Feb 2013

The

Highlander Answers to questions you won’t ask, pgs.10 & 11

www.scotscoop.com

Heritage fair

February 2013, Vol IV, Issue V

Standing out in a crowd

Carlmont’s ASB hopes to put on best Heritage Fair assembly yet. Pg.8

Black History Month Photo illustration by Gianna Dimick

By Rachel Schuster Senior Editor

Everything from Obama to MLK. Pg.6

Athlete of the month:

Michel Gonzalez

Read about his success on the soccer field. Pg. 19

Online shopping

Is shopping online better than going to a store? Pg.9

Sam walks into his first period class and sits down. All around the room, heads begin to turn.

Many turn away, embarrassed for him.

Others look down, busying themselves to avoid eye contact. Some students even stop to stare and gawk.

Why do his peers act like this?

The answer is simple.

It’s because he’s different.

According to a study conducted by Dr. Gregory Berns, an associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Atlanta’s Emory University, humans generally feel a need to conform.

The majority of people shy away from creating a uniqueness for themselves, afraid of being rejected by others.

Berns reported in his study that, “even if one has their own opinion on something, they choose to ignore it, and go along with the group to belong to the group. There is a fear of standing alone.”

However, some Carlmont students, like

Sam, have strayed away from this path. “[Trends] would be interesting to follow,” said Lily Zheng. “But for me there are plenty of other things to be interested in that take my attention away from needing and wanting to follow a trend. I’d much rather spend my time writing, reading, and blogging.”

Priscilla Chan voiced a similar opinion, telling how she doesn’t follow trends because they tend to be overpriced and unnecessary.

“By putting your own personal touch on the clothes you wear or the ways in which you can style your body, you can put a lot more of your identity into it,” Chan said.

Everywhere on campus, girls can be seen sporting trends like Uggs, Northface jackets, and leggings. Boys can be seen wearing skinny jeans and talking about the latest bandwagon sports game. All of them usually stand in the hallways holding their iPhones or Camelback water bottles.

Many of these people are often categorized as “trend followers,” however, this does not necessarily mean they have lost their identity as individuals.

“I own a pair of Uggs,” said Jessie Real, “so I guess I have followed the trend. But mine

are hot pink, so they’re not technically like the ones that everyone else has.”

Real continued by explaining how even though she owns a pair of Uggs, which she also pairs with leggings, she is still an individual.

“I didn’t lose who I am because I own a pair. It’s not like I joined a cult,” she said.

Identity can generally be described as the distinguishing character or personality of an individual. Students like Real believe that trends such as clothes and other material items do not affect this individuality, and feel as though they should not be judged for choosing to or not to follow them.

“I don’t feel a need to obsess about what I wear and whether it complies with current fashion,” said Adam Cobb, “So I don’t follow trends. This doesn’t mean I’m weird or should be treated differently, though.”

On the other hand, Courtney Heatherington doesn’t have a problem with following trends at all.

“It’s true, I do follow trends. Not religiously, of course, but I pick and choose which ones I like and they help me find my Continued on pg. 16

Carlmont’s GPA exceeds the national average

By Daniel Wang Staff Writer

3.15

Many people still consider getting all C’s to be average. If you received all C’s in one semester, your unweighted GPA would be a 2.00, which would be the minimum required to graduate.

However, high school students across the country are exceeding the C average.

According to The Nation’s Report Card, an organization that keeps track of academic achievement in the United States, high school students nationwide earned an average 3.09 GPA in 2009.

Carlmont students are also exceeding the 2.00 GPA average significantly. According to Administrative Vice Principal Robert Fishtrom, the average unweighted GPA for all

students at Carlmont High School is a 3.15.

What’s especially impressive is that an unweighted GPA, which is what Fishtrom shared, is usually lower than a weighted GPA. The highest unweighted GPA someone can get is a 4.0, even with advanced placement classes.

On the other hand, the weighted GPA makes certain advanced classes out of five points. So if a student were to take three fourpoint classes and three five-point classes and

receive all A’s, that student’s weighted GPA would be a 4.5. However, that student’s unweighted GPA is still at a 4.0.

So what accounts for all the high GPAs Carlmont students have?

According to sophomore Brandon Monteiro, the reason why Carlmont students are above the national average is that, “Carlmont has a strong academic program and the teachers push the students to do well, which is why students are getting higher grades.”

One way that the state measures how academically strong California public schools are is through the Academic Performance Index (API). The API ranks all schools on a Continued on pg. 16

News and Opinions Talk nerdy to me It’s a small world Page 2

By Sarah Levin Columnist

I am a nerd.

What? No wedgies up the flagpole? No shoving me into a locker? No swirlies?

I thought not. Because you see, I am a nerd and nobody cares.

It didn’t used to be this way. For a long time, being a nerd was a stigma.

It was a word to describe people who were overly intelligent and obsessed with being so, who were socially awkward and constantly terrorized.

They roamed the school hallways in packs, whispering to each other in nasally voices in an effort to avoid beefy jocks whose sole purpose in life was to mock intelligence.

Their glasses were always taped, their pockets were always protected, and their pants were always wedged firmly under their armpits. In short, they were the collective Steve Urkel.

But something has shifted in the world of the nerd. Maybe it’s social consciousness that bullying might be a bad thing. Maybe it’s a change in personal confidence.

My friends are nerds too. And my family. And most of the people I choose to associate with.

We wear that nerd badge with pride because these days (and here’s the shocker), being a nerd is actually pretty cool.

Being a nerd means you can have deep, philosophical conversations with your friends about the meaning of life and happiness, and then immediately switch over to discussing a YouTube video.

Being a nerd means that not only do you spend time reading books, but that you have favorite books. Or bands. Or plays. Or video games.

Being a nerd means yeah, you hang out with other nerds. But not because you’re afraid you’ll be picked on if you don’t. Because you feel comfortable to be yourself around them.

Being a nerd means you can spend your time pursuing things that not many other people may care at all about, but that make you happy.

It means you don’t have to know how to dance. It means you can openly admit to liking math or science. It means you can come to school in a Pokemon shirt and receive not punches, but high-fives.

Really, being a nerd right now just means you have passion for something.

Doesn’t matter what that is. Do you play in a band? Congrats, welcome to the ranks of the Music Nerds.

Are you obsessed with Broadway? There’s a group of Theater Nerds calling your name.

There’s Math Nerds, History Nerds, Gamer Nerds. You could even call the athletes at our school Sports Nerds.

So which nerd am I? I watch Star Wars and Star Trek; I could be a Sci-Fi Nerd. I’m a Fantasy Nerd, if you factor in my love for Tolkien and the Harry Potter series. I could be a Movie Nerd, a Music Nerd; I could even be a Swimming Nerd.

I belong to the ranks of several groups of nerds, and none are better than another. They’re just equally passionate groups of people spending their free time doing what they love.

So, everyone out there: when it comes right down to it, we’re all nerds. So let your freak flag fly. Embrace that nerd card, and wear it with pride. I know I do.

And, as always: live long and prosper.

Photo by: 2dboy.com

By Annie Wesolek Columnist

lanthropist were to assist families in all the starving nations of the world, his impact on Forget the 80 days world hunger would be very small, whereas that it took Phileas Fogg if his efforts were applied to a smaller sphere to travel around the he could make a significant difference. If the world, now due to our this philanthropist were to combat starvatechnological advances tion and poverty in his own city, working we can fly around the world in less than 48 his way up to a larger stage, he could make hours. The world now seems relatively smaller a major dent in local, state, and national than it was in the days when Columbus sailed starvation the ocean blue.

I’m not professing that political and With our domination over distance, we economic links are solely poisonous, that have become significantly more intertwined provincialism is superior to global awarewith the other nations of the world. On the ness, or that attempts to aid the needy in positive side, economic links between nations other counties is a waste. I’m merely assertare mutually beneficial, allowing each nation ing that trying to alter the world or putting to amass more goods than if they produced the needs of the world over the needs of the them all in-house and political collective compatriots around you is grave mistake. organizations create a multinational unified How can we as a nation attempt to aid the front when dealing with major world issues. world when we are unable to aid ourselves.

Despite the good, these linking institutions It’s like the council flight attendants give on provide, they also cause a great deal of proban airplane, “first secure your own face mask lems. Being chained to other nations both before securing another’s.” politically and economically has forced our As citizens of the US we must first and nation to be subject the actions and goings on foremost be educated in national issues and of other nations. invested in bettering our nation so that we In 1914 the death of The Austrian Archcan more effectively aid the world at large. duke Franz Ferdinand at the hands of Serbian Getting involved in elections and volunteerNationals sparked the first World War. ing in your community can be a great place Nations were drawn into a battle initially to start. between Austria and Serbia based on their Sadly because our wider world has bealliances. Gone are the days when war was a come so accessible through interconnection private matter between two isolated feuding we fail to recognize national boundaries, we nations. Since WWI, the world has entered worry about problems beyond our control, into new era of warfare that supersede naand we become swept up in other nations tional boundaries. wars and squabbles. It’s enough to make you In addition to economic and political links, wonder, if it really that great that the world the domination over distance has altered the has become so small? average citizen’s conscious to be more globally than locally minded. A nation’s internal problems become the world’s concern while local reporters record every second of foreign dignitaries lives.

The citizen is no longer concerned solely by problems at home but also with the comparatively more devastating tragedies abroad.

The United States is not devoid of poverty, but many citizens would say that donating time and energy to starving babies in third world countries would be more altruistic than working towards aiding citizens at home because our citizens are relatively better off than those in third world countries.

World hunger is comparable to a bottomless pit; There are starving people everywhere, a globally conscious philanthropist faces the choice of donating to starving families in Photo by: livestream.com Chile, Ethiopia, Togo, Sudan, or a hundred more countries. Even if this hypothetical phi-

News and Opinions

Page 3

Does SAT tutoring significantly help students?

Where students should turn for help when facing the SAT

By Kellan McDonough Multimedia editor The SAT is a make it or break it situation. Students get four hours to test their knowledge and prove to colleges that they have academic promise.

To battle this excruciating test, many students spend thousands of dollars on SAT tutoring. The tutoring is costly and much time is invested. After all the tutoring and work, do students that hire an SAT tutor get an advantage over others who study on their own?

Junior Sandip Srinivas said, “I think having the structure of a class really helps, but I also think the best way to prepare is to take practice tests and by doing this they can get used to the structure.”

Getting into college has become more and more competitive. Scores that used to be high just don’t cut it anymore. According to universitylanguage.com, Ivy Bound students score between 2100 and 2380 on the SAT. Although the test may not be the best way to examine a student’s knowledge, it is definitely an imperative role in the college admission process.

There are plenty of free SAT practice resources. The Belmont Library offers free practice tests. These tests are simulated just like the real SAT and use previously released SAT tests.

Another free resource is an after school SAT practice session here at Carlmont. This is free, convenient, and an easy commitment.

The sessions are 4 days a week and start shortly after seventh period.

Lastly, to prepare for the SAT, every high school student can take advantage of one website: collegeboard.org.

When you visit the Collegeboard website, there are a series of tabs including SAT, AP, College Search, and College Planning. One of the most commonly used features is the SAT tab.

Junior Charlotte Jackman logs on to Collegeboard for SAT practice. “Collegeboard is my favorite website for SAT practice. They send me a practice question by email every day. It’s completely free and super useful.”

Collegeboard’s official book has over 12 practice tests, but the website has free individual questions and one full test.

Junior James Schulte said, “I think they have a really strong reputation. And I can’t think of any other standardized testing companies off of the top of my head.”

Collegeboard is the number one company for college preparation. It is free, simple, and easy to access.

So why do students spend money on SAT tutoring when there are free resources at their disposal.

Although SAT tutoring may be pricey and time consuming,

Photo by: Kellan McDonough

it may boost the score and help a student for success. On the other hand, there are plenty of free resources at one’s disposal.

When deciding what path to take, one must ask if the cost of an SAT tutor will significantly boost one’s score so that it was worth it.

Currently the test is out of 2400, opposed to the old score of 1600. A relatively new section was added, writing, to make each section worth 800 points.

Parents must decide if it is worth spending money on an SAT tutor for their child. Would it give their child that extra edge to get that extra 200 points and break the 2000.

To get such high scores, some would say a tutor is necessary.

The SAT is all about strategy, so if a student practices enough, he or she can increase their score significantly.

That said, if success is all about practice, then why does a student need to spend money on a tutor? He or she can practice on their own.

Editorial:Why we write controversial articles

The balance between journalistic values and shock tactics It’s not about shocking people.

A newspaper answers the questions that most of society cannot answer themselves.

A newspaper looks for the answers, verifies them and presents them so that the community can be informed.

The Highlander strives to do this as well.

In order to properly inform Carlmont students, we cover a variety of different topics and remain as objective as possible to the best of our ability.

There have been some instances recently when a student has made a comment about the content of our paper and what we are writing. Some people have questioned why we put a section about religion in the paper for one issue. Some feel that it is not our place to speculate on such controversial topics. There has been considerable discussion about the fact that our center-spread in this

issue is all about sex. The question on the minds of many Carlmont students is can you even do that?

And the answer is yes we can. As an open forum student newspaper, we have the freedom to choose the material we want to cover and the freedom to choose the way it is presented as long as it meets the standards of protected speech.

Moreover, we are not writing these articles for shock value or to be risky and catch the readers off guard. Although some media outlets rely on this type of attention, that it not what the Highlander is about.

We are simply doing what every newspaper’s job is, to provide the answers to your questions, even the ones you normally wouldn’t ask aloud. We want to inform our student body in every way possible on every

Editor-in-Chief: Gianna Dimick

Managing Editor:

topic, including the questions that normally never get answered because they never get asked.

The reason there was a spread in our January issue on religion is because there are many different views and types of religion that are not always so commonly expressed.

