. The program is aimed at young adults from 16 to 20 who have dropped out of high school or are failing to meet credit requirements and are unlikely to graduate. Since Gateway is a scholarship program, students receive free tuition and books. Hercules High counselor Alaina Krystek said it is a great opportunity for students who are struggling in school, deficient in credits and need a smaller environment. “Here, our classes are larger,” Krystek said. “Counselors have large Hercules initiates college credit program By Christine Soberno Hercules High School Just as no child should be left behind, every teenager deserves a second chance at earning an education. Beginning the second semester of this school year, Hercules High School will participate in a program called Gateway to College. According to the Contra Costa See COLLEGE CREDIT Page 3 The days of Monte Vista students ripping up their parking tickets have come to an end as the San Ramon Valley School District changed the vendor that processes the tickets. Students will not experience an increase in ticket prices from the current range of $35 to $50, but violations will be more strictly enforced, according to the district. “It depends on what the offense is on what the amount the ticket will be,” Assistant Principal Debbie Pettish said. Offenses include parking in the hash marks ($50), parking in a fire lane ($50), parking in the staff lot ($35), and not having a valid permit ($35). “I paid the tickets and I look back and laugh at the fact that I only got 11,”senior Mark Hirsch said,“because I parked illegally at least 25 times.” The ticket reminders are now sent in the mail. Each reminder will have specific instructions on how and where to pay the tickets. “Students are now receiving notification in the mail for tickets that they haven’t paid,” Principal Janet Terranova said. The primary purpose of the parking tickets is to keep Monte Vista parking lots a safe and fair environment. “It’s not fair for a student who purchased a $100 year-long parking pass to not get a spot due to someone who parked in the lot without a pass,” campus supervisor Debra Ratich said. The safety in the parking lot has to do with where students park. If there was an emergency and a student was parked in the fire lane or not in a designated spot, the school could get fined by the Fire Department. “We mostly give out tickets to students who don’t have permits, or have parked illegally,” Ratich said. Gus Arroyo, a Monte Vista security guard, suggested that the school put forth a lunch duty requirement for students who receive two or more tickets. This targets the repeat offenders, as the administration finds that it is usually the same people that continue to illegally park. Some students don’t like the idea of a lunch duty penalty. “I don’t think it is fair that students have to pay for the ticket and do lunch duty,” senior Kaitlyn Haithcock said. “I think it should be one or the other.” Some students and parents are angry that they weren’t notified of the switch of service until they received reminders to pay their tickets from as long ago as August. “I think it is highly unfair that Monte Vista never gave clear directions on what to do with the tickets. Every student thought of these as warnings and now I have 11 tickets to pay to the Martinez Court House,” senior Kaitlyn Haithcock said. “I think the administration should have more sympathy for us and consider having assigned parking spots. I think this would alleviate the majority of the reasons students get tickets.” Some students feel frustrated because they have received tickets for no apparent reason. If this happens, the administration is very flexible with taking tickets back. “I got my ticket for not having my sticker on,” senior Carly Rashoff said. “I don’t think that’s fair since I have a permit.” When students don’t pay their tickets in a timely manner the price of the ticket goes up. Violations that are two weeks late increase $5 and $15 or more after another two weeks. Unpaid tickets could result in not being able to register your car with the California Department of Motor Vehicles. PARKING violation tickets Monte Vista High students have torn up. Photo by Gretchen Koenen News 2 March 2013 Few visitors to Las Lomas' memorial to students By Kelsey Angus Las Lomas High School Last spring, Las Lomas High students spent countless hours planning and constructing the Outdoor Memorial in memory of Matt Miller and Gavin Powell, Las Lomas students who died a year ago in a boating accident. However, students have had little opportunity to enjoy the memorial and remember Matt and Gavin there. Senior Carly Bauer recently went to the memorial with her Spanish class, but says that she has not used it many times before. “I went there I believe three times last year, but besides when I just went the other day with my Spanish class, I haven’t gone at all this year,” said Bauer. Although disappointed that she has not visited the garden more often, Bauer understands why it can be difficult for classes to use. “It is kind of a hassle to get there, and teachers don’t have all the tools from their classrooms or any way to talk to their students, so I feel like they have to go out of their way to go there,”she said.“They have to completely prepare a lesson, especially for the outdoor classroom. It just takes more effort.” Bauer has also never been to the classroom without a class or a teacher. “I’ve never tried to use it on my own because I have been under the impression that you can only go there with a class,” said Bauer. “I can see how it would be hard for the library to just say that you can go out there whenever you want because people can just hop the fence or something, but it would be an awesome place to eat lunch.” Unlike Bauer, sophomore Zoe Grenville has tried to use the outdoor classroom to study with a friend. “It’s annoying trying to talk really quietly in the library when you’re trying to study, so my friend and I saw the outdoor classroom and it looked really nice,”said Grenville. “We sat out there, and it was really peaceful and we were starting to get a lot done for about five minutes, but then we got kicked out.” Grenville was surprised that she and her friend were told to leave. She thought that the library staff would like to see people using the garden. “They said that they only open the doors for fresh air purposes and that only classes can use it, but I’ve never actually seen a class go there other than when I went with one of my classes last year,” said Grenville. Librarian Mary Walfoort has also noticed that students and teachers do not often use the space. “The choir came out and sang one time, and it was beautiful, but it hasn’t gotten used much more than that,” said Walfoort. “It could be used so much more.” Walfoort acknowledged that, initially, she only allowed students to use the space if they were with a teacher. “Originally I thought that students were not supposed to use it on their own because there is no supervision,” said Walfoort. “However, [library assistant] Nelson Bermudez and I have started to let students use it, and they have been very respectful.” Junior Sydney Carroll thinks that many students are unaware of the memorial’s existence. “I think a lot of the underclassmen may not even know it exists, especially not the freshmen,” said Carroll. Among 10 random freshmen, not one knew of its existence, including Sanam Noorani. “I’ve never heard of the outdoor classroom,” said Noorani. “I would imagine maybe a painted tree on a wall, maybe a couch, possibly tadpoles. I don’t really know what it would be like.” As someone who put in hours of work in building the memorial, Carroll hopes that more people will begin to use it. “It makes me disappointed that people don’t use it much, not because I worked hard on it, but more because I want to have Matt and Gavin remembered,”said Carroll. Carroll hopes the situation will improve in the future. “I know that most of the underclassmen didn’t know them, but they definitely should still be able to go and see and wonder what it was about and learn about who they were.” CC Spin Stricter off-campus policy aims to help local stores, improve student safety By Alison Spencer Molly O'Brien San Ramon Valley High School The off-campus world just got a little smaller for San Ramon Valley High School students. Junior and senior students have enjoyed the right to travel off campus during lunch for the last few years. San Ramon High’s downtown location provides a variety of stores and eateries. Not all schools can boast lunchtime favorites like Chipotle and A Sweet Affair only a short distance from campus. But this year the number of places to buy a bite between classes shrank when students were no longer permitted to drive off campus during lunch. The rule against driving off campus has been documented for two years, but was not put into effect until this school year. In the homework planner from last year, readers were informed that,“Beginning with the 2012-2013 school year juniors and seniors will not be allowed to drive off campus. They will only be able to walk off campus.” The rule is about to be tightened. Last year’s planner also says, “Beginning with the 2013-2014 school year only seniors will have off campus privileges. They will only be allowed to walk off campus. No driving.” The rule change is upsetting for many students in the class of 2015, who have waited patiently for their 'Red and Black' place first in marching band competition By Mitchell Marvin San Ramon Valley High School BLACK AND RED on the march, not to be confused with San Ramon Vally High in green uniforms. Photo by Mitchell Marvin, Monte Vista High School. said the band’s award winning drum major Nick Loey. Loey, a senior, is the guy in the white hat waving his arms at the band –the timekeeper of the group. “I’m the conductor on the field - kind of like a team captain,” Loey said. Loey was the student leader of the band and worked with professional field technicians to ensure Monte Vista would take home first place. Every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday he worked with the students at Monte Vista’s field to ensure the band would outshine its competition. “This year was special because of the amount of seniors that left last year -- this year’s band was mostly a freshman band,” Loey said. “Usually at the beginning of the season it’s pretty straight forward when it comes to jumping in, but this year we had to go over the basics a lot longer,” Loey said. Loey said it requires a lot of effort and dedication to perform upon the field at halftime shows and competitions. Last year’s band had 21 seniors, while this year’s band had only seven. In spite of this, the band did better this competition season than ever, taking awards such as First Place in Class A, Best Percussion in Class A, and Best Music in Class A, as well as more awards for Color Guard and Conducting throughout its competition season. “We finished the top band in Northern California for the year in our division, and for a while we were the top Class A band in the state,” Loey said. Brawl mars Northgate game with College Park By Peter Welch Northgate High School A varsity basketball game on Jan. 25 ended with a full-scale brawl involving dozens of fans from host Northgate High School and opposing College Park High School. After a 61-22 loss by the Northgate Broncos, verbal exchanges between fans became heated as people exited after the game, and the situation became physical, said students who witnessed the incident outside the Northgate High gymnasium entrance. Northgate students claim College Park students initiated the trouble. “The game ended, and everyone began to leave the gym. Right outside the gym doors there were College Park students who seemed determined to start a fight,” senior Max Moore said. Other Northgate witnesses also say Student business comes with hassles for merchants By Paulameena Shultes Monte Vista High School A quick clarification for local readers: members of the Monte Vista High School Marching Band do not wear green uniforms. They wear black and red. Two years ago, the Marching Band was evidently so unnoticed and unknown that its uniform color was mistaken to be green by a Stampede reporter in a quote now infamous in the Monte Vista band world: “There’s more to Marching Band than green uniforms and loud drums, rally performances or a like for music.” To make sure this mistake never happens again, the first thing that needs to be established is that the Monte Vista Marching Band wears red, not green. Second, this is Monte Vista, not San Ramon. San Ramon wears green uniforms, not Monte Vista. Now that all that’s been sorted out, what exactly is the Marching Band? It plays during football games and rallies, then seems to disappear. During prime season in October through November, the 50 or so members of the band (including this reporter) go to competitions every weekend, visiting schools like Foothill High in San Ramon, Folsom High in Folsom, and Lincoln High in Lincoln. They competes against the marching bands of other schools, each band trying to sound the best, look the most impressive, and take home first place. “My favorite part is always competition season -- it’s pretty dull up to that point, but once you get there, it’s pretty awesome,” turn to roam free during the 35 minutes of lunch time, an appreciated break between almost hour-long class periods. They now have to wait another whole year before they can have that privilege. “I don’t think it’s fair for sophomores since we waited so long to get the opportunity,” tenth-grader Megan Cavallo said. The rule changes are a result of a district goal to close the campus completely, with no students allowed to go off campus during lunch. “I think Mr. Ianora was asked to gradually phase it out,” said Principal Ruth Steele, referring to former principal Joe Ianora. The reasons for the no-driving rule and the eventual closing of the campus include the effect that students have on local businesses as well as safety issues. “Businesses said (that) for every kid who goes and is responsible, some go and aren’t respectful,” said Steele, who attends a monthly meeting with a board that includes Danville business owners. While increased patronage might sound like a benefit, local stores are ambivalent about student customers at lunch time. Some say that disruption by students interferes with attracting more adult customers. In addition, students who drove off campus often rushed to get back before the lunch period ended. This led to speeding and unsafe driving. College Park students seemed determined to fight. “Some of the Sixth Man (cheering section) started walking outside. About 20 to 30 CP kids came out chanting ‘NG sucks,’ ” senior Christian Montalvo said. “They were waiting for us. We didn’t want to fight. During the game we were cheering like we usually do early on, but once we fell behind, we were pretty quiet. We didn’t yell anything that would instigate anything like what happened,” Moore said. Many people leaving saw the confrontation, and those who didn’t viewed a video posted to YouTube showing the one-minute- plus brawl. By Friday night, the video had drawn in over 1,500 views. The video has since been taken off the site. Northgate High School Vice Principal Stephen Brady said the following week that no arrests took place following the fight, and he has no knowledge of any serious injuries. “A serious crowd control issue arose,” said Brady, who was the administrator in charge that night. “We thank the student and adult community members who stepped up to make sure other community members were safe.” Moore said he tried to break up the brawl. “I was in the parking lot when I saw the mob in the breezeway. I knew I had to go back and make sure no one was hurt. I tried to make sure no one was trapped in the middle of the mob.” Northgate Principal John McMorris responded to a reporter’s question about any changes planned for security at basketball games. “The entire administration met, and we are going to put more administration on home games, for the high profile games, like College Park, Clayton Valley and Concord High,” McMorris said. Everyone at school has a favorite hangout. Whether it is Starbucks, Chipotle or others, restaurants near San Ramon Valley High affect what students do at lunch and after school. Many students buy meals during lunch and buy snacks after school from places around campus. During lunch hour, the number of student customers range from 40 percent to 90 percent of shoppers, according to local store managers. John Anthony, the manager of Ike’s sandwich shop, reported that “students have a very good effect on business. Most of the customers we get are students.” For Ike’s, having student shoppers is a main source of income, so most of their restaurants are located next to schools. The assistant manager of The Dog hot dog and sausage shop said that students are “how they survive.” In addition to the patronage, many businesses enjoy having students around. Store managers said that San Ramon High students are generally polite and pleasant -- but not always. The few who are not respectful are the ones the businesses tend to notice more. At Starbucks, many students hang out before and after school. All students are welcome, but there are rules. “It’s chaos after the students leave,” said Starbucks manager Leslie Cortez. “There’s trash everywhere!” Sometimes it’s so bad that employees cannot clean up quickly enough, causing adult customers to complain. The biggest cause for complaint at Starbucks is water cups. Starbucks gives out free water to those who ask for it, but they expect the water to be drunk and the cups to be thrown away. Often that does not happen. Cups are strewn everywhere or left on tables to be picked up. Debbis Wallis, “director of first impressions” at J. Rockcliff Realtors has caught students smoking in the alleys between and behind stores and loitering in front of businesses with “no loitering” signs. She has called police on students who break the law openly and often. The most serious complaint reported came from the manager of Trader Joe’s, who said he caught a San Ramon student shoplifting. It happened only once, and the manager said he does not believe it reflects on the entire student population. Gun control opinions mixed A majority of Americans said they feel gun control laws should be more strict, according to a new poll released Monday. Half said they think that more strict laws would not have prevented the Newtown, Conn., shootings. Question Gun laws should be ... More strict 57% DonÕt know 4 Less strict 9 Kept as they are 30 Source: CBS News Poll of 620 adults nationwide, Dec. 14-16, 2012; margin of error: +/-4 percentage points Graphic: Chicago Tribune Question How much would stricter gun laws have done to prevent the Newtown shootings? No effect It depends/ donÕt know 50% 8 A little 16 A lot 26 © 2012 MCT CC Spin Volunteering abroad helps students learn vital life lessons By Sarah Cole Las Lomas High School A handful of Las Lomas High School students have had the chance to witness life in third-world countries and help communities with their hardships. Africa is a popular destination for many volunteers. Junior Ellory Brunner traveled to southern Africa. “I went to Lusaka, Zambia, which is completely landlocked,” she said in a text message. “It wasn’t a specific place that I wished to travel to but it just so happened to be the place that needed my help.” Junior Emily Powell volunteered in Mozambique. “My aunt is a leader for some Habitat for Humanity trips, and I have always wanted to go on one with her,” she said in a text message. The students volunteered not only to help others, but to have a life changing experience as well. “Just the opportunity to help out people in need and the great experience that would come with it inspired me,” said Powell. Students have volunteered on a variety of projects, many of which help people gain access to the necessities for everyday life. “For two weeks, about 15 others and I got to build two separate houses for two different families living out in the bush (desert) of Mozambique,” said Powell. “We also got to bring the kids toys to play with. We really got to experience their way of life and culture, and they were so grateful for our help and took us in as part of their family.” Brunner worked with an organization called Camp Life, which assigned each of the volunteers to work with about 10 children. “We pull each child aside throughout the week for what we call a blessing time,”said Brunner.