HUB Print Issue: December 16

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HUB THE

The HUB reports on the dangers of sexual disease In-Depth | Pages 8-9

December 16, 2011

Davis Senior High School

www.bluedevilhub.com

De Vere’s opens doors for lovers of Irish food Entertainment | Page 13

Volume 86, Issue 5

Students break the bank for tuition Applications to community colleges increase

Tuition for the state university systems has shot up in recent years in response to state cutbacks.

By Mara Seaton HUB Staff Writer

University of California tuition California State University tuition

In past years, when considering what college to attend, many seniors did not consider community colleges and their offer of low tuition costs. Now, with University of California tuition rates on the rise and the economic recession eating at wallets, some students are making the decision to broaden their horizons. Head counselor Courtenay Tessler noticed that at DHS’s annual UC college night, more students and parents asked questions about community college and transfer policies. “That was really apparent to me,” Tessler said. “It’s a cultural switch.” COMMUNITY continued on page 2

University of California tuition on the rise By Linda Ge HUB Staff Writer

As tuition rises for the University of California, job opportunities are falling. Students cannot justify taking out loans they might not be able to pay back; schools are barely kept afloat by the state budget. Add that to an ongoing economic recession, and nobody is happy. The regents of the university were stuck between a rock and a hard place when they voted for a 9.6 percent tuition increase this past summer. Without it, the California education budget could not cover all costs. With it, the UC upsets a number of students who can barely afford to pay. “As much as I hate voting for this increase, I hate even more letting this institution slide into

mediocrity,” regent Bonnie Reiss said in July. She was one of the 14 regents who voted for a tuition increase. Budget cuts have led to “layoffs, increased class sizes, [and] delayed purchase of necessary equipment.” Even with tuition hikes, the UC website proclaims, “UC remains a bargain.” UC Davis senior Melissa Lo is frustrated by the UC saying it provides a “bargain education” (UC claims that only community colleges and state schools are cheaper). “Why are [they] punishing us for wanting a better education? I want to go to a school that is research-based and well known,” she said. “If they are going to push us into CSUs and community colleges, [these schools] are going to hike up their fees too.” TUITION continued on page 2

ASB budget an open book Computer Do you know how much money is in the Associated Student Body budget? Most students don’t. Senior Alex Duleba estimates that the ASB budget, managed by Student Government, contains no more than $500. Sophomore Caroline Irving has a slightly larger figure in mind: $2,000. Junior Jake Miille disagrees with Duleba and Irving; he estimates there is at least $5,000 in the ASB coffers, but does not know for sure. Miille, aside from wanting to know how much money ASB controls, wonders about many other things: What is the source of the money? How is it used? Are there separate funds for various types of expenditures? How can students be more involved? “We deserve to know what money they have and how they are gonna use it,” Miille said. “‘Cause that’s why we elected them: we trust them with our money.” ASB fund: the largest of four budgets While Miille and many other students have limited knowledge of Student Gov-

ernment’s financial activities, there is one man whose responsibility is to know it all— ASB Treasurer Jacob Vanderbilt. Miille and many other students share a common misconception that all the money is lumped into one fund. Vanderbilt says this assumption is false; in truth, there are four budgets. Each class— 2012, 2013 and 2014— has its own account, and the class budgets are spent on class-specific expenditures such as homecoming floats. The fourth and largest budget, however, is the central ASB budget. The ASB budget’s most significant fundraiser, according to Vanderbilt, is ASB card sales. Each card costs $50. Cardholders receive, in addition to a Blue Crew shirt, discounts on dances, homecoming shirts and home sporting events. The ASB treasury receives only half of the $50 earned per card. “[The other] $25 goes to the athletic department, and that’s split within all the sports teams,” Vanderbilt, a senior, said. Fueled mostly by card sales, the ASB fund functions as the financial “motor” of student body events. The ASB fund does not have, as Duleba, Irving and Miille guessed, $500, $2,000 or $5,000. According to Van-

Do you know your memes? OM NOM NOM!

Features | Page 6

situation ‘ridiculous,’ teachers say By Madie Delmendo HUB Staff Writer

ANDERS YOUNG/HUB PHOTO

By Gary Djajapranata HUB Staff Writer

ASB Treasurer Jacob Vanderbilt discusses the ASB budget during a lunchtime meeting held in C-4. The ASB meeting is held every Monday and is open to students.

derbilt, there is $35,000 in the ASB account— however, this number is in constant flux because of frequent expenditures and loans to the separate class budgets. All money left over in the ASB fund at the end of the year is rolled over to the following year, to be managed by a new generation of student body leaders. The ASB fund is not to be confused with Student Govbluede vilhub.c om

ernment’s separate class budget. Rent-a-Senior and Mr. Blue Devil are commonly perceived as ASB fundraisers; however, proceeds from these events are deposited into the Student Government class fund. Money in this fund is directed toward Student Government’s trip to the California Association of Student Leaders (CASL) conference. BUDGET continued on page 2

Check out the HUB website for video and radio reports

Bulky tan and black monitors lay heaped in the corner of L-28, still and lifeless in the computer cemetery. They died of old age, foreshadowing the rest of the lab computers’ future. The technology at DHS is severely outdated; computers in some of the labs are more than a decade old. Some Blue Devil faculty members have been working to create a plan to improve DHS technology. “I have to say that Davis has the most restrictive policy and the oldest technology of any place I’ve been,” librarian Bruce Cummings said. Geoff Belleau, ROP Networking and Internetworking teacher, agrees with Cummings, saying, “It’s ridiculous, absolutely ridiculous.” According to Belleau, the computers in the L-28 lab are 11 years old, while the ones in L-26 and the library are five years old. “An iPhone 4 has a faster processor, a better hard drive and more memory than one of [the older] computers,” Belleau said. A plan was presented to the Site Leadership Team on Dec. 7 with the recommendation to try and gather enough money to replace one lab, get laptops for classroom use and purchase netbooks to be issued to students who need to take them home. Belleau conducted a survey with his fourth period class to gather information about technology use. The survey was taken by 417 students and 19 teachers. The survey asked students what technological tools they used for schoolwork at DHS. According to the survey, 51 percent use school computers, but 49 percent also use personal laptops and 44 percent use smartphones. TECH continued on page 2 For athletes, sports seasons lead to GPA rise

Sports | Page 15


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December 16, 2011

News

BUDGET: Dances represent large percentage of Student Government costs

continued from front page

Class budgets: from beginning to end Entirely separate from the ASB fund are the class budgets, managed by the class presidents. At the beginning of each year, the incoming class— this year, the class of 2014— receives a start-up grant of $500 from the central ASB fund. When each class enters its junior year, it has an opportunity to bolster its funds through Junior Prom. According to Vanderbilt, each class takes out a loan from the central ASB fund in its junior year to finance Junior Prom. Last year, the class of 2012 borrowed $3,000 to finance its “Arabian Nights” prom, while the class of 2013 borrowed $4,500 to finance this year’s “The Most Wonderful Night of the Year.” Proceeds from Junior Prom are used to repay the initial loan from ASB, and profit is saved in the class budget. This profit is used, in turn, to prepare for Senior Ball, which Vanderbilt says “is extremely expensive.” The class of 2012 made an initial deposit of $5,000 in October to Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel.

Senior class president Caitlin Glassman estimates Senior Ball 2012 will cost $40,000, although she says ticket sales usually end up turning a profit for the senior class budget. Once Senior Ball is finished, any money left over in the senior class budget is used to purchase the senior gift. Last year’s class of 2011 spent $20,000 on a stage used for its graduation and all future graduations. Vanderbilt, however, says that Student Government has been attempting to avoid leftover funds in amounts as large as $20,000; the new goal is to lower student costs and limit the profit margin on class dances. “What [we realized over the years] is that we don’t really need $20,000 for a senior gift. So a lot of the prices for dances, at least for class dances, are going down,” Vanderbilt said. “Leaving Junior Prom with an incredibly large profit, or leaving Senior Ball with an incredibly large profit, should not be the goal,” Vanderbilt said. “It should be to give the students the lowest price

of dances as we can without losing money.” Vanderbilt adds that greater attendance at dances makes further price reductions possible. Access to Information After being shown this report, Miille wishes there was a place he could access updated information on how much money his class and ASB have. “I think [it would be good] if they had a website that listed the money they have,” Miille said. Miille, however, believes Student Government already does many things well, primarily in its masterful organization of a wide scope of events. “Overall, Student Government has very good commitment,” Miille said. Vanderbilt invites all interested students to be a part of financial discussions at weekly lunchtime meetings on Mondays at C-4. If you are interested in reviewing Student Government’s complete budget sheets, go to bluedevilhub.com.

TUITION: ‘A crisis that’s not going to go away,’ student says continued from front page

Lo, who said that her family is low-income, had to transfer to UCD from community college. “I had a 4.0 [GPA], but...we couldn’t afford it, and to qualify for financial aid is ridiculous. I couldn’t qualify for financial aid. Both my parents work very hard...it’s like you have to have one parent or no parents to qualify.” Harold Levine, Dean of the School of Education at UCD, refutes her claim. “About 60 percent of all UC undergraduates receive needs-based aid. There is a lot of evidence to point to the large socioeconomic diversity of the University of California. Being poor is not a barrier, in and of itself, to being able to attend UC.” “I haven’t been informed of scholarships or additional aid that’s been handed out,” Lo said. “They recently just built this huge community center on campus, and it was kinda weird to see this new building during this crisis. It makes me wonder how they got this money. I feel like I am extremely scared to graduate, more than other students have been, just because you have so much to pay back and the job market isn’t the best right now.” UCD “super-senior” Andy Lee,

who is taking a fifth year to finish all his credits, notes that any tuition increase is not good. “In the end, you’re still paying for every penny that the school charges you. Every dollar I pay towards tuition is every dollar I don’t have for books, food, rent, things like that. They’re not adding more classes, they’re not hiring new teachers, and it’s just hurting us,” Lee said. “After tuition went up, financial aid went down.” Levine states that there is a reason behind the price tag: “The cost of delivering education at the University of California has actually been going down, almost 15 percent since the 1990s. However, the cost to students has obviously risen considerably because the state’s [funding] contribution per student has decreased by almost 60 percent over the last two decades.” Lee is upset that current and prospective UC students don’t have the power to do anything about the tightening state budget. “It’s more of a crippling thing that we have to deal with, than if we have to stay in school or not. A lot of people say that we don’t have control over tuition increases. A lot of people who are doing the Occupy movement might disagree

with me, saying that we can make a change,” Lee said. While he admires the Occupy UCD idea, he doesn’t think the demands are always reasonable. In a mass email, UC President Mark Yudof tried to disprove the impression that only the wealthy can afford a UC education. “About 40% of all UC undergraduates receive Pell grants. Pell grant recipients come from families with an annual household income of $50,000 or less.” Levine adds that the university is on the students’ side. “We have worked hard at the UC to bring the cost of delivering education down, and we will continue to do so […] We agree ultimately with students: we would like to see fees decreased. We need the state to increase its share of UCs funding in order for that to happen.” Lee knows that there is an answer to the tuition problem, but he doesn’t know how to get there. “It’s definitely not a one-word or one-article answer. [Higher tuition] was going to be temporary when it first happened, but it’s now definitely a crisis that’s not going to go away,” Lee said.

By Kelly Goss Editor-in-Chief

Are the tickets for Junior Prom and Senior Ball too expensive? Should the annual powderpuff game’s regulations be changed? Is the homework policy effective? The DHS student forum strived to answer these questions during its last two meetings since The HUB’s November issue. During the Dec.14 general meeting, the majority of representatives voiced that they did not go to the Dec. 10 Junior Prom because they thought prices were too high or they were unhappy with the dance’s theme, according to Caitlin Glassman, the Student Government representative to the forum. Glassman plans to bring the students’ concerns and suggestions regarding Junior Prom back to the Student Government planning committee for Senior Ball. Although this year’s Junior Prom has already passed, Glassman notes that because of opinions voiced at the forum about Junior Prom, Student Government will consider Senior Ball ticket scholarships for students who use free and reduced lunch scholarships and create senior meetings in January so seniors can be involved in the theme of their prom. The majority of the leaders who were present at the Nov. 30 meeting regarding changes to this spring’s powderpuff game voiced that they

think DHS should keep the powderpuff game tradition but that more adult supervision and regulation in coaching should be enforced to keep the game “more fun and not as competitive,” said senior DenizTumer, the student forum leader and school board representative. Junior representative Isabella Rosen proposed that the coaches be UC Davis sorority student volunteers. Rosen said adult supervision needs to be present during both coaching sessions and the game. The forum focused on the homework policy in general meetings during November, one of which principal Jacquelyn Moore attended. Moore addressed the forum at the meeting and asked the students’ opinions regarding the homework policy, ROP classes and course descriptions, according to sophomore representative Chelsea Sacramento. Sacramento thought it was beneficial to have Moore present at the meeting to connect with the students. “It was really great to hear what she said about everything, because we’re trying to improve policy and to know that she’s really trying to improve it too is really great to hear,” she said. Tumer said these past meetings have been a success. “I feel like I can now go to administration and the school board and really talk about solutions knowing that I have the knowledge of many students’ thoughts behind me,” he said.