The reason the center spread for this issue in about sexual health and information is because many high schools students are not well informed before they make decisions.

The reason

Back Page:

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we openly discussed the cliques at Carlmont is because they are present and they have an effect for better or for worse on this school.

We strive to discuss all that is relevant to Carlmont and its community regardless of how uncomfortable it might be.

The mission of The Highlander is to accurately and honestly cover communal as well as school events. As a student run open forum newspaper, we strive to incorporate multiple views and represent the diverse community at Carlmont.

Kellan McDonough Dominic Gialdini Ashley Kawakami Sarah Klieves

Senior Editor: Rachel Schuster

Faculty Adviser: Justin Raisner

Photographers:

Karenna Meredith Veronika Dvorak

Staff Writers: Ayesha Abbasi Jessica Adair Michael Bastaki Arianna Bayangos Monica Bayasgalan Grace Chang Reggie Chatman Jr. Gabriela D’Souza Tara Ebrahimpour Nikos Frazier Kristen Friis Ivan Garin Graham Godwin Timothy Layten Claudia Leist

Robert Lyon Conrad May Virginia O’Callahan John Russell Katherine Savin Scott Schulze Shira Stein Karissa Tom Natalie Tussy Daniel Wang Maxwell Ware Andrew Wedvick Alan Yan Grace Yi

Columnists:

Sarah Levin Annie Wesolek

Follow us on twitter @ScotScoopNews

Black History Month

Page 4

First slaves in Virginia.

1619

Importation of slaves banned.

1808

Slavery is made illegal in the Northwest Territory.

1787

Harriet Tubman escapes from slavery and becomes a leader of the Underground Railroad.

1849

Missouri Compromise.

1820

Emancipation Proclamation issued.

1863

Civil War begins.

1861

14th Amendment ratified.

1868

Ku Klux Klan formed, 13th amendment ratified (prohibiting slavery).

1865

The first African-American president

By Sarah Klieves Staff Writer

Is Barack Obama the president or the “black president”?

Becoming and serving as the President of the United States of America is an incredible feat. For over two centuries men have had the honor of serving as the president. But it wasn’t until 2008 when America elected its first African-American president.

As the president, one receives a lot of scrutiny from the public. Not all Americans may agree with the views of President Obama– but is that because of his political views or because of the color of his skin?

As Carlmont junior Catherine Luckenbach points out, because we live in “one of the most liberal areas in the United States, everyone is equally celebrated and accepted.”

“This,” Luckenbach stated, “makes it difficult to tell if Obama has changed the way Americans view AfricanAmericans.”

Many African Americans, like Martin Luther King Jr. and Rosa Parks, have made great strides throughout American history through their words and actions, just as President Obama has.

But put aside President Obama’s achievements. Do you think he has changed the way Americans view AfricanAmericans? Has his being the President of the United States of America changed how African-Americans are viewed in a positive or negative way?

Sophomore Madison Hubbell said that she “doesn’t think that it has changed the way Americans view AfricanAmericans,” but she does think that Obama being able to become president despite the color of his skin “has shown

Americans that anyone can be president.”

Carlmont junior RJ Caslow stated that Obama hasn’t changed the way African-Americans are viewed, because “the same stereotypes still exist in this country.”

Although President Obama has a 53 percent approval rating, according to a Gallup poll conducted between Jan. 28 and Feb. 3, 2013, an Associated Press poll, conducted between Aug. 30 and Sept. 11, 2012 states: “51 [percent] of Americans now express explicit anti-black attitudes, compared with 48 [percent] in a similar 2008 survey.”

Take a moment to flashback to President Obama’s childhood. You may or may not know that he was raised in a classic all-American family.

President Obama’s mother is from Kansas, even though his father is from Kenya. His father, however, was absent for most of his childhood, having gone back to Kenya shortly after President Obama was born in Hawaii.

His grandparents helped to raise him and his grandfather served in General Patton’s Army in World War I. With all of the support in his childhood, President Obama has been able to make many great achievements through the years, including attending law school and becoming the first African-American president of the Harvard Law Review, teaching law at the University of Chicago, and serving our nation’s government as a senator and the president.

Regardless of who is the leader of our nation and the color of their skin, it appears that Americans haven’t changed their personal beliefs on racism. Racism and other forms of discrimination will most likely never fade, due to Americans not wanting to change, what some may consider to be, outdated opinions.

Black History Month History

By Anna Wheeler Features Editor American history is composed of several different races, backgrounds, and cultures.

One very important part of our history is the African American culture.

For this reason, Black History Month is celebrated annually every February in the United States of America and Canada and every October in the United Kingdom.

Originally, Black History Month was only one week.

It was created by Carter G. Woodson, an AfricanAmerican historian, author, and journalist.

This celebration of African-American history was intended to be the second week of February as “Negro History Week.” This week was chosen in order to commemorate the birthdays of Abraham Lincoln and Frederick Douglass.

Black History Week eventually became more popular and grew to Black History Month due to the recognition given by the leaders of the Black United Students at Kent State University in 1969.

Interestingly enough, Black History Month was created in hopes that it would eventually be eliminated and black history would be blended with American history.

Well-known African-American figures such as Morgan Freeman criticize the holiday because he believes it prevents the integration of African-American history. “I don’t want a black history month. Black history is American history,” he told Today in an interview.

Maya Angelou, in an interview with bossip. com, said something along the same lines.

“We want to reach a time when there won’t be Black History Month, when black history will be so integrated into American history that we study it along with every other history.”

However, while some argue that black history is a vital part of American history, thus rendering Black History Month unnecessary, others believe that it is necessary to set aside this month in order to ensure that black history is acknowledged.

According to LGBTweekly.com, Charles W. Patmon, Jr. said, “African American History Month is relevant because all Americans need to know the history of our country.

For so long African-American triumphs have been ignored in mainstream education.

Unfortunately, we have to have a month to highlight these accomplishments. But until we become a society that recognizes and salutes contributions from all people, it is necessary.”

“I don’t want a black history month. Black history is American history.” - Morgan Freeman

Black Student Union

By Max Ware Staff Writer

Of all the months of the year, February is the shortest. It is also the only month officially dedicated to recognizing the contributions of African- Americans to this country.

To some, this Black History Month is the only time set aside for celebrating AfricanAmerican culture, but to the Black Student Union (BSU), celebrating African- American heritage is a year- round affair.

“Black Student Union is a national group, and throughout the year we have several events we go to,” said Carlmont BSU president Reginald Chatman, Jr. According to an official BSU website, the Black Student Union is “a student organization committed to the stimulation and development of cultural diversity” through “participation in and sponsorship of educational, cultural, and social events.”

There are several Black Student Union clubs from across the country that convene annually in their respective regional conferences, as well as a national conference. The BSU conferences mainly consist of educational workshops and speakers from the AfricanAmerican community.

We learn about leadership and embracing our heritage,” said Chatman. “They’re a lot of fun.” These conferences are usually held at hotels, and also have large feasts, as well as booths where different groups can showcase cultural projects they have been working on.

High school BSU is an offshoot of the original collegiate- level Black Student Unions

which are present at countless campuses around the United States. These Black Student Unions were created to enrich and help the African-American youth connect with their culture and achieve success. The high school version of these groups reflects such a message.

Many of the Carlmont Black Student Union’s meetings have to do with fundraising, in addition to organizing other BSU- related events on campus. This fundraising is necessary in order to raise the funds required to attend the conferences. BSU also has special gatherings only for club members.

“We had a potluck and a celebration for Kwanzaa,” said Chatman. “We also have to plan what we’re going to do for the Heritage Fair and Club Fair. We’re trying to have ribs.

We want to get the Armadillo Willy’s Road Hog.” The Road Hog is a mobile barbecue van equipped to sell food in a similar fashion to ice cream trucks.

To commemorate Black History Month itself, BSU has guest speakers coming in every Tuesday, including the vice president of Apple. BSU will also be organizing a schoolwide African American trivia contest, to test the knowledge of Carlmont students about important African American figures and events.

It should be noted that although BSU was created to celebrate African-American heritage, people of any race or ethnicity are allowed and encouraged to join. Registration for this year’s national conference has passed, but anyone wishing to join BSU this year can still do so.

Black History Month

Malcolm X becomes a minister of the Nation of Islam. 1952

15th Amendment ratified.

1870

Plessy v. Ferguson.

1896

Brown v. Board of Education 1954

Rosa Parks refuses to give up her seat on the bus.

1955

Martin Luther King, Jr. arrested. “I Have a Dream” speech. 1963

Civil Rights Act. 1964

Page 5

Barack Obama becomes first African-American president.

2008

Martin Luther King, Jr. assassinated.

1968 Infographic by Karissa Tom

Celebrating the influential African-Americans

Racism: more complicated than black and white

By Alan Yan Staff Writer “Racism is definitely a relevant issue in today’s society. It is still here because some people have a hard time accepting others and their cultures,” said Carlmont sophomore Sohun Awsare.

Though California and the Bay Area have done a great job of being tolerant of races and ethnicities, the issue of racism should not be ruled out.

Acts of prejudice against a race are apparent in our society.

These prejudices offend and spread fear about specific peoples.

Carlmont sophomore Omid Afshar stated, “I have faced racism. Anytime I go through security checkpoints at an airport, I have to go through the machine or be patted down because of my Middle-Eastern background.”

Racism slows down lives as well as hinders their improvement, as Carlmont junior Andrew Sohrabi pointed out, “Racism can inhibit a person both socially and economically. This injustice can only be abolished through equal opportunity.”

A Huffington Post article, written in 2011, titled Minority Children Four Times more Likely to Start Poor, Stay Poor

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stated that children from a minority background are four times more likely to be born poor and suffer from “diminished academic standing to increased financial insecurity.”

Some people argue that racism should not be as focused on because the social issues of gay and women’s rights are more pressing.

Afshar stated, “Other issues should be focused on as well because they all tie into various different forms of prejudice, all of which lead to inequality and injustice.”

Racism and other social issues are important and overcoming racism is just a stepping stone towards equality.

Cobb stated, “I think there are other issues that are important as well, but racism is still an important issue.”

To cure the problem of racism, society must identify what the problem is. Is it our policies that still have problems?

Some point to the business community. “There are so many Asians in the biotech and engineering industry that employers are hesitant to hire them because they want more diversity, which is good, but at the same time they forgot they refused a job to someone, who is completely capable, based on their race,” stated Carlmont sophomore James Xie. Others point to our laws. “Racism is especially directed at

those entering the country. It is a lot better now compared to before because we have become a freer country but sadly, there are still racists that create laws made to racially profile groups,” stated Carlmont sophomore Adam Cobb.

Or, do we also have cultural issues?

Cobb stated, “In the past, racism has affected minorities so they have not been able to move forward. They have less opportunity than other groups and that hurts their chances for better jobs and education.”

Some argue that racism is so deeply entrenched in our society that there is nothing we can do besides wait for it to disappear.

“The generation that was racist is still alive and they might have raised their children incorrectly so their children spread their prejudice,” said Xie. Is time the answer to our dilemma or can we not afford to wait?

Afshar said, “Racism occurs in everyday life, and the only way it will be fixed is if people change the way they look at each other.”

If acceptance is the path to abolish racism, then the only obstacle to equality is our will.

Page 6

Features

By Kat Savin Staff Writer The problem with piracy is that it is so easy.

Piracy is the unauthorized use or reproduction of copyrighted or patented material.

So many questions surround piracy, but the biggest one is what illegal material Carlmont students are downloading.

According to a poll done at Carlmont, 61 percent of the students illegally download content. Pirated movies, songs, programs, etc can be downloaded within a matter of minutes.

Most of the pirated content is free, but there are also sites in which offer the pirated version for a discounted price. Out of the 61 percent of students who illegally download, almost all say they download music.

"I illegally download music because it's too expensive,” said an anonymous student,

“and it's right there online for free so I just download it easily."

Pirating may sound great, but there are many problems and punishments that come along with it.

Over the years, the value of audio sales has dropped down dramatically. Part of that does have to do with piracy. According to Billboard, which is the premier music publication company, over the past year, audio sales have dropped 12.8% in the United States.

This, of course, doesn’t affect the people who are downloading the pirated material, however that doesn’t mean piracy is moral.

The biggest setback of piracy is that it’s illegal. You cannot get arrested for being caught, but you will have to face a lawsuit. Lawsuits can add up to $50,000.

Even if you do not get caught another problem with piracy is the fact that not all

illegal downloading sites are trustworthy. A lot of the sites can lead to accounts being hacked or even viruses on your computer.

“A couple years ago, I had no money left on my iTunes account so I used one of those Youtube video to mp3 converter sites,” said an anonymous sophomore, “after downloading about three songs the screen turned blue and we had to get a new computer.”

Even though downloading pirated content may sound like a good thing because it is cheap and easy, students must remember it is a crime and those who partake in a crime may face consequences.

Infographic by Ashley Kawakami

#Piracy: the trending type of theft

Theft: watch both your back and your bags

Even in one of the richest areas of California, theft is a problem, even at Carlmont.

Out of a survey of 182 students, 53% of them have gotten something stolen from them here at Carlmont. That’s 97 students.

97 too many.

“I got my phone, wallet and iPod touch stolen last year,” said sophomore Cody Campbell. “It was at swim practice in the pool locker rooms.”

Students are getting things such as phones, iPods, wallets and even expensive calculators stolen all over campus.

“We usually catch at least one person a day,” said Campus Aids Mike Peni and Rommell Washington. “Phones, iPods, and mostly cell phones are stolen because they’re small, compact and easy to steal. As long as its valuable they'll take it, and if its easy to hide.”

Many of these are crimes of oppurtunity.