“During these 30 minutes to an hour, I talk to the children through a translator about their daily lives, whether that is struggling to have a meal a day, taking care of their ailing parents, playing with friends, going to school or even their dreams.” Other students’ travels took them to South America and different islands around the world. Senior Jackie Amaro volunteered in the small Peruvian town of Corca Pueblo. “I chose Peru because it was honestly the coolest sounding program and because I’ve always wanted to go,” said Amaro. “I went with a program called Amigos de las Americas, so one of the cool perks was that at the end of the trip I got to go to Machu Pichu.” Senior Sophie Akbar also traveled with Amigos. “I volunteered in Paraguay,” said Akbar. “I wanted to go because I wanted to improve my Spanish and travel, and I knew it would look great on a college application.” Amaro chose Peru because she was excited to help teach health education there.“I was inspired to volunteer there because it was a new project,” said Amaro. The program had only been in existence for two years when Amaro signed up to volunteer, and many of the volunteers stayed with first-time host families. In Paraguay, Akbar split time between construction projects and teaching young people. “Our project was basically building latrines for families,” said Akbar. “We also built a community garden, established a youth group and taught classes at the local school.” Many of the organizations’projects involve the environment and the health of their people. Amaro’s project in Cusco, Peru, focused on promoting not only mental and physical health but also environmental as well. “Every day out of the week my partners and I would work 2-4 hours a day at the elementary and secondary schools on the outskirts of our towns, teaching and leading activities about health,” said Amaro. “It’s surprising how much the children open up after meeting you practically a day earlier,” said Brunner. “Some of the stories you hear can surpass your wildest nightmares. I’ve heard everything from children being raped by their own fathers to having their grandmothers force them to eat raw flesh from graveyards. It’s daunting almost to look a child’s father in the eye after having his child sobbing in your arms speaking of their nightly beatings for not finishing their chores on time or even just for the father to blow off steam.” “The worst part about volunteering are the constant reminders in my head that right now one of my girls could be emotionally or physically abused, and I can’t do anything to stop it,” said Brunner. For many of the students, the experiences have changed the way they look at life in Walnut Creek. “It was definitely a life changing experience,” said Sophomore Ashley Coyne who volunteered in Haiti. “It gave me a whole new perspective of my life in the U.S. and how I should be thankful for the things I had never really thought about before, like clean water, healthcare, food and so much more.” Brunner’s perspective changed the day she got back. “The day I got home in 2011, I went to my swim team’s pasta feed and was sick to my stomach by the amount of food that was wasted and the shallowness of everyone around me, both adults and children,” said Brunner. “The things we take advantage of are unparalleled, and in my opinion it is necessary for people who live as privileged lives as the Las Lomas community to be aware of the hardships of others.” For Akbar, it has helped her decide what she would like to pursue in the future. “This experience has assured me of my direction in life and what I want to do, which is international studies, and after college, the Peace Corps,” said Akbar. “I’ve become a lot more selfless and humble as well as very appreciative for the things I have. I wish a lot more people had the experience I had, it gives you a totally different mindset.” 3 News March 2013 Students start clothing nonprofit By Suying Rothrock Northgate High School While many students wrote their holiday wish lists, two local freshmen turned their thoughts toward others. Northgate freshman Katie Easterly and Bentley High School freshman Paige Blake teamed up last summer to create the nonprofit charity, What’s Mine is Yours. The local organization collects donations of unwanted winter coats and gives them to underprivileged girls between the ages of 12 and 17. “As you pull out your winter clothing, remember there is someone out there that does not have the luxury or accessibility to a warm winter coat,” Easterly said. Some 1.7 million young people in America are homeless, according to a recent federal study. Put another way, children under the age of 18 account for 39 percent of the nation’s homeless population. Finding clothes in the wintertime with a limited budget can be as important as finding food and shelter. The Northgate Sentinel sat down with Easterly to talk about her charitable efforts. Northgate Sentinel: What made you decide to start the charity? Katie Easterly: We started at the end of spring last year. My mom was going through my closet and saw how many clothes I had that still had tags on them that I didn’t want or were too small. So, my mom talked to Paige’s mom and we’ve been running ever since. Paige and I do most of the work, our parents are there to guide us if we have any questions or need opinions. NS: Explain the whole process. KE: First, we get the word out by contacting people by word of mouth through our website (whatsmineisyours.us), Twitter and Facebook. We get clothes at our drop off place, and also Paige and I will collect it from people’s homes. Sometimes people will just hand clothes to me if I see them everyday. We work with different organizations that tell us what they need. We have worked with Rising Above and Lilliput Services to provide them with clothes we collect. NS: Is there anyone else helping out? KE: Yes, What’s Mine is Yours has a vice principal, secretary and three board members. Our secretary is Paige’s mom. NS: What’s the most rewarding experience you’ve had since you started What’s Mine is Yours? KE:The most rewarding is seeing all our hard work in the organization pays off. I love the reactions we get to making a difference in our local community. NS: What’s it like balancing the charity and school at the same time? KE: It’s a challenge; so far, we’ve put in 100 hours toward our organization, including summer. We usually have three-hour meetings once or twice a week at either my house or Paige’s house. Right now we are starting a coat drive so we are on our emails a lot. Our goal is to have a special project with the same criteria in addition to our clothes drive every quarter or three times every year. Our plan is to drop off bags on people’s doorsteps and set a date to pick them up. Since we are officially classified as a 501(c)(3), a non-profit organization in California, people can get tax refunds when they help our charity out. This also allows us to get things for a lower price. Easterly and Blake aren’t just stopping at accepting coats, they are also open to any other clothing donations that fit the criteria of the age and gender. All donations can be dropped off at the office at 90 N. Wiget Ln. Walnut Creek Ste. 102, 94598 between the hours of 12 noon to 4 p.m. For further information email whatsmineisyours2@gmail.com. Measure D brings school improvements By I. Gervis & J. Wright San Ramon Valley High School What would you do with more than $55 million? San Ramon Valley High School will build a new stadium press box, buy bleachers, renovate and construct classrooms. The money comes from a $260 million bond measure approved by voters last November to improve facilities throughout the San Ramon Valley Unified School District. Measure D passed by a slim margin -- just 1 percent more votes than it needed. This bond measure focuses only on facilities, meaning that money will go to constructing buildings, renovating classrooms, improving campus safety by creating better fire and earthquake plans, and increasing use of technology with a larger Wi-Fi bandwidth. Money from Measure D cannot be used to pay administrator salaries or go to the state. Every penny must go for improving the physical plant of San Ramon Valley schools. Scott Osterholt, assistant principal at San Ramon Valley High School and facilities coordinator, says that the money will be used toward a goal of “21st century teaching and learning.” At San Ramon Valley High, the bond measure will provide $55,413,990. There will be two construction phases. Phase 1 includes 47 replacement classrooms in the older halls such as E and F, renovated science classrooms and a three-story building and courtyard. San Ramon Valley High also plans to install solar heating panels for the pool, more shade structures, and new fire alarms. The first of these improvements will be the press box and bleachers for the stadium. Construction is planned to start this summer and is scheduled to finish in fall. Plans for phase 2 are not yet official. Dual careers as school security, actress By Latori Shepherd Deer Valley High School Some students may know Deer Valley staff member Linda Livingston as a school security guard. What they may not know is that when she is not working on campus she is on set as a movie extra. Livingston is a member of the Rubbermatchseriez Theater Company. “There’s an agency in San Francisco, that is the biggest and a lot of movie productions go to the agency when they need background actors, and I heard about it and I signed up,” said Livingston. Livingston has not only been a security guard here, she has also worked at the Oakland Coliseum. “I left my job of 24 years working at the Oakland Coliseum. My neighbor worked for the school district and she suggested that I apply,” said Livingston. Although Livingston loves being an actress, it doesn’t pay the bills. “There are not a lot of movies and television shows being filmed in the San Francisco Bay, so the amount of work is not enough, and I still need the right amount College credit courses start at Hercules High From COLLEGE CREDIT Page 1 caseloads, but at Gateway to College, it’s a very small number of students. They can really watch over those students and students get more one-on-one interaction.” Students are eligible to participate if they have a 2.0 grade point average or below. According to the Gateway to College brochure, students must follow five steps: complete an application packet, attend an information session, attend an evaluation session, undergo an interview and wait for the selection committee reviews to determine if they have been accepted. Former Hercules High senior Alexie McMahon has been a part of the program for two weeks. She said the Gateway to College program is better than attending regular high school. ”McMahon said.“The teachers are really understanding of what we’re going through as teenagers, and they are here to help us.” Hercules High junior Sam Lacoste is enrolled in three classes a week. “So far, it is pretty fun,” Lacoste said. “I got to meet lots of new people.” of money to pay the bills,” said Livingston. Livingston has played in multiple movies and has also been in a couple of television shows. “Sister Act, Village of the Dam, so I married an Axe murderer, Fearless, Angel in the Outfield, Metro and the Pursuit of Happiness. I also was an extra in the shows, Nash Bridges and Trauma.” Livingston wanted to be an actress since she was a kid. “It’s something I have always wanted to do since I was eight. I have been playing music since the age of 21 to present,” she said. She’s had the opportunity to work with multiple celebrities while being an extra on different sets. “I have worked with Denzel Washington, Will Smith, Whoopi Goldberg, Shirley Temple Black, Danny Glover, 2Pac, and Eddie Murphy,” said Livingston. Her first film to work in was Sister Act, which was approximately 20 years ago. More than just being an extra in films, Livingston has had speaking parts as well. “I’ve had talking roles in a few independent films such as Coming Out and Cuff Me If You Can,” said Livingston. Although she loves acting, the field does have its ups and downs. “I don’t like that when you do background work and the weather is bad and they feed you cold lunches, or when they treat you like a number,” said Livingston. “However, I really like watching the production and seeing how the movie comes together. I like watching the actual actors work and just being on set gives me a sense of belonging.” Between her job at Deer Valley and her acting career, of course she enjoys being an actress a little more. Excited about her latest work, Livingston plays a nurse in a new 15-minute independent film called Coming Up, a story about two troubled teens and the caseworker who fights to keep them off the streets. Student creates ticket to college By Emma Sol Monte Vista High School All it took was a baseball game and a few thousand emails for senior Jack Chabolla to make a change. Tickets to College is Chabolla’s nonprofit, which he created after attending a baseball game with a substantial amount of empty seats. “They had said that all the tickets were sold out, but there were seats still available,” said Chabolla, a senior. “So I had thought to myself, ‘People aren’t using their tickets, what’s a better idea than to get those tickets from those people?’ " The idea was born–but it was time to take action. Chabolla knew a good amount of those unoccupied seats were from companies with season tickets. He sent out countless emails asking companies to donate their unused season tickets in return for a tax write off. After that, Chabolla took it upon himself to sell the tickets online and donate the proceeds to Richmond High School’s College is Real program. College is Real helps students at Richmond High School become the first in their families to attend college. Chabolla’s donations help fund this program. Jack Chabolla’s selfless efforts haven’t gone unnoticed. He was recently awarded the Jefferson Award, a national award that recognizes people for their community and public service efforts. Viewpoints 4 March 2013 CC Spin Preach, practice anti-bullying The cost of free By Triya Marco Deer Valley High School A manda Todd was found dead in her home last October. After two years of constant bullying, the Canadian teen committed suicide days after posting a video of her struggle. In the video, she explained the events that led to her “anxiety, major depression and panic disorder”. During middle school, she showed her breasts to a stranger online. A year later, a picture of the incident was used against her. The man blackmailed her, threatening to release the photo to her entire world unless she provided him with a “show”. When he released the photo, she changed schools. There was plenty of pressure and endless cruelty focused on her. Some of the behavior was based on her Internet infamy and other criticism was based on her own actions. The reaction was wrong in so many ways. And there’s no excuse for it. The ageism reflected in the belief that kids are too naïve to realize the gravity of their actions or the effects of harassment is insulting. Age does not hinder a person’s moral compass nor does it cripple a person’s ability to simply feel. The idea that it does is ridiculous to the point of idiocy. Todd is only one of many people who have been made to feel so desperate that a permanent end seemed the only solution, and, unfortunately, she isn’t going to be the last. There are people who feel that the anonymity the Internet has to offer is an excuse to unleash their malice. On social media sites, people find themselves at ease with telling others to go kill themselves. They do so as they hide behind the collective name anonymous that shows their absolute cowardice and vileness. However, are those unseen faces really the worst in the society that we live in? Our present society finds it OK to preach against these same vices but only after a recent tragedy. Afterward, these same holier-than-thou people run out of activism and turn their backs on the cause. They go back to their regular routines, some