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GEORGE WASHINGTON HIGH SCHOOL’S

Volume V Issue II | November 8, 2010 | San Francisco, California

Save Wash Grad From Deportation By Kathy Woo Editor-in-Chief

wenty year old Washington grad Steve Li of San Francisco is currently detained in the Arizona detention center awaiting his deportation from the United States due to his illegal immigrant status. He and his parents face complications in their deportation because his parents were born in China and Li in Peru. Unlike his parents, who will be deported to China, Li is scheduled to deport to Peru where he has no family and faces the possibility of living in poverty. The family moved to the U.S. on tourist vistas in 2002, but was denied citizenship and ordered to leave the country by the appeals board in 2005. The college student is of Peruvian-Chinese decent and moved to the United States at the age of twelve. Though he’s lived in the states for a shorter period of time, he identifies himself as

an American kid and that his life is here in the U.S. “I’ve been living (in the United States), studying here. I feel like I’ve been here all my life. All my friends, my teachers, my family is here,” stated Li in an interview with the Contra Costa Times. “Growing up in a different country gave him a different perspective,” said Sang Chi, a City College professor who taught Li, to the Contra Costa Times. “He is definitely an American kid, there’s no mistake about that. But his mind is a little broader than a lot of people his age.” After facing financial difficulties in the 80’s and to escape China’s one-child policy, Li’s parent’s joined his grandparents, who owned and operated a restaurant that served the Peruvian version of Chinese cuisine known as chifa, in Lima, Peru. Li’s parents had a daughter before Li, but her whereabouts are unknown. Li was later born in Peru under the legal name Shing Ma Li, but went by Steve in 1990.

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2010-2011 Budget Cuts in Action

By Sofya Gefter Staff Writer

tudents and faculty spent time and effort working last year to try and reduce the budget cuts due to affect us greatly in the 20102011 school year. The increase of class sizes, reduction of materials, and loss of many teachers has affected the classrooms and schedules of students all over George Washington High School. Every teacher that left last year, whether retiring or laid off, has not been replaced. That means each department has to have teachers teaching classes that they normally wouldn’t. For example, there are math, history, and music teachers teaching English, along with physical education teachers teaching history. Although the teachers may have a credential in their extra subject, they don’t go to department meetings and don’t necessarily have the vital experience needed in order to help their students succeed. In order to soften the large blow of the cuts, changes with

teachers had to be made during the eighth week of school. Students had their schedules changed and English classes transferred after already going through eight weeks of school. “It takes a long time to get to know a teacher and be comfortable around them, so getting a new teacher half way through the semester is definitely difficult for students”, says head of English department, Ernesto Gonzalez. Along with new English classes, the history department hired new teachers late into the year as well. Classes in themselves are overall slightly larger, leaving a couple of students without a seat. “It’s not impossible, but it’s more difficult,” says head of history department Mitchell Vedar. “Last year we stocked up as much supplies as possible. There’s no room in the closet”. While high schools all over San Francisco are suffering with their lowering budget, in the past four years the S.F. School Board has had their own budget increase by roughly 28%. They

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FEATURES, P4&5

Get to know the new security guards IN-DEPTH, P6&7

Teen health problems LIFESTYLES, P8

What you can do during Thanksgiving SPORTS, P9

Boy’s soccer ENTERTAINMENT, P10

GWHS alumni, Steve Li- before prison

Get ready for GWHS’ Fashion Show!

Photo provided by contracostatimes.com

What’s going on in Afghanistan?

By Kevin Adler Staff Writer

he Afghanistan war has been going on for nine years now and progress has been slow. President Obama recently said that the United States will stay in Afghanistan “as long as it takes to finish our job.” Although many analysts believe that the U.S will have withdrawn most combat forces after 2016, many factors could still influence the process of withdrawal such as the progress in Afghanistan and the politics back home. Currently two-thirds of the troops in Afghanistan are American, with forty-five other countries contributing troops. President Obama has “a goal of starting to withdraw forces from the country by July 2011.” This is dependent on the situation, Obama could still keep his promise by just withdrawing only a handful of troops. “It’s arguable that we’re winning”, said General David Petraeus, the head of the U.S. and allied forces in Afghanistan. Although the progress is slow, with many gains and losses, recently both the extremist and allied forces have put the pressure up. So

far this year, every single month except September has been the bloodiest months since the war started. The Afghanistan War has been estimated to cost $6.7 billion per month, and there have been 2066 casulties so far with half of them being American. President Obama has outlined three key objectives: Deny Al Qaeda a safe haven, reverse the Taliban’s momentum, deny the extremists theability to overthrow Afghanistan’s government