“I got my wallet stolen in the locker room freshman year,” said sophomore Aaron Karpie.

Where else is it that these things are getting stolen? The locker rooms are invaded, regular lockers are broken into, and even just leaving precious things out of your sight for a few seconds could get them stolen too.

“I got an iPod touch and a phone stolen freshman year during the swim unit,” said senior Rachel Parker. “I got another iPod touch stolen last year at the Student Union.”

“Whenever you’re not aware, you get something stolen,” said Washington. “People leave stuff on their desks and they go to the next class and forget that they left their phone there and they come back and 9/10 times it’s usually gone."

What happens next? Are these thefts being caught?

“If something was stolen from a classroom, we start with the honor system,” said Peni. They take the owner of the device and

ask them who stole it, then they go to the alleged thief's classroom, take them out and ask them to return it. If they give it back, we let them go free with no consequence because the owner would rather just get their device back.”

“Don’t bring expensive items to school.

Everyone brings their cell phone with them, so I’d keep it close by,” said School Resource Officer Defrance McLemore. “If you’re going to leave it somewhere, don’t. Always have it with you.”

Infographic by Ashley Kawakami

By Kristen Friis Staff Writer

Vandalism: it is more than just drawing on walls Vandalism, is it a real problem? You must have seen it in movies or even in our community.

Vandalism is the destruction or defacement of private grounds, buildings, or equipment.

Graffiti is one of the more common forms of vandalism at many schools.

Even though graffiti isn’t a huge problem at Carlmont, there are still smaller, less obvious types of vandalism on campus. In fact, you might have participated in a subtler form of vandalism before, without even realizing it.

These subtler, more common types of vandalism at Carlmont include writing or carving words into desks, lockers, and books, which are all considered damaging private property.

Other types of vandalism found on campus include tampering with bathroom sink faucets, and occasional window breaking.

Damaged faucets are usually found in the T, U, and F wing bathrooms due to their off

Photo by Kareena Meredith

By Tara Ebrahimpour Staff Writer

Vandalism is not only graffiti, but also artistic drawings around school campus locations. months,” said Vice-Principal Robert FishOne of the biggest issue with vandalism is trom. the cost. Money is wasted on fixing vandalism When asked what the most common types while it could be saved and used for imporof vandalism are, Fishtrom added, “Tagging tant things such as school resources. in lockers and ripping down advertisement A recent poll shows that the majority of posters [put up by ASB].”

Carlmont students don’t think vandalism “Graffiti used to be a big problem for the is a problem. Most of the administration administration, but it hasn't been a problem agrees.“We’ll have an issue once every three in the last five to six years. The administra-

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tion got a handle on it,” said Plant Manager Jerome Harris.

Although graffiti may seem harmless and fun, it comes with a price. If students are caught vandalizing property, they have to participate in trash pick up, detention, or even pay for the damages. Enforcement of these punishments have slowed down the vandalism rate.

Although vandalism doesn’t seem to be a big problem at Carlmont, littering is considered to be one of the biggest issues by teachers, staff, and students alike.

“Littering is a long standing issue. We know the problem, but we need to find a solution,” stated Harris.

“The time our staff spends on cleaning up the trash at this school could be spent on other things,” added Harris. Littering is not a form of vandalism, yet it still takes away from the overall appearance of the school.

Drawing on a picture on a desk, writing in a textbook, or throwing trash on the ground may seem innocent, however it is just as bad as using spray paint on a wall.

Features

Page 7

Sticking to our guns: gun violence in America

By John Russell and Andrew Wedvick Staff Writers “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.”

This is how the second amendment to the Constitution reads. This is also what anti-gun regulation activists cling to as their main defense for their right to own assault weapons.

The founding fathers wrote this in 1791 with the intention of arming the people of the United States against a despotic regime. At the time, America did not have a strong military to defend against tyranny at home and any unknown threats abroad.

About 250 years later, America spends north of a trillion dollars on guns and other defense expenditures to protect citizens from these foreign enemies. We have the strongest military in the world and out of the next fourteen most powerful nations, we spend more than all of them combined on national security.

All of this begs the question: why do Americans need assault weapons?

Andrew Durlofsky, a senior at Carlmont said, “an assault weapons ban is good because we don’t want anymore incidents like Newtown. I think guns are made to kill people, and by limiting guns, you limit killings.”

Out of all the mass shootings committed in 2012 alone, all of the most deadly ones were carried out with assault weapons, or weapons with semi-automatic capability. Additionally, these weapons were often used with high capacity magazines, allowing the shooters to kill far more people in a shorter amount of time, without having to reload often.

However, to say that these guns are only used for violence would be misleading and a wild generalization. The media is prone to sensationalism, but there is no doubt that the number of mass shootings is on the rise.

Even more pressing to the average American is the issue of guns in the home.

Suppose you believe that owning a gun makes your family safer because if someone were to try and harm you, you could stop them with your assault weapon. In this scenario, you might think a gun would come in handy.

However, studies show that people are 4.5 times more likely to die by their own hand when there is a gun in the home.

In the United Kingdom, guns have been outlawed for citizens. Even standard street police do not carry firearms.

According to CNN, there were only .07 gun related homicides for every 100,000 people in the UK in 2012, compared to the 3 homicides for every 100,000 people in the US, which is about 40 times higher.

Now, gun activists may counter this with the fact that the British state does not allow its people the liberties that the American government does, namely those that uphold democracy.

That viewpoint is in conflict with the reality that the American government holds far more power than the people. Gun ownership is a small remainder of the dead ideal that the people have the duty to overthrow an overbearing government.

Legislation has been proposed to control this wave of violence in the form of executive orders and Congressional bills. The plan contains new requirements for all gun sales, including private sellers, Infographic by Ashley Kawakami reinstating the assault weapons ban from 1994, lowering magazine capacity, and expanding mental health programs to help young people, among other provisions.

The plan also includes adding incentives for schools to hire school resource officers, similar to the ones we have at Carlmont.

“People don’t really need assault weapons, but they’re fun,” said senior Clifton Lau. Polling shows that nearly 65% of students are for the assault weapons ban.

Junior Matt Amato, said of the proposed legislation, “I do not support the ban of assault weapons. I would support a ban of automatic weapons. I also feel that limiting clip size makes sense but it would do nothing due to the over 3 million extended clips in the US. I do, however, feel that we need to start applying background checks to gun sales and make gun shops keep records.”

Although many differ on their opinions of fine points of the legislation, it is clear that students in Carlmont and people across the nation think it is time for a change.

Copying is NOT the sincerest form of flattery The temptation is there. It’s 2 a.m., I’m tired, and I have writer’s block. The essay prompt is about Romeo and Juliet, a timeless play studied by millions across the world.

In less than six hours I will turn in whatever I have written, but I am running out of time. I google Romeo and Juliet essays, and thousands of essays are in front of me in less than a second. It would be so easy to just click, copy, and paste What if I just use one sentence? It’s not really plagiarism, is it?

It most definitely is.

“I feel like some people have a hard time putting their thoughts into words, especially since many writing prompts that students get are pretty in depth and complicated,” commented sophomore Gianna Schuster.

Plagiarism is defined as using or closely imitating the words and thoughts of another author without authorization and crediting.

Using plagiarism to cheat is a much more common problem than it may seem. Ranging from copying an entire essay from the Internet, to simply copying another student’s homework to get credit, plagiarism is everywhere.

Carlmont English teacher Sarah Clarke stated, “There is a lot of pressure on students to be successful, especially with extra curriculars, so it’s difficult to find time to do their work, and as a result there is less time to do an assignment and they make a poor choice and don’t think it all the way through.”

Photo by Kareena Meredith

By Natalie Tussy Staff Writer

Students can easily use technology to find and copy answers from the Internet.

Teachers at Carlmont have become much better at catching plagiarized essays, especially since some have began using online sources such as turnitin.com.

On turnitin.com, students are able to virtually turn in their essay over the Internet, without wasting paper, and teachers can easily grade all the essays in a much less time consuming manner.

There are many helpful and time saving features, but probably the best feature of turnitin.com is “originality check.” This is one of the leading technologies teachers today have to check for plagiarism through the Internet.

According to turnitin.com, this checks

every essay with its database, which includes billions of web pages and millions of student written papers. A percentage is then given to the essay, that shows how much it is similar to other papers in the database.

Carlmont English teacher Joseph Hill said, “It does a plagiarism check, and it is very good at what it does. Although I am glad to have turnitin.com to check for plagiarism and cheating, I know when people plagiarize. In the past I have used turitin.com to confirm what I suspect.”

Some may argue that it is natural for a few words to be similar, especially in quotes, but turnitin.com has come up with a way to work

around that. Within “originality check” there are options to exclude quotes and bibliographies. With those excluded, there would be no excuse for wording to be the same, otherwise it would be plagiarism.

One of the main questions raised around plagiarism is why do it?

One student who plagiarized explained, “At the time I was really busy and I didn’t really have the time, especially in AS English, to do the whole essay so I took an essay from the Internet, but I guess I didn’t change enough of it.”

This shows the importance of taking the right level class. If it is too fast paced and challenging, a student may try to keep up by cheating, when really they need to just be put in a suitable class for them, so that plagiarism does not become necessary in order to get a good grade.

According to the Carlmont High School Academic Honesty Policy, consequences of plagiarism can range anywhere from getting a zero on the assignment, to suspension and a report of cheating on the school record.

Instructional Vice Principal Robert Fishtrom said, “[Plagiarism] could go on your discipline record and you could have to go to a meeting with the AVP to talk about academic integrity. We are currently looking at revising the entire academic honesty policy so the consequences are more harsh.”

Plagiarizing is not just a one time thing.

If a student gets caught, the incident could be filed on their record permanently, damaging their academic career. Think twice before copying, because if you get caught, it could have a lasting effect.

Page 8

Entertainment

Carlmont student creates ‘HypedMusic’ application

By Reggie Chatman Jr. Staff Writer The ways to solve problems and resolve issues are different for everyone; some people leave it alone and wait for problems to pass, while others work them out on their own. Luke Li, worked out a personal problem by creating his own music empire, HypedMusic.

Carlmont senior and ASB President Luke Li said, “I’ve been using music sites lately. I like my music. I listen to a lot of rap.

[For example, I listen to] my boy Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, and Big Sean.”

Growing up, Li loved listening to this music but he wanted to find a way for people to make playlists and listen to that type of music for free, while keeping it legal.

“I didn’t really see any sites that did that. Spotify doesn’t allow you to listen to that music on your iPhone for free so I decided to make it myself,” said Li. Li took this idea and ran with it as he decided to create the website www. hypedmusic.com during the summer of his sophomore year. On the website, visitors can use their Facebook account to log into the site. Once there, they can create playlists full of their favorite songs. To add music, users can search for and look through a plethora of songs to add to playlists with the click of a button.

“I think HypedMusic is a great website. I can find any type of music on there. It’s awesome,” said senior Shawn Geronimo.

During the summer going into his senior year, Li decided to

expand. He created his own Android app version of the music site. Using a Facebook login, users could now have their playlists and songs that they created on the web site synced to the application. The music could be played while on wifi or data connection. This Android app also has an offline music playing feature which allows users to download the music to the app and listen to it without being connected to the internet.

“I love how easy it is to find music on that app. You stay hyped all the time with that music,” said Geronimo.

Li then decided to release his first app, HypedMusic, to the prestigious Apple App Store. Initially, the HypedMusic iPhone app was released on the app store by designer George Mason under the direction of Li. Over the Carlmont winter break, Li took matters into his own hands and created the application by himself, and re-releasing a new version on Jan. 20, 2013.

The re-released application showed noticeable improvements, including faster speed, smoother interface and a generally better looking product.

The application also caught the attention of many people around the world, reaching the number one spot in music applications in Croatia, France and Italy.

It also placed seventh overall in Argentina’s application line up according to www.appannie.com, along with 11 top ten music application finishes around the world.

“It’s cool because it’s free and it doesn’t use that much data...

Instead of putting music on my phone, I have hyped music,” said junior Jack Tilly.

Illegal music downloading has become a problem in America. According to www.prefixmag.com, America had

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“HypedMusic’ application for the Apple and Android Photo by iBlog 96,681,133 illegal downloads in the first six months of 2012.

Li has found a creative way for him to work around the complication.

“I don’t own any of the music files myself and that’s the biggest thing. I’ll go look on Tumblr, and SoundCloud and try to find these links to and I’ll play the music directly from those sites on my interface,”said Li. ”There’s a law called the DMCA. We just informally asked a lawyer to see if it was legal. The law is pretty clear so we are in pretty good standings,” Li said.

HypedMusic has only the sky as the limit because Li has many ideas that he says he will be implementing in the near future, like offline streaming for iPhone and features such as album browsing and radio.

Insight on Super Bowl commericals New changes to 2013 Heritage Fair assembly

By Ivan Garin Staff Writer Every year professional football players must break hundreds of tackles, run thousands of yards, and score many touchdowns in order to reach the top of their sport: the Super Bowl. This event is considered one of the most popular television events in the world.

Millions of Americans sit around their televisions, not only to watch this incredible display of athleticism, but also the commercials. For many of these fans, the commercials are as important, if not more, than the game itself. This year was no different, with America’s top corporations paying more than 3.8 million for 30 seconds of the audience’s attention. Most were hilarious, some were emotionally moving, and one in particular was absolutely disturbing. Here are the best and worst commercials of the 2013 Superbowl.

The Funniest: Volkswagens’ “Get in. Get Happy” This commercial was a made up office environment where every worker seems sad and depressed, except for one. A white man cavorts around speaking joyously in a Jamaican accent and spreads the joy to his fellow workers, even his boss. Senior Mark Gustincic liked this commercial because “Most car commercials are really boring and dull, but this one was really different”. Although this commercial was plagued with accusations of racism over white people speaking in Jamaican accents, it was original and clever.