of them committing the same crimes they had railed against. This is to you Facebook posters, Twitter trenders, and Tumblr bloggers: Stop preaching and practice those virtues. You say that you want bullying and prejudice to stop. Then take the initiative. Speak up and stand up for those that are harassed in front of your eyes, and stop doing it yourself. Supremes take on Prop 8, same sex marriage By Mileena Baldwin College Park High School I n 2008, only 39 percent of Americans supported same-sex marriage. As of December 2012, 48 percent of Americans believe that same-sex couples should have the right to marry. The President of the United States, Barack Obama, has said that he also believes that samesex couples should have the right to marry and share the same federal benefits as heterosexual married couples. The U.S. Supreme Court has decided to take up the subject of same-sex marriage for the first time by agreeing to review a case against a federal law denying married samesex couples the federal benefits that married heterosexual couples receive. The Supreme Court has also decided to review California’s ban on same-sex marriage, Proposition 8, which was voted on in the year 2008. So far, only nine out of the 50 states have legalized same-sex marriage, while it is still banned in the remaining states. The Supreme Court discussed considering seven cases they were requested to review same-sex marriage on Friday, December 8, during their last weekly conference before their winter recess. Five of these cases challenged the federal marriage law, one challenged California’s ban on same-sex marriage, another challenged Arizona’s law against domestic partner benefits. Though unexpected, the Supreme Court decided to review California’s ban on same-sex marriage. In February of 2012, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals found it unconstitutional for the legality of same-sex marriage to be taken away by Proposition 8, but it ruled narrowly in a way that only affected California. If the Supreme Court finds that the same-sex marriage opponents do not have a right to defend Proposition 8, then same-sex marriage will become legal in California but the court would still not be addressing the broader constitutional rights at stake. Lawyers for 15 other states are trying to urge the court to uphold the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeal’s decision in support of Proposition 8 and claim that same-sex marriage is not best for the ideal family life for children and promotes responsible propagation. The court is expected to hear arguments as early as this month and their decisions are expected by the end of June. lunch overpriced? By Melissa LaFortune A College Park High School fter hours of academics in which some teachers have strict rules about “no eating or drinking,” College Park High School students grow really hungry. So when lunch comes around many students find it easier to quickly purchase a slice of pizza from the Falcons Nest, rather than wait in line to buy a full lunch from the cafeteria. Interestingly enough, a lunch meal from the cafeteria (meal, side, and milk) is $3.25, while just one slice of pizza at the Falcons Nest is $3.50. College Park purchases its pizzas from Round Table Pizza, which charges the public $23 for an extra-large pizza (16 slices.) At the rate the school charges–$3.50 a slice– a Round Table Pizza would cost $56. Each whole Round Table Pizza sold at College Park makes a profit of $37, but with all the expenses of making the food, Denise Grady, the manager of the cafeteria, explained the $37 "does not make up the deficit of monies collected that do not equal the operating costs.” For some students buying Falcons Nest pizza keeps it simple. Junior Anthony Barnwell explains, “Standing in line for a lunch is a hassle. I just buy a piece of pizza and I’m done.” But the major price difference is a problem for some students. Junior Samantha Chang said, she likes the pizza, “but it is so expensive compared to a lunch from the cafeteria! That’s why I buy a full lunch because I cannot afford to spend so much money for so little food.” Students who cannot afford the lunches can apply to the Free and Reduced lunch program. To qualify, a family’s overall salary needs to be evaluated. The Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires that the California Department of Education (CDE) verify applicants every fall, although an investigation by College Park found that doesn’t always occur. Kathleen Corrigan, the former director of food and nutrition services for Mt. Diablo Unified School District, explained that only three percent of the applications are verified. “Only the standard sample size” of applications are verified,” she said. “The standard sample size is the most we can verify and that amount is three percent of the applications we receive districtwide.” In effect, the remaining 97 percent are automatically approved. No one knows what percentage of students receiving aid are qualified. One student who requested his name be withheld openly admitted, “My family definitely doesn’t qualify for free lunch but I still get it. All my brothers and sisters have . . . I mean if I can, why not.” “Who cares?” said parent Caroline Roberts, “If a family goes through all the work of filling out an application, I’m sure they have financial troubles. Maybe not what is actually qualified, but they still have hard times and they need the help, and I’m happy there is help available,” she said. Since the Free and Reduced Lunch Program is federally funded, the school should charge $1.43 for each slice of pizza. Many College Park students, who incidentally love the school pizza, feel that there should be a surplus of money. If the government monitored the Free and Reduced Lunch Program more closely, there’s a good chance not as many students would qualify for free lunches. If that was the case, no one would have to pay $3.50 for one slice of pizza. CC Spin CC Spin is printed by the Bay Area News Group but copy, photos, art and other contents are produced by students at Contra Costa public high schools. Story development is supervised by the journalism advisers at the participating schools. Professional journalists coach the students and guide their reporting and writing. Staff members from the Contra Costa Times and other local newspapers instruct participating students in professional journalism standards and practices. CC Spin is a product of the collaboration of The Lesher Foundation, the Bay Area News Group, the Contra Costa County Office of Education, and the California Scholastic Journalism Initiative. All opinions expressed in CC Spin are the views of the student authors and do not represent the opinion of the Contra Costa Times, the Lesher Foundation, any school, district or county educational authority, or the California Scholastic Journalism Initiative. CC Spin is a product of student journalists and is guided by the tenets of The First Amendment, the ethical guidelines of the Society of Professional Journalists and California Education Code sections 45907 and 48950. Facilitators Faculty Advisers Bert Robinson Managing Editor/News Bay Area News Group Larry Freeman, Acalanes High School Kathleen Odne Executive Director Lesher Foundation Marialana Knorpp, College Park High School Peggy Marshburn Chief Communications Officer Contra Costa County Office of Education Charleen Earley, Deer Valley High School Steve O’Donoghue California Scholastic Journalism Initiative, Coordinator Jim Finefrock, Writing Coach Lesley Guth, Writing Coach Carol Pogash, Writing Coach Dick Rogers, Writing Coach Brian Barr, California High School Amber Lineweaver, Clayton Valley High School Natalie Wojinski, Hercules High School Emelie Gunnison, Las Lomas High School Rebecca Bellini, Monte Vista High School Karen Jenkins, Northgate High School Giana Lillig, San Ramon Valley High School Viewpoints CC Spin 5 March 2013 Freedom of speech extends to teachers, too Students also have the right to “study … in an atmosphere free of bias Las Lomas High School and prejudice,” and to … “express their hile everyone deserves the own opinions on controversial issues right to freedom of speech and without jeopardizing their relations with is entitled to their own opinion, the teacher or the school.” no one likes to have opinions shoved Rigisich thinks that all opinions down their throat. should be explored. “High school is From time to time, teachers will a place where you should explore all occasionally over-share opinions during points of view,” she said. lessons, making students feel uncomRigisich doesn’t want to change fortable and awkward. anyone’s mind about their religious or Sophomore and Honors English political views. teacher Lisa Rigisich thinks that teachers “The goal is to deepen your deserve the right to speak freely in class, thoughts, to make you question what but they shouldn’t abuse it. you think but not to change your mind,” “My job is to make everybody think,” she said. “It might change your mind, she said. but it also might make you get down to the roots of what you believe in and end According to district guidelines, schools don’t teach controversial issues, up making you believe what you believe but rather provide students rights to in more strongly.” Sophomore Christian Theodossy study controversial issues, which have political, economic or social significance. sees no problem with teachers sharing By Spencer Cox W their opinions. “I think it would make for interesting debate,” said Theodossy. “I see how it could end up making some parents and kids unhappy, but I personally don’t see anything wrong with that.” Sophomore Abbey Wells agrees. “I think teachers should be able to voice their opinions. Students get to voice their opinions so teachers should be able to have their opinions too,” said Wells. Theodossy has heard of some students who have felt uncomfortable because of their teacher’s opinions, but he says it has never happened to him. Senior Annie Welden disagrees. “There have been some instances when some things have been said in class, particularly regarding politics, that have made me feel a little bit uncomfortable and upset,” she said. “I respect all my teachers to the fullest degree and I respect them having their own opinions," Welden said. "However, I do not think it is appropriate for them to voice their opinions openly in class.” Although Rigisich does not think that any teachers go overboard with their opinions, she still thinks that it should not be a part of class time. “A teacher sharing their personal convictions in a classroom setting or in a lesson interferes with the purpose of being here in the first place,” said Rigisich. Welden agrees. “I feel that teachers don’t realize how big of an impact they make on students,” said Welden. Rigisich wants students to know that she does not mean to put her opinions on anyone. “My job is to make you think and my opinions are not a part of your education,” said Rigisich. Buried by media selling to us nonstop By Marcela Onate-Trules Las Lomas High School T he typical American consumes about 12 hours of media per day, according to the International Journal of Communication. I know you may be thinking you don’t watch that much TV or you’re not on your smart phone that much, but there’s more media swimming around and getting inside of our pretty little heads than we are aware of. Everywhere we go, products are being sold to us. This past month in my Media Studies class we were studying how media portrays gender in advertisements, and it got me thinking. Women around the world are being sold a fabricated image about what it means to be a woman. The media sells the idea of what a woman should be like, how she should interact with people and what her place in society is. I never understood how much the media influenced me until recently when I watched an old home video of my sister and me dancing to the “Loco-Motion.” We stood in front of the camera with our shirts folded over like bras and we wore sunglasses. We were trying to be cute in the video and dance in front of the camera. After re-watching this I realized the video was funny, but I also realized how the mass media has affected me from such a young age. When I was younger, Britney Spears was selling what a teenage girl should be like: sexy, rebellious, cute, and definitely not innocent. Even when I was 3 years old I was trying to be Britney Spears, because she was all over TV and the radio. Things have not gotten better in 13 years. In movies, songs, ads, and music videos, women are almost always portrayed as vulnerable, dumb, and easily walked over by men. If a woman doesn’t have the brains, the media indirectly tells us, the next best thing we have is our body. If we don’t have a small waist, huge chest, toned legs, no stomach, and a big butt, the media virtually tells us we have nothing. The media disparages girls and women of all ages because they set a standard too high for anyone to achieve. We can’t retouch our faces, because life is not Photoshop. Why do we let them do this to us, and why do we let them constantly objectify our bodies and degrade us? Why do we do this to ourselves? We post lyrics to degrading songs on Facebook. We call other girls hoes and bitches, and even if it’s a joke and we don’t mean it, we are putting ourselves down. We talk about other girls’ bodies, about how they really shouldn’t be wearing that top and how they need to lose some weight. I wouldn’t label myself a strong feminist, but it’s hard for me to see the self-degradation that women and girls endure go unnoticed every day. I am whoever I make myself to be and I don’t define myself by what the media tells me to be. We need to start standing up for other women and let our voices be heard. We should not be portrayed as women like Jessica Simpson with her oversexualized body in her “These Boots are Made for Walking” music video. We should not be defined as bimbos like Karen from Mean Girls, and we are not going to ignore the misrepresentation of women in the media. We need to call the grammar police By Aislinn McNiece Acalanes High School A lthough many people fail to realize it, grammar is extremely important. Sure, we have spell-check, and those little jagged green lines that appear when we use passive voice or the wrong form of “there” during a midnight essay rewrite, but what good is a computer when we can’t even figure out what grammar mistake we just made? No good. No good at all. None of those machine-powered tools suffice when it seems like an increasing number of people have never even heard of passive voice or know that “there,” “their,” and “they’re” do, in fact, have three very different meanings. The amount of grammar abuse I see, whether I’m editing a freshman’s English essay in Peer Tutoring, reworking a seasoned Blueprint writer’s story, or just scrolling through my Twitter or Facebook feed, is obscene. And, even though I hate to sound like the crazy, grammar-obsessed freak patrolling everybody’s sentences, there comes a time when it is no longer an acceptable mistake to use “your” instead of “you’re.” I want to make a point, so, for anybody who is passably literate, the following paragraph will not make any sense. For anybody who is, like me, kind of a grammar hound, be prepared to cringe. Grammer is’nt importent and niether is spelling. In modern times, you’re computer does it four you and if your not technologicaly-savy enough to figure that out, than youre computer can help you with that to. They’re was a time and place for good grammar, but that was back in the 1800’s when their were’net computers or other helpful things to help people with there grammar and stuff. So, yes, maybe grammar is a little bit important. Actually, more than a little bit. Maybe you actually kind of agree with me. Grammar is flat-out important. I don’t want to sound patronizing or conceited, but somebody has to help these poor souls who can’t tell the difference between a word with an apostrophe and a word without. For grammar-challenged individuals, here are some helpful examples. 1) They’re walking their dog over there. 2) You’re going shopping with your friends today. 3) Then, I realized I had more homework than I had thought. 