COMMUNITY: Private colleges

may see application jump

continued from front page

According to Tessler, more students are interested in completing their general education at cheaper community colleges, then transferring over to UC, private, or state schools. “We see more students selecting to go to community college... especially if they don’t get in right away. People are more tuned in to financially what this is going to cost them,” she explained. One student who is interested in transferring is senior Nadia Masarweh. Masarweh’s family pays for her older brother to attend UC Davis, and now that it is her turn to go to college, their resources are tapped out. Masarweh is interested in the nursing program at UC San Diego, but due to her family’s financial situation, she will have to wait two years before she can transfer. “I think just whatever school I can get into, I’ll just make it work,” Masarweh said. “I can’t really be picky in my situation.” Some, like English teacher Eleanor Neagley, have noticed a spike in students interested in private colleges as well now that UC rates have gone up. “I think in this economic recession, a lot of kids’ college funds have gone way down. I’ve had kids specifically tell me that, and private schools offer more money, so some of them are kind of buying the very best students,” Neagley said. Although tuition rates at UCs aren’t exactly the bargain they once were, Tessler claims that un-

like Neagley, she hasn’t noticed more students applying to private schools. She doesn’t think most students can save money by attending a private college. “It depends on what package you get, so what they do try to do is make it comparable to UCs because they want students from California,” she said. Because private schools are privately funded, unlike UCs, they have room to be very liberal with grants, scholarships and financial aid. Tessler recalled a student one year who ended up at Davidson College, a liberal arts private school in North Carolina. He received an athletic and leadership scholarship and ended up paying about $9000 a year, as opposed to the regular $38,000. Neagley did say that unless private schools offer students grants and scholarships, UC is probably the more fiscally responsible choice. “In general it’s a better deal, but I think at this stage in the game, you have a lot of kids and their parents who want to see exactly what their options are, and because UC has gone up so much, and because so many people are having trouble getting classes, they are more open to private schools,” Neagley said. Overall, Neagley and Tessler agree the economy is playing a huge role in seniors’ decision of where to go to school. “People have to put in a lot more thought about the value of the dollar,” Tessler said.

TECH: Electronics policy raises questions This transition to personal technology is something that DHS faculty has been looking into; faculty has also been exploring the idea of setting up schoolwide wireless access. “Everyone is focusing on what we don’t have, but we’re not really giving students the chance to use what they actually have,” Belleau said. Belleau says that the school has been looking into ways to use cell phones in school. Cummings says the school is “cognizant of the use of smartphones as a desire,” but also recognizes hurdles in making that transition. “The challenge there is two-

fold. [First,] we don’t have enough wireless points to send out a signal. The second is security of the network,” Cummings said. “The first is a problem of money, the second of policy.” Cummings said that the problem with opening up a wireless channel is filtration. Setting up another internet access unconnected to the district filter would mean open access, which could lead to policy issues. “This could be a problem if parents are assuming that children are coming to school and getting the school’s protection of a filter. If we provided an unfiltered route, they would have access to anything,”

Cummings said. Cummings says that one of the main barriers in bettering DHS’s technology is the restrictive district policies. “There is a strong allergy to litigation,” he said. “The district is very concerned about horrible things students might do one day.” This allergy may turn fatal, for Cummings says that to advance DHS technology’ the district may have to rewrite policies. He feels that the school must help those who are feeling fearful to see that those fears are unlikely and that “we are restricting very useful technology.

HENRY ANKER/HUB PHOTO

continued from front page

Computers are available for student use in the library, but they are inadequate, according to staff.


NEWS GRAPHIC

TIMELINE Page 3

December 16, 2011

News in Brief BY THE NUMBERS PHOTOS OF THE ISSUE

CSF encourages students to give back to community

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By MATTHEW MAYR HUB Correspondent

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By Madie Delmendo HUB Staff Writer

Seniors Christine Tak and Anna Klavins take a photo of themselves before prom. Many pre-prom preparations include taking pictures and putting on corsages and boutonnières with friends and dates.

Juniors Daniel Dutulescu and Victoria Mohtes-Chan were crowned king and queen of Junior Prom. The king and queen were voted on by the junior class in the week prior to Junior Prom.

How to Knit

Information provided by home economics teacher Jeanne Pettigrew

Step 3: Cast on your yarn to one of your knitting needles. The number of stitches you need to add depends on the pattern you’re using. Repeat this step as many times as desired.

Step 2: Create a slipknot in the yarn you want to use. This will be your first stitch on your needle to start your project

Step 5: When you are done, cast off your yarn from the knitting needle. This is your final step in the project to release your yarn from your needles.

Step 4: Start knitting. Knitting creates a bumpy texture on the yarn. If you want a more smooth finish on your project, learn how to purl at www.how-to-knit-guide.com.

By Emily Gao & Gary Djajapranata HUB Staff Writers

UPCOMING EVENTS IN DAVIS

Final Davis Children’s Nutcracker performance at Veterans Memorial Center with all youth actors and actresses.

DHS Symphony Orchestra performance at IPAB.

Former pizza executive and presidential candidate Herman Cain announces the suspension of his campaign in the the Republican primaries.

Felix Pu, the president of CSF, describes the numerous amount of projects available to CSF members.

First ski and snowboard race, the first of six regular season races.

January

December Dec . 3

CHARLOTTE CHEN/ HUB GRAPHIC

Step 1: Choose the yarn and knitting needles you want to use. The smaller the size of the needle, the tighter together your stitches will be. Make sure you don’t stretch your yarn or it will create gaps and loose spots in your work.

By Kelly Goss Editor-in- Chief

PAVLE JEREMIC/COURTESY PHOTO

ses Santa m ust visit per sec ond

CHARLOTTE CHEN/ HUB GRAPHIC

8 22.6 hou

PETER LIN/HUB PHOTOS

Junior Jim Zhang shows off his moves on the dance floor as a crowd gathers around him to cheer him on. These groups of people are common on the dance floor and provides a chance for people to dance it out.

Dec. 8

A university police officer is shot and killed on the campus of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, the site of the infamous 2007 massacre that killed 32 people.

Dec. 12

Dec. 16

Iran televises its capture of a U.S. C.I.A. stealth drone.

Jan. 2

Dec. 18 Two U.S. Army helicopters crash during a training exercise at a Washington state military base, killing four people. Former Penn State football coach Jerry Sandusky, who has been accused of child sexual abuse by multiple victims, waives his right to a preliminary hearing, opting to proceed straight to a trial.

WHAT HAPPENED IN THE WORLD

CHARLOTTE CHEN & HENRY ANKER/ HUB GRAPHIC

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Students overflowed P-13, filling the desks and crowding the floor. The officers stood at the front and began the announcements for a meeting of the California Scholarship Federation (CSF). When going to meetings like this one, members learn about volunteer projects in which they can participate. CSF’s goal is to help kids get involved in the community in order to become civically engaged adults. According to Fern O’Brien, the faculty adviser to CSF, the club experienced a lot of growth during the past few years. It now accommodates approximately 300 members and of these 300 members, 20-30 students go on to receive a pin, a tassel and a gold cord when graduating. These are the students whom O’Brien considers “the heart of CSF.” In order to obtain this award, active participation and 20 hours of community service are required for each for four semesters. In order to be considered an active member, each student needs to attend at least two meetings per semester and turn in four “hour sheets” (with one CSF event on each). These hour sheets record hours of community service completed. According to O’Brien, CSF was founded about 100 years ago. It was created to acknowledge California students in particular but its main purpose is to assist students in giving back to their community. “[Davis] is a community that gives a lot to its students and they should appreciate that,” O’Brien said. Students participating in CSF have the option to work in a wide variety of projects. The club does some projects every year such as helping at the Turkey Trot or donating to STEAC families. Other examples include assisting at a youth basketball tournament or even manning the phones at a KVIE pledge break. All of CSF’s money is used to further benefit volunteer projects. According to O’Brien, much of the money the club collects from donations goes to offering scholarships to graduating seniors, hence the CSF motto: “Scholarship with Service.” CSF, as the name suggests, is a statewide effort to get kids involved. It is one of very few institutions that operate at more of a grand scale, the other being the National Honor Society on a national scale.


Page 4

December 16, 2011

Features

SPEAK of the DEVIL Features

TEEN CHRISTIAN FELLOWSHIP CLUB/COURTESY GRAPHIC

Keeping the faith

Students in a poster for Teen Christian Fellowship hold signs illustrating their pride in their faith. Many of the students in the club attend Grace Valley Christian Center, an evangelical church just west of Davis in Yolo County.

By Anna Sturla Features Editor

A group of about 20 students fill Jim Johnson’s math classroom during a Wednesday lunch period. The student leading the meeting makes a few announcements, then asks Isaac Contreras, a senior, to lead the members of the Teen Christian Fellowship in prayer. Group members bend their heads and pray silently as Contreras asks for special guidance in navigating high school. After the final echoed “Amen,” the students pull out new and well-worn Bibles, and divide into two groups. They begin to discuss a passage of Christian scripture. Many of these students belong to Grace Valley Christian Center, an evangelical church just off County Road 98. At DHS, they try to maintain their conservative Christian beliefs in the midst of a liberal and largely secular society. Many DHS students who attend Grace Valley formerly attended its adjunct school, Grace Valley Christian Academy, from kinder-

garten through ninth grade. Many of those who made the transition from Grace Valley Christian Academy to DHS have remained very close friends, retaining their sense of close-knit community. “A lot of us grew up together, and some stayed friends when we go to the high school,” senior Jordan Ramalingam said. “Going through the changes of school with the same friends kinda makes it a lot easier.” Contreras believes his church has prepared him for attending a public school. “They tell you what to watch out for. During Sundays, they’d keep on teaching, so you’d learn there and take that and you’d put it into practice during school,” Contreras said. But Contreras has seen some of his fellow Grace Valley church members fall by the wayside. “People have sometimes talked to the leaders, and they’re like ‘I don’t believe this anymore,’ and then they just leave the church,” Contreras said. “It’s sad, ‘cause it’s kind of like a family member’s just leaving,” Contreras said. For both Contreras and Ramalingam, their church is also, in a way, their family. Both were born into Grace Valley Christian Center, and attended Grace Valley Christian Academy.

Those who attend Grace Valley say they are attracted to its vibrant faith community, the stable continuity provided by its strong leadership and its belief in a literal interpretation of the Bible. Gregory Perry is the assistant pastor in charge of college ministry. He used to be an English teacher who left a teaching job in the Davis school district to go full-time into the ministry. Perry came to the church as a college sophomore 18 years ago, seeking direction. “At that point, I wasn’t really a Christian,” Perry said. “I celebrated Christmas and Easter and all of that, but I didn’t have much church background, or really know what Christianity was all about. After a few months, according to Perry, he “decided to give my life to Christ.” For Perry, one of Grace Valley’s main attractions was its family-like community of Christians. “The Biblical view is that church is the family of God... I feel like, for here, the church is my family,” Perry said. “I think just the consistency of the people, the leadership, the pastor, make it feel like this place where you can come and belong, and be part of a family here.” Perry, who now has three young children, met his wife in the church and felt helped by the strong sense of family that he found at Grace Valley.