US Soldiers in Iraq

and strengthen Afghanistan’s security forces and government. So far these goals are being slowly accomplished. The overall theory is that by securing Afghanistan, the region will become more stable, eliminating most of the illegal drug trade (90% of opium comes for Afghanistan). There have been rumors that President Karzai, Afghanistan’s president, has been having secret talks with the Taliban, hoping

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Photo provided by odwyerpr.com

NEWS

Monday, November 8th, 2010

Schedule Verdict of “don’t ask don’t tell” Policy Shuffle

By Jeremy Xu Staff Writer

ust recently there was an increase of funding at George Washington High School, which greatly benefited us. The funding came from several factors and the School Site Council voted to allocate money to hire 2 new teachers. The counseling department looked at where teachers were needed based on which classes had the largest sizes. Classes have been rearranged to balance out the class sizes, which will be beneficial to both teachers and students. Though minor adjustments were made in the middle of the semester, it improves teaching and learning for those effected. “Having smaller classes will make teaching more manageable” says Mr. Vedar, head of the social studies department. About 2-3 students were moved from each class to fill in the new classes effecting approximately 125 students. Students, however, do not view these changes as a positive change. Victor Lin, a junior, says,”Its unnecessary and causes unneeded changes to schedule that we’re accustomed to.” The changes occurred in English, Social Studies, Math and Science classes. Mr. Higginbothom, formerly a full time social studies teacher, is now teaching two 9th grade English classes and three Modern World classes. Mr. Kedling is teaching two Modern World classes and three US History classes. Mr. Michales, a part time math teacher, is teaching two Geometry classes and an Advanced Algebra class. The science teacher is yet to be found, but when hired, will teach either two chemistry classes and a physics class or two physics classes and a chemistry class. Though many, especially students, view this as a troublesome adjustment, it is for greater good. “The changes of classes and teachers is a positive change”, says Ms. Lovrin, principle of George Washington High School.

By Derek Ng Staff Writer

he U.S. Military was forced to stop the “don’t ask, don’t tell.” Under “don’t ask, don’t tell,” troops who openly admit being gay are discharged. Although the military can not ask about troops’ sexual orientation, the policy bans those who are openly gay. This ban on “don’t ask, don’t tell” is the closest this 17-year policy has ever been to being dissolved. In September, District Judge Virginia Phillips ruled the policy unconstitutional. She said it violates the First Amendment by impeding due process rights, freedom of speech, and the right to petition the government. On October 12, Phillips issued an injunction that all “don’t ask, don’t tell” policy proceedings and investigation be immediately dropped. On October 15, the Justice department challenged the ban, as

it is required to do to prevent the injunction from becoming permanent. President Obama said that he supports the repeal of “don’t ask, don’t tell,” but wants Congress to come to a decision on it, not a court. On October 21, the Defense Department declared “don’t ask, don’t tell” was once again a law; however, a new system has been implemented that could make it harder for openly gay troops to get thrown out of the military. Defense Secretary Robert Gates ordered that everyone who is to be discharged under “don’t ask, don’t tell” be decided by the military’s general counsel, Gate’s personnel chief, and one of four service secretaries. This means that dismissed troops’ cases will be in the hands of six people who work for the administration that opposes this law. “We’re not raising or lowering the bar. The bar has always been high, but we’re going to put the separation authority in fewer,

Protest against “don’t ask don’t tell” policy more senior hands who will be most up to date on this changing legal landscape,” a Pentagon official commented.. The Pentagon said that it does not know how to handle the cases of openly gay troops who revealed their sexual orientation during the period when “don’t ask, don’t tell” was suspended. Some gay rights advocates say they are angry at how the admin