The Grossest: GoDaddy’s “Big Kiss” The beginning of this commercial seemed to start out well, with swimsuit model Bar Refaeli sitting in a chair next to a stereotypical looking nerd. Suddenly, they

began making out and the camera zooms in, complete with over the top sound effects. Somehow this commercial was meant to show that the use of GoDaddy was both sexy and smart at the same time, but the only thing it seemed to do was make the audience nauseous.

The Happiest: Audi’s “Prom” In this commercial, a high school boy is coaxed by his parents into going to prom, by himself. However, right before he leaves, his dad gives him the keys to the Audi, sparking a sense of bravery within him. He goes to the dance, kisses the prom king’s girlfriend, and ends with him speeding away in the Audi screaming in joy with a black eye.

Most Disturbing: Calvin Klein’s “Concept” To say this commercial was hard to watch is an understatement. It stars a Calvin Klein model bare naked except for a tiny pair of underwear as he strikes random poses and flexes. Not one of those commercials that you want to watch with your mother.

Best Celebrity Appearance: Best Buy’s “Asking Amy” The comedian Amy Poehler visits her local Best Buy where an employee asks her if she has any questions. She begins asking a multitude of hilarious and off-topic questions and even begins to hit on the employee.

Most American: Jeep’s “Whole Again” This two minute commercial, narrated by Oprah Winfrey, was far different from the other commercials. Instead of using humor, this commercial utilized patriotism and honored the men and women in the American military. It reminded the audience that without their help, the Super Bowl wouldn’t have even happened.

By Jacob Rudger Campus Editor The average student may think that sitting through school assemblies on the uncomfortable surface of wooden bleachers is a grueling experience, but this year’s Heritage Fair will not disappoint.

Under the direction of Associated Student Body (ASB) Assemblies Supervisor Kaela Ismael and Assemblies Commissioners Michael Saber and Anna Shutovska, an intense planning process was conducted in order to ensure maximum efficiency in preparation for a successful Heritage Fair, which takes place on March 1.

This year’s Heritage Fair will be more than just an assembly. For the first time ever, it will feature a fashion show, and technical improvements.

Although the Assemblies team has taken the proper measures for a successful assembly, they have a lot to live up to.

Last year’s heritage fair was “one of the best ever,” according to Activities Director and ASB teacher Jim Kelly.

Last year, ASB Publicity, under the direction of Kristi Tom (now a freshman at the University of the Pacific) put on an extremely impressive visual display in the gym.

The walls were converted to a map of the world. Students in the bleachers could look above themselves and see all seven continents and cultural landmarks displayed on the wall.

To counter last year’s unbelievable decorations, ASB Publicity supervisor Drew Jung came up with a smart plan.

Over the course of about a month, Jung and his commissioners worked tirelessly every day during fourth period making posters of major city landmarks and national landmarks.The final result will be a breathtaking view of the world’s

Carlmont’s Indian club dancing at Carlmont’s 2012 Heritage Fair Assembly Highlander file photo

most famous skylines.

“As an advisor, I don’t expect commissioners to do what they did last year, but apparently Drew does,” said Kelly.

The ASB Assemblies team has already proved they can put on a good show -- the Homecoming Assembly in October was a far cry from your average, pump-up-theteam, Homecoming assembly.

The assembly was based around the theme, “Life of a freshman at Carlmont.” This risky approach to the assembly featured freshman class president Timmy Miller, who successfully acted out hilarious transitions from one performance to the next.

“Kaela and her commissioners were willing to think outside the box for Homecoming, which planted the seed for them to think outside the box for Heritage Fair,” said Kelly.

The four Assemblies Commissioners are prepared to take on yet another risk for Heritage Fair to raise the bar even higher.

“Our first step was refining the preparation process to ensure the quality of performances,” said Ismael, “We wanted to make sure the performers had a feel for what they’re going before they actually

perform.”

Ismael and her crew organized two dates for performance previews, on February 12 and 13, in order to ensure the quality of the performances.

For the first time ever, ASB will host a Heritage Fair “Fashion Show.” On February 28, the day before the assembly, Carlmont students are invited to strut their stuff on a blue carpet in the quad to display their cultural pride.

“The fashion show is for people to get excited about the assembly and to show off their cultures,” said Ismael.

Some technical improvements to this year’s assembly will be an extended time period from 60 minutes to 70 minutes, as well as improvements from the emcees, who will provide information about each club before it performs.

After the assembly, students will be able to enjoy food in the quad supplied by various cultural clubs on campus.

Last year, clubs were subject to harsh health guidelines, which resulted in just two clubs selling food at lunch. This year, several clubs are promising delicious food that meet the guidelines.

Entertainment

Page 9

The dangers of online shopping: what could go wrong?

By Dominic Gialdini Staff Writer In this modern age of technology, online shopping is easy to do and allows people to purchase items from the comfort of their own homes. However, there are some downsides that the general public should first be made aware of before deciding to buy items via the Internet.

First and foremost are the possibilities of credit card fraud and of scams.

According to the FBI’s website, in 2010, people lost a total of $485,253,871 as a result of shopping online.

Many people who indulge in online shopping disregard the possibility of credit card fraud.

Sophomore Angelina Castillo stated, “When shopping online, I do worry about identity theft a little, but the risk is worth it because it is so much easier to shop online than to go to the stores.”

Although some people are dismissive about the risk of credit card fraud, it is all too real and it can end very negatively for the card owner. When criminals get access to other people’s credit card numbers, they can run up the credit card bill, at the expense of the card owner.

To prevent credit card fraud, multiple precautions can be taken. The primary way to protect your credit card is by only giving your card number to secure, reputable sites. Major popular websites are usually safe to use.

Sarah Clarke, an English teacher at Carlmont, said, “I generally feel safe [to use my credit card information] if I am using a big website, like Amazon.com. I never give my credit card number to small business websites.”

Those who monitor their credit card accounts often increase their chances of stopping credit card theft in the early stages, before significant issues arise.

Clarke said, “I check my account regularly. With my account, I enabled a setting that causes my phone to recieve a text message whenever my credit card buys anything over $100.”

Being aware of one’s credit card purchases on a daily basis is a wise decision. The higher the level of awareness, the lower the probability that someone will get away with stealing a person’s credit card number.

“My credit card number has been compromised once. This was almost immediately discovered because of the text message I received,” stated Clarke.

In addition to credit card fraud, online scams cause tribulation within the internet shopping community. People may pay for things that they never end up receiving as a result of trusting online sellers.

The FBI’s website suggests that people should research individuals as well as companies in order to determine if they are legitimate. Something as simple as googling the sellers is worth the time.

Another issue, although not nearly as potentially devastating as credit card fraud or scams, is when clothes that are bought and shipped do not fit the buyer properly.

Clothes that are sold online are impossible for online shoppers to try on. As a result, the buyers risk the chance of being delivered clothes that do not even fit them.

Sophomore Danielle Al-Abed said, “I don’t shop online, but if I did, my main concern would be not being able to try on the clothes that I would buy.”

With a similar perspective, Castillo said, ”Online shopping is great because there is always more variety, but I prefer going to the store to try the clothes on for size. With online shopping you aren’t exactly sure how the clothing will fit on you.”

Ultimately, it is up to the buyer to determine whether or not buying online is worth the risks.

Infographic by Sabrina Leung

Is online better than in-store shopping?

By Virginia O’Callahan Staff Writer Why go out and waste precious gas to buy something in a store when the same product can be bought with a click of a button from your couch? With websites like Amazon and eBay, getting products delivered right to your door is very easy.

Online shopping has increased in popularity over the past few years, allowing consumers to buy and sell items with a click of a mouse. Such advances and conveniences greatly help the efficiency of many people’s lives.

According to a compounded list of sales by comScore, the amount of money spent on online retail sales in the 2011 holiday season was nearly $31,973 million dollars, a 15 percent increase from the 2010 holiday season.

The range of items that can be bought online has increased in the past few years, ranging from clothes to cars. Nearly everything a person can buy in the store can be bought online. Some stores even put up online-exclusive items to attract the customers there.

There are some cons to online shopping as well. Before an item is bought, it’s hard to truly tell, specifically with clothes, certain details such as the size and even the exact color of the product. Although many can be returned, it is inconvenient.

A reason people may prefer buying online is the sales. Retailers have numerous exclusively online sales that attract many people with the promise of much lower prices and more convenience to them.

Promotions such as Amazon Prime allow customers to pay a flat rate each month or year that allows them to get perks such as free shipping, cheaper shipping, or lower prices on some products. As opposed to in-store shopping, the ability to lessen the prices of items may sound more appealing to many buyers than other options.

Shipping costs of online shopping vary depending on the type that is being applied to the products. Rush shipping, or express 1 to 2 day shipping costs much more than

standard shipping of the same product. Depending on how fast the product is needed and how much the consumer is willing to pay is all variable.

Buying online comes with its risks. False information about the product, personal identity theft, inaccuracies with the item, and the possibility of not even getting the item are all possible. Although some of these problems are rare, they still exist.

With in-store shopping, the uncertain details of online shopping are eliminated.

Items are able to be handled and tried-on, helping out the buyer in Infographic by Sabrina Leung his or her decision about buying the product.

In-store shopping shows the consumer much about the product that he or she might not see when buying online. Getting to try on the product, play around with or handle the product is much more personal than just seeing it online, reading its information then clicking to buy. The customer experience prevents a lot of the problems that online sipping may pose.

The only real inconvenience about in-store shopping is the fact that it takes a lot more time to do. In his fast-paced world, instant is better. Getting up and driving to the store is not much of a task, but it’s a chore for some.

In a fast-paced world, sometimes convenience is key. While the same products are sold in either form of shopping, online has certainly increased in popularity and has taken over much of the retail industry. As the online shopping world grows dramatically in size, it really comes down to personal preference as to the means of shopping.

The future of online shopping

By Michael Bastaki Staff Writer Our society wants instant gratification.

We want to be able to get on the Internet and purchase exactly what we want, when we want, and for the price we want.

This has made online shopping one of the fastest growing businesses in the world, as shown by the overnight success of Groupon, a site that gives large discounts on a product or service.

“It’s easier to buy online as I don’t need to leave my house. As long as the item is not something that I need right away, online shopping is the better option,” said sophomore Andy Gross.

However, the future of online shopping isn’t as clear-cut.

As of Sept. 15, 2012, online shoppers in California were forced to pay a sales tax on all items purchased through Amazon, which is the world’s largest online retailer. The sales tax for Californians living in Belmont is 8.5 percent, well above the national average of 7.75 percent.

This increase in price caused discontent among shoppers, who noted that the new tax pushes Amazon’s prices above that of its competitors.

AS English III teacher Sarah Clarke stated, “This new law increased the prices, and this makes shoppers looking for lowest price more likely to shop somewhere else.”

However, this is just about the only drawback online shoppers will experience in the near future, as analysts predict that online shopping will gain momentum.

For instance, Amazon had a revenue of $34 billion in 2010, making one wonder if other companies can be afford to be swept aside, by the growing online network that dictates so much of our lives.

As much as our nation loves instant gratifica-

tion, we love our social networking sites just as much.

As reported by Nielsen Wire in Social Media Report 2012: Social Media Comes of Age, during the month of July in 2012, Americans spent a total of 121.1 billion minutes on social networking sites.

Therefore, many experts believe that social networking sites, notably Facebook and Twitter, will soon be used by companies for special promotions or deals on products.

Closely linked to social networking sites are smart phones, and mobile shopping apps for these phones are growing.

Also according to Nielson, half of all Americans have smart phones.

In the near future, one can anticipate a world where these mobile apps give online notifications to potential shoppers with news of a deal, ensuring that shoppers, no matter where they are, can always buy the product if they choose to do so.

Junior David Babayan noted, “If I need to buy something when I’m not home and on-thego, then I’d definitely use mobile apps.”

Another aspect of online shopping is the prices, as shoppers can instantly compare prices for a product online, and determine within minutes which major retailing site has the best price.

This creates an online competition for deals that will force prices to go ever-lower, as major retail companies scrabble over trying to make the greatest profit.

Babayan also stated, “There are good deals, and I don’t have to leave my house.”

In the past, many shoppers have found returns to be a worrisome, troublesome, and a time-taking task.

However, in the future this will change as well, as companies are making it a lot easier to return products in order to ensure customer satisfaction.

Clarke noted, “I hate returning items, as it creates another hoop for me that I have to jump through. That being said, some online shopping sites, such as Zappos, make it very easy to return products as they don’t charge for returns.”

With their credibility established, major online retailers are expecting a big year.

This means that for the Carlmont shopper, shopping is going to be faster, cheaper, and easier in the very near future

Page 10

LET’S

Sex sells

By Ayesha Abbasi Staff Writer

Sex sells.

Looking for the easiest way to attract customers to products? Just add a little sex appeal. The purpose of advertisements is to prove that the products are of use in one way or another.

Sex is one of the strongest physiological appeals. Sexual desires are even prominent in animals, with the common dream of finding the perfect mate.

“People act like these ads don’t even attract their attention but really look at Victoria Secret how can you not just glance,” asked freshman Michael Lima.

Stores use the method of advertising nearly naked bodies with attractive physiques in order to draw in customers. People are given the idea that they can embody perfection by wearing or using these product.

Ads appeal to different genders in different ways.

For women the approach is more romantic with the use of roses, soft light, music, and “ideal” man. The ad sells the product on the basis that its purchase will give the woman this feeling of romance in her life.

Advertisments appealing to men are much simpler with the appeal of sex and nothing more attached to it. For example a beer ad where a beautiful woman is attracted to the man drinking the beer, showing that if the consumer drinks the beer attractive women will be drawn to him.