Future Latino majority in California

By Monica Lopez-Lara HUB Staff Writer

LANI CHANG/HUB PHOTO

A Light on Latinos

A HUB Series Part Two: Soccer

Continues in Dec. Issue

Junior Raquel Valdes and junior Sofia Cárdenas work on a Latinos Unidos club project. Both of them will form part of dominant Latino demographic in California’s future.

that Latinos will have a chance to “grow the nation,” and add their own unique perspective to American culture. “[Latinos] would bring new ideas because they know what it feels like to be at the bottom. They would know what needs to happen to build us up together and not just let people fall through the cracks,” Arzalúz said. But for now, some Latinos are falling through the cracks, particularly in the California political process. A 2010 Public Policy Institute of California poll reported that “only 34% of Latino adults are likely to vote, compared to 44% of Asians, 57% of blacks, and 73% of whites.” “I think that [Latinos] are just still really stuck, like they’re the bottom of the totem pole, so they don’t even see why they need to vote,” Cárdenas said. “But I think that Latinos my age are definitely going to start voting [...] But for their parents, I don’t think they’re

Christians and as people.” P.G. Mathew founded the church 37 years ago. Along with Perry, who is the college minister, there is one other associate minister. There are also ten elders, or nonclergy leaders, the last of whom was appointed about ten years ago, according to Perry. Elders lead smaller “home groups” within the church, to which every member of the 500-person congregation belongs. The “home groups” subdivide the large congregation, allowing for smaller, closer communities within the church. The duties of members of “home groups” range from helping each other through times of hardship, to helping with housing repairs, according to Perry. Elders also help members with advice about various earthly things, such as which jobs might be better to take, according to Swickard, whose father is an elder. Elders, along with the church’s three ministers, intervene when they see a church member committing what they believe is a sin. In such cases, they “rebuke” the church member, telling him or her the error and using scripture as support, according to Ramalingam and Contreras. “We’re a church that believes in redemption. If somebody is walking in sin […] somebody’s going to GRACE VALLEY continued on 6

Students struggle to pay up

By Anna Sturla & Daniel Tutt HUB Staff Writers

After the United States took control of California in 1848, new American immigrants became the majority of the state’s population. However, by 2020, because of immigration and population growth, Latinos will once again reclaim their position as the largest ethnic group in California, surpassing whites for the first time in the states’ history, according to government projections. “That’s just a part of being Californian, being around a bunch of Latinos,” junior Sofia Cárdenas said. Both of Cárdenas’ parents were born in Chile and fled to the United States to escape political repression. “Hopefully more [Latinos] are going to go to college and be educated and have good jobs and that’s good, and we’ll have more Latinos represented in bigger positions and jobs,” said junior Gabriela Gutiérrez, vice president of the Latinos Unidos club. Latinos, like many minorities in the United States, have not always had equality in status or in politics. But, with the rising population of Latinos, junior José Arzalúz believes

“The thing you’ll see in Grace Valley, it’s a real strong, close-knit community and there’s a lot of support and family life,” Perry added. “I came from a home of divorced parents, so just even seeing strong family life was instructional for me.” For Contreras, the church also functions as a caring force. When Contreras’ mother was diagnosed with cancer last year, church members were present at the hospital during his mother’s surgery, provided dinner for his family for three months, and helped with household chores. “It was really nice, to see how it was like a family,” Contreras said. But at the root of the church is the faith. For junior Luke Swickard and others, it is not just a sense of community, but their own souls that are at stake. Swickard said he was “saved,” or fully converted to following the Christian faith and scripture, three years ago, at a Grace Valley retreat in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. “It’s giving your life over to Christ. It’s giving up earthly things. It’s giving up what you want to do, and doing what Christ wants you to do,” Swickard said. The leadership at Grace Valley also gives church members firm direction on how to conduct their lives according to Christian scripture and how, said junior Julia Cloughesy, “to better ourselves as

going to change at all.” For Cárdenas, the right to political expression has a personal importance: her politically active uncle was executed under Chilean military dictator Agusto Pinochet and her grandfather succesfully sought political asylum in the United States. Arzalúz pointed out other reasons that might contribute to the low voting rate. “A lot of times [Latinos] don’t vote because sometimes family members are those who don’t have papers. So they think any type of involvement might bring them attention, so they’ll be like, ‘The less attention the better, we’ll just go under the radar,” Arzalúz said. “They just need to be encouraged to vote because, if not, [...] we’re not representing our whole nation.” In light of the emergence of LATINOS continued on 5

DHS teens, along with many other teens in the United States, often find themselves living an expensive life. Students are often overwhelmed having to balance spending between food, entertainment or social expenses, as well as school-related expenses. Forty-four percent of voters who responded to a poll on bluedevilhub.com said that most of their money is spent on food. Because of DHS’s open campus lunch policy, it is easy for students to spend more on food than they would if they bought school lunch or packed their own. Junior Mo Xu, who spends about $10 to $15 a week on food, has noticed that her spending has increased since her sophomore year. “I spend more money this year than I did last year I think mainly because I go to lunch at places downtown more. Last year I would just go on the sophomore walk and the food places there are a lot cheaper than the ones downtown,” Xu said. Senior Galan Falakfarsa says that he has noticed an increase in his spending this year because he has become a licensed driver, spending $20 to $30 per school week. Teens who drive are more likely to spend more than non-licensed teens, especially if they pay for their own gas. A recent study by investing company Charles Schwab shows that the recession has taught teens ages 16-18 how to spend wisely, and when to save. Of the 1,000 teens polled, 58 percent said they are less likely to ask for things they want, versus necessities, and 58 percent of the teens polled said they have

ANNAMARIE PILON/HUB GRAPHIC

Grace Valley teens maintain their circle of support in secular school

Field Trip Costs: Zoo/Bot Catalina Field Trip (April 2012): $400 (per student) DHS Drama Scotland Performance Trip (August 2012): $150,000 (approx. total) HUB Seattle Convention Trip (April 2012): $700 a greater appreciation for their parents’ hard work. Senior Amanda Hawley-Peters’ main source of income is her two jobs at Ciocolat and Burger King. She says that her paychecks are spent on Starbucks coffee, gas, rent and her phone bill. Other than those expenses, Hawley-Peters saves her money in a basic savings account. School expenses are also a factor in many students budgets. Xu said that even before school starts, she spent a lot on new clothes for the school year. Twenty-two percent of the students polled on bluedevilhub.com said that their biggest expense was shopping (clothing, shoes, etc). Many school expenses also come from school trips, such as the annual band trip, which last year cost about $550 for each student, although families were not required to pay.


The HUB

Page 5

Features

Students donate hair to show they care

Junior Brigi Glass’ hair used to reach her waist. She has donated her hair twice for Locks of Love.

In 1997, a retired cardiac nurse named Madonna Coffman created Locks of Love. She founded the non-profit organization after her 4-year-old daughter developed a medical condition known as “alopecia,” or balding. Coffman suffered as she watched her daughter’s precious locks disappear before her very eyes. From then on Coffman devoted herself fully to Locks of Love. The mission of Locks of Love is simple: return a sense of identity, confidence and normalcy to children suffering from hair loss by utilizing donated ponytails to provide financially disabled children, teens and young adults with wigs of the highest quality possible.

ZERO DEGREES

of

Every year the average human head sprouts six vibrant inches of gleaming new hair. Exempt from this “average” hair growth statistic are the waves of cancer patients living around the world, many of who are unable to grow a single strand. As of Jan. 1, 2008, the United States alone was home to roughly 12 million cancer patients, according to cancer.org. The disease is indisputably devastating and, depending on the treatment, comes with multitude of side effects. One treatment in particular, chemotherapy, contains possible side effects such as nausea, vomiting, nerve damage, fatigue, mouth sores and more. However, chemotherapy’s most common side effect is hair loss. In the winter of her freshman year, junior Della Woods was diagnosed with a type of cancer known as non-Hodgkins B-cell lymphoma. Like many other cancer patients, she underwent chemotherapy treatment. Woods lost all of her hair to the treatment, an experience commonly described as one of its most emotionally devastating side effects. “The thought of it at first was really hard, but then I got a feeling that it will eventually come back and I just have to go through this,” she said. To try to prevent the feeling of helplessness that often accompanies the uncontrollable loss of hair, organizations such as Locks of Love were founded.

LANI CHANG/HUB PHOTO

By Grace Calhoun HUB Staff Writer

To Woods, Locks of Love does exactly that. “It makes [the wig receivers] feel better regarding self-esteem. It’s really important to keep up your self-esteem when you’re going through such a hard time,” she said. After enduring her own personal trials with hair loss, Woods believes that donating hair is a great way to boost the morale of a cancer patient or merely anyone suffering from hair loss. “I think that a lot of people should volunteer to [donate their hair] because it is pretty emotional when you [lose your hair], and it could really lift up someone’s spirits when they get a wig from someone,” she said. According to Locks of Love’s

SEPARATION

By Rubia Siddiqi HUB Staff Writer

communications director, Lauren Kukkamaa, more than 3,000 children have been helped by the organization to date. Junior Brigi Glass is a proud twotime donor to the Locks of Love foundation. Glass’ most recent donation was 17 inches of strong, sandy blonde hair. “That’s the reason I was growing my hair,” Glass said. “I wanted to [donate it] again because I thought other people deserve hair too,” she added with a smile. Glass plans to continue donating her hair until she is “too old.” She enjoys the fluctuation between long and short hair. “I was also really excited [to donate my hair] because my hair had been long for so

long that I didn’t remember what it was like to have short hair,” she said. Hair salons such as Pomegranate Salon in Davis also do their part to help Locks of Love. Pomegranate employee Rich Rusakowicz is a middle-aged man with trendily trimmed hair; he is also the coowner of the salon. Over the years, Rusakowicz estimates he has cut the locks of about 40 to 50 people with intentions of donating their hair to Locks of Love. “The majority of people do this on a regular basis as if it’s kind of their one way of giving back to society. They give it once a year or twice a year,” he said. While Rusakowicz’s clients have their own unique tales as to why they are donating their hair, one in particular stands out among the rest. “I had a woman cut off a bunch of her hair because a very good friend of hers had cancer,” he said. “She actually watched her friend pass away soon after and it was really devastating.” While the Locks of Love organization distributes wigs to people suffering from any type of longterm hair loss, cancer seems to be the main reason for those donating their hair. “I’ve actually had people that [have] donated their hair and shaved their head or cut it very close while a friend of theirs had cancer or had been treated for cancer,” Rusakowicz said. In order to support organizations such as Locks of Love, Rusakowicz offers a 50 percent discount to clients who donate their hair to Locks of Love or other similar associations.

LATINOS: Largest ethnic group in California by 2020 continued from page 4

Sparks flew for sophomores Kian Reno, Garrett Fisk and Daniel Rowen when they stumbled across each other during recess at the kickball court at Pioneer Elementary School. Seven years later, the trio remains best friends and continues with their fun adventures at DHS. The three retain their friendship all the while representing their home town of Davis by biking together on tandem bikes.

What is the best memory you have together? GF: The top choice is when we went craw fishing with our bare hands at Donner Lake. DR: You pick them up behind the pinchers. What are some things you have in common? KR: We’re all tall. And we have a passion for corndogs. GF: With ketchup. DR: That’s the food of our friendship. Do you disagree on anything? DR: We don’t agree on women. What is the most fun activity you have done with each other? KR: The funnest activity we’ve done together is watch“Legend of the Guardians.” It’s a movie. It’s like a mix of “Star Wars” and “300” except with owls. GF: We like watching that

Sophomores Kian Reno (left), Garrett Fisk (center) and Daniel Rowen (right).

movie because it’s the best movie of all time. I would like to promote that film in the article you’re writing. Will you promote it? How would you describe your friendship? GF: Our friendship is described by a fear shrouded in mist. Every single day is something new. KR: I would describe it as an onion because there are many layers of an onion and there are many layers to our friendship. And you can’t always see all the layers; sometimes you have to dig deeper into the heart of the onion. DR: I would describe our friendship as Mozart’s best piece because it’s good. How would you describe each other? DR: I’ll describe Garrett: he’s a large, fuzzy man. KR: Kinda like a big monkey.

DR: [And Kian,] I would say he’s a tall, lanky fellow. KR: Garrett’s kinda like a seahorse because he has gills and he swims well. He doesn’t really have gills. GF: I would describe Kian as “steezy”: style with ease. KR: Daniel is like a crocodile because he’s very sneaky and muscular. GF: Daniel is a scorpion man. What movie characterizes your friendship? DR: The Three Musketeers. GF: We describe ourselves as the Three Musketeers because … “We’re all for one and one for all.” You should quote that; it’s a good one.