4) I need to go to the grocery store, too. 5) I have good grammar even though I don’t feel well. I feel like the simple rules of grammar are not that hard to remember, but maybe I’m wrong. Maybe people need to be taught good grammar at an earlier age, or maybe everybody, students and teachers alike, needs to recognize the need for good grammar. In a world where problems so obviously outnumber the solutions, maybe I’m being naive and a bit ignorant to care so much about grammar. However, I truly believe that the first step toward fixing some of these problems is a solid education, and grammar is without a doubt an integral building block of a solid education. While any education must largely be based on the ability to think for ourselves, as well as the development of enough fact-based knowledge to be able to dream up feasible ideas and plans of action, the ability to express these ideas and thoughts effectively is also crucial. It is nearly impossible to reach this point in most career fields without knowing basic grammar. No boss will ever take an intern or lowly office hand’s proposals seriously if the basic sentences presented to him or her are completely nonsensical. If somebody has perfect grammar in his or her formal essay, it says a lot about the person when his or her social media profiles are clogged with posts saying, “your a great friend,” or, “I can’t wait to go back their!” Practice makes perfect. Grammar does make a difference. Its time people got of there high horses and just tried to learn something four once! Just kidding. Grammar is good. Learn it. Thanks. Art by Miranda Konoplisky Corrupt form of feminism plagues Tumblr By Mirand Konoplisky B Hercules High School ecause of the lack of feminists in my life, I, like any modern American, turned to the all-knowing Google to learn about women’s fights for political and social equality. While the search engine led me to amazing places such as Amnesty International’s website and Rookie, an online feminist magazine, it also brought to my attention the epidemic of faux-feminism that is coursing through Tumblr. When I first browsed feminism-related posts on the popular social networking site, I did not find anything of true interest: a famous quote from an activist here and a badly worded rant there. I was just about to end my search when I came upon a photo of a young man holding a sign that read, “It’s just as hard to be a Ken as it is to be a Barbie.” And I completely agree. The pressures of society are not exerted solely on women. However, many Tumblr users think otherwise. Scrolling down, I saw comments saying that as a white male, he had no right to complain and that women will always have it worse than men. Even when others who backed up his claim would try to reason with the masses, they were quickly shut out. It is painfully clear that these girls are not feminists, but bullies attempting to hide their hate under the excuse of “girl power.” Feminism was born out of inequality, out of others constantly telling women that their political and social issues were unfounded. Claiming that this man shouldn’t complain about his social problems because he has certain privileges as a white male seems disturbingly similar to what women were told in the 1960s, when they said they were tired of just cleaning their houses and making dinner for their husbands and kids. I do understand that women have and still do face more adversity than the average white male, but it does not make that man’s feelings and experiences any less valid. It doesn’t matter if someone is a man or a woman, Catholic or Jewish, Korean or Irish or gay or straight, society has a stereotype for everyone, and therefore, has a problem for everyone. Putting one group’s issues above another’s minimizes the already slim chance of ever breaking the social and political barriers in place today. Viewpoints 6 March 2013 CC Spin Students speak to Guns in America gun control issue 14 How many more Sandy Hooks? By the numbers: Amount in millions of dollars the National Rifle Association spent during the 2012 election in an attempt to defeat President Obama By Tim Hoffman By Kelly Carson How do high school students feel about proposed gun control issues? Northgate High School reporters conducted a survey in January, handing out written questions randomly and collecting them in person. Below are the samples from responses to the three questions, out of a total of 50 responses. The purpose was to sample of student views while retaining student anonymity. Here are some responses: “If you made gun ownership illegal, the law-abiding citizens cannot have access to guns. When ownership is illegal, the law-abiding citizens cannot have access to guns when a killer will still have [that access] illegally.” “All visitors should be checked in at the gates of the school. It should be harder to get a gun, not insanely hard, but harder than it is now.” “If we ban guns, criminals will still find a way to get them.” “All visitors should be checked in at the gates of the school. It should be harder to get a gun, not insanely hard, but harder than it is now.” “By changing the regulations, I think it would cause more problems. People might start getting angry.” “There isn’t a way to help anything. As long as there are guns, someone could steal them.” “Teachers are trained for dangerous situations.” (Survey questions and distribution by Kelly Carson. Page design by Hansen Chang. By the numbers info collected by Alyssa Lederman from cnn.com, businesstimes.com, nytimes.com, fbi. com, emerson.edu.) California High School H ow many more schools? How many more movie theaters? How many more houses of faith?” These questions were asked within days following the Sandy Hook Elementary school tragedy. In the last twelve months alone there have been three school shootings, a shooting at a theater, a shooting at a Sikh temple, and massive amounts of gang violence. If we really want to stop these acts of gun violence, we need to enact better gun laws. Recently, President Obama proposed a bill that would ban the sale of military grade assault rifles and high capacity magazines across the country. This law should be passed as it could help reduce the death toll on gun violence significantly. This law would also require more effective background checks on all guns. With better background checks, we could keep guns out of the hands of people who should not own them, such as the James Holmes, the murderer at the Aurora Colorado movie theater. How many more students must die? Since 1996 over 50 school shootings have occurred across the country. Many of these acts of gun violence come down to the same factors–lack of gun control, mental illness, gang issues, or racism. While critics of gun control often blame violent video games and media, there is evidence that disproves that theory. In Japan, a huge contributor to what we in the US define as violent media as seen in video games, anime, and literature, only two gun crimes were committed in that country last year according to a You Tube video by the Young Turks, who are an online news organization. According to the New York Times, many of the world’s other wealthy countries have very strict gun laws, which are effective at preventing violence. Gun crimes are relatively uncommon in the UK, France, Germany, South Korea, Australia, Canada, Sweden, Poland, Norway, Italy, and India due to their strict gun laws according to The Washington Post. Civilian gun ownership compared United States 270 India 46 mil. 4 guns per 100 people China 40 mil. 5 guns per 100 people U.S. 89 guns per 100 people Germany 25 mil. 30 guns per 100 people Pakistan 18 mil. 12 guns per 100 people Source: Small Arms Survey (2007) Graphic: Michael Hogue, Dallas Morning News 47,856 People who have been killed in the U.S. by firearms between 2006 and 2010 11,493 Homicides by firearm in 2009 7,879 Number of gun purchases denied because of circumstances relating to the would-be purchasers’ mental health between November 30, 1998 and December 31, 2011 62 Number of mass murder incidents in America since 1982 47 Percentage of people in favor of having guns in schools, while 36 percent are opposed 40 Percentage of guns sold through unlicensed private sellers 39 Percentage of state-denied applications due to felony convictions or indictments 31 School shootings in the U.S since Columbine High School in 1999 GUN CONTROL: both sides speak out A million firearms © 2013 MCT If we can keep certain people from getting their hands on guns there will be a reduction in crime. Background checks should be required for everyone who purchases a gun, as well as be required for purchasing a gun online and at gun shows, as they aren’t required in either case. Anyone who attempts to buy a gun is affiliated with a gang, hate group, has a history of mental illness or of violence, a criminal record, or has been dishonorably discharged from the military shouldn’t be allowed to have a gun. We also should make the background checks longer than the typical three-day waiting period, and have them required for all guns. Some guns, such as assault rifles, which can easily be changed from semi-automatic to fully automatic, should not be sold in the US. More than half of America’s gun owners say they use their guns for hunting and self defense. So why do Americans need a military grade assault rifles with a high capacity magazines, laser scopes, and silencers to take down a deer? We are civilians, not soldiers. We don’t need such high tech and dangerous equipment, especially when a mentally ill person can just go buy the same gun and cause mass havoc. In states like Nevada it is legal to buy these kinds of weapons. Some say that the only way to stop a bad guy with a gun is to give a good guy a gun as well. Well what if the “good guy” gets shot first, who will stop the bad guy then? And what about those who say that everyone should carry a gun, that way we all should have protection? Sounds like a bad excuse to try and improve gun sales. Some people also say that if teachers carried guns, that perhaps tragedies like the one at Newtown could’ve been prevented. I don’t think I trust a teacher with a gun any more than I trust a student with a gun. How many more schools will become crime scenes before we decide that it’s time we limit what guns should be sold? How many more acts of gang, religious, and hate violence will it take for us to keep the insane, racist, or gang affiliated people from having guns? How many more public places have to be shot up before we decide it’s time for change? We need change, we need a plan, and we need better gun laws. Northgate High School far less reported story in America than the Sandy Hook tragedy: In mid-December, 22 elementary school students in China were stabbed by a knife-wielding man who invaded their class. China has very strict gun control laws. The attacker did not have a gun. All 22 children survived the attack. I am not going to propose any concrete policy changes. I do firmly believe, however, that gun policies in the United States need to change. I also believe that most of the arguments for no new gun control laws are illogical and misleading. Using the Second Amendment as an argument against stricter gun control is intellectually dishonest. What the Founders meant by “a well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed” is up to interpretation. Letting people who lived 226 years ago with muskets dictate gun policy in today's world is dangerous and illogical. Another common argument against more gun control is “it didn’t work in Chicago, or Washington D.C.” Chicago banned guns from 1982 to 2010 and Washington D.C. banned guns from 1975 to 2008. Whether or not the gun bans worked is debatable— in the years after lifting the bans, Chicago’s murder rate spiked, while Washington D.C. had record-low homicide rates in 2012. No one can use empirical evidence to say that the gun bans worked or not because the results have been so wildly different. Also, a citywide ban is different from a national ban—it is far easier to leave Chicago and return with a gun than to leave the United States and return with a weapon.. I am not suggesting that we outright ban guns. I completely understand the desire for guns as a selfdefense tool. What I do not understand is the necessity of a 33- round pistol magazine for self-defense. When a gun is being used for self-defense, it is realistically being used inside a home or against an assailant in public who is very close. Jared Lee Loughner had a 33-round magazine when he shot Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and 18 other people in January 2011 in Tucson. Guns can be used as a self-defense tool, but claiming that all guns or gun accessories should be allowed is clearly ridiculous. The need for high-capacity weapons for hunting purposes is also ridiculous. Claiming that stricter gun control hurts hunters is a fraudulent argument. Whatever we decide -- whether its more gun control, redesigning our mental health system, or taking a look at our fetishization of violence -- we need to do something. We cannot continue the pattern of a mass shooting every seven weeks. Nick Dyess, Northgate High School PRO W hat happened on Dec. 14 at 9:39 a.m. in a Connecticut elementary school will never be forgotten. One man’s decision led to the tragic events that are driving the call for change. Unfortunately, we are headed down the wrong path with these outcries. Guns are not the problem here. The events that happened in Connecticut were terrible, as were the 2007 shooting at Virginia Tech, the January 2011 shooting of U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and seven others in Arizona, and the Aurora, Colorado movie theater rampage last July. Yet is any or this more tragic than the loss of hundreds of thousands of lives that we would have suffered during a World War II invasion of America? When a Japanese admiral after the war was asked why Japan did not invade America, he responded by saying that there was "a gun behind every blade of grass.” The reason we were not invaded, one of the reasons that we have not been invaded since the war of 1812, is that around 50 percent of our citizens are armed with guns. Can you imagine the fear evoked in any army knowing that even civilians not involved in the greater war effort could fight back? Of course, there is also the subject of public safety. Common logic would dictate that if there are fewer guns in the country, there would be less violence, but in reality this is not the case. If there were fewer guns in the country, there would be fewer guns in the hands of normal citizens, not criminals. And say what you want about a handgun being adequate to protect yourself against a robber armed with a machine gun breaking into your house. I don’t think so. Still, these two are only the most superficial reasons to advocate for gun control. But to really understand why gun control is an issue try to look at this through the eyes of the framers of the Constitution. The right to bear arms was not written into our Constitution just so that every citizen can go quail hunting on the weekends. It was for the day when our government tries to take away our freedom. The right to bear arms is guaranteed to every citizen because the framers of our nation feared the government. It’s true that this issue is not very prevalent right now, but neither is the issue of quartering soldiers. But ask yourself a question. Do you truly believe that our government is incorruptible? No matter how many years pass and what events transpire, do you believe that our government will never have evil men in charge? If the answer is no, then consider the other alternative to gun control: that we need to stop these tragedies by taking action to get at the real root of the problems before we immediately turn to the easy scapegoat of gun control. Drew Kosturos, Northgate High School CON What it takes to buy a gun in California Californians can buy guns if they donÕt fall into one of several categories, such as having been convicted of a felony or some misdemeanors; committed to an institution or found by a court to be mentally unstable or incompetent; or put under a restraining order. DriverÕs license If you walk into a California gun store or gun show and want to buy a firearm, hereÕs what happens: 1 ID check You must show a valid driverÕs license or state ID with your current address and correct age; you must be at least: 18 years old to buy a rifle or shotgun 21 years old to buy a handgun Source: California Department of Justice Trigger lock HANDGUNS ONLY 2 Proof of residency If buying a handgun, you must also show separate proof of California residency such as a lease, auto registration or utility bill 3 Safety certificate You must also show separate proof of a California Handgun Safety Certificate earned by passing the state Justice DepartmentÕs test, administered by a certified instructor Graphic: Josh Richman, Doug Griswold, Bay Area News Group 4 Safe-handling demonstration You must also give a safehandling demonstration Ñ using the gun youÕre buying or the same model Ñ proving to a certified instructor that you know how to check that the weapon is empty, unlock it, load it with a dummy round, unload it and relock it 5 Firearm safety device For any firearm, you must also buy a firearm safety device Ñ a trigger lock, cable lock, qualifying gun cabinet or lock box, or gun safe Ñ or prove that you already have one 6 Background check The gun dealer sends the buyerÕs information electronically to the California Justice DepartmentÕs Dealer Record of Sale system so that it can conduct a background check 7 Waiting period The dealer keeps the gun for a 10-day waiting period, after which the buyer can pick it up if he or she passed the background check* *Background checks also apply to Californians who buy a gun through a private seller; buyer and seller must get a federally licensed seller to run a background check to complete the transaction © 2013 MCT Viewpoints CC Spin 7 March 2013 Cliques don't have Real life 'gamers' defy stereotype The facts don't support the image of violent, crazed players to be threatening By Paul Turek Las Lomas High School By Raya Scott E College Park High School ver wondered if those movies about the popular groups of teenagers that roam the halls referred to as cliques were actually true? When asked this question, College Park High School freshman Iliyana �������������������������� Cruz said,“Not really, but I kind of thought they were true.” Cliques are essentially groupings of people who share similar tastes like athletes, nerds, and hipsters. One may fear joining one of these cliques because it may affect his or her reputation at the school. At College Park there are not many cliques. Though College Park High School is a pretty unified school, as in most schools, there is a separation between upper and lower classmen. Due to the highly popular Freshmen Friday, there have been a few incidents involving milk and eggs. This “cake-making” certainly seems like the wrong way to welcome the incoming freshmen class. Chants of “freshmen suck” at rallies also creates a separation between upper and lower classmen. The entertainment industry has glorified the sense of cliques in high school. The movie Odd Girl Out is an example of one of the films that gave me the impression that cliques ruled the school. This film is about a girl named Vanessa (Alexa Vega) who is a straight A student with a popular best friend, Stacey (Leah Pipes). Due to some scheming by Stacey’s followers, their friendship falls apart and Vanessa starts to crumble mentally and emotionally. But with the help from another “outcast” she slowly starts to get herself back on track. Fortunately, in my short time at College Park I have found that cliques are not something students need to fear. There aren’t many cliques at College Park and being a member of one of these cliques is not something to be ashamed about. In retrospect: advice from upperclassmen By Yuki Pan Deer Valley High School High school will be over before you know it, is the first of many pieces of advice most students hear from teachers, parents, and upperclassmen alike. And it’s true. These four years seem like nothing, and yet, it’s like we all go through accelerated growth. We’re different year to year. We end up somebody completely different than the person who first walked through these gates freshman year. Given the chance, upperclassmen, what