“Some of the ads make it seem like if you buy the product you get the people too,” said sophomore Mariko Orii.

Sex appeal is so overused to the point where it becomes a normal everyday thing to see.

"It's everywhere on TVs, billboards, and bags. It's just average now there is nothing

TALK different about it because you see it all the time," said sophomore Daryush Shahid.

Advertisements have an important job to do with little time and space to go into too much detail.

The way to get the point across is to draw attention. Some see this as a problem because it is not only the intended audience who is being exposed to all these advertisements.

“I personally don’t like the entire idea of sex, it scares me. Plus all these younger kids see these ads. Why would you want to show them all of this when they’re so little,” said sophomore Cate Sue. Ads are regulated for their sexual content by the Federal Communications Commission or the FCC. They are the ones who give out licenses for most commercial services including wireless, television, and radio.

“I think it’s really healthy to see all these sexually driven ads. Sex is a part of human nature and people should become more comfortable and aware of it.” said sophomore Eden Gutkin.

Sexually driven commericals and

advertisments will not be changing anytime soon.

We cannot escape it, sex is everywhere, because it sells quickly.

Stop slut slam Abstinence is key

By Claudia Leist Staff Writer “Did you hear about that party Friday night? She hooked up with him. She’s such a slut.”

Whether it is “slut,” “hoe,” “skank,” whatever the word may be, these words gets thrown around way too often.

"I haven't personally heard anyone call me a slut to my face, but rumors do go around about people calling each other sluts and I think it is completely wrong. Especially since nowadays words hurt more than anything else. Girls take everything really seriously, and being called a slut ruins your reputation which is really important to a lot of girls these days," said sophomore Toni Lupilin.

The sexual reputation of people prompts these insults. The problem is, people do not always deserve to be called these names.

The definition of slut: “is a term applied to an individual who is considered to have loose sexual morals or who is sexually promiscuous.

The term is most often applied to women as an insult, sexual slur or offensive term meaning "dirty or slovenly."

"However, in recent times there have been attempts to ‘reclaim’ the word, while some individuals embrace the title as a source of pride,” according to Wikipedia.

One of the most controversial topics among teenagers is the expectation to live up to their gender roles.

If a girl has sex with a guy, that is not her boyfriend, she gets called a “slut.” But if a guy hooks up with three girls in one night, he is “The Man” persay.

When asked if he has ever been called a "man-whore" or a "player," sophomore Nico Camerino replied, "Yes, but I didn't really care. I just brushed it off as something that shouldn't really bother me. I feel like they said that to me because they didn't like me for whatever reason and that's the only thing they could think of to make me feel bad about myself. I didn't really feel offended by it though."

On the other hand, if a girl refuses to hook up with a guy or have sex with him, she is considered a “prude,” which is not always a good thing among teenagers.

Teenagers always feel the need to be one step ahead, so if somebody has not reached that step yet, they are looked down upon.

Nobody wins.

These words are everywhere and it is inevitable that people will be exposed to them. If these phrases are used in movies or songs, the rating protects the accessibility for younger people. But at school every day, these words are unavoidable.

It can be tempting to gossip sometimes, but next time you hear a crazy story about someone and their sex life, try to keep it to yourself before you hurt someone’s feelings and you cannot fix it.

By Scott Schulze Staff Writer

For many teenagers, pressure to fit in and do certain things comes from all over. There are often pressures from advertising and peers to have sex. Even with these pressures, a majority of teenagers are able to resist having sex and are practicing abstinence.

Abstinence is when one refrains from participating in any sexual activities. It

Different birth control methods What is it?

Cost

The pill

A pill containing estrogen and progesterone is taken every day

$25-$45 per month

5.0 %

Injections

Prescribed by a physician and hormones are injected every three months An IUD is a plastic, T-shaped device inserted in the uterus by a professional A disposable, latex pouch placed into the vaginal canal Disposable, latex cover that goes over the erected penis A Band-Aid-like patch that releases hormones into the blood stream A plastic ring releases hormones when it is inserted into the vagina and is removed for the week of a period

$30-$65 every three months

0.3%

$250-$750 per year(s)

2.0%

$1.50-$4.00

21%

$1.00-$3.00

12%

$30

1.0%

$20-$60

1.0%

Intrauterine device (IUD)

Female condom

Male condom

Female patch

NuvaRing

Average failure rate

Photos taken from the book “Safe Sex 101: An Overview for Teens” by Margaret O. Hyde and Elizabeth H. Forsyth.

Photo also provided by stevendepolo from Flickr

may seem hard because it takes a lot of self control, but it is a free birth control method that is 100 percent effective.

Abstinence is on the rise due to better sex education in schools and more knowledge about the risks of STDs. Many teens are just afraid of getting a STD that could destroy any chance of having a long, happy life.

Carlmont junior Rachel Andrews stated: “If you are going to [have sex], you should do it with someone you love, not with someone you use, like tissue, and never see again.”

Carlmont junior Jack McDowell said many people choose to be abstinent because they “don’t want to feel guilty.”

Along with better education, there is also a larger push from parents and colleges for teens to take extra curricular activities after school.

The average teenager is involved in multiple extracurricular activities today, leaving less free time, and therefore reducing the chance for teens to have time to have sexual intercourse.

Carlmont freshman Michael Lima states that he practices abstinence because he “thinks it is better to wait until marriage to have sex because pregnancy causes too many issues.”

Religious beliefs also play a role in the decision of some teens to abstain from having sex. Most religions want the followers to live a healthy and safe lifestyle and promote not having sex until marriage.

Andrews said that by practicing abstinence, “you are honoring your body and honoring God.” Another issue related to teens participating in sexual activities is teenage drinking, as well as experimentation with drugs, that when combined with peer pressure, is not a good combination.

Lima points out that another contributor to teens having sex is drugs and alcohol. He stated: “Drugs and alcohol lead some teens to having sex because their judgement is impaired.”

Andrews believes “people should take sex more seriously. Its a huge deal. People don’t realize how scary it is until they have already committed to doing it with that person, so then you feel bad in saying no to the other person, so then you go forth with it and feel horrible after.”

Abstinence may not be for everyone, but it is a smart decision to make in order to avoid big problems.

SEX

ABOUT

Page 11

Q & A: we answer your general sex education questions They’re called private parts for a reason, but students stepped out of their comfort zones to submit questions related to sex How can I tell if my partner has an STD?

Can you get impregnated if you have sex in a hot tub?

-senior girl

-sophomore boy

Here’s what you do: get samples of his or her urine and blood, take it to Jimmy Neutron’s lab, and... I’m lying. There is no sneaky way to find out if he or she has an STD. If you’re comfortable enough to have intimate relations, you should be comfortable enough to have a honest conversation with each other about your medical histories. In some cases, no symptoms of an STD occur according to WebMD so your partner may be unaware if they do have one so you are at risk. The only way to be completely safe is if the two of you to be tested.

Yes you can, the water in hot tubs is not hot enough to kill sperm inside of the testes, nor will chlorine magically sterilize the cervix. However, even if some uninvited “swimmers” were to find their way into the water, they would be eliminated by chlorine almost immediately. Condoms are not reliable contraceptive in hot tubs; "though the salt in seawater would not have adverse effects on condom materials, there is a strong possibility that the chemicals used in swimming pools (chlorine and ozone, for example) would," a Durex spokesperson told LiveScience.

Is the pull out method reliable?

Does using Plan B hurt your chances of having kids later?

-senior girl

Taking the “morning after” pill should not cause any long term problems with getting pregnant. According to WebMD, the potential side effects of Plan B and Plan B One-Step include menstrual changes, breast tenderness, vomiting, diarrhea, dizziness, diarrhea, but not infertility. is comparable to a high dosage birth control pill because the hormones that prevent eggs from being fertilized only have relatively short term effects (a couple of days) on the consumer’s fertility. Other birth controls, if taken as directed on the box, will not hurt your chances but will prevent early pregnancy.

Withdrawal, also known as the pull out method, is ineffective. According to Planned Parenthood, Of every 100 women whose partners use the pull out method, 27 will become pregnant during the first year of typical use. Teens are the most frequent users of this method and also have the least success with it because a lack of experience and discipline. Even if the guy has enough self control to “pull out” before he ejaculates, precum sometimes contains sperm. This method of contraception provides no protection from diseases so can result in more problems than pregnancy.

Is it true guys think about sex every seven seconds?

Does oral sex count as losing your virginity?

-junior girl

-sophomore girl

The notion of virginity is not black and white. As Laci Green, a professional sex educator and leader of the Sex+ program, said that “virginity is a social construction, it’s something we created as a society.” Sex is typically defined as a penis penetrating a vagina, but that definition ignores sexual identities and the emotional impact various types of stimulation have on individuals. Most people continue to consider themselves virgins after partaking in oral sex, however evaluating oneself based on the opinion of a majority is not wise. It is different for everyone.

-sophomore boy

That would mean that every guy’s mind went down the gutter about 514 times every hour, which is not the case. According to a study conducted at Ohio State by Dr. Terri Fisher and her colleagues, the highest number of sexual thoughts any of the 120 male participants had was 388 in the entire day. That is significantly less that the amount of times estimated if they thought about ‘it’ every seven seconds.

Answers by Veronika Dvorakova Staff Writer

Where can I go if I need help or have questions?

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The sexual evolution

By Shira Stein Staff Writer

Have you ever wondered what your parents did as teenagers?

People today think that our society is hyper-sexualized, but in fact, society is more conservative today compared to the 1960s and 1970s.

Sophomore Neeshae Wain commented, “We are more sexually active than our parents and it’s more advertised and accepted in our generation,” when, in fact, that statement is a misconception that many people have.

The stereotypical thoughts of the 1950s is of the housewife who stays home, cooks, and cleans.

“I think they were more conservative because they weren’t surrounded by media,” stated sophomore Amanda Breslauer, talking about our parent’s generation.

But due to this sexual repression, when the 1960s hit, everything changed. This time was called the Sexual Revolution, and with it came a dramatic shift of sexuality.

Books like Betty Friedan’s Feminine Mystique were catalysts for helping young women realize a new way of thinking about

their domestic and sexual roles in society.

This book expressed the opinion that women should not conform to the popularized idea of “the housewife,” and led to a change in understanding.

Junior Claire Porter said, “I feel like there were polar extremes when our parents were kids. Either you were raised in the Bible Belt and no way in hell were you going to have sex, or experimentation was totally fine according to society.”

This shift of sexuality led to openness about everything having to do with sex. Talking about it in the open wasn’t a taboo anymore, and it was a major topic of discussion. It became socially acceptable to have sex outside of marriage.

Many young people in the 1960s challenged the social norms and liberalism had a widespread revival. Everything was questioned, even orthodox sexual practices, and nothing was left unturned.

The birth control pill was created, but did not become easily available to unmarried women until 1972.

The use of the pill led to the change of mind that sex was not purely for reproduction and love and was seen as a symbol of the

sexual revolution.

There were also negative effects from the legalising of the pill and abortions. The rates of STDs, teen pregnancy, divorce, and outof-wedlock births have increased considerably since the legalisations.

During the 1980s, the first cases of HIV and AIDS were reported. President Ronald Reagan advocated abstinence because of the sexual cause of this disease.

That point in history led to the slow change to our modern society of conservativeness.

Today, abstinence is still advocated by many groups, but it is not as popular as using

various methods of birth control.

Porter also commented, “Now, it's all pretty general that it isn't a great idea to have sex early in the teen years, but it is assumed that sometime during your teenage life, most do have sex.”

“Our current society is overly sexualized due to the internet and the fact that those kinds of situations occur around us constantly mean that people have become desensitized,” stated Sophomore Keenan Allen.

If you thought our generation was bad, our parents knock that title right out of our hands.

Women groups and supporters protest for abortion rights and the freedom of sexual choice in the 1970’s

Page 12

Campus

The daily distractions that haunt us all Infographic by Niko Frazier

By Conrad May Staff Writer

After the final bell has rung to end the school day and a student has returned to their home, they are faced with a variety of things to do.

After looking each way, a student has to decide between watching a favorite TV show, texting friends, or doing an abundance of homework that has already been put off.

Although a student may have homework and other responsibilities to finish before the following day, there is plenty of time to get things done.

There are a series of distractions after school that dissipate the time that students have to get things done.

From a TV to a cell phone, a student has an abundance of items to get distracted by, which severely cuts into the time that they have to finish all of their responsibilities. Many students find themselves lacking time to finish all of their work, since they wasted most of their time on distractions.

Junior Talon Bartolo said, “I do my homework In a recent poll, students claimed that computers are their biggest distraction after school. right after school in the library or in one of my classes. I know that if I take my homework home Some students complain about not having to bed to get more than enough sleep, that then I won’t end up doing it because there are so enough time to sleep, but part of that probleaves plenty of time to do homework, but many more fun things to do than my homelem may be self inflicted. With over 7 hours many students still have trouble finishing all work.” of time after school until a student should go of their work and still get a good nights sleep.

CTE schedule struggles Elective and CTE requirements put students in difficult scheduling situations

By Grace Yi Staff Writer Not only do you have to get good grades to graduate from high school, you also need to fulfill the graduation requirements.

Students are required to finish all Fine Arts, Career Technical Education (CTE), and electives credits by graduation.

A few CTE classes offered in Carlmont are Computer Science, instrumental and choral classes, Journalism, and Engineering and Green, which also meets the elective requirement for UC’s and CSU’s.

The California Department of Education said, “the CTE program was designed for seamless pathways that bridge secondary and postsecondary education in developing skills required to workplace while pursuing personal aspirations.”

Jordan Pon, a junior who is currently taking animation as a CTE class said, “The class has given me a new perspective on art and actually now, I want to go into and major in animation in college.”