LANI CHANG/HUB PHOTO

What are some funny experiences you guys have shared? DR: One time we were playing dodge ball with Garrett’s brother and he cried. KR: For a while.Well, he hit him with the dodgeball. GF: It hurt.

LANI CHANG/HUB PHOTO

What do you like doing together? KR: We like to eat food; there’s a lot of eating … and we also ride bicycles. DR: We ride tandem bikes: we fit three people on the bike, usually with one in the basket and ride downhill.

Students participate in a Latinos Unidos lunchtime club meeting. Researchers predict a Latino-dominant California for the future.

a Latino-dominated California, many students felt that a better-educated Latino populace was key for the future of both California and the Latino community. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, in 2010, only 13.9 percent of all Latinos more than 25 years of age had graduated from college, compared to 30.3 percent of Caucasians and 19.8 percent of African Americans. “Pushing Latinos toward education and going to college and getting a degree is very important [...] if that happens, if the government is able to do that, then it will be a really positive thing,” said junior Raquel Valdés, president of the Latinos Unidos Club. “I feel like a lot of the immigrants coming here probably don’t seek higher education as much as they should,” Cárdenas said. “But I know that a lot of the kids in the [Latinos Unidos] club, their parents didn’t go to college, but that’s completely not stopping them.” With the likelihood of a majority Latino population in California comes not only speculation about

California’s political future, but also its cultural future. “The United States definitely has [its] own culture that’s very different from Latin American countries, but I think that immigrants have always found a way to take the best of their new culture and the best of their old culture and make it something that fits them,” Cárdenas said. “So I think like the underlying themes of [...] Latin American culture are still going to stay, like family values, most likely food.” However, added to the soup of Latino culture will be some new ingredients from the American melting pot. “[Latinos] are going to take interest in American football, take interest in Fourth of July,” Cárdenas said. “I think they’re going to reach some sort of equilibrium state, where it’s like the best of United States’ culture and the best of their Latin American culture, and it’s just going to become the norm. Like, you’re always going to hear mariachi music, but you’re always going to be able to get a burger.”


Page 6

December 16, 2011

Features

GRACE VALLEY: Strong belief in the Bible fuels faith address them on it,” Perry said. “All of this idea of confronting people is for redemptive purposes [...] the whole church holds each other accountable. We are our brother’s keeper.” For many who attend the church, the confrontation is a welcome intervention to stop sinful behavior. Contreras says the elders helped him in the process of ridding himself of a sin. “I used to be really lazy, but then I was confronted by the leaders in the church,” Contreras said. “There was one man who would keep on emailing me, checking up on me, making sure I was still working hard. It was really helpful.” “[The pastor, P.G. Mathew] respects you. If he’s going to rebuke you, he’s not going to do in front of the church and embarrass you in front of everybody, unless you need that. But that never happens,”

Ramalingam said. P.G. Mathew, as the head pastor in charge of church of leadership, remains a strong pull for people attending the church. “He’s the greatest man of God I’ve ever met in my life,” Swickard said. While some churches have become liberal on certain topics, such as homosexuality, Grace Valley maintains that true Christianity can only consist of complete belief in the inerrancy of the Bible. “Obviously we don’t live in tents, but we want our lives, and we want [the lives of other people who become Christians] to be as the Bible says it,” junior Erin Cloughesy said. “It challenges you to live your life differently,” Ramalingam said. “Most people don’t live out of the Bible. It’s hard to do.” For these teens, a strong faith in

the Bible means following all laws and rules set down in the Bible. “You can’t just pick and choose what you like from the Bible, and exclude what you don’t like about it,” Contreras said. One practice some churches believe the Bible dictates is excommunication, or the expelling of church members from their church. If someone continues to commit what Grace Valley considers a sin, church leadership begins the gradual process of excommunication. The excommunicated member is subsequently excluded from taking communion at church. “That’s more the end of a process,” Perry said, citing scriptural support for excommunication. “Excommunication doesn’t necessarily mean being kicked out of the church […] you’re basically telling people, at least for the part of the discipline we’re carrying out now,

until you repent, you don’t take of the Lord’s supper. Those are extreme cases.” Both Ramalingam and Contreras said they would continue to associate with people who had left the church, but that the relationship would most likely be strained. “A lot of the time, people that leave start blasting the church,” Ramalingam said. “You’re not good friends with them anymore […] because they’re speaking out against God. The friendship will probably suffer, but you’re not shunning them.” “People that leave our church means either they don’t want to give their lives over to God or to the scriptures, which means they aren’t true Christians,” Swickard said. “Obviously you can talk to them—I talk to people who aren’t Christians—but the Bible says don’t be yoked to them, which means you don’t be best friends with non-

continued from 4 believers, you don’t marry nonbelievers.” For DHS graduate Spencer Abildgaard, the church policy has hit home. Abildgaard’s own brother was excommunicated after he left the church. “My family still sees my brother and interacts with him and we still desire for him to come back to the faith and truly be a part of our family once again,” Abildgaard said. But, he added, “We don’t associate with people who have been part of the Church but fail to obey the Scripture.” Many teens remain a part of Grace Valley, however. “I’ll move out soon, but I’m going to keep going to the church, because I have such a tight bond with everyone there,” Ramalingam said. “I’m really happy with the church.”

Comical, expressive memes take the internet by storm By Genny Bennett HUB Staff Writer

Internet memes are ideas or trends in the form of a picture, video or phrase that spreads virally through the internet. Memes spread fast and often evolve or change over time depending on current news and pop-culture events. Information provided by www.knowyourmeme.com

“Y U NO” Guy - The image used in the Y U NO meme was originally used in a comic book called “The Naked King” in 2002. The meme combines the image with a caption written as a text message to bring attention to a particular problem or topic.

LOLcats - LOLcats feature cute or funny pictures of cats with captions written using improper English meant to enhance the photo’s humor, hence the ‘LOL’ to indicate “laughing out loud.”

Om Nom Nom - The term Om Nom Nom is currently used as slang to illustrate eating but its origin is widely believed to have come from the sounds made by Sesame Street’s Cookie Monster while indulging in his cookies.

Casually-Pepper-Spray-Everything Cop - After Occupy UC Davis protesters were pepper sprayed by UC Davis Police officer Lt. John Pike, images were created photoshopping the image of Pike using pepper spray into images of historic events.


Page 7

The HUB

DEVIL’S ADVOCATE Opinions & Editorials

What happened to holiday spirit?

ANDERS YOUNG/HUB PHOTO

Consumerism has no place during the winter season

Kashmir Kravitz HUB Staff Writer

Through the eyes of a young child, Christmas is the best holiday because there are presents, excitement and jubilance. But through the eyes of a corporation, Christmas is just another business exploit. As portrayed by the Cratchet family in Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol,” a good Christmas once consisted of a hearty meal, one present per child and a few sweets. Family members appreciated one another and spent time laughing and playing together on Christmas. Now, a good Christmas consists of receiving all the gifts asked for and pouting if you don’t get what you saw advertised on TV during a “Glee” commercial break. Corporations start advertising

in fall, sometimes before Halloween, in order to build anticipation for holiday sales and so that people know all the “hot” items to ask for. These ads imply that there is nothing more to Christmas than getting a good deal on a bunch of swanky items. A BestBuy ad that runs nonstop on TV this season depicts a woman buying loads of gifts from BestBuy for everybody in the family and therefore “beating” Santa Claus, so Santa cannot give any gifts. “Santa’s arrival” is joyous and exciting for many children, because Santa is magical and fantastical while other adults are boring and grounded. So, the BestBuy commercial takes an innocent fantasy and kills it by making Santa’s arrival about only presents, thus demolishing the Christmas spirit. “Consumers are clearly demonstrating their desire to spend this holiday season, and shopping early and often seem to be their new mantra as they seek the best value

for all their holiday purchases,” BIGresearch Executive Vice President Phil Rist said in an article on www.nrf.com, the National Retail Federation website. Christmas sales are advertised nonstop, the most infamous being Black Friday. The premise of Black Friday is that you can get all your Christmas shopping done one month before Christmas and save a few more bucks than you would a week later. The promise of saving money causes people to buy more presents and spend more money than necessary. According to statistics collected by The National Retail Federation, more than $52 billion was spent during Black Friday weekend and 226 million shoppers visited stores. The average holiday shopper spent nearly $400 during the Black Friday weekend this year, up from an average of $365 last year. Holiday spending often doesn’t stop at Black Friday; as Rist said,

consumers are shopping often. According to the NRF, the average person spends just less than $720 on Christmas presents. The average American household income is $35,000 to $100,000 a year, so assuming there are two contributing salaries to household income and two Christmas shoppers, the average household could spend anywhere from 17 percent to 50 percent of their monthly income on Christmas gifts. If there is one shopper in the family, Christmas expenditures are from 8 percent to 25 percent of a family’s monthly income. Regardless, that much money does not need to be spent to “bring joy” to a holiday that is already supposed to be fun. However, it would be dumb of corporations not to capitalize on the Christmas season. People are going to buy Christmas gifts anyway, so the businesses are smart in convincing shoppers to buy more than what they actually need.

In fact, the profits made off of Christmas help the economy significantly. “More consumers than ever turned out for retailers’ Black Friday promotions, a promising sign for the economic recovery,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said in an article on www.nrf.com. Even if the amount of money spent on gifts helps the economy, the holiday should not revolve around money. It isn’t justifiable to spend a ton of money on Christmas gifts and say you did it to help the economy. The spirit of Christmas—hope, joy and love—will be forgotten as a new generation grows up in the midst of Black Friday sales and ridiculous Christmas ads. Christmas will soon be controlled entirely by corporations as they brainwash Americans into believing that they need to spend more and have more.

Sandusky vs. Katehi: who is the greater evil? Katie Van Deynze

In the past weeks, it has been nearly impossible to turn on the news without hearing something about the now infamous pepperspray incident on the UC Davis campus. While the image of Lt. John Pike calmly spraying the seated protesters will stay engraved in our community’s history forever, it should not cause this fall’s other incident on an American university campus, the Penn State scandal, to disappear under the radar. Former assistant coach for Penn State football Jerry Sandusky has been accused of more than 50 counts of child molestation with 10 different boys he met through his nonprofit organization, Second Mile. The real crime, however, is that that there were reports of the abuse whispered through Penn State channels since the ’90s, but the reports never surfaced above the Penn State police. Recently, several high-ranking officials of the university were dismissed for allegedly lying in court. Penn State head coach Joe Paterno lost his job for not doing more to follow up on the abuse. Claire Potter, a professor of history and American Studies at Wesleyan University, puts together a list of “Top Ten Turkeys” every year.

HENRY ANKER/HUB GRAPHIC

HUB Staff Writer

The list, which ranks scandals and universities who had “made turkeys of themselves,” is published in The Chronicle of Higher Education. This year, Potter ranked Penn State fourth on her list, while UCD Chancellor Linda Katehi “won” the top prize. This is ridiculous. Considering the differences in the two incidents, it’s frankly absurd that Katehi

should garner more scorn than Paterno. To make Katehi a villain on Paterno’s level, she would have had to have stood next to Pike, calmly watched him pepper spray her students, listened to them gasp for air and cough violently, then simply walk on and go about her business. Even this would not balance the scandals. Katehi might not have

protected her students, but at least she showered alone. In Paterno’s case, he heard about what was going on under his watch, and kept quiet about it for years. He was informed in March of 2002 that his assistant coach, Jerry Sandusky, was allegedly sexually abusing male victims ranging in age from 7 to 13. Though Paterno reported San-

dusky to the Penn State athletic director, Sandusky was only banned from bringing boys into the football building, and the incidents were never reported beyond Penn State. The Penn State controversy was easily the greatest scandal of this year; even The New York Times suggests it is possibly the most disgraceful college sport scandal ever. The controversy cost them four faculty members, charged of lying to the grand jury. Although Katehi, Pike, and Spiccuzi, UC Davis police chief, have been accused of breaching students’ First Amendment rights, they are not wandering around their house with ankle monitors, like Sandusky. In contrast to Paterno, mere hours after the pepper-spray incident, Katehi held a press conference, claiming she “explicitly directed the chief of police that violence should be avoided at all costs. It was the absolute last thing I ever wanted to happen.” Sandusky said in an interview NBC’s Bob Costas, “I have done some of those things. I have horsed around with kids. I have showered after workouts. I have hugged them and I have touched their leg.” Katehi is worse than Sandusky? Really? While the images of Pike blasting the spray over the seated protesters are haunting, it’s decidedly less awful than the images of young boys going through their adolescent years with the memory of Sandusky’s abuse.