would you do differently? What advice would you give to freshmen? "I regret not doing enough extracurriculars that I was interested in because I couldn’t balance it with academics," said senior Rebecca Tran. "Time management is a life skill, so the earlier you learn it, the better." Even so, it’s never too late to get started, and it’s always the time to begin. Tran is now the president of Deer Valley’s chapter of the California Scholarship Federation, despite her earlier inactivity in school events. Jason Nguyen, a senior who realized his interest in tennis two years ago, offers some complementary advice. "Join a club or sport early on,” said Nguyen, “because by your senior year, you might wish you started earlier because it’s going to end soon." Although four years seem like a long time, there is never enough time if you find something you like to do. "Don’t be in a rush to date," said senior Lucy Wu. "It’s more fun just getting to know everyone and having good friends rather than getting into a relationship." Crowned the 2012 Junior Prom Princess, Wu has clearly found a balance between making time for both her friends and her boyfriend. So ultimately, the secret to being happy in high school is to take charge and make yourself happy. It seems obvious, but many people forget to do so somewhere along these four years. At the same time, don’t laze at home watching TV or trolling the Internet because these temporary joys seem to make you happy. Take advantage of these times. Find something that you love to do, and do all that you can for it. Keep up your grades so you can graduate and choose for yourself what you truly want to do with your time. Don’t let these four years of high school pass you by. A h, the stereotypical gamer: A person who sits in their mom’s basement playing World of Warcraft or Call of Duty until 2 a.m. surrounded by half-eaten hot pockets. Of course we all know the real world is very different from a virtual world, although many concerned mothers and politicians are trying to find correlations between video games and violent crimes. Video games are awesome: many help improve motor development, cognitive skills, hand eye coordination, teamwork, social skills and much more. Yet, many politicians and mothers around America believe video games are influencing young minds to go in the wrong direction, more than other popular media such as: music, movies and social networks. Furthermore, while video game sales quadrupled between 1998 and 2008, the arrest rate for juvenile murders actually fell 72 percent, and the arrest rate for violent crimes overall fell 50 percent. The Pew Researched Center did a study in 2008 that reported 97 percent of teenagers between 12 and 17 played some type of video game, and two-thirds of these games were violent. If there really is a correlation here, then we›ve got a lot of crazy teens out there to worry about. In some studies, researchers strap test subjects to heart rate monitors and blood pressure sensors to monitor aggression while they are playing violent games. Studies have shown that some actually do have an increase of heart rate and blood pressure these games. But of course everyone gets a little agitated when playing any game, whether it is violent or not. Correlation does not necessarily mean causation. People who associate violence with video games are generally too lazy to deal with the more obscure and underlying foundations of violence in humans. A person who continuously plays violent games will not be more prone to violent thoughts and actions, just as a car continuously staying in a garage will not become any faster--there is no link between either. While I strongly encourage questioning everything, using video games as a scapegoat for senseless violence when there are so many other factors does not make sense. Additionally, the 99.9 percent of gamers know that it›s just a game, made for enjoyment and pleasure. A normal person who can easily differentiate reality and the virtual world will restrain himself from imitating in real life what goes down in a video game. Dreaming, perchance, of sleep By Ian Summer & Nick Wittwer Las Lomas High School T he warm glow of the streetlight illuminates the streaks of water on the windows as rain patters outside, refracting the distant lights of downtown Walnut Creek. The clock ticking away on the wall is the only thing reminding us that it is just 6:30 p.m. As the days grow shorter and night falls sooner, sleep seems to be on our minds. Because of our natural response to the lack of light, people generally get more sleep in the winter. Unfortunately, that is not always the case for students. According to a survey of 454 Las Lomas students, students go to bed around 11 p.m. and wake up at 6:30 a.m. This means that they’re getting far fewer than the nine hours recommended for teenagers. The less adolescents sleep, the more the effects of sleep deprivation show according to Rebecca Spencer, a sleep researcher at the University of Massachusetts. Graphic by Ian Sumner and Nick Wittwer, Las Lomas HS “Sleep deprivation impairs your memory, makes you emotionally dysregulated (i.e., an emotional roller coaster), causes you to make poor decisions, [and] makes you more likely to get sick when exposed to germs,” said Spencer in an email. Although many students know they need to sleep a few more hours each night, they are largely unable to. It’s not just homework, Facebook and busy schedules keeping students up at night. “High school students are sleep deprived because their circadian clock (the biological clock in your brain) is not able to fall asleep until, say 11 p.m.,” said Spencer. “Your body at that age needs nine hours of sleep, so there’s usually no way to get enough quality sleep.” Student athletes also feel the pain of sleep deprivation because sleep helps with more than just with retention of information. According to Spencer, it also helps retain motor functions, like muscle memory. Not sleeping well in the two days prior to a sports game can impair motor skills and cause other symptoms of sleepiness. The best way to prepare (sleep-wise) for a game is to sleep well two nights in a row, aiming for nine or more hours each night to get the necessary quality sleep. There are various options for making up for lost beauty sleep with such a full schedule. By napping for an hour or going to bed earlier and waking up an hour later than normal, you will have a better chance of catching up on sleep. Sleep is a great way to boost grades, performance in school and mood. Reinstate the bedtime! Teen celebrity obsession can harm By Danielle Rector California High School G etting tattoos of celebrities and stalking their every move are part of the social norm for fans of today’s entertainment world. Recently though, Justin Bieber devotees demonstrated how an obsession can go too far. The drama arose after a photograph of Bieber holding what appeared to be a marijuana joint went public. Some fans responded by cutting themselves in protest. “He had such a clean cut image that people could idolize him easily,” said California High senior Miranda Shakes. “They thought of him as a good role model even though his objective never was to be a good role model.” TMZ posted the photograph in early January and an anonymous user on 4chan, the same website that once claimed Bieber was diagnosed with cancer, started the #BaldForBieber Twitter trend, suggested the “Cut for Bieber” campaign. “Self-harm as a way to express love for an idol is a really scary concept,” said English teacher Donna Montague. “There’s definitely something psychologically lacking; they’re (the fans) trying to have this pseudo relationship with a celebrity to fill that need.” Twitter users posted mock photos, with ketchup spread on their wrists like blood and scissors in mid-cut of pictures of the singer. But when photos of Bieber fans truly inflicting self-harm began to surface, the practical joke became an eye opener to the horror that can manifest from the click of a button. “When we look at middle to younger adolescent females, they do tend to have higher rates of cutting in general as a response to many things,” said psychology teacher Brandon Quick. “In my opinion it is more of a product, especially in Bieber’s particular situation, of the age of the star and the age of the fans.” Many blame the fans for letting the campaign get so out of hand. “The #CutForBieber trend was so unnecessary,” said sophomore Jason Sawdey. “It’s good to be a fan but when you hurt yourself for no reason it just becomes ridiculous.” Junior Melissa Jayasuriya, a Bieber fan, thinks the trend was unjustifiable. “I was not personally upset by the picture of him smoking weed,” said Jayasuriya. “It was his choice to smoke and there is nothing I can do about it.” Many Twitter users, including celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, fought back against the campaign that encouraged fans to hurt themselves. “Everyday growing and learning. Trying to be better. U get knocked down, u get up (sic),” Bieber tweeted after the photos surfaced. The “baby” singer is known for keeping a close relationship with his fans via social networking sites like Twitter and Facebook, but some Justin Bieber performs at Time Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, North Carolina, Tuesday, January 22, 2013. (Jeff Siner/Charlotte Observer/MCT) students question whether these websites are beneficial to pop culture in the long run. “Celebrities feed into obsession when they allow fans to have immediate connection so they think they are friends,” said Montague. Quick suggested that celebrities simply let fans see them in the public eye, doing normal activities that are unrelated to their performances, in order to remind the world that stars are real people too. “People generally become obsessed with that illusion of perfection in celebrities, we forget they’re real people,” said Quick. “The information is so much faster and more plentiful now.” “Anytime that you do something to dramatically alter your life because of somebody,” said Shakes. “I think that’s obsession.” 8 March 2013 Athletics Carranza defies hockey stereotype for a boys’team closer to home. But being the only girl on the team, things weren’t exactly easy for her. “The dads on the team were sexist,” she said. “I was always the odd one out.” Carranza recalls team parents telling her that she didn’t deserve to be on the team because she was a girl. Her father, JoEN GARDE! California High sophomore Rachel Carranza smashes the seph Carranza, also stereotype of hockey as a male only sport. Photo courtesy of Rachel remembers this as being a hard time for her. “It was isolating By Erica Drake at times,” he said. “Also some boys gave California High School her a hard time or didn’t fully accept her hen most people picture hockey because she was a girl.” players, they imagine buff CaShe didn’t let this stop her from proving nadian men, but California High them wrong. Because Carranza has to travel sophomore hockey player Rachel Carranza to San Jose three times a week for practice, is breaking the mold. juggling hockey and school can be a hassle Carranza has enjoyed hockey from a for her. But seeing as how little opportunity young age. Her dad and her brother both there is for a female hockey player in the played hockey and eventually Carranza East Bay she doesn’t have much choice. picked it up. “I got bored of waiting for She does additional traveling around (my dad and brother) to stop practicing so the Bay Area for games. I decided to try it out,” she said. That was But her travels don’t end there. Last when she was eight-years-old and she has October, Carranza was one of 20 people been playing ever since. from California and Minnesota picked by While Carranza is currently playing for the U.S State Department and USA Hockey the all-girls San Jose Jr. Sharks, for the first to go on a ten day trip to Russia where she six years of her hockey career she played trained with Russian students and profes- W sionals. She stayed in the training center in Novogorsk, a city outside of Moscow. Carranza said that although most of the Russian students knew how to speak English, hand gestures played a role in communicating with each other. At the end of her trip, she, along with her American and Russian teammates, played against a team from Moscow. Carranza wishes to play hockey in the future and hopes for a hockey scholarship to college. But her future in hockey here in the Bay Area has been put into question. Next season, it seems likely that there won’t be a San Jose Jr. Sharks for Carranza to return to, as there might not be enough people for a full team. As a result she has been looking elsewhere for hockey. She has already applied to several schools with hockey teams and hopes to finish high school at one of them. Some of these schools include Deerfield Academy in MA, Westminster School in CT, and The Gunnery School in CT. Sophomore Kelsey Aguirre said Carranza always puts schoolwork first. “Rachel is a hard worker and she gets things done,” Aguirre said. Despite previous hardships, she has faced being a girl in a male-dominated sport, Carranza believes that it is actually a good thing. “As a girl playing hockey, you can go so much further with it,” Carranza said. Fellow hockey player, junior Willie Chan, agreed. “It’s pretty difficult to get far with hockey,” Chan said. “It’s really competitive.” Longero hangs up his cleats after 14 seasons By Jonathan Hawthorne Las Lomas High School After 113 career wins in 14 seasons as head football coach at Las Lomas, Doug Longero has decided to temporarily step down. Longero told his team that he had decided to take a year off to pursue a master’s degree. “I made promises to some people that I would finish my education to get a masters degree, and I’ll be looking to do that,” said Longero. “And I’ve got some other things growing that are going on, but it was time for me to take a break because I’m overwhelmed.” Longero will help oversee the transition next season, as Mike Downing will become head coach. “He’s very organized and very detailed,” said Longero. “He knows the way that we’ve always done things here. He’s been around the program for eight years.” Downing was surprised and honored to be chosen as Longero’s replacement. “I’m excited by the challenge, but a little freaked out to be honest,” said Downing. “I want to not drop the ball, to continue with the program that he has established. I intend on running pretty much the same program.” Although stepping down from the program, Longero will continue to be a P.E. teacher at Las Lomas. The Knights are coming off a 5-7 season that ended with a 21-14 loss to Rancho Cotate High School of Rohnert Park. Longero said that his decision to leave the program was not related to the team’s season. “It’s had nothing to do with how the team performed, or anything like that,”said Longero. “It’s just that, internally, it’s time for me to take a break.” Dealing with the stress and time required to successfully run a football program has taken its toll. “You manage it every year,” said Longero. “You’re going to have victories and defeats and competition.” There is much speculation that Longero will pursue a coaching job at a higher level. “I know that he’s a great coach and I know that he has a lot of contacts at different levels, and I know that he loves coaching at Las Lomas,” said Principal Matt Campbell. “I hope he does come back, but if he doesn’t, I’d understand. Right now, we are planning for one year.” Longero has seen plenty of success over his tenure with four North Coast Sectional titles in his time at Las Lomas. Only twice has one of his teams missed the playoffs. He attributes his success to support from the community and his players. “You’re only as good of a coach as the players that you have on the field, and I’ve had a lot of guys that really worked hard and inspired to be great people,” said Longero. “It’s been a remarkable run.” School installs black turf during winter break By Charley Jang CC Spin Concussion deceptive, dangerous injury By Alex Shimberg Clayton Valley High School Injuries stink. As an athlete, there is nothing worse than watching from the sidelines, not being able to help your team. I suffered a concussion during a recent high school soccer game. I was immediately sent to the hospital for a CAT scan, which thankfully showed no hemorrhaging in my brain. I figured I’d be able to play again soon, possibly within a couple of days. To my surprise I had to sit out for more than two weeks. I felt like I could play, but was not allowed to participate in athletics. When I asked why I couldn’t play I was told that even though I may have felt fine in the moment, if I returned too soon and got another concussion then I could have permanent brain damage. The tricky thing about concussions is that there is no noticeable physical reason for restricting a return to the sport. If an athlete has a broken leg it is obvious why he or she can’t play. All one has to do is look at the cast on the athlete’s leg to understand why he isn’t active. With a concussion it’s different. A player may look fine, but might be as prone to a devastating injury if he returns too soon as the kid with the broken leg. Sitting out was depressing, but looking back I’m thankfuI I wasn’t allowed to return too quickly. My change of mind comes as more and more research has been conducted on the damaging effects of concussions, especially if left untreated. From high school to professional sports, coaches are encouraged (sometimes even forced) to be on alert for head injuries, and send any athlete who might have a concussion to get tested. The National Football League is behind a movement to inform athletes of the dangers of concussions. Strong evidence shows that former San Diego Chargers linebacker Junior Seau’s suicide may have resulted from recurring concussions throughout his career. For decades athletes have been almost encouraged to adapt a heroic attitude toward injuries and play through them. Nobody wants to let down their team or lose a starting position, so many injuries go unreported or ignored. And it isn’t just with concussions. Recently, Washington Redskins star quarterback Robert Griffin III played on an injured right knee. Late in their last game of the season, RG3, as his fans