Furthermore, the United States Education Board states that every student has to take a CTE for at least one year.

CTE was adopted by the State Board of Education (SBE) on May 11, 2005. SBE said the CTE program is “cutting edge knowledge about career options, technology, and skills required for success in adult life.”

A senior, Luke Li also thought CTE classes were there “to give real life experiences for careers that students might want to pursue in the future.”

Some feel that CTE and electives will expose them to new possible interests.

Andrew Durlofsky, who took photography as a CTE course class thought, “I think it is good that electives are required because people can go out of their comfort zone and learn new ways of different styles of expressing themselves in different [elective] courses.”

However, several students think the fine arts and elective requirements are distressing.

Simeon Giverts, a junior said, “I don’t mind the [elective requirement] but art seems a little unnecessary to me, because I am more of a science guy than an artistic and cultural person.”

Li agreed, “For electives there’s just the general requirement. Electives don’t fulfill anything in particular. They’re just to give

the students the ability to experience a wide range of subjects.”

Some students thought electives and CTE classes are taking away scarce opportunities of fun and relaxation.

“I don’t like art and so taking art classes are a waste of my time because I could be doing something else that I want to do instead,” stated junior Anne Litton.

The CTE program has created 58 career paths which was organized by 15 industry sectors.

The formation of the program consisted of 50 representatives from businesses and industries, California’s postsecondary schools, classroom teachers, parents, school administrators, the Legislature, and many other representatives have helped with this program.

In 2005, the governor initiated to improve and strengthen CTE through Senate Bill 70 (SB 70) by Senator Scott.

SB 70 advocated $20 million from community college accounts to be used for improvement of CTE in both college and high schools.

Li said, “$20 million is a lot of money, and I do think that the CTE program is a great program but I am not sure if that’s efficiently used or not but it’s something that we should continue investing in.”

Ralph Crame who is the assistant vice principal for 9th and 11th graders, said, “Any time [the SBE] are looking to improve programs and improve education in a field that they think would be beneficial to future students, I think is always good.”

According to a statement made by SBE, they explained that, “Ultimately, hundreds of thousands of students will benefit from improved CTE programs.”

Not only is time wasted from electronic distractions, but many students have physical activities after school.

Junior Jack Tilly said, “I golf pretty much everyday after school so I have to make sure that I stay focused when I get home or else I won’t have enough time at all to do my homework.”

All of the time adds up that students are distracted from their work and many students believe that they have a lot more time to do their homework than they actually do.

Many students face the same problem as Bartolo and are unable to concentrate at home, since there are so many things to do.

In a survey, 53 percent of students say they get distracted by TV and 36 percent of students get distracted by their phones, which are the two leading distractors of students after school.

Some students are interested in current news and some are interested in video games, but many students find themselves unable to work.

Many things around the home of a student look more interesting than homework, which is causing the problem and holding students off task.

Crammed schedules, too many options Gabby d’Souza Staff Writer The decisions you make within the coming weeks will determine the rest of your high school career.

Every spring, high school students across the nation must decide on the classes they wish to take in the next school year. For some this choice comes easily, picking the classes they know they will like and want to take. For others this choice is incredibly difficult and grueling.

“This year I did not even hesitate to take AP Psych,” said junior Jeanette Chow, “it was a great choice because psych is now my favorite class. But for next year I am still unsure about classes.”

Currently, Carlmont offers about 150 class options to its students and requires some for students to be able to graduate. For most students, especially those who have begun to think about college, choosing between classes can be problematic.

“There are so many choices at Carlmont,” said junior Kiana Ghazouli, “some classes I really want to take, but I don’t think I will have the time for next year.”

At times these requirements, along with the six period restrictions to students not engaged in ASB, music, or dance, can inhibit student choices.

“I have to take a CTE next year, but there are so many classes I would rather be in instead. The graduation requirements are really restraining what I can take,” said junior Eric He. Choosing a new schedule can also hinge on how hard or easy some classes are. Or in a more college oriented sense: how the classes

look to college admissions officers.

Many students want to impress admission officers with a rigorous class schedule while other students simply want to do classes they know they can handle.

“Consistency with classes looks good,” continued He, “but people should go with classes that they are interested in and that won’t be overwhelming.”

When deciding on classes students should take into consideration the amount of interest they have in specific subjects and how that class will enhance their academic career.

Realizing the differences between AP, AS and regular classes is a student’s best bet to succeeding in high school.

AP classes are intended to be taught at a college level, and in May, the students take a test that awards college credit for the class if a score of 3 or higher is achieved.

“AP courses are harder than regular classes and overloading on them just to look good is not a good idea,” said Ghazouli.

Many students hold the belief that getting a B in an AP class is better than getting an A in a regular class; however, the best choice is to get an A in the class you would rather be in.

“People should take classes that they like,” said Ghazouli, “classes that they would actually stay awake in and not complain about.”

Beginning next fall, two new classes will be added to the Carlmont roster- AP Chinese, for those who fit the requirements, and AP European History, for sophomores.

“I am excited for AP Chinese,” said He, “before I was really frustrated that Carlmont did not offer this class and I am happy they finally will, I just wish it hadn’t come so late.”

“There are so many choices at Carlmont,” said junior Kiana Ghazouli, “some classes I really want to take, but I don’t think I will have the time for next year.”

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Page 13

SENIORITIS:

The ‘disease’ that’s sweeping the nation

Senioritis is REAL Senioritis is NOT real

By Erica Valbusa Online Editor

By Gianna Dimick Editor-In-Chief

Let’s face it. At this time during the school year, many of us have hit a brick wall and simply don’t care about being diligent in our work anymore.

For many, including myself, senioritis begins after receiving the first acceptance letter from a college or university. An acceptance letter reminds seniors that they are almost done with their high school careers and must only endure a few more months until graduation.

This can lead seniors to believe that they don’t have to put the same amount of effort into their schoolwork and can cause students to begin to not complete homework and not study for tests.

We’ve worked hard for three and a half long semesters, and feel that we’re entitled to a fun final semester - without homework.

Senioritis is defined as “decreased motivation toward studies displayed by students who are nearing the end of their high school, college, and graduate school careers.” Senioritis is not an excuse for students to be lazy. It is a real problem that takes over the minds and habits of soon-to-be high school graduates.

Those who view senioritis as a scapegoat are not looking at the big picture. It’s not that we’re lazy, we’re just sick of being in high school and would rather spend our time doing things we want. I’m not saying that senioritis forces students to completely fall off the grid. Since becoming a second semester senior, I’ll admit that I have definitely slacked off and not finished some of my homework.

The reason behind this: senioritis. I didn’t feel the need to stress myself out with something else to do - so I just didn’t do it.

Speaking from experience, senioritis does exist. Although it may not affect all second se-

Walking through the halls, sitting in class, looking at my twitter feed, I constantly hear the words “second semester senior” roll easily off the tongues of my classmates.

It seems that as soon as we can call ourselves that, second semester seniors, we are magically supposed to contract this horrible disease widely known as senioritis.

But here’s the deal: there is a difference between senioritis and lack of motivation.

And there is a difference between the people that have senioritis and the people who think they have it.

I will use myself as a prime example. My whole high school career has been focused on my extracurriculars. Yes, grades are important, but I also think water polo, swim team, this newspaper, my club (CSAF), my job, the PTSA, and my volunteer work are also important.

Now that I too am a second semester senior, I don’t get to just give that up. I don’t just get to stop editing this paper that you are currently reading, I don’t get to just stop sending out the school wide emails your parents receive every week, I don’t just stop swimming, because I have made commitments to this school and myself. I cannot un-

Graphic by Jacob Rudger, from computerclipart.com

mester seniors, various severities of senioritis definitely hits a large amount of students.

A minor case of senioritis can include skipping a few assignments, missing class infrequently, and slight procrastination, while a serious case of senioritis can include missing class on a regular basis, not completing the majority of assignments, not studying, and major procrastination when it comes to projects and homework.

On the first day of second semester, Carlmont teacher Kristine Weisman warned her class of seniors to not fall into the traps of senioritis. “Don’t stop showing up and slack off. Once you do, these habits are extremely difficult to break and they may carry into your first semester of college.”

That being said, I believe that senioritis is more prevalent regarding homework rather than extra-curricular activities. Although I have skipped a few homework assignments, I haven’t let my laziness in the classroom affect the fact that I have two jobs to worry about.

To keep senioritis in check, seniors should spread out their workload so they are not overwhelmed, stay involved in extra-curricular activities to balance their academic schedules, and most important, get that diploma.

Graphic by Niko Frazier

derstand how someone could simply just give up everything they’ve ever worked to achieve just because they only have one semester left of high school.

However, that is me. That is how I feel.

I have friends who feel the same way about their schoolwork. Yes, second semester seniors are less motivated to do things. I personally will wait till the very last second to finish a project or I’ll do homework in my fifth period for my sixth period class. We have all become less motivated to do homework and more likely to put it off until the very last possible second, but those who truly cared about their grades and those who worked really hard to get where they wanted to be in school, find it hard to let that all go. They might not try as hard now that we are three months away from graduating, but it would be difficult for someone who has had a near perfect GPA for the past three and a half years to pretend like nothing matters anymore.

All in all, the people I am describing are the people who truly and realistically cannot have a complete case of senioritis. It’s actually impossible. Because these individuals have made commitments here and they are going to honor them.

The people who proclaim that they truly have senioritis are most likely the people who didn’t do anything in the first place . Everyone else has something that matters enough to them to not slip up too much, something that has made their time in high school worthwhile. Just because a person says they have a case of senioritis does not mean they will give up on life completely.

Seniors seem to think that they have senioritis, but do they really?

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Campus

Page 14

Changes to standardized testing

By Ashley Kawakami Junior Editor It is time to say goodbye to the boring days of bubbling in and hello to the new computer era of testing.

Standardized testing has become a very common way to assess student’s knowledge, but the well known bubble in the answer tests are about to become a thing of the past.

California will be one of 25 states to adopt a new way of testing to see what students have truly learned and how they apply those skills.

According to the New York Times, the new way of testing will examine student’s ability to read text, extract information, and do a research project using that information.

Another big change in testing will be the use

of computers over the traditional paper to type up essays. The frequency of testing will also change, making tests more frequent. The hope is that results from the tests will come back faster so teachers know what students need to review and what they have actually retained from the class and can apply that knowledge to their lessons.

These changes in testing are planned to come in to effect by the 2014 to 2015 school year.

This is not the only aspect of testing that could change.

Students yearly are tested over and over, from state regulated to district regulated testing and everything in between.

Testing regulated by the state can not be reduced or changed by the district, however the district can change their benchmark testing.

Students sometimes can feel overwhelmed by the number of tests they are required to take yearly.

Sophomore Nico Camerino said, “There are just too many tests that all test the same thing, it is just really tedious.”

Teachers acknowledge the large amount of tests students take yearly and the amount of time it takes away from class.

Carlmont English teacher, Susan Gold attended one of the meetings the district has held.

According to Gold the SDTA (Sequoia District Teachers' Association) has not asked the District to make changes in testing just yet.

At the board meetings some teachers spoke to the board about the number of tests students take.

Gold stated, “The aim of speaking to the school board was to make them aware of the number of tests that students have to take each year and how this affects classroom instruction.”

The teachers have seemed to raise awareness, according to Gold after the speeches one of the board members asked for a copy of all the standardized testing sophomores take and how much time each test takes. The copy of the tests that sophomores take was requested because sophomores take the most tests out of all high school students, the district also asked that the tests be labeled as state or district required to see the actual number of tests and time students spend on district tests.

The way tests are set up and the kinds of tests students are given are about to undergo a major change.

There’s only one way out of here

photo by Veronika Dvorakora

Students must pass the CAHSEE in order to graduate high school

By Arianna Bayangos Staff writer

The California High School Exit Exam front cover.

For sophomores, there are two days in March that could impact their high school careers.

The California High School Exit Exam (CAHSEE) will take place on March 12 and 13 from 1st through 4th period.

The CAHSEE has two main sections: math and language arts. According to greatschools. org, the math portion has multiple choice questions on Algebra 1 and Geometry. The English portion tests students on their skills in grammar and vocabulary.

In addition to the multiple choice questions, students have to write an essay. Like the STAR

test, students can get extra time to finish the test if needed.

Luke Li, a senior commented, “Even though it’s easy, there should still be some type of standardized test requirement for all high school students or else we will be unable to compare performances from different high schools and students from those high schools.”

In order to graduate, students must pass both of the sections with a score of 350 out of 450 or higher, which is a statewide requirement. If a student does not pass one section, he or she has to retake that specific section until he or she passes.

A student has five opportunities to try and pass the CAHSEE. Sophomores take the CAHSEE once during the school year and if they do not pass, they can retake it twice during their junior year and again on their senior year.

Li noted, “The idea is that if you take it as a sophomore, you have multiple tries just in case you don’t pass the first time and we can also evaluate where we are at.”

Most students pass the CAHSEE during sophomore year because of the past material they have been learning over the years. According to the California Department of Education, there were around 500 students at Carlmont who took the test last March. For the English Language Arts portion of the test, 90 percent of Carlmont students passed. For the Math portion, 93 percent of Carlmont students passed.

The goal of the test is to prepare students for college and career opportunities.

Simeon Giverts, a junior, said, “Well people fail it, so that’s a good enough reason to [make the CAHSEE a high school requirement]. If students can’t answer any question on that test with relative ease, they probably shouldn’t be leaving for a higher education.”

On the other hand, some people believe that the CAHSEE is time consuming and a source of additional stress.

Sophomore Madison Norman commented, “We also have to take the STAR test and regular school tests so it’s all so overwhelming. I think they should standardize it into one test so we don’t have take all of these tests.”