Risky be

Page 8

December 16, 2011

In-Depth

Pregnancy is not the only ri

HPV vaccine creates controversy Contraceptives and their effectiveness

Abstinence

Plan-B

LANI CHANG/HUB PHOTO

Plan B

Health teacher Pam Eimers instructs her fourth period class on Dec. 8. After winter break, the class will begin the sexual education nuit, which includes topics such as STD and pregnancy prevention. By MARA SEATON HUB Staff Writer

In June of 2006, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended that all girls between the ages 11 and 12 receive mandatory HPV vaccinations. The human papillomavirus is the cause of virtually all cases of cervical cancer, the second leading cancer killer of women worldwide. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 20 million people are infected with HPV in the United States with 6.2 million new cases each year, making it the most common sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. There are two FDA-approved HPV vaccines on the market. The problem is not the availability of the vaccine, as it is available at any hospital or health clinic; the problem is that some choose not to receive the vaccine. The question of whether HPV vaccinations should be mandatory to attend school has become an ethical dilemma as well as a highly controversial issue. One aspect of the issue is the reactions of some parents to the fact that the vaccine protects against

a sexually transmitted infection. Some are worried that getting the HPV vaccine will make their children more open to sex in general. One sexually active female senior, who chose to remain anonymous for privacy reasons, got the HPV vaccine against the wishes of her mother two years ago. “She was scared I was going to start having sex, but like, I was having sex anyways, so I wanted to at least be safe about it,” she said. Dr. Michael Reinhart, a local pediatrician, rejects the argument that the vaccine promotes promiscuity. “I don’t think a kid is going to get the vaccine and then decide to go have sex. I’m sorry, I just don’t buy that argument at all,” Reinhart said. DHS health teacher Pam Eimers doesn’t believe that more kids will have sex after taking the vaccine either. “I do understand a parent’s concern,” Eimers said. “Sexual matters in the United States are very controversial, and parents want to have that control, and I respect that. But then I think those parents have a real responsibility to talk to their sons and daughters about their re-

sponsibilities as kids and what that means.” Eimers has done extensive research on the matter and has come to the conclusion that receiving the vaccination is a smart choice. “I’ve looked at some of the pros and cons and I actually think it’s probably really beneficial, especially if girls are making the choice to be sexually active,” she said. In addition to the rise of cervical cancer, there has also been a rise in throat cancer, primarily in gay men, related to HPV. Throat cancer, in this case, is a result of oral sex. “People think, ‘Oh well, if I have oral sex, it’s not really sex so therefore I can’t get an STD;’ well, there’s lots of things you can get through oral sex,” Eimers said. Regardless of the disease or infection in question, Eimers stresses the importance of safety and protection when sexually active. “[STDs] are just out there, and a lot of them are asymptomatic, and so you don’t have any idea, you can’t see, they don’t know that they’re infected, so you need to just protect yourself against anything,” Eimers said. “When you make that choice, there’s a whole smorgasbord of stuff out there.”

100%

89% (when used within 3 days)

Diaphragm The Patch

94%

99%

The Ring

Condom

99%

98%

The Pill

Cervical Cap

30

99%

86%

20

The Shot

IUD

99%

99%

Sacramento County chlamydia rates among young women compared to California Chlamydia

50

Rates are per 1,000 women ages 15-24

Sacramento California

10 0

2001

2002

2003

2004 2005

2006

2007 2008

2009

2010

Source: State Dept. of Public Health

Source: Planned Parenthood

ANNAMARIE PILON/HUB GRAPHIC

ANNAMARIE PILON/HUB GRAPHIC

40


ehavior The HUB

In-Depth

Page 9

isk for sexually active teens

Birth control lowers pregnancy, raises STD rate In Yolo County, there has been a significant jump in sexually transmitted infections. According to the California Local Health Jurisdiction STD Data Summaries, Yolo County’s rate of chlamydia has soared to about 500 cases per every 100,000 women, a steep increase from 2001’s average of about 250 cases. While the county’s STD rate rises higher, its birth rate is correspondingly sinking lower (by about 2 percent), leaving STD (sexually transmitted disease) specialists with a troubling hypothesis: couples may be replacing condoms with hormonal contraceptives like the pill and other forms of birth control. To protect themselves from STDs such as gonorrhea and chlamydia, some sexually active DHS students are making an effort to use both condoms and hormonal forms of birth control. “I’m on birth control [but] still use condoms every time. I chose birth control after a conversation with my aunt and asking which would be the best combination for safety,” said an anonymous senior, who sought to increase her sexual safety after hearing the “scary stories” about condoms breaking and unexpected pregnancies. According to a 2009 article from CNN, nearly 19 million new sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) occur each year, and almost half of those affect 15 to 24-year-olds. The numbers are rising. The problem with this substitution is that birth control doesn’t prevent STDs, which is why Sacramento County is crowned with the country’s highest gonorrhea infection rate among women and second highest rate for chlamydia infection behind San Francisco. Gonorrhea, commonly known as the clap, can be spread through any type of sex including oral, anal or vaginal sex. Each year an estimated 700,000 Americans contract new gonorrheal infections, according to

LANI CHANG/PHOTO ILLUSTRATION

By GRACE CALHOUN HUB Staff Writer

Although hormonal birth control methods such as the pill prevent pregnancy, they do not offer protection against sexually transmitted diseases and infections, like condoms do.

the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Gonorrhea is caused by Neisseria gonorrhoeae, a bacterium that can grow and multiply easily in the warm, moist areas of the reproductive tract. While the symptoms are often mild, if left untreated, gonorrhea can have severe consequences including infertility. Even more common than gonorrhea is chlamydia, which the CDC labels the most common sexually transmitted disease in the United States. Sexually active individuals or those with multiple partners are at highest risk for getting chlamydia. Like gonorrhea, if chlamydia is left untreated for too long, it can result in infertility and can also lead to problems in childbirth. While the combination of condoms and birth control is a smart

and effective way of preventing pregnancy and STDs, DHS health teacher Pam Eimers considers abstinence as the “obvious” best way to stay clean of STDs. However, Eimers understands that not all teenagers choose to be abstinent. In that case, she recommends teenagers “to think about their reasons before becoming sexually active and to really assess if they’re ready for [sex],” According to Eimers, sex is always followed by responsibility. “It’s not just STDs, it’s possibility of pregnancy, it’s the emotional connection. There’s a whole lot of things to consider before becoming sexually active,” Eimers said. “Some STDs are treatable, some STDs are lifelong.” Dan Wohlfeiler, the chief of the Office of Policy and Communica-

Sacramento County chlamydia rates vs. birth rates 80

Rates are per 1,000 women ages 15-24

Chlamydia rate

CDC-INFO (CDC National STD and AIDS Hotline) 1-800-CDC-INFO (1-800-232-4636) Available 24 hours a day, in English and Spanish

57

STI (Sexually Transmitted Infections) Resource Center Hotline 1-919-361-8488

42

Planned Parenthood National Hotline 1-800-230-PLAN (7526) Available 24 hours a day.

70 60 50 40

Davis Community Clinic (Teen Clinic) 2040 Sutter Place 1-530-758-2060

29

20 10 0

2001 ‘02

‘03

‘04

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‘10

ANNAMARIE PILON/HUB GRAPHIC

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in providing scientifically correct health education. The CDPH also does its part in helping individuals notify their partners when they are concerned that they might have exposed them to an STD without releasing the name of the infected person to their partner. To maintain a healthy, STDfree body, Dr. Michael Reinhart of Sutter Health suggests postponing sexual activity, using condoms, having an honest sexual partnership and getting the HPV vaccine. He also believes that getting tested for STDs is extremely important. “Checking routinely is often useful; the last STD diagnosed by [a doctor in my practice]was in someone who twice denied being sexually active,” Reinhart said.

Health Resources for Teens

Birth rates

74

tions for the California Department of Public Heath’s (CDPH) STD Control Branch, also believes that abstinence is the safest strategy. “For those who are sexually active, reducing the number of partners is important. Condoms are very effective in preventing STDs and are available for free in many places and for sale in many stores,” he said. In order to stop STDs from spreading, Wohlfeiler says the CDPH STD Control Branch “conducts surveillance efforts statewide to track the spread of STDs, and to assist local health jurisdictions in preventing them.” Strategies for STD prevention include making sure health care providers know how to correctly diagnose and treat STDs and working with school districts to aid them

Source: State Dept. of Public Health

www.stayteen.org www.itsyoursexlife.com www.not-2-late.com www.iwannaknow.org


Page 10

December 16, 2011

Editorials

Government should intervene in child obesity Glenn Hull

A 200-pound third grader from Ohio was taken from his parents because of their inability to stop his exponential weight gain, and the child was put into foster care by the government. The child had no medical diseases which would cause him to gain weight. Is it acceptable to take obscenely overweight children out of their home and put them into foster care? Yes— I believe it absolutely is. My reasoning behind this is that the parents of obese children are exposing them to severe medical risks, which may cause them harm in the near future. It is child abuse to have a child who is extremely overweight and not do anything about it. The parents are being negligent about their child’s health if they let their child become obese. To be healthy for a 200-pound person, you should be around 6 feet 4 inches tall, according to the body mass index charts. The Ohio child’s height is unknown, but the average height for children at age 8 is 3 feet 9 inches. According to a study done by the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, obese children are at double the risk of becoming obese

HENRY ANKER/HUB GRAPHIC

HUB Staff Writer

adults, in comparison to non-obese children. Obese adults have increased risks of various health problems such as heart disease, cancer, diabetes, high blood pressure and breathing problems, all of which can potentially shorten a person’s life. If parents are incapable of keeping their children healthy, the children need to be placed in a new environment that will teach them to develop a healthier lifestyle. Opponents of the actions taken

by the government to remove the Ohio child from his home argue that a child needs love and support to help a child through their weight loss. That would be a good idea if it was true. However, the mother of the 200-pound third grader was told that her child needed to lose weight, and she was unable to help him. Because of her failure to help her child lose weight, the child needs to be put in a program to help him become healthy again, and this is

Holiday mishaps: dos and don’ts of the holday season Madie Delmendo Op-Ed Editor

As Christmas nears, holiday spirit fills the air, smelling like hot chocolate, Christmas trees and peppermint. Subtly laying under the seasonal cheer is the innate awkwardness that sets in as Dec. 25 closes in. To avoid awkwardness during break, here are some dos and don’ts, and how to handle yourself in holiday mishaps. Relative interactions Do put a big smile on your face as crazy Aunt Sylvia strangles you with kisses, and hope that your efforts to look happy will earn you a twenty slipped into your hand when she finally leaves. Don’t look disappointed when instead of a twenty, you get a red and green reindeer sweater that sings “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” when you squeeze Rudolph’s nose, while secretly wondering to yourself why Grandma was so lucky. Mistletoe Do avoid mistletoe at all costs, as it only brings new waves of awkwardness to the holiday season. For if one person bends in, lips puckered, and the other leans backward, hands up in protest with a “whoa what are you doing?” it will ruin someone’s Christmas. Do a casual scan of doorways and ceilings when entering any room; you may look paranoid, but if it saves you from a lip lock with that smelly boy from gym class, it’s worth it. Don’t step under the mistle-

toe with expectations of romance, because Santa doesn’t heal broken hearts. Christmas cards Do send out Christmas cards if your family feels so inclined. Christmas cards are cute, and a sneaky way to tell all of your relatives “hey I got over my awkward acne stage.” Don’t dress your animals up and then address the card from you and pets. It is a travesty to force animals into costumes at all, so don’t advertise this lack of judgment to the world. Don’t send it to everyone in your address book, because the recipients will just see you and your decorated dogs and wonder “Who is this? Why are they so freaky?” Santa: real or not? Do assume that kids think Santa is real until they tell you otherwise. It’s awkward when you’re unsure if your 11-year-old cousin is a believer or not, but play it safe. Do you want to be the one to crush a kid’s dream? No. Play it cool when comes to Saint Nick. If you want to figure out if a kid believes or not ask obvious questions like “What are you asking Santa for Christmas?” Non-believers will come out and tell you Santa is not real; believers will tell you all the items on their list and the date they sent their letter to the North Pole. Don’t hate on the kids who still believe in Santa; Christmas spirit is beautiful, haters will get coal. Weight gain Do gorge on cookies, cocoa, cake and pies. Forget about the danger you’re putting your waistline in and pile up seconds of Christmas dinner. Christmas is a time for no apologies; indulge yourself, you have until New Year’s to worry

about regrets. That’s what resolutions are for. Don’t step on the scale after Christmas dinner; why ruin your holiday happiness by learning unnecessary information? If you weigh yourself after the big feast, you’ll feel like Santa, plus his heavy sack of toys, but instead of a “ho ho ho” all you’ll be able to say is “oh no, no, no.” Gifts for your significant other Do make the gift personal; this is your opportunity to show how much you know and care about your boyfriend or girlfriend, not how much you can spend. Christmas isn’t about the size of your pocketbook; gifts about personal jokes or memories are much more fun than an engraved watch. Don’t make exchanging gifts a huge deal; don’t turn it into a contest of who can buy the best gift. Doing this will ruin the actual pleasure of a good gesture. Remember it’s the thought that counts. New Year’s Do have a good time to close out the end of the year, especially seniors, for whom this year marks the end of high school and the start of college and the world beyond. Don’t have such a “good time” during the beginning of 2012, the beginning of the end, that you don’t remember any of it the next day. Do you really not want to be able to remember what, or rather who, happened as the clock struck midnight? Do you really want to spend your last day of winter break before coming back and cramming for finals in a post-party coma? If you follow this advice, your holiday is guaranteed to be a little more cheerful and a lot less awkward.