Increasing Homeless Problem

By Rachel Wong Staff Writer

n America’s most expensive city, debates over what to do with the homeless people carry on. Homelessness continues to be the city’s biggest problem. Mayor Gavin Newsom supports taking away most cash support and replacing it with services. San Francisco needs to do something about the panhandling. San Francisco has an estimated

7,000 homeless people. The bad economy and recent foreclosures mean more people are sharing the streets these days. Shelters recently have had to send people away due to the overcrowdedness. Newsom has spent $150 million on health care and social services for the homeless. More families with children are becoming homeless due to economic challenges. It has also affected hospitals. Leanne Lui, a R.N., says “Homeless are entitled to the

Dozens of homeless men and women seeking refuge in homeless shelters

same service as paid patients. Homeless get medical attention first. Homeless are getting same medical services, but free of charge. Homeless create crowded hospitals. Hospitals lose money because of the homeless.” Griffin Ong, a senior at GWHS says “Well not all 7000 of them are out on the street. At least half of them would be in a shelter. I think something should be done, but to make it work for everyone is very idealistic. It’s everywhere in the city. So I would want these people to be helped, but I have come to the understanding that not all of them will be helped.” Beverly Wong, a junior at GWHS says “You may think that they must have done something to make them this poor, but many can’t help it, because of foreclosures and it’s difficult nowadays because everything is expensive. They were forced out onto the streets and they deserve some help from the government to help regain their lives back.” The main cause of the increase for housing aid is due to job losses and foreclosures. The mayor had a 10-year plan to end homelessness and has reported slow progress.

Photo provided by laobserved.com

Charter Schools vs. Public Schools

By Nyamdash Amarbal Staff Writer

n San Francisco there are total 10 charter schools and around 100 public schools and from that, 6 of them are charter high schools and 19 of them are public high schools. The charter schools are City Arts & Technology High School, Five Keys Charter School, Gateway Charter School, Life Learning Academy, Leadership High School, and Metropolitan Arts & Technology. Of course the public high schools are Washington, Academy of Arts and Sciences, Balboa, Burton, Downtown, Galileo, Independence, ISA, June Jordan, Lincoln, Lowell, Marshall, Mission, O’Connell, School of Arts, SF International, Wallenberg, and Ida B. Wells. Some of the similarities are

that they both have no tuition and are supervised by the SFUSD. Also they are both nonsectarian and do not discriminate. Charter schools offer the same extracurricular activities and sports just like any other high schools, and most of the charter schools offer internships in the community, like in companies, businesses, non-profits, schools, etc. City Arts and Tech Charter School and Metropolitan Charter schools are called the Envision Schools. It is a charter school management organization in the Bay Area that helps students in certain charter schools get into colleges. They target urban youths, especially teens who are first to go to college in their family. The purpose of charter schools is to encourage students aca-

demically by using different and innovative teaching methods. So it gives students and parents expanded educational opportunities within the public school system. This fall in California, charter schools seem to be one solution for all the budget cuts and the bad economy. Charter schools change their programs easier than public schools to reduce the number of teachers and staff. In addition, the teachers are sometimes paid less and they can hire the teachers who are laid off from public schools. According to Obama administration, the expansion of charter school is the key in the education agenda and California’s current governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, backed up this plan and this fall, nearly 90 charter schools opened in California.

Photo provided by indyposted.com istration is handling the case and how it did not act sooner to repeal the law. Richard Socarides, a former Clinton White House advisor on gay rights, said, “It can’t be okay to be gay on Tuesday and not on Thursday. That’s no way to run a military.” For now, the policy is back.

Afghanistan

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for a diplomatic compromise that would convince the Taliban to lay down their arms. By doing so, it would quell the extremists, which in turn would stabilize the region and provide Afghanis with more opportunities and peace. The road may be bumpy but the end result is valuable.

Budget Cuts

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use their increase for personal conveniences such as traveling to conferences, taxi rides around the city, and even babysitters. With high budget cuts, larger class sizes, and less one on one time with students to teachers, this year is definitely proving harder than last year.