refer to him, reinjured his knee. He had to undergo knee reconstruction, and will likely never be the standout quarterback he once was. Most high school athletes won’t make it to the pros. Having a healthy brain and body well into adulthood is more important than acting tough and playing with an injury. Athletes like RGIII who are idolized by youth should be role models by making smarter choices when it comes to injuries. Research has proven that the heroic attitude toward injuries causes major health problems later in life. The risks of playing injured outweigh the rewards of returning early, and it’s about time that athletes begin to realize this. Spelunky is a gamers delight Clayton Valley High School Since Clayton Valley High School’s conversion to a charter school in 2012, there has been interest in remodeling the battered stadium as students, athletes, coaches, and teachers have complained of worsening track and turf conditions. The biggest debate has been over the color of turf that was installed this winter-break. Think basic black. “We are a charter school now and we can do it,” said Director of Operations Pat Middendorf. “We can go outside of the box, be different, and be innovative. In the end, you have to be different and be the school outside of the box.” Coach Tim Murphy, who took control of the football team, leading the school to its first NCS Championship in the 2012-13 season, proposed the design for the new stadium and is a major advocate for the BLACK TURF! The 'innovative" new surface of the Clayton Valley Charter High School is unique in color. “It’s more than a ‘like’ for Tim Murphy; area schools. The new surface was installed over winter break. Photo from Clayton Valley Charter. it is almost like an obsession. But we have his could potentially draw NCS and a coach that we believe in and trust,” Mid- shown that the turf will have little effect dendorf said. and at most, will raise the temperature by state events to Clayton Valley. The school Murphy had heard the school wanted 3 degrees. also plans to double the size of the stands to design a new stadium, so he went to Amid debate, the design of the stadium and add concession stands and a grand work and started researching. A school in underwent many stages, from having dif- entrance. West Salem, Ore., sparked his interest in ferent shades of green to changing the “I am excited. It’s the only black turf that the black turf as and he fell in love with it. school’s eagle logo. But the decisions to I know of in California. It’s unique and one of “I think it’s one of those things that is install the black turf and to keep the logo a kind. We are going to have a world-class unique,” Murphy said. “It’s so different that the same have been made and preparations stadium,” Linzey said. you can’t wrap your head around it. It will are under way. Since the school’s conversion, there bring a lot of kids out to sports and get “It’s going to boost school spirit. I love has been a new spirit about the school and them excited and people fired up to play. it that it was really the kids who made it about sports as the teams continue to excel. It will attract people from around the area.” happen and decided it. We trusted them,” “I think it (the turf ) would be a great There are concerns about whether said Executive Director Dave Linzey. addition to the new culture of the Clayton black turf will cause higher temperatures The school plans to install the turf Valley Charter High School’s football team and potentially raise risks for heat stroke. during winter break and the tracks during and to all the other sports like track and At first, many believed the temperature summer break. There are hopes to add a soccer,” said senior varsity football captain increase would be dramatic. ninth lane to the track, which Granada High Jesse Medrano. But according to Murphy, studies have School in Livermore possesses. T By March Bachofer College Park High School In a world dominated by multiplayer shooters, massive online games, and open-world adventures, the humble side-scroller is often overlooked as a thing of the past. But Spelunky is a little game that changes all of that. Developed by Derek Yu and Mossmouth, Spelunky is a two-dimensional side-scroller with eight-bit graphics. In this indie action game, the player controls an Indiana Jones-like spelunker, who explores a series of underground caves, often at his own risk! For the caves are not only filled with treasure, but also fraught with danger. For the inexperienced player, the caverns of Spelunky can lead to a quick and painful death. Spike traps, yetis, giant piranhas, and countless other dangers await the unwary. But the final rewards of treasure, idols, and sparkling gems are well worth the danger. A common complaint about recent games is their repetitiveness. This is a concern that is well addressed in Spelunky, as it uses a random level generator. Every time one plays the game, the map is different. Another great feature of Spelunky is that it is free! The publisher of Spelunky has made both the full game and the source code available for download on his website at www.spelunkyworld.com. An updated version with new characters, graphics, and gadgets has been released for Xbox. However, someone just looking for a quick game will be satisfied with the free version. Spelunky is a great game, for both the hardcore and casual gamer. Athletics CC Spin Keeping fit Pogo a unique form of transport By Andrea Catt Deer Valley High School When people think of sports, what comes to mind are usually the big three: baseball, basketball, and football. But there is quite an abundance of strange and wacky sports that are overlooked. Tristan Bergonia, a Deer Valley High School senior, is a pogo stick hobbyist. He pogo-sticks everywhere, from the corner store to friends’ houses, and even to school. “I just got it for Christmas one year and I’m usually interested in things that will probably kill me,” said Bergonia with a laugh. Some would consider pogo-sticking a bit dangerous since it’s done on pavement and it all depends on balance. It’s only natural that Bergonia has had a few accidents in his time with his pogo stick, Delilah. “I tried flipping the stick around my leg in the air and almost landed, but I landed on the bottom of my calf muscle and I had a dent in my leg for a week,” said Bergonia The general thinking behind sports is that the players play to win. So how do you win at a sport that only involves one person? “When I fail a million times attempting to do a trick, then finally get it right, it feels kind of amazing. That’s kind of winning in itself,” said Bergonia. 9 March 2013 Petite size disguises martial arts pro A brown belt, Poon is zeroing in on her black belt By Michelle Nguyen Monte Vista High School W alking through the hallways of Monte Vista, senior Cameron Poon may look like just another student in the crowd. Howeve this rather petite and quiet girl has a side not many people would expect – she is a martial arts master. Poon’s love for this sport began about 11 years ago. Her parents signed her up at East West Kung Fu in Alamo, wanting to give her more strict discipline. Discipline has gotten her to where she is now. As a second-degree brown belt, Poon was given the opportunity to compete in the Fourth Kuoshu Tournament in Malaysia. She had to prepare herself through rigorous training, four months ahead of the mid-October event. “The tournament was held on top of the mountain,” Poon said. “Because of the altitude, I did a lot of cardio workout to expand my lung capacity in order to avoid passing out during my forms.” The cardio workout consists of running, pushups, and situps. The routine allows Poon’s body to warm up and stretches her muscles, so they do not tense up when she engages in martial arts. In addition, she practices the splits to increase her flexibility, an important attribute in achieving high kicks. Poon performed for a panel of five judges over the course of three days, spending around 10 hours a day at the venue. Eight hundred people were present at the competition, which was less than the previous years, since it was located farther for most than usual. However, as Poon’s first world tournament, it was daunting for her. “There was a lot of adrenaline rush because a million thoughts were going through my brain at 20,000 miles an hour,” Poon said. “I got really scared before my first event, but afterwards it was much less stressful going out there and performing.” She showcased her skills in seven different events at the competition. The number of people competing against Poon in a single match ranged from between four and 30. Seventeen countries in total attended the tournament, including those from Europe, Asia and South America. “The most challenging part of the competition was going up against people not from other countries, but from my own team,” Poon said. “It’s hard to look at the people you’ve trained with together and see them as enemies, but in the end you just have to really go for it.” “You have to make it your own form,” Poon said. “It makes you stand out against your competitors and it really impresses the judges.” She placed first for the Chinese Southern Open Hand Form, third for the Chinese Other Weapon, and fourth for sparring. Not only did she compete individually, Photo by Monte Vista High Stampede but her team represented the United States as a whole. The results Poon received on each event added up towards the country’s score. The United States made their way to the top of the scoreboard, ranking first place. Since she is close to achieving her black belt, Poon plans to attend Diablo Valley College for two years after graduating high school. Poon wants to be able to attain her black belt before she transfers to a university. “Everyone goes their different paces,” Poon said. “Some people are more talented than others, but we just worry about ourselves as an individual martial artist.” Son, father, grandfather coach Acalanes football teams Three generations of Finns still inspire Dons “Football was kind of in the blood,” said registrar Emily Finn, Mike Finn’s wife. It’s pretty uncommon to have two mem- “My boys started playing bers of one family standing beside each other youth football in middle on any one sporting field. Try to imagine a school in Martinez and football team that features both Peyton and they played football in Eli Manning. Now, envision that the coach of high school just like their dad and their grandpa did.” that team is their father. After playing football This is the remarkable situation that the Finn family finds themselves in after fusing at El Cerrito High School, three generations into one unified force Gordy was recruited to leading the Acalanes Dons junior varsity play for UC-Berkeley. After college, he began teaching football squad. This year’s Dons junior varsity assistant physiology and biology at football coach, Gordon “�������������������� Gordy” Finn, now ap- Del Valle High School in proaching 75, is no stranger to the tumbling 1962, and he joined the tackles and grueling gameplans of the football Acalanes faculty in 1979. Gordy has left a lasting world. Gordy has been seen on the Acalanes turf since 1979, and he has been varsity head impression on Acalanes coach for several non-consecutive years dating Sports. He coached the Acalanes Football team as far back as 1981. Gordy’s son, Mike Finn, follows closely in 1980, leading it to the behind. Mike is also a frequenter of his favorite North Coast Sectionals home field at Acalanes, on which he first played championship title. He is thrilled to finally have more than 40 years ago. Inspired by his grandpa, Gordy, and his the opportunity to coach FAMILY Acalanes High coaches Mike Finn , Gordon “Gordy” Finn, and Lucas “Luke” Finn, a family trio dedicated to football. father, Mike, Lucas “Luke” Finn literally picked again this year, not only Photo courtesy the Finn Family. up the ball and ran with it. For the past four with his son, but also with During the 2012 season, the JV boys the only one functioning. years he has played at Alhambra High School, his grandson. “They always manage to keep away from sustained only one loss and sat atop the Diablo and the youngest Finn experienced his first year “It’s going to be really fun,”said Gordy prior discussing family things and stay focused on Foothill Athletic League standings. of coaching this year with the Acalanes junior to the 2012 season.“My son and I have coached what we have to get done in practice,” said “They work very well together and varsity team. For this coaching trio, football is together in different settings numerous times. junior Tommy Kresnak. produce a well-coached team,” said Kresnak. tradition. The three of us coaching together, (we’re) going Although the Finns excel in keeping “They all have the same mentality about how to have a great time.” personal life and work separate, their passion to play against our opponents: No matter what As a new coach, Luke has for the game does not allow them to keep their the score is, keep putting points on the board Personal Trainer been learning alongside his rela- work out of their home. and stop the other team from scoring.” tives, absorbing any tips he can. For Luke, his inaugural coaching season “Once football season hits, the whiteboards Because Luke plans to continue come out and there are X’s and O’s all over the could not have been better spent. As a young The basic pitch in baseball is the fastball; young players first learn to throw strikes with the fast, accurate Òfour-seamerÓ type. his coaching career in the future, house,”said Emily.“That’s what the dinner table coaching prospect, the lessons and memories he will undoubtedly develop to conversation is, it’s football.” he picked up with the 2012-2013 JV Dons will his own signature style, just as his Emily’s father-in-law, husband, and son not soon be forgotten. Four-seam fastball grandfather and dad have done. Put index and middle fingertips “It’s rare to see three generations of are all coaches on the team, leaving her in the just over seam of ÒhorseshoeÓ “Since it was my first year of center of endless football conversation. She has coaches on one team. It was the perfect way Ball rotates from coaching I took any advice my been familiar with the sport of football for as to start my coaching career,” Luke said. bottom to top; batter father and grandfather gave to long as she can remember. The most rewarding feeling for the JV sees what looks like me,” said Luke. “Maybe I’ll develop four spinning seams “Especially since we had the boys, football Dons’ football staff is being able to watch their my own coaching philosophy as I has played a huge role in our everyday life,”said players develop skills on the field while they When thrown very fast*, curves continue to grow as a coach.” slightly outward from pitcherÕs Emily. “It can be a little overwhelming and by grow as young men off the field. throwing arm However, as is the case for any the end of the season you’re ready for it to be "I love being with the kids and developing *Over 90 mph (145 kph) set of coaches, occasional strategy over, but I think more than anything it’s been them to be the best they can be in everything Side view disagreement is expected. Luckily, a real asset.” they do,”said Mike.“From a player’s standpoint, because of their easygoing nature Because football has evolved over the it’s the love of the game, competition and their love for the game, these past 50 years, Luke sees the game through an and camaraderie of being on a team. My Top view differences of opinion never create entirely different set of lenses than that of his experience as a player and coach has been anything more than a harmless dad and grandfather. so positive and enriching for me that I never debate. These differing views between all three seem to get tired of it. I’m always hungry for Two-seam fastball “There are disagreements, Finn coaches expose players to a variety of new experiences with new players, which is Hold two fingers over seams but it never gets to the point of coaching styles that the average team does why I come out to coach.” where they are closest to being heated because none of us not have the luxury of experiencing. each other Gordy, who has spent the majority of his is like that,” said Gordy. “If there is “They each give us a different perspective life out on the football field, has seen it all. Slower than four-seamer; tends something that one of us does that on football and coaching,” said sophomore For the oldest Finn, having the opportunity to curve downward the other thinks could be done Jared Finney. “They know each other and what to work alongside both his son and grandson differently, it’s a discussion rather each one wants to do football-wise. It’s always is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. The softSide view than an argument.” beneficial when they are all on the same page.” spoken yet impressive man applies the same Separation of work and family However, there is a method to the Finn philosophy to coaching as he does to life and affairs has been key to the trio’s coaching madness. If the reverence displayed family in general. Top view coaching success, and they always by the multitude of past, present, and probable “Don’t put on any fronts or acts,”said Gordy. manage to leave personal issues at future JV football players isn’t a testament to “Be yourself, just do what you do, and hopefully © 2012 MCT Source: Former Texas Rangers pitcher John Thomson, the house. When each Finn steps the coaches’ effective system, their record you do it well enough that it rubs off onto the Dallas Morning News Graphic: Paul Trap onto the field, his football brain is certainly is. people around you.” By Natalie Goepel & Tommy Bush Acalanes High School How to throw a fastball Features 10 March 2013 CC Spin Foreign exchange students enliven campus IN COUNTRY Hercules High foreign exchange students Elena Rosellini, Arthur Grigoryan, Morena Sutter and Janina Sternemann. Photos from Hercules High School By Bettina Tan Hercules High School It seems like Hercules has become a tourist spot for students. Senior Arthur Grigoryan, from Armenia, attended Hercules High School for the first semester and now resides in Portola Valley. Seniors Morena Sutter, from Switzerland, and Elena Rosellini, from Italy, bid Hercules farewell and departed for their hometowns Jan. 15. Junior Janina Sternemann, from Germany, came here to study in the second semester. Grigoryan came to America on Aug. 8 and attended Hercules High until Dec. 14 through the American Field Service Intercultural Program. He is studying at Menlo-Atherton High School for his second semester. Grigoryan enjoys exploring American cities such as San Francisco. “I think the biggest difference was the diversity because in Armenia it is not very diverse” Grigoryan said. “California is one of the most diverse states, so I think that’s the most different thing.” Nanette and Nestor Hinojales are the host parents to Sutter, Rosellini and Sternemann. The Hinojales’daughter studied abroad, which sparked their interest in becoming a host family for the foreign exchange programs. They enjoy showing the foreign exchange students the popular sites of America and participating in this program. “Having some friends outside of America is the best thing,” said Nanette Hinojales. “Also knowing their culture and language is interesting.” Rosellini came to the United States on July 31 while Sutter came on Aug. 3. They lived together at their host family’s home in Hercules. Sutter and Rosellini are from Education First, a study abroad company. Their host family took them to places in California such as San Francisco, Disneyland and Sacramento. “Our host family has been so great to let us travel through California,”Rosellini said.