something the mother cannot offer. By putting the child in a new program that is monitored by doctors, he can hopefully trim down to a healthy weight and enlighten the mother on how he became healthier so she knows what to do if this happens again. Approximately 17 percent or 12.5 million children are considered obese in the United States. Adults are almost double that percentage, with 33.8 percent of American adults being obese. In addition, the U.S. boasts a 74.1 percent overweight adult population. The real epidemic is the amount of overweight adults inhabiting our nation. The United States is ranked ninth overall for the highest percentage of overweight people, while being ranked first for the highest percentage of overweight people among developed countries. There are many reasons for why Americans are becoming so overweight. The most prevalent reasons for the overweight people in America are lack of time, price and lack of exercise. When adults participate in these three problems, it makes it very challenging for children to make healthy choices— which is why when a child gets dangerously overweight, he or she needs to be put in a new environment in order to learn healthy choices. Americans lead a very busy lifestyle, often not having enough time to fix healthy, home-cooked meals. This causes many families to have

to eat out at fast food restaurants. Fast food tends to be very high in calories and sodium, and the items that are low in calories tend to be not so appetizing, which causes children to eat unhealthy foods. Most healthy foods like fruits and vegetables are high in price relative to other fast food and candy alternatives. Some American citizens do not seem to value healthy eating enough, and will pick cheaper, less healthy items instead of nutritious, more expensive foods. Lack of exercise is another problem plaguing various Americans. Some people simply do not have time, but others opt out of exercise because they do not want to put in the effort. Although most people are able to control their weight, there are people who have medical complications that make them gain weight. Children follow adults’ habits, and when adults are portraying themselves in less-than-healthy ways, children will usually mimic those habits. Thus, when children become so unhealthy it may propose a complication for their health, they need to be placed in a new setting, such as a foster home. The weight of children is a parent’s responsibility, and it is a parent’s job to raise a healthy child. When parents fail in this most basic responsibility, extreme actions— even removal from home— become necessary.

Questions? Comments? Concerns? Write a letter! The HUB appreciates its readers and enjoys hearing feedback. If you want to write us a letter, submit it to L-20 or dhshub@gaggle.net. Your opinion matters! The HUB Policy The HUB is written, edited and typed by members of the DHS HUB class. It is a non-profit publication paid for by advertisements and donations. The HUB was established as an open forum of student ideas and expression. Our content reflects the interests and ideas of students but not necessarily those of the Davis Senior High School administration and faculty. Staff opinions are the majority opinion of the HUB staff. This publication is not subject to prior review. The administration of Davis Senior High School should not be held responsible for The HUB’s content. The HUB 315 W. 14th St. Davis, CA 95616 Editors-in-Chief: Kelly Goss, Chloe Kim Copy Editor: Gary Djajapranata News Editor: Daniel Tutt Features Editor: Anna Sturla Op-Ed Editor: Madie Delmendo Entertainment Editor: Rubia Siddiqi Sports Editor: Kelsey Ewing In-Depth Editor: Monica LopezLara Infographic Editor: Emily Gao Website Editor: Lauren Blackwell Webmaster: Marc Santana

Radio Producer: Grace Calhoun Art Director: Charlotte Chen Graphic Artists: Annamarie Pilon, Henry Anker Photo Editor: Anders Young Photographers: Peter Lin, Lani Chang, Jenny Davisson Business Manager: Jiajing Zhang HUB Staff Writers: Glenn Hull, Mara Seaton, Nick Juanitas, Genny Bennett, Linda Ge, Katie Van Deynze, Meem Mohsin, Shauna Simon, Kashmir Kravitz Adviser: Kelly Wilkerson

Visit bluedevilhub.com for new content everyday.


Page 11

The HUB

DEVIL’S FUNHOUSE

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas

LAUREN BLACKWELL/HUB GRAPHIC

Entertainment

Candy Cane Court lights up Wildhorse community By Rubia Siddiqi Entertainment Editor

the colorful and bright lights,” Barlow said. “It is as bright and lively as Union Square at night with the bright lights on all visible areas.” Although she is unsure of how many visitors come to see henri Court at this time of year, she agrees that the visit has become a tradition for many families in Davis. “Our court is truly a magical place for the holidays. It allows all visitors to be a kid again,” Kristy said. “We hope that our visitors feel the joy of Christmas when they come see it.” The Powells were one of the first families to create Candy Cane Court. “Candy Cane Court started with a good-humored bet between the neighbors of Henri Court and Caravaggio Street [to see which street could create the best Christmas display.] The neighbors on Henri Court met together and came up with the idea for Candy Cane Court,” Kristy said. “It was top-secret until we unveiled it! Caravaggio had amazing decorations but admitted defeat, and we all enjoyed the holiday.”

Since then, the families living on Henri Court have continued to decorate their houses, but have added a Santa Claus and performing bands to the tradition. Last year, the UC Davis Aggie Band-uh premiered on Candy Cane Court. “Our Santa night will be on Friday, Dec. 16,” Kristy said. And, “the Holmes Junior High band will play as well as the Aggie Banduh.” In addition to live entertainment, Candy Cane Court offers free hot chocolate and on Santa Night, Santa Claus hands out candy canes to the kids in the area. “I personally love it on Christmas Eve when kids are out in their PJs, robes and slippers before Santa comes. They are so filled with excitement,” Kristy said. In order to prepare for the event, the families on Henri Court start decorating early; some start immediately after Thanksgiving. Some families store their decorations elsewhere, so their first step is to bring them home.They then check to ensure all of the light strands and extension cords are in working

condition. After all the maintenance, family members can finally start putting up the wood cutouts, reindeer and lights. Ryan believes decorating can only be finished if the whole family volunteers time and effort to make the house look Christmas-y. “Everyone in the family pitches in to help set up our house and help other neighbors set up,” he said. According to Kristy, their house, number 2725, is the most extravagant of them all, claiming she and her family are “a little Christmas crazy.” Both Kristy and Ryan agree that decorating Candy Cane Court is a great way to give back to the community. They also further give back by holding a canned food drive during the time all the lights go up. They encourage visitors and onlookers to donate cans that will be given to STEAC. “I think that people like [Candy Cane Court] because it is the true Christmas spirit and all the lights will turn all frowns upside down,” Ryan said.

ANDERS YOUNG/HUB PHOTOS

To capture the Christmas spirit, many families decorate their houses with lights, reindeer and snowmen. However, in Davis, there is one street tucked inside a small corner of Wildhorse in East Davis that has become renowned in Davis for having the most extravagant decorations during the holiday season. Da Vinci junior Ryan Powell lives on Henri Court, which transforms into Candy Cane Court at this time of year, and he takes pride in his small street’s decorations. “We are one of the only courts that is unified or works together to put up these decorations, but there are still many other streets or courts that decorate for the holidays,” Powell said. Junior Mckenzie Barlow, who observes from the next street over as the “Candy Cane Court elves” work on producing the magical environment, decorates her house with her family as well, but says it does not compare with the decora-

tions on Candy Cane Court. “My favorite part about the street is seeing my neighbors and friends from all around Davis while listening to Christmas music and drinking hot chocolate,” Barlow said. Candy Cane Court has a kidfriendly environment; the street is decorated with penguins, elves, snowmen, reindeer, a gingerbread shop, a toy shop and a train station. The families living on Henri Court create the décor using wood cutouts with paint and lights. “One of my favorite parts of our court is our nativity scene,” Ryan’s mother, Kristy Powell, said. “It reminds me of the true reason for this season.” Visiting Candy Cane Court has become a tradition for families since it started in 2002. Barlow claims she and her family enjoy visiting the scenic street annually, where they drink hot chocolate and stroll at nighttime, admiring the decorated houses. “Candy Cane Court is a holiday tradition for my family. We go there every year to take in the Christmas spirit while marveling at

Residents of Henri Court, commonly known as Candy Cane Court during the holiday season, decorate their houses with strings of lights and other extravagant accessories, creating a festive atmosphere in the Wildhorse community.


Page 12

December 16, 2011

CHARLOTTE CHEN/HUB GRAPHIC

Entertainment

“Elf” (2003)

Will Ferrell plays the hilarious Buddy the elf in this light Christmas comedy about a “human raised by elves” who tries to connect with his Scrooge-like biological father in New York City. Manhattan poses numerous adventures for Buddy like working at Gimbel’s department store, cutting down a Christmas tree in Central Park, working in the mailroom of the Empire State Building and even finding true love. Unlike some movies, “Elf” contains humor for every age group without being overly inappropriate. The movie is cute, funny and carries the theme of the importance of Christmas cheer. “Elf” combines Christmas and comedy, ultimately making a feel-good film that gets anyone in the holiday mood. Best quote: “The best way to spread Christmas cheer is singing loud for all to hear.”

“A Christmas Story” (1983)

“A Christmas Story” tells the tale of the wacky holiday season of 9-year-old Ralphie Parker, and, dominantly, his wish of a BB gun for Christmas. Backing up the comedy is Ralphie’s family--a bratty younger brother, frazzled mother and comically authoritative father. This hilarious comedy gives an insight to 1940s domestic life and the humorous struggles of being a kid. Included in the movie are all the classic drama-filled holiday moments, like picking out a Christmas tree, meeting Santa at the mall and receiving painfully embarrassing gifts from relatives. The movie is bizarre, yet the warmth of the holiday season is nevertheless there. Wry humor is perfectly matched with slapstick and the dysfunctional family is relatable to almost everyone—especially during the holidays. Best quote: “You’ll shoot your eye out!”

“Rudolph the RedNosed Reindeer” (1964)

Originally aired in the mid1960s, “Rudolph” has an oldtimey feel that gives it warmth and innocence. The movie is based on the classic Christmas carol with the same name and is about a little reindeer with a shining red nose who tries desperately to be liked by Santa’s other reindeer. The movie is scattered with morals such as “it’s good to be different” and “everyone is important, no matter who they are. The early forms of stopmotion techniques make the movie whimsical and sweet. Commonly related to “Rudolph” is “Santa Claus is Coming to Town”, a similar stop-motion TV special first aried in 1970. Best quote: “‘You wouldn’t mind my…red nose?’ Not if you don’t mind me being a dentist.”

“A Charlie Brown Christmas” (1965)

From the bouncy jazz score to Snoopy’s decorated doghouse to Charlie’s baby Christmas tree, this movie has become an American symbol of the holiday season. In the 46 years since its first airing on TV, the music has become just as popular as the film itself. The story line follows Charlie Brown as he struggles to find the true meaning of Christmas among the overcommercialization that comes with it. This short TV movie paved the way for future Charlie Brown specials such as “Be My Valentine, Charlie Brown” and “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Borwn”. Although occasionally cheesy, “A Charlie Brown Christmas” remains a touching film that successfully takes many of us back to our childhoods. Best quote: “And that’s what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.”