Steve Li

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Li is known as a good person who aspires to be a nurse and hoped to use his ability to speak Chinese and Spanish to aid him in medical care. Vivian Cheng, a senior at Washington, remembers Li, describing him as a “funny guy.” Efforts have been made by Li’s family and friends to prevent his deportation and bring him home by raising recognition through the creation of a Facebook page and sending letters to politicians. The Facebook page currently has more than 2,600 supporters.

Chart that shows the STAR test percentage between the GWHS and various charter schools.

Graphic by Nyamdash Amarbal

OP-ED

Volume V Issue II

Yay or Nay: Obama Proposes Plan to Lengthen School Year From 180 to 200 Days v e r

Been there, done that

By Derek Ng Staff Writer

he proposition to make school longer is not a big deal. Obama makes a good point about students spending too little time in school. Many people who may struggle in school could benefit greatly from more school days. Coming from a private middle school, I am used to having more time in school. It helped me stay focused on school and kept me out of trouble. Since I was at school all day, I developed good study habits. I was also able to spend more time with my friends who also helped me keep out of trouble since they were focused on school as well. More school days would also allow teachers to go into more detail on what they are teaching. They can teach the class at a slower pace and thoroughly cover all topics. The curriculum can easily be adapted to a 200-day school year. The days of cramming before finals or midterms can be spread out more evenly, allowing students to study more

effectively. In addition to more days of school, longer school days would also be beneficial to students. In middle school, the typical school day for me would last from 8:30 to 5:30. After classes ended around 3:15pm, there was study hall where students did their homework and studied for tests. Because of this period, students were able to finish their homework with no excuses. I was also able to score higher on tests because I could get help on homework I did not understand. Many might think that students will become fatigued because of so much school, but long schedules proved to be effective. As long as students get some breaks in between, a longer school day is definitely easy for students to get through. With more days where students can study, the academics of students will improve.

The Eagle Editorial: Cyberbullying Teens everywhere get tormented through the web

By the Eagle Staff

acebook, Myspace, Tumblr, Twitter and even AIM are but a few of the social networking outlets that enable people to socialize and connect to each other on a completely different level. To share photos, provide updates, talk to old friends and meet new people, learn about their likes and dislikes and basically the ability to express ourselves is what makes the online social experience fun; however, when there are bad or cruel intentions made to hurt another person, such as messaging threats, posting up inappropriate pictures or videos, or spreading rumors, the social experience can become incredibly hurtful and even deadly. This is known as cyberbullying. Cyberbullying can be defined as “willful and repeated harm inflicted through the use of computers, cell phones, and other electronic devices.” Electronic devices and the internet can serve as portals that allow people to bully other people without any physical confrontations making it an effective way to cause mental and emotional harm, harm which can and unfortunately has lead to terrible consequences. Victims of cyberbullying includes fifteen year old recent Irish immigrant Phoebe Prince,

who, completely tormented by her mean classmates who routinely called her “slut” via text messages and Facebook, hanged herself in her closet. Tyler Clementi, a freshman of Rutgers University, committed suicide by jumping off the George Washington Bridge after his roommate filmed a video of Tyler in a “sexual encounter” with another male student without his knowledge. He died on September 22, 2010 leaving only a message on his Facebook account that read “Jumping off the gw bridge sorry” at 8:22 pm. Through surveys, it has been shown that 81 percent of cyberbullies justify their bullying by saying it’s funny, that they don’t think it’s a big deal, and sometimes just to get a response from the victim. Suggested solutions to these problems have included ignoring threats, and getting help from adults, but we believe the most effective way to put an end to cyberbullying is exposing cyberbullies, or bullies in general, to the far reaching consequences of their actions and have them see how family and friends of the victim are affected. Simply having the bully listen to a testimony from a devastated parent can have powerful effects. The solution to cyberbullying is to stop it before it begins.