“We went from Lake Tahoe snowy mountains to the sandy beaches in Pismo beach.” Not only did Sutter and Rosellini travel in California, they also had the opportunity to travel to other places such as Las Vegas, Reno and Minneapolis. “I’ve experienced quite a lot,” Sutter said, “from new food, new sports, to new places. I’ve never traveled so much in my whole life like I did in the last six months.” This six-month trip to America was a lifechanging experience for Sutter and Rosellini. “I am going to miss the cheerful and positive atmosphere here. I met wonderful friends that each day made my day,” Rosellini said. Sutter agreed and thinks it is hard to com- Pinterest catching on with teens By Simone Stankus Las Lomas High School Getting home from school each day used to mean one thing: Facebook. However, this year I have found a new, more effective distraction. At first glance, Pinterest seems like an average website to post and share photos, but it’s so much more. It is a website dedicated to inspirational quotes, phenomenal photography and delicious recipes that provide endless distraction. Pinterest is unlike photo-sharing platforms such as Tumblr and Instagram where people upload and re-post pictures that usually have little or no purpose. Junior Sara Chen discovered a big difference between these sites. Pinterest “isn’t cluttered with pointless statuses or obnoxious advertisements, but instead is filled with things that are personalized to what you are interested in,” said Chen. Two years ago, Ben Silbermann launched Pinterest, a pin-board style site designed to let its members create virtual boards to display a multitude of images gathered from the Internet. Pinterest allows people to organize their favorite things on the Internet all on one website. Sophomore Haley Zeiger has been hooked on Pinterest for over a year and a half:“I can find really cool tutorials on stupid things that nobody else needs,”said Zeiger. Unlike Tumblr and Instagram, Pinter- est consists of boards, where pictures and videos with similar themes are stored. Junior Shahar Roda has also fallen in love with what Pinterest has to offer. “With Pinterest, Roda said, “I am able to create boards based on different categories of things I have pinned. It provides me with a place to gather all of the neat ideas I find into organized boards that I can always go back to.” The user names each board. The name corresponds to what the specific board contains, like ‘Artsy Fartsy’ for a board containing craft ideas or ‘Speaking Words of Wisdom’ for inspirational quotes. Junior Ruth Liou has been using Pinterest for about a year. “It’s definitely convenient to gather a diverse set of ideas,” she said. “There is so much to explore and being able to organize those great ideas in a personalized way makes it user-friendly and visually appealing.” The photos on Pinterest aren’t just for viewing, they also act as a link to lead the user to the original site that the image was found on. For example, pictures of quirky nail polish designs often lead to a blog filled with hundreds of new techniques and instructions on how to recreate them. Sophomore Alex Rossi has put her pinning to good use and found a useful tool that she is excited about. “I have found out how to make a frappuccino that tastes just like Starbucks,” Rossi said. One major recent addition to Pinterest is secret boards. For now, each member is limited to three secret boards. These boards can only be accessed by the user and cannot be seen by others. They make a perfect hiding place for holiday or birthday gift ideas. What makes Pinterest even better is that doesn’t cost a thing. Pinterest is loved for infinite reasons. “Pinterest inspires me to try new things and take my own spin on them as well,” said Roda. Junior Lauren Fitterer is another enthusiastic user of the site. Fitterer said, “It’s a good way to find inspiration for style and beauty or things like food and traveling and limitless other categories.” Netflix an economic way to stream films, games By Austin Brown California High School Unlimited movies and TV for only $7.99 a month? That is exactly what Netflix offers to customers, “anytime, anywhere.” One can catch up on past seasons of TV programs such as Breaking Bad, Supernatural, and The Walking Dead. Netflix also gives members the opportunity to watch episodes in order immediately, without commercials or ads. Additionally, viewers do not have to wait a week for the next episode. Netflix also sorts movies and shows by genre so if one gets tired of watching a hardcore ac- tion flick he or she can immediately switch over to watching a love story. Another reason why Netflix is popular is that it is available on over 50 different devices such as gaming consoles, blu-ray players, HDTVs, streaming players, home theater systems, smartphones, and tablets. Netflix probably offers more titles than anyone could watch in a lifetime. If potential customers do not think they are ready to commit to $7.99 a month until they have tried it, then they can start a one month free trial, and if they are disappointed, cancelling is a simple process. One unexpected advantage of Netflix is that multiple people can share one Netflix account. Another great thing about Netflix is it gives members a chance to view underrated, independent films such as Neo Ned, Memento, Basketball Diaries, and much more. However, if one does nothave very good internet connection, buffering will become your nemesis. And, there are however, no DVD extras, so if one enjoys bloopers then Netflix is not for him or her. The Good • Offers thousands of titles • Available on over 50 different devices • 1 month free trial • Past seasons of great shows • Multiple people can share an account The Bad • Requires a internet connection • No DVD extras Added Benefits Being a gamer and being a Netflix member go hand in hand. If you have a gaming console such as Xbox, Ps3, or Wii, you can stream Netflix instantly through your console. Today there are more than 23 million subscribers who agree that Netflix is worth the money. pare America to Switzerland. She is also going to miss everyone she met in America and hopes to keep in touch with them. “I think it’s always the people that make the place,” Sutter said. “It doesn’t matter where you are, as long as you’re with people you love it’s always fun.” As Sutter and Rosellini left America, Sternemann flew from Laichingen, Germany, on Jan. 16 to study here through the Dr. Frank Sprachen & Reisen organization. She is the sibling of former student Jule Sternemann, who attended Hercules High in 2011. Janina Sternemann will study at Hercules for the second half of the school year. Sternemann plans to participate in many activities that are not offered in Germany, such as the yearbook class. She wants to meet friends and to be able to speak English during her stay. “I decided to study abroad because I heard how good my sister spoke English and I wanted On the road again Moves strengthen my family ties By Alex Faulkner C Las Lomas High School alifornia. Colorado. California. Washington. And back to California again. With a lot of little in-state moves in between. That’s been the pattern of my life as a result of my dad’s job. By the time I was six, I was used to hearing the words, “we’re moving.” Emotions would flood through me. My first reaction was always sadness because I knew I would miss the friends that I had made, and then it automatically switched to moving OCD. This included the stressful thoughts of, “When are we moving?” and, “How much time do we have to pack?” One time I only had two weeks to prepare before we left. Soon enough, my dad and I were professional movers, the super two-person packing group on a mission. I helped pack everything while he organized the moving van, driving and figuring out what school I would be attending. Moving is very hard on both your body and mind because it is extremely exhausting, stressful, saddening and exhilarating. You don’t know where you’re going, and the anxiety of getting used to your new home or school is scary. I was always the new kid, or in Walnut Creek, the returning kid. (I have moved to and from Walnut Creek three times.) I had learned to adjust to my new environment fairly quickly, which was hard. Luckily, making friends was a skill I had developed over time, but with that came the unfortunate skill of saying goodbye. I guess you could say making introductions is like muscle memory: the more you do it, the better you will be at it. More than once, I have walked nervously into my new school, with my dad quietly telling me, “Have a great day, honey, you’ll do great.” There was a message hidden behind those words: he was telling me to always introduce myself, be friendly and, most importantly, always be myself. My dad’s words always stayed with me the whole day, encouraging me on to find new friends. The best thing was when the other children understood my situation, but sometimes, the other kids were vicious. When I moved to San Diego, my first school day was at a sleep away camp in the mountains. I didn’t know anyone, and the teacher sat me next to the three meanest girls in the grade. Needless to say, I did not have a good experience. My dad knew moving was hard on me, but I also knew it was equally hard on him because he was super busy working, and raising a kid. I always tried to make life easier for him. Even when I was six years old, I would try to keep my room clean, wake myself up for school, and even attempt (and fail) to fold my own laundry. When the time would come to move, I packed up my room and helped out everywhere else I could. Moving is a big responsibility, and it teaches you to really look at life from a different point of view. I would always ask myself, “How is this going to change my life?” and, “Is this really that bad?” Sometimes, you have to do what’s necessary to better yourself and those around you. Looking at my father and me from the outside, you would expect that we would be totally dysfunctional and disorganized. It is completely the opposite. We are probably the closest family of two there is. I wouldn’t be the person I am today without my dad, or our 10 moves. 11 Features CC Spin March 2013 Case of the dueling Sherlocks Rivalry between Marvel, DC comics, continue right on into the digital age 'Adventures,' 'Elementary' vie for classic detective fans' attention By Triya Marco Deer Valley High School A work of art is truly great when it outlasts its creator and transcends lifetimes. The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes is one such work. Written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887, these detective stories have been retold countless times. Today, there are two main television adaptations that place the Victorian era detective in the 21st century: Sherlock, a British series on BBC; and Elementary, an American series on CBS. Per Conan Doyle, the Sherlock Holmes in both series is a consulting detective for their local police. From here, the two stories diverge from the original work. In Sherlock, the audience meets Dr. John Watson (Martin Freeman), an army doctor discharged from Afghanistan. He is introduced to Sherlock Holmes (Benedict Cumberbatch), consultant to the Scotland Yard. Soon, they become roommates in London, as Holmes had conveniently been looking for someone to split rent with. In Elementary, the audience meets Dr. Joan Watson (Lucy Liu), an ex-surgeon and a sobriety supervisor. She is assigned to supervise Sherlock Holmes (Jonny Lee Miller), the New York Police Department’s By Mark Bachofer College Park High School C rash! With the breaking of glass and a whirl of black cape, Batman smashes through the roof to tackle the criminal. Meanwhile, in the theatre across the hall, Spiderman slings his way around the city in pursuit of the supervillain the Lizard. Today, superhero movies are the most prevalent genre. The comic books of old, which have thrilled kids for generations, are now the modern-day blockbusters. But when regarding these films and comics, one question arises above all others. Which is better, Marvel or DC? Together, both companies control a multibillion dollar industry and share over 80 percent of the comic book market in America. Both have made a splash in recent news with blockbuster movies such as the Dark Knight trilogy, The Avengers, and The Amazing Spiderman. But while movies are a good judge of these two entertainment giants, they are not their origins. Comics were where these companies were born, and comics remain as one of their largest franchises. From the original “Detective Comics” featuring Batman, to Captain America being frozen in the Arctic for decades, the comic book plotlines of Marvel and DC have enthralled the public. A comic is nothing without its characters, and the Justice League has some of the most well-known ones. Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman head the flagship of DC Comics. But recently, lesser-known heroes are also stepping into the spotlight. Following the success of the television series Smallville, which chronicled the young life of Superman is Arrow, the story of Green Arrow, a vigilante archer dedicated to eradicating crime in his city. After being stranded on an island for five years, he takes on the thugs and crime bosses in Starling City. But even as DC gains ground on television, Marvel has struck gold on the big screen. The Avengers was the end result of five other buildup movies. Featuring the best of the Marvel Universe, the movie featured Captain America, Iron Man, the Incredible Hulk, Hawkeye, Thor, and Black Widow. Loki, the evil brother of Thor, brought an intergalactic army to Earth, and it was up to the Avengers to stop him. Another well-known group has also been the focus of recent movies: the X-Men. A longtime favorite of fans, Charles Xavier and his fearless crime-fighters returned to trounce Magneto and his followers. Through movies and comics, both DC and Marvel have been thrilling But is there a winner? Some say yes, others no. “DC has Batman, Superman, and Green Arrow,” said Austin Brown, a sophomore at College Park High School. His opinion is not unchallenged though. Joseph Crawford, a junior, likes Marvel better. “I like mutants more than aliens,” he says. However, students are not the only ones interested in the epics of comic books. Lance Johnson, an English teacher, has been a longtime fan of both Marvel and DC. “I’m a little more partial to Marvel,” he said. “Spider-man will always be my favorite. When I was five years old I thought he was a real guy.” “People tend to favor the one they started reading as a kid,” he said. No one person can define the winner. The answer must come from the masses. consultant who is fresh out of rehab. A notable difference between the two series is the Watson-Holmes dynamic. In Sherlock, Holmes craves distance from the common man. He fights to become a godlike detective, he who holds all the answers. As a result, Holmes dominates his relationship with Watson. The audience can’t help but pity Watson as he follows Holmes like a puppy dog, essentially clueless in crime scenes. But the captivation of Sherlock lies in the undoing of Holmes’ elitist mystique. As the series progresses, Holmes becomes more likable as the character cracks little by little to show ounces of humanity. In Elementary, Watson’s supervisor status lends her relationship with Holmes some equilibrium, proven as Watson applies her own brand of deduction in the pilot episode. In short, Watson can hold her own when it comes to crime solving. This equal standing makes it easier to like both characters right from the start. Technology also plays a differing role in the two series. In Sherlock, Holmes texts, emails and updates a blog. He utilizes much of the 21st century technology effectively as support for his deductions. In Elementary, Holmes only uses his iPhone to take some photographs. He relies on typical methods of investigation, like stalking police records and staging good old-fashioned break-ins. This reluctance to use available resources differentiates this character from Doyle’s vision of Holmes — a man always so technologically innovative for a man of his time. Technological differences affect the cinematography as well. The scenes in Sherlock are crisp and high-tech. As Holmes solves crimes, the audience is invited along for the ride. The show displays Holmes’ thought through scene annotations: Pictures and words splash across the screen as he reasons. Elementary scenes are darker, simpler and lack special effects. It doesn’t highlight clues as clearly as its British counterpart, leaving the audience in the dark during the crime-solving process. So which show better captures the mystery of Sherlock Holmes? It depends on the audience. Some appreciate the innovation of Sherlock; some think it’s gimmicky. Some prefer the simplicity of Elementary; some think it’s creative laziness. Either way, both series do Conan Doyle’s work justice. Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts craving for a modern retelling would likely appreciate the mystery of both Sherlock and Elementary. separately,” said Jones. “Dates were more formal than what you guys experience. The boy really would pick you up. He really would meet your parents. He really would open your door for you.” Fifteen years later, it seems that this is no longer the case. Junior Camille Fuller said that many of today’s teenager’s dates play out differently. “Dates can be formal if you’ve been dating for a while, but if it’s early in a relationship, then it’s whatever you can do to not spend a lot of money and avoid meeting parents,” said Fuller. Susan Tierney, who attended high school in the early 1950s, said that when she was in school, it was important to bring a date to social functions. “Dating was more formal then. Students never went to dances, for example, in groups,” said Tierney. “If you weren’t asked, you didn’t go. It seems, in contrast, that there is much more informality now with kids often going around in mixed groups. When you were dating someone, you met up with them at times in school, talked to them on the phone at night, and generally went out on Friday or Saturday night. You generally went to a game, the movies or a party.” Oftentimes after being seen together, people naturally begin to wonder, “Are those two official?” The way that couples have established whether they are “official” or not has also changed over time. For most high school couples, being “official” means the boy has asked the girl out or formally asked her to be his girlfriend. In contrast, Jones said that the conversation about becoming “official” was much less of a production during her high school days. “A boy didn’t have to ‘ask you out’ as you guys say. One of you would bring up the topic of being “official,” and if the feelings were mutual then you could go ahead and call them your girl or boyfriend. If I’m a guy right now, it probably went something like this: ‘So, uhh, I was thinking, uhh, are we like, um, together?’ And if you said yeah then you were,” said Jones. Tierney said that without modern technology, word travelled about new couples through gossip and even what these couples wore. “When a couple was ‘going steady,’ the girls wore their boyfriends’ letterman sweater at school. Generally it was confirmed merely by calling each other ‘my boyfriend’ or ‘my girlfriend’,” said Tierney. Toriggino, on the other hand, said that relationship status on Facebook plays a very large role in informing peers. Tierney said that she met the majority of her boyfriends while on vacation. In her day, long-term relationships could quickly turn very serious. “Depending on the person, boyfriend/ girlfriend relationships lasted from a few weeks to years. In those days, non-college bound students often got married right out of high school,” said Tierney. Although the formalities of dating have changed, the feelings that come with knowing that there is someone special out there have been felt by teenagers throughout past generations and will continue to be felt in those to come. Young love still haunts the hallways By Victoria Lewis Las Lomas High School Students always seem to notice when there is a new couple strolling down the hallways of Las Lomas High School. Young love has existed since the beginning of time, but how teenagers have gone about exploring it has vastly changed through the ages. According to Ashley Jones, who attended Las Lomas in the late 1990s, the subject of one’s “crush” was made known then through rumors. “It would go about the school that someone liked you, and once that got back to you, that’s how you knew,” said Jones. Junior Sam Toriggino said that today, “you know someone likes you when they text you just saying ‘what’s up’ and when they ask you to hang out.” Nowadays, there are fewer expectations that come along with knowing that someone is interested in you. However, that was not always the case. “You guys refer to‘talking’as the period when you’re not really sure you’ll date but you like each other,” Jones said. “I’d say I didn’t really experience that until college. If a guy was calling me, I automatically had an expectation that it would lead to a relationship of some sort.” Without modern conveniences such as cell phones, texting and social networking, boys and girls had to go about getting to know each other in different ways. “The boy would call your house phone to talk to you, or you would hang out with a group and kind of break off and start talking Your money is accepted: The true cost of applying to the college(s) of your choice By Alyssa Coakley Deer Valley High School Any high school student planning on going to college should be well aware that college is going to be expensive. What they may not be aware of is that there is more than college tuition to worry about. The first step in becoming a college student is applying. The cost starts with an application fee. The average application fee is around $50 per school. Most UC’s are $70 per school. Some schools waive the application fee, which can save you hundreds of dollars. The next step after applying is to send your SAT or ACT scores to the colleges you applied to. The Collegeboard website will give you two or three free scores to send to colleges of your choice, and after that it costs $11 each time you send your scores. If you qualify for reduced lunch then you can send your scores for free. The last step is to send an official transcript to each college you apply to. The first transcript is free, and after that they cost $5 per school. So, total application fees for one school would be around $66, or if it’s a UC, then $86. Since most students apply to several schools., it can amount to hundreds of dollars, in addition to the thousands of dollars in tuition. That’s a lot of money to spend when you might not even get into some schools. Finally, when you receive admission to a school, and you decide that’s the one you want to go to, there’s an enrollment fee. It’s usually around $350, which is used just to save your spot at that school. Saving for college — from risky to safer By starting early, parents can use this 401(k)-like product to make more aggressive, riskier investments early in the childÕs life and transition to safer ones closer to the college years. Why are the totals greater than 100 percent? The allocations here are the averages of many different 529 plans, each with its own formula. Some, for instance, put more than 85 percent in stocks; others put less. The same is true for bonds and cash, making the average amounts add up to more than 100 percent. The important thing to note is the relationship between investment types: As the child ages, money is moved from riskier stocks to safer bonds and cash. Higher risk Average asset allocation in 529 plans by age of child For age-based plans, excluding age-based conservative, moderate, aggressive, active, growth, index, multifirm and options Stocks Lower risk Bonds Variable level of risk Cash Other (Includes preferred stocks, convertible bonds and various other investments.) 120 2 100 80 9% 9 7 14% 19 0.7 85% 61 38 80 29 10 73 60 60 40 33 20 9 Birth Source: Morningstar 1 2 3 Graphic: Chicago Tribune 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 © 2013 MCT BACK PAGE 12 March 2013 CC Spin Top trends of 2012, from YOLO to dip dyeing By Tatum Turetzky Northgte High School Whether it’s a winning sports team, a crazy dare, or the newest way to “fit in,” every year a new wave of trends takes over. Just like any other year, 2012 was full of them, and the truck seemed eager to pull up, allowing just about everyone around to hop onto the most recent bandwagon. YOLO. The catchy abbreviation for You Only Live Once originated in a popular song, but then evolved to be one of the year’s most well-known phrases. Need a reason to do something crazy? Why not? YOLO! One Direction. When you combine British Accents, five cute boys, and some pretty toe-tapping songs you come out with One Direction. The newest boy band filled the hearts and iPods of teenage girls everywhere. Instagram and Pinterest. A few years ago it was MySpace, and now even Facebook is thought of to be “ancient”. This year, two creative social media websites took over the smart phones of people of all ages. Whether you’re posting a picture of you and your friends to Instagram or “pinning” the most fabulous wedding dress onto one of your many Pinterest boards, you know how addicting and fun these sites can be. KONY 2012. This heart-breaking 30 minute video of enslaved African children painted the page of almost every user on Facebook and got over 96 million views on one of the world’s quickest means of transportation, YouTube. But, A 240-year-old instrument for a young developing artist like most crazes, it was gone and forgotten about in the click of a mouse. Olympics. All of the world’s best athletes in events including rowing, gymnastics, beach volleyball, water polo, diving, and more in one city? Sounds to me like the 2012 London Olympics. The Cinnamon Challenge. Dumping a teaspoon of cinnamon into your mouth without water doesn’t exactly sound like the ideal way to spend free time. But thousands of teens would beg to differ. Nail Art. Whether they were donned with cute cartoon characters, assortments of fruit, or sparkling night skies, highly decorated nails were spotted everywhere this year from wrapped around the handles of a bright colorful shopping bag from your favorite store to the many specialized blogs and pages devoted essentially to this trend. Dip-Dying Hair. Colorful locks looked almost delectable enough to eat, and they almost were, when dyed with sugary concentrated Kool-Aid packets. #Hashtags. Just a few short years ago when the “Shift and three” keys were pushed, you came out with what was thought of as simply a number sign. But now they represent “hashtags” on some of the hottest social media websites and apps around, Instagram and Twitter. So #SorryNotSorry if you aren’t #UpToDate on your #Lingo. Being a “Hipster”. Beach waves, highlow cut skirts, and vintage-feeling tops all came to represent those who don’t aspire to be too “mainstream”. But what will happen when this trend becomes Lung transplant turns teen into organ donor activist By Tessa Swenson Monte Vista High School A for. VIOLIN STANDOUT Sharon Yau of Acalanes High School. Photo from Acalanes High. By Ana Poulsen M Acalanes High School ost high school students ask for cars for their sixteenth birthday, but junior Sharon Yau’s request was a little different. Instead of browsing used car dealerships and scrutinizing makes and mileage, Yau shopped for a violin, and ended up with an extraordinary handcrafted violin that was created in 1772 by Franz Placht. “My old violin wasn’t very good and my parents decided it was time for me to get a new one,” said Yau. Because her worn-out violin would no longer suffice, Yau’s parents took her to Ifshin Violins in El Cerrito in search of a new instrument. Finding the perfect violin can be a long and arduous process; extra time must be spent experimenting with various violins in order to find the perfect one. “You choose a violin by picking a whole bunch of violins that you like. You take them home, and you just trial them, play them all for a week or two, and then you decide which one you like the best,” said Yau. Yau tried several violins in her search for the right sound and performance, but she knew that she had achieved perfection when she finally found the ideal instrument: a Franz Placht violin. “After taking it home and playing it, the sound of it was so sweet and mellow, and I just loved it,” said Yau. “That violin just sang to me, and it was like a fairytale moment.” While Yau does not know who the previous owners of her violin are, she enjoys the mystery of where it might have been. The instrument was on consignment when she bought it, meaning Ifshin Violins was selling it for someone else and had to keep the information private. However, Yau is honored to be a small part of musical history through her ownership of her incredible instrument. “My new violin has been around for 240 years,” said Yau. “There are so many possibilities for the history of that violin and I wish I knew who owned it and how it came from Germany to America.” A seasoned professional, Yau understands that even seemingly insignificant variations between violins can make all the difference. “Every violin has its own character, its own voice,” said Yau. “Just like how each person is unique, each violin is unique.” Yau has played the violin since she was 10 years old and has been hooked since her first time playing. “The first time I picked up the violin, I was just amazed at how a hollow piece of wood could make such beautiful sound,” said Yau. As is usually the case with people learning a new instrument, the first few years required hours of effort and perseverance and a forced acceptance of the fact that callused fingers come with the territory. “In the beginning it was really hard for me to find the motivation to keep playing,” said Yau. “I got my motivation not from how I sounded, but from my strong desire to actually be able to play an instrument.” She was intrigued by how powerful the instrument was, and this motivated her through difficult times. The pursuit of musical perfection has also driven Yau to continue to reach higher levels of performance. She pushes relentlessly to become a better player every day. The better the violin, the greater her desire to challenge herself and reach heights that she has not achieved in the past. Yau has progressed tremendously from her first violin encounter and now takes private lessons and participates in the Acalanes and Young People Symphony orchestras. fter fighting for her life for over a year, Monte Vista grad Clare Dowling, Class of 2009, found another cause worth fighting Daughter of English teacher Pat Dowling, Clare was diagnosed with an rare disease called Pulmonary Veno Occlusive Disease, which caused her to need a double lung transplant. Since her ordeal, Clare and her mom have become organ transplant crusaders, talking to high school and college students about the importance of organ donation and serving as ambassadors of the California Transplant Donor Network. “I think being an organ donor is one of the most selfless things people can do,” Clare said. Clare first realized she was sick during her first semester at Chico State. She was diagnosed with pneumonia, but she struggled to recover from it. “I would feel out of breath from just walking to class,” she said. She came home and saw a doctor during her second semester and she was diagnosed with the lung disease that if untreated, would be fatal. The doctors gave her a very short time to live and since this disease is so rare, they didn’t even really know how long she had, giving her anywhere from two months to two years. Her condition deteriorated quickly and they referred her to UC-San Francisco for treatment. “I was only 19 and really scared,” she said. “At that age you don’t think about what happens if and when you die. It hit me like a ton of bricks.” While she was at UCSF, she was on the waiting list to receive a double lung transplant. The family got news that she was going to receive lungs, but then that didn’t work out. This is particularly hard for patients and families, because in order to move up on the organ transplant list, a patient has to get more sick. “It was an emotional rollercoaster,” her mom said. Clare spent over six months in the hospital before getting her transplant and even set the hospital record for time on life support–six weeks. She suffered many complications during this time such as short-term memory loss and even a heart attack. “She’s a very well-rounded gal who is joyous and upbeat,” her mom said. “The only thing that got her through was her youth.” After the transplant, like many transplant patients, Clare suffered some serious complications and was told that she might never walk again. FIGHTERS Pat Dowling and Clare Dowling, Monte Vista High graduate and her English teacher mother. Photo by Pat Dowling. “I was overwhelmed and scared,” she said. “I kept wondering, how am I supposed to live my life without being able to walk?” Thankfully she beat those odds and is now back on her feet. “Through determination she is doing really well and has even been able to get back to horseback riding,” her mom said. Clare and her mom share their story to inform people about organ donation. Dowling visits classrooms on campus to tell Clare’s story and to share how important it is to be an organ donor. Becoming an organ donor is actually easy. “All you have to do is go on Facebook or go to the DMV and say that you would be interested in being an organ donor,” Dowling said. It is also important tell your family of your wishes as they will be the ones to make the decision if something happens to you. Clare is also doing her part in spreading the word. She has visited many high schools, including Monte Vista, to share her story, and she has also been to UC Berkeley. Clare has also been invited to the University of Kentucky to speak to medical personnel and doctors from all over the world. Besides talking to students about the importance of organ donation, Clare has been in several UCSF commercials and several different campaigns, as well as serving with her mom as ambassadors to the California Transplant Donor Network. Visit Donate Life California at https://www. donatelifecalifornia.org/ or http://www.ctdn. org/ for more information. Global reach Facebook will have to make big inroads in markets around the globe, especially in Asia where only a quarter of those with Internet access log on to the social network. Facebook users and total Internet users by region: Total Internet users In millions North America 69.0 percent of Internet users are on Facebook Europe Monthly active Facebook users In millions 48.7 percent of Internet users are on Facebook Asia 25.7 percent of Internet users are on Facebook Rest of the world 53.6 percent of Internet users are on Facebook 1,077 537 519 274 189 Source: Facebook, Internet World Stats 253 277 Graphic: Scott J. Wilson, Los Angeles Times 288 © 2012 MCT