“How the Grinch Stole Christmas” (1966)

Based on Dr. Seuss’ original picture book, this 26-minute classic presents the story of a mean old Grinch who seeks to ruin Christmas for the town of Who-ville. Unlike the 2000’s “Grinch” starring Jim Carrey, this animated holiday classic stays true to the original Dr. Seuss classic and leaves out the nasty humor found in the liveaction remake. “You’re a Mean one, Mr. Grinch” and “Welcome Christmas” are familiar Christmas songs origionally written for this TV special. The message of the film tells the true meaning of Christmas: being with your loved ones. Although short, the film leaves you with a warm, cheerful feeling. Best quote: “Christmas time is in our grasp as long as we have hands to clasp.” By AnnaMarie Pilon HUB Staff Writer


The HUB

Page 13

Entertainment

By Nick Juanitas HUB Staff Writer

The three wizard prodigies who captured the attention of movie shoppers since “The Sorcerer’s Stone” came out in May of 2002 will soon disappear. Warner Brothers, the company that distributes the Harry Potter film franchise, is stopping production of the popular series starting Dec. 29. The films are being “vaulted” for now but will be rereleased in the future. Some Harry Potter fans are angered by Warner Brothers’ decision to end distribution of all eight movies on Dec. 29, thus making it impossible to find the movies in stores. Sophomore Daniel Zhu, a fan of Harry Potter since 2003, is dissapointed about the disappearance of the movies. “I’m sad now because I won’t be

able to find the movies anymore and I was going to ask for them for Christmas,” Zhu said. Warner Brothers’ theory behind stopping the production of Harry Potter DVDs is that when the DVDs are released it in the future, more people will want to buy them because they weren’t available earlier. Junior Tori Powell, who has been a Harry Potter fan since the first time she saw the “Chambers of Secrets,” believes that the Warner Brothers cancellation of distribution is a mistake. “It is really stupid that they’re doing this because they are good movies and everyone wants it,” Powell said. Powell is also worried about not having time to buy “The HalfBlood Prince” and both of the “Deathly Hallows” films before the Dec. 29 deadline. Senior Brennan Havens feels that the stoppage of distribution is ac-

ceptable because it will boost sales. Because he isn’t a Harry Potter fanatic like many DHS students, Havens does not feel affected by the decision. “The movies aren’t very good if you see them more than twice and everyone already owns them,” Havens said. Dimple Music, a downtown Davis store, is one of the few places left in town that still sells the Harry Potter movies. Employee Bridget Rangel Ruxford has noticed a recent increase of Harry Potter movie sales even without the store advertising the end of the production of the movies. She has also noticed that the company has increased the price of all seven of the movies. “I have noticed a lot more people coming in to buy the film, but I feel like if more people knew that on Dec. 29 the movie wasn’t being sold anymore, more people would buy it,” Ruxford said.

CHARLOTTE CHEN/HUB GRAPHIC

Harry Potter movies go back into Gringotts vault

The seven-part series Harry Potter will be vaulted on Dec. 29. Warner Brothers, the company that distributes the films, hopes to sell more DVDs once the films are re-released.

By Shauna Simon HUB Staff Writer

De Vere’s is the closest Davis will ever get to Dublin. This Irishthemed restaruant creates a fun environment while maintaing the culture of a traditional Irish pub. Davis has long anticipated the arrival of the Sacramento-based restaurant De Vere’s Irish Pub, which took the spot of the former restaurants’, Soga’s and Agave’s, at 217 E St. Although the environment keeps a customer entertained, one might say the restaurant is a little too noisy. Walking in on a Monday night, a wave of shouts, music and loud conversations rush through the open door and reaches the surprised customers before a hostess even has the chance to inform them of Monday trivia night. De Vere’s keeps a weekly lineup to amp up the already lively environment. Come in Monday from 7-9 p.m. to participate in the Pub Quiz with Dr. Andy, a trivia game filled with mind-boggling cultural and historical questions. The rest of the weekly line-up includes a weekend of live EPL Football, brunch, live traditional session music and an industry night. The loud voices bounce off the traditionally decorated walls, making it difficult to keep a conversation without needing to shout to the person across from you. However, the smiling waiters and waitresses make it hard to complain about a little noise. The cheerful waiter brought out fish and chips within 10 minutes of ordering. The well-known Irish

dish is the most popular entrée, and for a good reason. The fish is perfectly cooked and accompanied by thick fries. It’s easy to eat a meal with such a comforting environment. The walls are covered with traditional Irish decor. From family paintings to antiques, De Vere’s truly exhibits the style and impression of a pub straight from the streets of Dublin, Ireland. The menu works perfectly with the traditional decor. Almost all the meals found on the De Vere’s menu are the same as those on a regular Irish restaurant’s menu. Some of these are granny’s Sheppard’s pie (mashed potatoes over ground beef and vegetables in gravy) and traditional Irish stew (beef slowly cooked with vegetables and served with Irish brown bread). Some of these meals are a little too much for taste buds that have never experienced the real taste of Ireland. The bangers (sausage) in the entrée bangers and mash have a bitter aftertaste that kicks innocent taste buds sheltered by the sweet taste of Italian sausages. The prices aren’t ridiculous for a family dinner, but for a DHS student going out to eat with a friend, a serving of nasty bangers and mash costing a whopping $8.95 for a small and $13.95 for a large is way over the average price limit. Other entrées on the menu, like the original De Vere’s burger and the Irish American grilled cheese sandwich, are safer choices for customers who aren’t quite ready to try something new. Although pretty tasty, $9.50 for a burger is a little too much for customers used to paying the usual $3.75 at In-N-Out.

ANDERS YOUNG/HUB PHOTOS

De Vere’s dominates downtown dining scene

De Vere’s Irish Pub (top) offers downtown diners a traditional Irish menu and atmosphere. The fish and chips is the most popular dish at the Irish pub. De Vere’s Irish Pub is located at 217 E St.

Grad Night committee starts planning festivities for seniors By Madie Delmendo HUB Staff Writer

As seniors reach the heart of the school year, many Blue Devils start to look forward to the graduation festivities that lie ahead. One of those celebrations, a tradition going on for more than 20 years, is DHS’s Grad Night. Grad Night is an opportunity for all seniors to have one last night together after graduating on June 8. Grad Night is held at Emerson Jr. High School and will have music, games, food and many more activities. Tickets for Grad Night went on sale at the beginning of the school year, and the price will rise again after Dec. 31 to $90 from the current $75. After May 31, seniors can buy their Grad Night tickets at the door for $110. The Grad Night commit-

tee strongly encourages purchasing a ticket early to avoid price hikes. Vicky Vandergriff, Grad Night co-chair, says that scholarships are available for those students who cannot afford the cost of Grad Night. Students interested in such scholarships should contact their counselors. Grad Night is open to any DJUSD senior from any of the four high schools in town, but one must be eligible to walk at graduation on June 8 to attend the festivities later that night. Vandergriff feels that Grad Night is a celebration of four years of hard work and believes it is a good way to reacquaint yourself with old friends before heading off to college. “The all-night party is a safe and fun way to for everyone to be together, celebrate, mix and mingle,” Vandergriff said.


CLUB NEWS GRAPHIC

Page 14

December 16, 2011

Sports TIMELINEin Brief 5 FACTS

SPORTS FEATURE

Heller at the helm of snowboard team

CLASS OF THE ISSUE

Skiing injuries

By Kelly Goss Editor-in-Chief

1

Coach Marcia Heller grew up in the suburbs of Chicago and went to college at the University of Iowa, Iowa City. She studied physical therapy later at Northwestern University.

Skier’s thumb, which is an injury to the Ulnar Collateral Ligament is the second most common skiing injury. It occurs when a skier falls on an outstretched arm that is still gripping the pole. The thumb is suddenly pulled outward, injuring the joint

By Emily Gao Infographic Editor

2 3 4 5

One of her favorite places to snowboard is Copper Mountain in Colorado.

Her favorite part about being the high school snowboarding coach is “being able to welcome all kinds of athletes to our program.”

The rupture of the Anterior Cruciate Ligament (ACL) occurs due to a backward fall of the skier as the lower leg moves forward

Women’s varsity basketball:

Record: 3 wins and 3 losses Made it to the finals of the Dorothy Speck Memorial Tournament

Record: 3 wins and 2 losses DHS slaughtered Pioneer High School 107-76 on Dec. 13 The team opened its Les Curry tournament against Vintage yesterday on Dec. 15

The most common injury is damage to the Medial Collateral Ligament (MCL). This injury occurs with slow twisting falls or sharp turns that stress the ligament

One of her favorite memories of snowboarding are when she got off the chair lift for the first time without falling and when she fell in powder at Park City and “was laughing so hard for so long my stomach was killing me for days,” Heller said.

Traumatic injuries include fractures of the arm, shoulder dislocations and separations, and thigh, pelvic, thumb and wrist fractures

HENRY ANKER/HUB GRAPHIC

At the Inderkum High School Invitational, senior Robert Rico took first place in the heavyweight division and senior Scott Derby achieved second place in the 145 pound division Rico was named the Greiner Athlete of the Week this week for winning the gold medal and going 3-0 at the Inderkum Invitational

Men’s varsity basketball:

Men’s freshman basketball: HENRY ANKER/HUB GRAPHIC

She became interested in snowboarding through her oldest daughter Gretchen, who joined the snowboard team her sophomore year. When Gretchen was a senior, Heller began to help coaching.

Wrestling:

Won second place in the opening tournament The team beat Lodi High School 86-56 in its opening game

Information comes from coaches and athletes

Source: American College of Sports Medicine

By Glenn hull HUB Staff Writer

JV TEAM

By Rubia Siddiqi HUB Staff Writer

Sophomore Lauren Cordano hides with the rest of the JV women’s basketball team, waiting for a team member to walk in. 3…2…1… “Surprise!” they yell. This year, the team started a new tradition of celebrating each member’s birthday. “[It started with the] coach’s birthday. We just felt like it would be fun to surprise her,” Cordano said. The girls usually bring in bal-

loons, cards, presents and cake to celebrate the birthday girl’s special day. “We just sing and give her presents. It takes about ten minutes then we get back to work,” Cordano said. The team members have fun celebrating with each other because they believe it brightens up the mood and provides for bonding time every birthday. “If you have to be at basketball practice on your birthday, you might as well feel loved and have [fun],” sophomore Brooke Palmer said.

Palmer says the team also goes to breakfast together after 6 a.m. morning practices that take place over school breaks. “To be honest, [they aren’t my favorite.] Having to wake up before 6 on a break is not the one,” Palmer said. Although Palmer isn’t the biggest fan of this tradition, Cordano enjoys the breakfasts because they are a great way to hang out with her team members. “I was starving and we just joked around together. It was fun,” Cordano said.

PETER LIN/HUB PHOTO

JV women celebrate more than winning

Coach Seabrook gives a pep talk to the JV women’s basketball team during a time-out against Napa High School on Dec. 13.

ATHLETES OF THE ISSUE Sara Sousa

Parker Senders

Basketball

Skiing

Sara Sousa has been playing basketball for nine years, and has been on the Blue Devil team since freshman year. Now Sousa, a shooting guard, is the only senior on the team.

Parker Senders started skiing when he was four years old and started ski racing a few years ago. Senders, now a senior, looks forward to his last year as a Blue Devil skier and is excited to meet all of his new teammates.

What has been your most memorable game?

What is your most memorable race? Probably my last slalom for state championships last year; it was the most important race I’ve ever done. Also the conditions of that race were really remarkable. It was just sleeting all over the place and I couldn’t see a thing; I was just trying to feel the snow as best as I could. It was really exhilarating.

My most memorable game is probably my sophomore year game against Elk Grove. It was a really exciting game and we all became a close team after that game; we really got to know each other. It was the first game I thought we really played like a team.

How do you mentally prepare before a race?

How do you prepare mentally before a game?

I listen to music a lot, mainly hardcore metal, intense pump-up music. Then I hop around on my skis a lot. Before every race I tell my coach that this race is for America, and I think that that really helps a lot.

What are you looking forward to this season? Any goals? We really want to make it to playoffs again this season because we were undefeated last year. I’m probably most looking forward to our team because I think that we have a really great group of girls this year.

PETER LIN/HUB PHOTOS

Before the games, we go into our team room and come up with two goals we are going to set for ourselves, one as a team and one as a personal goal.