200 Days of school By Tsogtbaatar Otganbaatar Staff Writer

get to do: take senior portraits. I’ve always looked forward to exchanging my senior portraits with a bunch of my friends. However, my parents weren’t as excited when it was time to purchase the pictures. Prestige,the photography company, seems to want everybody to go broke over a packet of pictures. Honestly, I can just take studio pictures outside of school for an eighth of the price. However, in these economic times, is it really fair that Prestige gets to charge us so much money? Recently, I purchased my cap and gown. When I looked at the price for my basic cap and gown package, I wasn’t nearly as shocked as I was when purchasing senior portraits. When I started looking at fancier

packages for the cap and gown, then I started to think that the company, Jostens, is ridiculous. Although I wasn’t particularly interested in purchasing a class ring, I looked at the prices anyway. The majority of the class rings was five to ten times more expensive than the cap and gowns itself. Honestly, who wears a class ring outside of high school anyway? According to teacher Karl Seyer-Ochi, the things that the ring is made of can’t even be found on the periodic table of elements. The list of expensive senior activities goes on to prom, college applications, and more. Are seniors buying their way to graduation? The question is up to you to decide.

think that having a 200-day school year is a terrible idea. First, most of the present, new curriculum will have to be written up or all the existing curriculum will have to be replaced due to the number of changes. Our state budget cannot handle this cost of new or extra curriculum, and an extention would add up to more than we can pay. Second, we have to take in account over the fact of fatigue. Students often complain about the hours of school, so more kids will start attending class less frequently, therefore leading to dropouts, poor grades, and poor discipline. Studies also show that unexcused absence rates increase during the end of the school year, so borderline students will give in and have unexcused absences, especially nearing summer vacation.

s u s Senior Perks?

I propose that we adapt a 4-day school week all year and a 9 AM to 6 PM school day; this results in a 208-day school year and an extended day. The 3-day weekend will give kids a chance to take on longer and more complex homework, and with a 4-day week, the pressures of school won’t have to be that big on students who are struggling. The 9 to 6 hours will give kids a chance to sleep later, as well as eliminate after-school programs that the nation spends billons of dollars on per year. Obama’s requirements will also be fulfilled, and kids will have no time to forget what they learned in the school year. For students that need to catch up, the three day weekend is a safety net that can help kids take classes to make up their lost credits. In conclusion, I think that a longer school year and day can work under the right circumstances.

By Stacey Hom Staff Writer

ver since I became a freshman in high school, I always thought I was going to have the most fun in senior year. As a part of the oldest bunch of students in the school, I’m looking forward to graduation in May. Now that this goal I’ve been working toward for the past eleven years is almost at my doorstep, I am realizing the excitement of this event. However, I think preparing for this event is definitely a pain; senior year is so darn expensive. Being a senior, I get to do something only seniors

The Eagle Staff Advisor: John Propster

What’s on your mind? Share your insight to community problems with gwhsjournalism@gmail. com

Co-Editors-in-Chief: Kevin Kim and Kathy Woo Front Page Editor: Michelle Tran Op-Ed/ Backpage Editor: Sam Castro Features Editor: Amanda Lizcano In Depth Editor: Tammy Zhan Lifestyles Editor: Sofya Gefter Sports Editor: Ivan Huang Entertainment Editor: Stacey Hom

Staff Writers: Kevin Adler Nyammdash Amarbal Vivian Cheng Carina Chiang Elizabeth Glenister Richard Liu Natalie Liu Luis Lopez Winnie Ma Derek Ng Tsogtbaatar Otganbaatar Kimberly Quant Stephanie Rauda An Tran Kathy Wannaviroj Rachel Wong Jeremy Xu Garrett Yee Kristen Yee Stella Zhu

Monday, November 8th, 2010

FEATURES

Mr. Shimamoto

Key Club makes a difference

by Kevin Kim Editor In-Chief

orn and raised in Hawaii, Mr. Shimamoto, most commonly known as “Shim” or “Shimmy”, spent the majority of his childhood working on a family farm and going to school until he moved to San Francisco at the age of thirteen. From there, he went to high school and attended college at Cal Poly, where he eventually earned his teaching degree. When asked what his childhood dream was, Shimamoto confessed that it was to be a teacher. “It’s all my grandfather’s fault,” stated Shimamoto, “But my parents wanted me to go to medical school,” which “worked out really well,” said Shimamoto

reward for it. There’s no one to pat you on your back every time you get something,” Shimamoto said. He also describes an ideal student as “one who knows how to politely ask a question, and doesn’t necessarily need to be smart. It’s just a matter of ‘will they try’?” After such a long career, one would think that Shimamoto would be on the verge of retiring, but he isn’t planning on it. “But on the other hand, I might tomorrow; my body and mind will tell me when.” When asked about plans after retiring, Shimamoto dreamed of traveling. “I want to see all the places from the movies and books and the places I learned about in history class, like that Plymouth Rock,” he stated. “Just to make sure they weren’t lying to me,” he added