In addition to the CAHSEE, many sophomores took the PSAT this year and also have to take the STAR test in multiple subjects: History, Science, Math, and English.

While there are plans for changes in STAR testing by next year, for now, sophomores in California have to take several tests to determine their high school performance.

DECA fashion show struts through Carlmont

By Grace Chang Staff writer Carlmont’s Distributive Education Club of America (DECA) will host a fashion show on Mar. 15 that will promote formal wear for the upcoming prom.

After a suggestion from advisor Elizabeth Chun, a group of students from DECA decided to create a fashion show in which they would be able to both fundraise and experience the world of fashion.

Rachna Gandhi, project manager for the show, entitled Carlmont Runway Flash, has been working with students Shreya Thuse, Arianna Bayangos, Marisa Ramos, Grace Yi, Karissa Wong, Sarah Lew, Michelle Guan, Alexis Wilson, and Teva Kohavi.

The fashion show is sponsored by local

companies including B Chic Fashions, Paper and Petals, Men’s Wearhouse, and Selix.

Along with those companies, stores such as Sephora will be showcasing their products at the show.

Local dress boutiques and suit stores from Belmont, San Carlos, and San Mateo will also be providing the clothing for the fashion show.

In addition, the students have been working with Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising (FIDM) representative, Blainey Aikman to prepare for the show.

Aikman has helped the students with both the fashion and business aspects, as well as sponsoring them.

Money raised from the fashion show will be donated to the “Make a Wish” foundation, for Multiple sclerosis, and DECA itself.

“People who attend will get to know more about different prom fashions, and where they can buy them when prom season comes. It’s a great event to just come with your friends and hang out,” said Rachna Gandhi.

DECA, an international non-profit organization that prepares emerging leaders and entrepreneurs in high school in marketing, finance, hospitality, and management, has several competitions each year that allow students to demonstrate their skills.

The Carlmont members plan on submitting this event as a learn-and-earn project next year, presenting it in front of a judge and competing with other students around the nation.

“We have gained so much business experience, including networking and assigning

different tasks,” said Gandhi.

This event has allowed the students to experience organizational skills and planning, while learning how to raise funds in order to provide for necessary materials. Students also gained experience with communication as they contacted companies and involved the community.

“I hope that many people will come and that it will be a success, we have been working every weekend,” said Gandhi.

“We have been working hard and are look forward to the audience enjoying the show.

We have developed individual business skills while learning to work with other group members,” said Thuse.

Carlmont Runway Flash, will take place on the evening of Mar. 15 in the Student Union.

Food is provided and tickets are ten dollars.

Campus

Page 15

Page 16

Extras

Facebook, Twitter, Instagram: the competition of the social media

By Anna Wheeler Features Editor As far as most high schools students remember, MySpace was the first worthwhile social media site. Now, Facebook takes its place.

But how much longer will Facebook stay a relevant force in the Internet world?

MySpace is speculated to have failed, or at least lost importance, for various reasons.

Some speculate that it was a fad, some accuse it of being difficult to use, some simply did not consider it worthwhile, and others moved on to bigger and better social media sites, such as Facebook.

But it is becoming more and more obvious that Facebook could be losing its popularity and ending up in the Internet graveyard along with its predecessor, MySpace.

There are many factors that may contribute

to this decrease in relevance: as mentioned before, the emergence of new social media sites - this time Twitter, Instagram, and others - less time to spend online, or simply a loss of interest.

While the statistics show that Facebook’s popularity is increasing when it comes to how many people are using it Facebook users have increased from one million in 2004 to one billion in September 2012 - it seems to be losing its relevance in the Carlmont community.

The main reason for this seems to be the emergence of new social media sites.

“I think Twitter and Instagram and Tumblr are a lot better than Facebook because Face-

Carlmont GPA exceeds average Continued from front

scale from 200 to 1,000, with 1,000 being the highest. This ranking is achieved through standardizing testing scores, such as the CAHSEE and the CST, along with other factors such as graduation and attendance rates.

Carlmont has an API score of 857, which is greater than the California average. This roughly equates to Carlmont ranking in the top 15 percent out of all public high schools in California.

In addition to Carlmont’s reputable academic program, some students and teachers believe the reason Carlmont’s average GPA is relatively high is due to the fact that Carlmont is located in a nice neighborhood.

“Carlmont is in a wealthy neighborhood,” said sophomore Ian Good. “Since students come from a better background they have a better opportunity to do well in school.”

Carlmont High School is built along the border of San Carlos and Belmont, two cities where the average family income is way above state average. In fact, according to Public School Review, a website that provides data on various aspects of public schools across the country, the median family income for a

Carlmont student is $80,973, while the state average is $50,780.

The level of income is usually proportional to the parent’s educational background, so if the parents at Carlmont have a good education, then the parents can influence their kids to establish good study habits too.

Tying in with Good’s statement, Carlmont Chinese teacher Mindy Chiang said, “We’re right between Silicon Valley and San Francisco, so the pressure (for students) to do well is very high... A lot of students’ parents are lawyers and doctors, so that also adds pressure for students.”

Consequently, most parents will expect students to become even more successful than them. This adds another dimension of pressure to students already stressing out about grades, whom now also have to focus on meeting expectations. Therefore, students end up really applying themselves in school, leading to higher grades.

Carlmont students and staff have made Carlmont into a top academic high school in California. As a result, Carlmont students are receiving much higher GPAs than the stereotypical C average.

book is full of drama and it’s just becoming another MySpace,” said Crystal Cortez, a junior at Carlmont.

Kendall Shafe, a senior at Carlmont, has another reason for leaving Facebook behind. “I like other social networking sites better because they’re refreshing. I can use more than one site rather than one that has it all,” Shafe said.

Cortez and Shafe are not the only ones to feel this way. According to an article on theatlanticwire.com, “Facebook scored a 61 [on the American Consumer Satisfaction Index], which not only represents a 7 percent decrease from one year ago, but puts it well below Google+.”

Twitter, on the other hand, has experienced a relatively constant increase in users and activity in general. According to searchenginewatch.com, Twitter went from having less

Standing out own personal style. I think everyone combines different trends to formulate their own diverse styles.”

“Everyone does what they think is important; following a trend doesn’t make you any better than not following a trend makes you less well off,” said Zheng.

“If people follow trends and enjoy themselves, then that’s great. Same thing with people that don’t follow trends; if they’re happy, I’m happy,” she continued.

So, yes, Sam does notice the heads of his

than 2 million tweets per day in early 2009 to over 200 million per day in July of 2011.

Twitter’s score on the American Consumer Satisfaction Index was 64 in July of 2012, coming after only Youtube, Wikipedia, and Pinterest.

Facts and the opinions of many aside, there are still quite a few students at Carlmont who prefer Facebook to any other social media site.

“I still use Facebook a lot of the time and there are lots of other people who do, too.

But even I think it’s cluttered with stupid memes. It’s becoming less interesting and less about actual Facebook friends than about ads,” said Rachel Cissna, a senior at Carlmont.

Cissna also recognizes that there are many flaws to Facebook. “Basically, the news feed is never really anything new. I honestly think it’s gonna end up like MySpace.”

continued from front classmates that lean away from or towards him, their eyes flitting to his hot pink hair, his 1.5 inch gauged ears and his mismatched outfit.

He knows that they whisperer snide comments beneath their breaths, assuming he won’t hear. He knows they are judging him.

But Sam doesn’t want to change who he is because of other people’s opinions.

To be honest, he really doesn’t care. And why should he?

He’s an individual.

1/23/2013—1/31/2013

Great Clips Belmont 2040 Ralston Ave Belmont Ca94002 650 595 5855 Mon-Friday 9am-9pm Sat and Sunday 9am-6pm

1/23-1/31/2013

Fun Page Horoscopes

Page 17

Aries - (March 21- April 19) This month everything will go your way, so don’t stop dreaming and do something you been wanting to do for a long time.

Taurus - (April 20 - May 20) You will feel like slacking off this month, but finish your tasks before it’s too late.

Gemini - (May 21- June 20) This month focus on living in the moment instead of worrying about the future.

Cancer - (June 23 - July 22) This month almost anything you want is possible.

Leo - (July 23 - Aug. 22) Don’t stress about little things this month. Believe in yourself, and the rest will come naturally.

Virgo - (Aug. 23 - Sept. 22) You will encounter a lot of money this month, but be wise on what you spend it on.

Libra - (Sept. 23 - Oct. 22) This is the month to be adventurous go out and do something wild and crazy.

Scorpio - (Oct. 23 - Nov. 21) Family is important. This month you should spend as much time with friends and family as possible.

Sagittarius - (Nov. 22 - Dec. 21) You and your crush will hit it off this month and begin to click.

Capricorn - (Dec. 22 - Jan. 19) Go for a new look this month and don’t be afraid to try something new.

Aquarius - (Jan. 20 - Feb. 18) If you have a bad day this month, brush it off and start clean the next day. Don’t worry about the little things.

Pisces - (Feb. 19 - Mar. 20) This month you will not always be at the right place at the right time.

Think wisely about what you say you never know who could be listening.

WARNING: These are for entertainment purposes only

Talk Back: What did you do over the four day Presidents Day weekend?

All photos by Monica Bayasgalan

“During the break I chilled with some friends and went to parties.”

- Kohlton Johnson

“During the Presidents

“I went to a Presidents Day volleyball tournament for the four day weekend.”

- Erin Alonso

“I hung out with my friends during the four day weekend.”

- Jeremy Lloyd

Day four day weekend I went to Lake Tahoe to go snowboarding.”

-Freida Freeman

Mad Libs Step 1: Fill in the blanks

Step 2: Take the words from step 1 and put them in the Mad Lib

1. emotion: ___________ 2. emotion: ___________ 3. anything: ___________ 4. plural noun: ___________ 5. verb: ___________ 6. verb: ___________ 7. verb: ___________ 8. color: ___________ 9. color: ___________ 10. adjective: ___________ 11. verb: ___________ 12. person: ___________ 13. verb ending in -ing: ___________ 14. emotion: ___________

If I was elected as President of the United States, I would be really ______ and 1.

______. First, I would declare National ______ Day. Next I would create a holiday 3.

2.

where all the ______ in the world can ______. I would also bring my friends to the 4.

5.

White House and ______ all day long. We would also ______ the White House and 6.

7.

paint it ______ with ______ stripes. Later, I would make a ______ law that says 8.

9.

10.

people can ______ anything. I would stop ______ from ______. Everyone in America 11.

12.

13.

would feel ______ if I was president.

14.

By Monica Bayasgalan Staff writer

Sports

Page 18

Whos got it better than us?

Bay Area Sports undergo period of revival 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh made famous the rally cry, “Who’s got it better than us?” and the team would always reply, “NOOOOOBODY!” These days, the entire Bay Area can answer coach Harbaugh with the same response when it comes to sports success. Bay Area sports teams are riding a wave of success, winning and revival rarely seen by one region of the country at the same time.

This extraordinary and surprising success by almost all of our teams of has fans rejuvenated, and hungry for more.

The San Francisco Giants paved the way for Bay Area sports, winning an improbable two World Series is three years. Both times, the Giants defied the experts and pundits all the way to hoisting the trophy.

The Giants are not done yet either, their shutdown rotation remains intact for at least another year and MVP Buster Posey isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. Expect another season of winning from AT&T park.

Ever since Jim Harbaugh has taken over the 49ers they have enjoyed a record of 27–9-1, reached back to back NFC championships, and were within 5 yards of a Super Bowl.

Photo by Ryan Freeman

By Graham Godwin News and Opinion Editor

Highlander file photo

The golden age of Bay Area sports

Colin Kaepernick’s athleticism and unique skill sets helped lead his team to the Superbowl XLVII

Giants fans cheer on their team during game one of the world series

Harbaugh instilled a swagger that ignited a winner attitude for a team that is still largely composed of players who didn’t enjoy much success before he arrived.

The Niners also have a bright future, they are led by a swashbuckling quarterback by the name of Colin Kaepernick. Kaepernick, whose hometown is Turlock, CA, was embraced by fans all around the bay and if all goes well should be the face of the franchise for the next decade.

Optimism also springs from off the field too, the Niners are currently on pace to play their games in a brand new stadium in Santa Clara. This new modern stadium will

be a massive upgrade over the deteriorated Candlestick Park.

Bay Area teams are not only winning over fans with victories and first place finishes, they are giving them world class venues to watch the games from. A renaissance of Bay Area stadiums and ballparks AT&T Park, home of the Giants has been immediately topped the list of finest ballparks in the country when it opened in 12 years ago. It is sold out every night and is a “must see” for visitors and baseball fans from around the world. In recent years both Cal and Stanford have modernized and turned crusty old stadiums into state of the arc facilities for players and fans.

Not to be outdone, the Warriors and Forty Niners will open brand new facilities in the next few years, both massive upgrades to the deteriorated Candlestick Park and Oracle Arena.

Can we expect this success to continue for years to come? History says no. Only a New York, Detroit, Pittsburgh and Los Angeles have ever seen two major league teams win championships in the same year. Philadelphia had 4 teams in championship games in 1980, with only the Philly’s winning in baseball.

San Francisco has seen success like this before with the 49er’s winning the Super Bowl back to back in ‘89 and ‘90, and between those wins the A’s beat the Giants to win the ‘89 World Series.

The Bay Area is undergoing a period of athletic revival. Never before have our sports teams been this good all at the same time.

Sure our parents can go on and on about the Niner glory days, but we are living through a period unmatched in Bay Area history and we should count ourselves lucky.

Sadly not every team is catching the winning wave. The Raiders remain the most dysfunctional team in the NFL, leading in futility and failure. Just this week they announced that they will tarp over ten thousand seats, to make the decrepit stadium look less empty.

The Raiders have not had a winning record in ten years and the future is not bright, thankfully less people will be able to see it.