What would you like to improve on this year? I’m much better at slalom racing than giant slalom, so I’m looking to improve my giant slalom a lot and make it to states in giant slalom. Last year I only made it in slalom. By Madie Delmendo HUB Staff Writer


The HUB

Page 15

Sports

Practice is over, but study hall continues The varsity football team has worked hard on and off the field this season. According to head varsity football coach Steve Smyte, the team has boosted its average GPA by 0.35, and he is very pleased with his team and the faculty for their support. Smyte believes his players have been working feverishly in order to improve their GPA, and is grateful for help from teachers. “Our whole faculty has gone above and beyond and has been very helpful,” Smyte said. One of the ways that the team has improved its grades so dramatically is a mandatory afterschool study hall every Wednesday during the season, where several tutors and former teachers come in to help football players with homework and projects. Junior Chris Chinn, a member of Math and Science Tutoring Club, tutors football players every other Wednesday. Sitting beside football players at a table in the blue and white football room that used to be Da Vinci Charter Academy, Chinn helps junior Mike McTygue with his trigonometry homework. After Chinn’s brief tu-

The varsity football players raised their GPA over the past year

toring session, McTygue has a firm grasp on trigonometric identities. Chinn, a math tutor who can tutor students up to Calculus AB, believes the football players are very academically capable, saying “Several of them are taking the classes I’m taking.” The study hall sessions are mandatory for every player during the football season. After the season is

Coach Smyte said that the average athlete raised his GPA by 0.35

finished, players with a GPA below 3.0 are still required to come. Although many football athletes no longer need to attend the study hall sessions after the end of the season, many still come during the offseason voluntarily. Sophomore Eli Castro, who plays safety for the varsity team, is greatly appreciative of the tutoring resources that the football team pro-

HENRY ANKER/HUB GRAPHIC

By Glenn Hull & Gary Djajapranata HUB Staff Writers

vides him with. He attends the study hall sessions every Wednesday, even after the season ends. “There’s tutors there, so they can help me on whatever I need help on,” Castro said. “If I don’t get a class or a subject, like my science class, I can just ask them and they’ll help me.” “It’s helped my grades a lot,

and it makes me look forward to next season,” Castro said. In the football room, there is a whiteboard that lists the last names of football players under three categories according to GPA: 4.0+, 3.5+ and 3.0+. Three names, Mackewitz, King and Nelson, are listed under 4.0+. Smyte establishes that on his team, “you will be a student-athlete,” putting extra emphasis on the word ‘student’ as he said it. Smyte is very involved with his players’ academic lives, according to Castro. “My coach encourages me to improve my grades if they’re low, and to turn in my homework,” Castro said. “Almost everybody has increased their grades; many of them even have over a 4.0… We can rival almost any team on campus with our grades,” Smyte said. Not once during this past season did any of the football players dip below a 2.0, which is the minimum GPA requirement to participate in a school sport; thus every football player was eligible to play for the entire season. Smyte wants his football players to be successful in the future, and he wants them to demonstrate positive qualities in many aspects of life. “We want to compete everywhere: with our grades, on the field and in our community,” Smyte said.

A meal to maximize your workout Before a workout

Chocolate milk: 8g of protein per serving

MICHELLE FELMLEE-GARTNER/COURTESY PHOTO

HENRY ANKER/HUB GRAPHIC

Spaghetti with tomato sauce: 50.92 carbohydrates per serving

After a workout

Diet and exercise go hand in hand By Katie Van Deynze HUB Staff Writer

Senior Hannah Krovetz eats Greek yogurt, toast or a mandarin before every track or swim team practice and tries not to eat too much in order to perform well in practice. The meals athletes consume before and after a workout are essential in replenishing the calories burned and the nutrients lost during exercise. According to Dr. Kathleen Deegan, a professor at California State University, Sacramento and a practicing sports nutritionist, the amount of calories that an athlete takes in a day depends on the sport, gender and the body type of the athlete. Cross country coach Bill Gregg talks to his athletes about nutrition, and said that an athlete should consume the calories they work off during the day, during classes, staying awake, during activity, and training, plus the calories needed to recover from the day’s training. “We talk about the benefit of three meals: breakfast, lunch and dinner,” Gregg said. Before exercise, Deegan recommends eating foods high in carbohydrates including whole grain pasta and breads, along with foods high in water including fruits and vegetables. Senior Hannah Krovetz is a member of the DHS track and field team and swims in the offseason. Before practice she likes to eat yogurt, toast or mandarins, but adds that she doesn’t want to eat too much before. Junior cross country runner Laney Teaford said she also likes to eat energy bars before practice, but notes that what runners eat before depends on the runner.

“I think it’s really personal what you eat before you run because some people are sensitive to some things,” Teaford said. According to Deegan the amount of water an athlete should drink a day depends on the type of sport, the season in which it is played, and the hours spent working out. She said in general, 8 glasses of water a day and high amounts of fruits and vegetables are recommended. In regard to sports drinks, Deegan said Gatorade is good because it is a source of glucose, but Powerade is not because it is a fructose source. She explained that both are carbohydrate replacements, not hydrators and that these drinks should only be taken after 45 minutes to an hour of exercise. Sophomore Spencer Zenner is a member of the lacrosse team and cross country team. “I drink water to keep most of the time to stay hydrated and occasionally I’ll have half a Gatorade to replace electrolytes,” Zenner said. Junior member of a club rowing team TarinNoonan said her preferred sports drink is Vitamin Water because it has less sugar than other sports drinks. Coach Gregg suggests staying hydrated throughout the day by drinking water or drinking formulated for athletes. “He explains how it’s really important to eat recovery food after you run, so that means chocolate milk,” Teaford said of Gregg. According to www.trifuel.com, a website for athletes, “recovery nutrition is important for complete physical recovery.” Recovery nutrition entails refueling muscles and liver with carbohydrates, rehydrating, and refurbishing electrolyte balance, establishing new muscle protein and helping the immune system to be able to

handle the stress caused by training. According to Gregg evidence says that if an athlete eat good recovery foods, then the athlete’s workout is better the next day. Recovery food is what athletes eat right after working out, training, or a game. A common recovery food among athletes is chocolate milk. Deegan said that what athletes eat after their sport depends on the sport; athletes of weight- bearing sports such as football, basketball, and wrestling should consume protein within 30 minutes to an hour after exercise. Athletes of other sports like tennis, running and swimming should have some protein, but higher amounts of carbohydrates and water holding foods. “I usually eat some sort of high-protein meal after practice to start rebuilding the muscles I have used,” Zenner said. The night before competition, many sports teams including cross country, rowing, swimming, track and water polo have pasta feeds. Pasta feeds are team dinners where pasta is served usually with bread, salad, and a variety of other foods depending on the team. According to www.basketballtips-and-training.com, whole wheat pasta is best for athletes to use to load up on carbohydrates one or two days before the event. Whole wheat pasta also provides fiber and a little protein. Noonan said that her coach encourages her athletes to stay away from weird foods that her athletes have not tried before competition. “The biggest mistake I see athletes make is clinging to this idea of the ‘pre-competition meal.’ An athlete should never change her or his diet before an event. He or she should eat what has been during training… part of training is the correct diet,” Deegan said.

Members of the River City Rowing Club compete at a race. Members of the team enjoy the satisfaction of completing a workout, but say they struggle with the time they must devote to the team.

CREW: Rowers enjoy benefits of crew despite time commitment doing homework,” Lammers said. However, despite the difficulties of prioritizing and fitting crew into their schedules, rowers still believe that the benefits of rowing outweigh the costs. “I really like the feeling you get after a race. I think there is a lot of achievement that comes with finishing [workouts] that keeps me coming back. I also really love my team members. We are really

continued from 16 close and I always enjoy working with them,” Rinderknecht said. Lammers has a slightly different take on the benefits, saying that the athletic part of crew is very rewarding. “I really like the challenge. Every day I know that it’s going to be a really hard workout, but getting through it really makes you feel strong,” Lammers said.


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December 16, 2011

SPORTING DEVIL Sports

JULIE CHANG/COURTESY PHOTO

Ski-sons greetings! Da Vinci senior Wyndham May races at Sugar Bowl Ski Resort in a slalom race last season. Tomorrow the ski team will train on the mountain for the first time this season during a three-day long retreat to the Donner Lake area.

Ski team hits the slope for the first time this season By Shauna Simon HUB Staff Writer

Tomorrow morning, members of the ski team will roll out of bed, throw on comfy clothes, then scarf down a quick meal. At 5:45, they will meet with other members of the team and jump in a car to drive to ski camp, where they will

ski together at Sugar Bowl Ski Area for three days. The team will stay at the Young Life Lodge in the Donner Lake area for ski camp. Once there, the athletes will devote their first three days of winter break to training on snow with coaches and running gates. According to coach Bob Brewer, the team has 18 more skiers than last year for a total of 66 athletes, a new ski team record. Because of the increase in number, this year will be the first year that the team will need more than one bus for transportation to

races and practices. To fit everyone on a single bus, “[we would have had] to put freshmen in the overhead compartments,” Brewer said. According to senior Madeleine Welsh, a varsity racer, ski team is such a great experience that it’s hard not to encourage friends to join as well. “I told people last year and now there’s [almost] 70 people,” Welsh said. Training and running gates at camp reminds veteran ski team athletes of what it is like to be back on the slopes and gives newcomers a feel for the slopes. The training

helps with “getting everyone pretty much on the same level [of fitness],” Welsh said. Ski camp gives athletes the opportunity to get to know each other. The skiers get quality bonding time while staying at the lodge, as well as a chance to meet their Sugar Bowl coaches who they will be training with every Sunday throughout the season. “The coaches are pretty awesome,” sophomore Mark Unger said. According to Unger, the environment is not overly competitive. It is a “really relaxed sport,” he said.

The pressure-free atmosphere allows athletes to have fun while training. The laidback environment does not hinder the athletes’ performances. The team has a reputation that Brewer hopes to maintain. Last year, the team won both the division title and the state championships. Brewer looks forward to winning the division title again and seeing the athletes “standing on the podium of the [state] championships.” Brewer’s favorite part about coaching is “[meeting] some great people.” He believes that the team

really bonds after spending so much time together. Even though the athletes race individually, the ski team embodies the idea of a team sport. “That’s the culture of our team,” Brewer said. Junior Natalie Serdahl ranks as one of the top skiers; however, for her, the team isn’t about winning. She loves being able to go up to the snow so often and hanging out with friends. Her favorite part is “spending time with some of [her] favorite people at [her] favorite place.”

Crew a huge commitment, athletes say Fifteen hours. That’s how much time crew takes up on average per week including travel time. If there is a weekend race, the time commitment jumps to 20 hours. Members of River City Rowing Club come from cities all around West Sacramento, where the team practices are held. Crew is an incredibly time-consuming sport especially because the sport is year-round. However, the busiest time of the year is spring, when the majority of the races take place. Even during the more mellow parts of the year, the rowers practice Monday through Saturday except for Friday for two hours a day with occasional races on Sundays. According to junior Fatuma Rinderknecht, four of the six days are usually out on water while the other two days are spent in the weight room, on land running or on the ergometer, a machine used to simulate the action of rowing on water for the purpose of training for races. Everyone is expected to attend every day of crew. The difficulty of this sport lies not only in the physical strength required, but in the commitment. On many occasions, practice will run into homework time or social activities. Senior Cara Lammers says that the travel time itself takes up a lot of time in her day. “There is an hour every

ROSE LEANDER/COURTESY PHOTO

By Emily Gao HUB Staff Writer

Women’s crew trains on ergometers earlier this week. Some members of the team struggle with crew in terms of the time commitment, but many rowers believe their extreme dedication makes incredible accomplishments possible.

day that I spend getting there because I have to get there early to set up,” Lammers said. “And we usually end late too so that adds an hour driving back and forth.” Lammers adds that crew has affected her family and said, “since I am driving

back and forth and I am at practice all the time, we have to hire someone to take [my siblings] to practice since I am doing something else.” Junior Hannah Puckett, who is on the team as well as in the symphonic band, also finds that the com-

mitment in crew makes it hard to be dedicated to other extracurriculars. “I have [band] rehearsals sometimes when practices are so I have to skip practice for the rehearsals,” because points are taken away for not attending rehearsals.

Rinderknecht, Lammers and Puckett all agree that homework time is cut short due to crew. “Whenever there are group projects… [people are like,] oh, you are in crew; that means you don’t have any time to work on this

project. I mean it’s definitely hard because the hours we have to do other things are very limited… it means a later night because you are up late CREW continued on 15


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