Mr. Shimamoto helping a student with their homework. sarcastically, chuckling and shaking his head. Now, however, Shimamoto is currently in his thirty third year of teaching here at Washington as a chemistry teacher. When asked what his favorite part of teaching was, he stated, “the teaching part, not the grading and the scoring, but interacting with students and helping them understand.” Often seen laughing and joking with students, it’s easy to see that Shimamoto enjoys his work, but he also strongly believes in the value of hard work in education. “Learning is the hardest thing anyone can do. There’s no

Photo By Kevin Kim

jokingly. When asked what he thought of Shimamoto, a former student, junior Shawn Tan, said, “His class was pretty fun, and it taught me how to think critically and ‘outside of the box’.” Tan also commented, “And even though he made a lot of lame jokes, he made learning chemistry a lot better than it could have been.” A man bursting with wisdom and charisma, and capable of earning the respect of anyone, Shimamoto sums up his life and teaching philosophy saying, “do you best and don’t complain. Because if you do your best, no one can put you down.”

he Gay-Straight Alliance is a club that promotes a safe environment for all students who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, questioning, or queer (LGBTQQ), but as 12th grade club president Seth Lowe says, “We accept everyone [into our club] regardless of...anything!” This year, the GSA won’t be holding back as they promote events and work hard to reach their goal of making GWHS a safe haven for all students. 11th grade co-president, Emily Hernandez says,“This year, the GSA is doing a lot great events and that will bring a lot of important knowledge to students.” Hernandez is planning to give classroom presentations in every 9th grade health class, as well as all history classes in grades 10-12. These classes will be aimed at teaching tolerance, educating

lthough people are joining volunteer clubs like ESS or CAC, a new volunteer club has come back and is more active than ever! Key Club is different from other volunteer clubs in that it is an international volunteering club led by students. It is meant to teach leadership skills through the service of others. Key Club is part of the Kiwanis, which is an international coeducational club whose main goal is to help communities around the world through service. Key Edward Chan, a senior and current president of Key Club, said, “I decided to revive the club because compared to the other clubs, it is actually known outside of school. It is mostly a student based organization where students have more opportunities to run an actual club.” He also commented, “From my personal experience in clubs like ESS and CAC, the majority of the volunteers at events that I attend mostly stand around and do nothing. I would like to be a part of a club I could feel proud of because of quality volunteer service, as opposed to one that gives

hundreds of hours for loitering.” He also added, “We probably won’t do events like Nike Women’s Marathon or Bridge to Bridge because we want to be dif-

for Key Club because we have to regain the reputation we lost last year as an inactive volunteer club, I think it’s really going to be a memorable year.” Some members state a few things they are looking forward to in Key Club this year. Peter Dang, a senior and the treasurer of Key Club said ,“I am looking forward to meeting new people who share the same interest of doing community service. And since the club is pretty small right now, it’s a lot easier to do that Club members smiling for the camera. than other big clubs Photo By Derek Ng like ESS or CAC.” ferent from CAC and ESS.” Brian Hom, a freshman, said, So what are some challenges “Key Club is full of seniors that I in running Key Club? Chan said, don’t know, but I am eager to get “Because of ESS, GSS, CAC, and to know them. I’m looking forEagle Pride, it is harder to find ward to doing some volunteering events that are different from and meeting new people.” theirs’. It is also challenging to Anybody can join Key Club. gather the membership fee to The only requirement is that you be part of the Kiwanis. They’re pay the $11 entry fee so the club partners with UNICEF and the can officially be in the Kiwanis. World Health Organization.” The Key Club meets every other Kiwanis is the organization Key Wednesday in room 226. You can Club comes from. sign up during club meetings. Sophia Lin, a senior and the Come check out this awesome secretary of Key Club, said, and unique volunteer club! “Even though this year is going to be an extremely hard year