“The Bay Area is undergoing a period of athletic revival. Never before have our sports teams been this good all at the same time... The San Francisco Giants paved the way for Bay Area sports, winning an improbable two World Series...since Jim Harbaugh has taken over the 49ers they have reached back to back NFC championships, and were within 5 yards of a Super Bowl.”

College sports reach Carlmont athletes

Senior Zack Wooster talks with a scout from Canada College

J a n u a r y i s N a t i oStudent n aathletes l truly have a lot of talent if M e n t o r i n g M oany n college t h is willing to fly them out to their college for free. The visits give you the op-

portunity to show off the their skills in front of an entire coaching staff and meet other prospective college athletes.

There are a lot of rules that come with competing in the NCAA. It’s all stated in the contract athletes sign when they commit to a school.

Some restrictions include athletes endorsing a school athletic wear brand such as Nike or Adidas. If an athlete gets caught wearing another brand of clothing, their contract can be terminated and they can lose their athletic scholarship.

Carlmont has a lot of gifted and talented athletes that are capable of competing at the Division 1 collegiate level of sports.

Carlmont Sophomore Kirra Louckes plays on the varsity softball team. She caught the

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Senior Softball player Shawna McDonough officially signs for Cal Poly attention of Cal Poly’s team in San Luis Obispo and attended on an official visit to meet the team and the coaching staff. She has already verbally committed to compete on Cal Poly’s team after she graduates from Carlmont.

“It was really exciting. It does take away a lot of pressure but I still need to get good grades,” stated Loukes.

Carlmont softball players, senior Shawna McDonough and junior Christy Peterson are also talented softball players that are being recruited by college teams. McDonough has committed to Cal Poly and Peterson has been in talks with Cal Poly.

In addition to producing a lot of talented softball players, Carlmont has also produced talented track athletes that now compete in college. Some notables include 2009 graduate Fedor Garin competing for Harvard, 2010 graduate Ben Heck competing for UC

Riverside, 2011 graduate Jesse Peterson competing for Syracuse, and 2012 graduate Elliot Surovell competing for UC Berkeley.

Bereket has been on the Carlmont Cross Country team and track team since his sophomore year and has witnessed the success of these great athletes.

“I think it shows how much depth we have on this team and how many great athletes it has produced.”

It is exciting when a high school athletes commits to compete in college. It also makes their parents very proud of what their kids have accomplished. From softball to track and field to even swimming. There are many talented athletes at Carlmont that are grabbing the attention of college coaches and definitely have what it takes to be competitive at the collegiate level. They will be a force to reckon with in the near future.

Girls lacrosse update

This spring looked to be the inaugural season for Carlmont’s girls lacrosse program, but in a recent turn of events, the team

was canceled due to the lack of a coach.

Highlander file photo

Be a Friend !

Highlander file photo

Imagine what it would be like if you got the opportunity to play your favorite sport in college and get paid to do so. All the years of practicing your sport almost finally pays off when a college coach recognizes your talent and skill.

It’s a very big deal when a high school athlete is being recruited by colleges for them to compete on their team. College athletics are only one step away from professional sports.

There are quite a few student athletes at Carlmont that are getting the opportunity to compete in college. In order for high school athletes to be recruited by college teams, they must first register with the NCAA (National Collegiate Athletic Association) Clearinghouse in Indiana.

Student athletes must send in their transcript and test scores and agree to a long list of terms and conditions for their registration to be processed.

The center grants athletes the gift of up to five official college visits paid for by the NCAA. This gives the athletes the opportunity to visit a various amount of schools and Lear nwhich how you can is become a mentor! for you. decide school best preference Thursday, January 27th 2011 “The location wouldTech matter a lot to me. I MTV-43-1-Benghazi Be a Friend ! Talk would also team beareasonably J12a-n1pm u a want r y i the s N a t ito on l e ngive t ome r i nthe g opportunity M o n t h to get betwellM and ter,” stated senior Daniel Bereket, who is one of the standout athletes at Carlmont.

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Sports

Spring cleaning

Page 19

A season to remember

By Jessica Adair Staff Writer

Highlander file photos

position- the pitcher. Sophomore softball player Mackenna Galicia commented on this issue, “We are short on pitchers. We basically Imagine a perfect recipe with all the right have two pitchers and one is injured. Our ingredients, cooked to perfection. What if defense really needs to be strong and support you had to change that exact recipe every the pitcher if we want to win.” year? Sometimes the change can be beneficial, Part of the reason why some high school other times it can ruin the sports teams don’t whole mix, but the outcome immediately click is is almost always unpredictbecause they don’t have able. the luxury of keeping This is what happens the same core group of every year when a Carlplayers with chemistry mont sports team gets a around each year, like fresh group of players. And club teams do. this spring just that will Sophomore varsity happen, each team will get lacrosse player Peter a new wave of players, new Brydon said, “Although coaches, and possibly even a I personally love playnew sport altogether. ing with older kids, This case is true for the in club you play with 2013 boys junior varsity kids your same age and baseball team, which has an move up with them.

Photo by Gianna Dimmick all new coaching staff this That creates better year. Although new coaching can sometimes chemistry.” cause issues with chemistry throughout the Fortunately, there can be a solution to team, new coach Chris Davidson seems to fit this problem. Junior varsity softball coach right in. Sophomore baseball player Zachary Brandon Robinson said, “We have a fall ball Miller commented, “I love them [the new program where we allow girls from all differcoaches.] They are really cool guys, great ent schools to play. That is how they segway coaches, and know their stuff.” into getting to know each other. If tryouts Although a new coaching staff proved to was the first time we saw everyone, it would be a well accepted change for the baseball be a lot harder.” team, sometimes new contributions can With the abundance of new additions to set things back. The junior varsity softball the recipe, how we will know if these new team this year is loaded with many talented additions will enhance the recipe? Only time underclassmen, but is lacking in one crucial and their level of play will answer.

Athlete of the month: Michel Gonzalez

By Ryan Freeman Sports editor

Without knowing a single word of English, 13 year old Michel Gonzalez emigrated from his hometown of Havana, Cuba to Belmont California; five years later he was the league offensive MVP for Carlmont’s PAL Champion soccer team.

Although Michel struggled at first with having to restart his life in such a different world than when he lived in Cuba, soon he began to fit in.

“A few days after I moved into my house in Belmont, some of the kids that lived nearby started talking to me. I Didn’t know what they were saying but when the pointed to their soccer ball I started to understand. So I went to play with them and they were my first real friends.”

Soon school started, and only equipped with the words he picked up with his friends, Gonzalez had to learn English while attempting to keep up academically with the rest of the kids.

“I only spoke Spanish so it was really hard

to talk to the other kids or the teacher,” explained Gonzalez, “but after hearing the other kids talk and speaking with them myself, I started to learn pretty fast” Although Gonzalez started his school career smoothly, by sophomore year of high school, after playing a full season for the men’s junior varsity soccer team, the sport that brought him so much happiness ended up being his demise.

“I started slipping up in school,” continued Gonzalez, “I would come home after a practice and I wouldn’t want to have to do hours of homework so my grades began to drop.”

With Gonzalez and other key players missing due to ineligibility for the entire 2012 season, the Scots struggled in both league and a CCS. Although they managed to squeeze their way into CCS by half of a point, the boys suffered a first round exit at the hands of Santa Teresa.

“We struggled to score goals last year,” explained Varsity men’s soccer head coach Jodi Beloff, “If he could have scored last year like

he is scoring this year, he could have really made a difference.”

After two years of wavering above and below the eligibility line, Gonzalez decided it was time he changed those speculations into reality.

Putting his past behind him, Gonzalez brought his grades up enough to be eligible for the 2013 season.

“It was all for soccer,” explained Gonzalez of his motives behind bringing his grades up.

“All the hard work I put it was so that I could play this year.”

This hard work and determination did more than pay off as Gonzalez played an instrumental part in the Scots’s PAL and CCS berth. “As a senior and one of the leading goal scorers on the team, Michel was definitely a leader by example and an impact player” explained Beloff. “He was a key part of the heart and soul of this team.” Michel lead the scots with 12 goals.

As Michel says goodbye to Carlmont soccer, he hopes to play at a higher level wherever that may be.

“Soccer is my life and its all that I have ever known since I came here in 2007,” said Gonzalez, “I want to play still, but I’m not sure where yet. I am just going to keep my options open.”

Photo by Reggie Chatman

Gender and sexual minorities Dis Ju lity crimi dgem Inequa n e s a n n t t i e o o l i n t g m e n g lo A u u s r s t A S

‘Swallowed my pride,’ acceptance denied

By Lily Zheng Guest Writer

There are some things which we shouldn’t have to worry about, as high school students. Some things we take for granted--and rightly should, too. The era of discrimination is quickly receding, quickly making things equal and right for just about every race, gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation. Almost.

One day last year, junior year, I walked into the health office and was greeted with a lecture.

“No one’s told you yet? Someone saw you in the girl’s bathroom, freaked out, and reported you. You can come and use this bathroom whenever you want.”

It took a few seconds before I understood what was happening and a few more before I could

believe it. I was being told that I could not use the same restroom as other girls.

I was being told that a Carlmont student was “distressed” enough by my appearance to go so far as to complain to the administration; I was being told that officially, the prejudice or simple discomfort of a student took priority over common courtesy. Could I tell the administration that I was discomforted by the idea of a black girl in the restroom? Could I tell the administration that I was disgusted by someone overweight or skinny or Christian--in the bathroom and have them removed?

Of course not. That’s bigotry on the most basic level. I swallowed my pride, though, and went back to class. That year, I used the health office restroom. That year,

self-loathing hit me hard: My hair wasn’t long enough; my shoulders were too broad; I looked ugly; I looked ridiculous. It ate me up.

For the rest of that year, I was too ashamed of myself to walk into the girl’s restroom-- it made me miserable, thinking that neither students nor administration accepted me for who I was.

Jump forward a few months, to senior year. I optimistically hoped that the unfortunate events of last year would be a forgotten past.

For a few weeks, it seemed fine.

And then, one morning: “We’ve received some complaints; we’re going to give you a key so you can use the staff restrooms instead, so you don’t have to walk all the way here every time.”

Again? They were going to do this again? This time, I couldn’t

even make up an excuse in my head for how I couldn’t be “girl enough” to use the right restroom. There were plenty of girls with hair shorter than mine.

There were plenty of girls that looked more masculine. I was forced to conclude that I had been complained about not because someone was offended by how I look, but because they were offended by what I was. Here the administration was again, telling me that they agreed.

Their reasoning? I was being treated differently simply because “some people might have been traumatized by individuals with the same physical characteristics” and the administration didn’t want to hurt others. I had been under the impression that only perpetrators of oppression punished victims. I was being singled

out for what I was.

Let me take a step back. Similar decisions are being made in schools nationwide, to students like me. A quick google search will uncover dozens of stories involving suspension and legal battles, neither of which I wish to get caught up in. I will say this, though: just because it may be the norm to discriminate doesn’t mean that it’s right. There is no shame in changing a wrong policy--this is the Bay Area. This is 2013. My time at Carlmont is almost up, but it would be a mistake to consider my experience the only one. Carlmont High School officially “does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex or disability”--would it be too much to add the words “gender identity” to that list?

Not all groups get equal acceptance and attention

By Sabrina Leung Entertainment Editor Although many people are familiar with the LGBT (Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender) community, some transgenders and bisexuals often continue to struggle to remain part of the same movement as lesbian and gay citizens and to be included in rights protections.

“The LGBT community endures a lot of hardship, inequality and struggles against the same parts of society stubbornly refusing to accept diversity,” said senior and transgender Lily Zheng.

LGBT is a term used to define this community and is intended to emphasize a diversity of sexuality and gender identity-based cultures.

Although the LGBT com-

munity has found some success in their protests for equality, some have noticed an uneven support and distinction between each group.

For example, the LGB goal of same-sex marriage legislation and human rights work are not inclusive of transgender and intersex people.

While gay and lesbian couples have slowly earned the right for marriage, to adopt children and have seen increased social acceptance in society through gay-straight alliances and youth specific activism activities, some have observed a lack of support for bisexuals and transgenders.

Some issues include finding a strong support system in their community and health insurance companies that will cover the cost of sex reassignment

surgery.

“There are few group and systems for transgender youth.

I have not managed to find any support systems that would be beneficial to getting through my specific situation,” added Zheng.

As a result, this has caused some bisexuals and transgenders to have the tendency to be “invisible” in public and form their own communities, culture, and political movements as they face exclusion from both homosexual and heterosexual society.

Acceptance of transgenders and bisexuals has had a complex history. The gay community did not distinguish between sex and gender identity until the 1970s, and often perceived gender variant people more as homosexuals

who behaved in a gender-variant way than as gender-variant people in their own right.

Consequently, one distinct division within the LGBT community is the misconceptions towards transgenders and bisexuals.

“Transgender is not a sexual orientation. Transgenders receive support in the form of people verifying their identity and are ‘bullied’ or mistreated when people refuse to verify their identity. Many misconceptions that people have regarding the transgender community are consistently and easily taken as insults,” said Zheng.

Additionally, Zheng notes that bisexuals and transgenders have received an uneven amount of attention from the public.

“Gay and lesbian individuals have experienced a staggering amount of media coverage and exposure from celebrities, such as Neil Patrick Harris and Ellen Degeneres and consequently have a massive support group. Bisexual individuals have received scorn and incredulity on a public level and Transgender--hardly anyone knows what the word means.”

Despite the divisions within the LGBT community, Zheng believes that the LGBT group will learn to cooperate and secure equality for everyone,“The LGBT community can learn from their triumphs and failures much like society can learn from the struggles of discriminated peoples: constant vigilance and perseverance will lead to equality.”