Getting Your Pinkslip By Tammy Zhan In-Depth editor

assistant principal, has all the forms and information needed to get a pink slip. “Students need to come to me , get the forms, return complete forms, and I will mail the forms out for them” says Saunders. But students must first meet certain requirements before they are eligible for the pink slip. “Students must have passed the Drivers Ed course, and they must be at least 15 and a half years old” states Saunders. Students can find Ms. Saunders in room 117. GWHS freshmen and many other students have not yet taken the Drivers Ed course. No sweat,

Drivers Ed courses are offered at many professional driving schools and even on the internet. Websites such as www.driversed. com allow students to try up to 20% of the course for free, and will even mail out the Certificate of Completion (pink slip) within one business day of course completion. Minors are also required to complete 50 hours of behindthe-wheel drivers training after obtaining a permit. So if you want your license, take action now, get a pink slip from Ms. Saunders, and start your training!

current tragic events involving Transgender Remembrance students about LGBTQQ people transgender people. Although Day will be followed by AIDS throughout history, and combatmelancholy in some ways, GSA week in December. Following ing homophobia throughout our will give a positive twist to the that will be Washington’s first school. The presentations will include annual Drag slide Show in shows January. made by “Drag the GSA, statisshows are tics, and perforknowlmances edge in which gained by GSA men or members women through dress as the oppoSFUSD site sex LGBTQ studies and sing, classes. dance, The 18th and entertain and 19th Students eating lunch and talking at a GSA meeting. Photo By Stephanie Rauda on stage. of NoIt’s going to be awesome and vember will be Transgender holiday by showing videos and we’re really looking forward to Remembrance Day, an event that bringing another theme to the will include transgender speakevent: empowerment within the it.” Lowe says. GSA will hire ers and teaching about past and transgender community. professional drag performers

and might even include student performers who wish to participate; the event will also include a performance by the GWHS Dance Company. The drag show will be a first here at GWHS, and be one in a line of many exciting events the GSA hopes to do. GSA’s newest member, feshman Amanda Whitacre, joined the club after starting a petition for the passing of same-sex marriages. “I believe people should marry who they want,” she says, “Doing the petition is what led me to the Gay-Straight Alliance.” Whitacre enjoys coming to meetings because, “It gives me a chance to make friends and talk about things we both like.” She looks forward to this year’s upcoming drag show, and describes the GSA with just one word: fun! The Gay-Straight Alliance meets every Wednesday at the Teen Center and every Thursday in room 110A.

Gay Straight Alliance By Stephanie Rauda Staff Writer

by Derek Ng Staff writer

re you between 15 and a half and 17 and a half years old and want to get a California drivers license? Passing a drivers education course and obtaining a pink slip is a requirement. With Mr. Caughman, former George Washington High School Drivers Education teacher, retired, many GWHS sophomores, juniors, and even seniors are confused on the source of pink slips. So how do GWHS students get their pink slips? Ms. Susan Saunders, GWHS’

Volume V Issue II

New Security Guards at GWHS by Ivan Huang Sports Editor

night I take classes at city college in Business.” ver noticed the new faces June Fineason started his strolling around the halls career as a security guard back trying to get you to class in 1999 at Macateer High School on time? They are the and has seen it all. He has new security guards who started hopped around schools working to enforce rules at the beginning at Macateer to Marshall and of this year. now at Washington High Security guards at our school. “It was really rough school are usually never noworking at those schools in ticed, and the only time people comparison to this school, at do notice them is when they’re this school the community is trouble. People usually take really seems involved with them for granted, while they are the school. The times of being the people who protect us from a security guard has changed, violence, weapons and drugs at it is more dangerous now, our school. there are a lot of fights inLeonardo Gandolfo, a new volving weapons and gangs security guard at our school, and we need to be more was a former security guard at aware.” said Fineason. Our new security guards! Balboa and Lowell, says “I like Security guards at this Photo By Ivan Huang it here a lot, the kids normally school are barely appreciated know what they are supposed to and often overlooked on how imyear at George Washington High do, which makes our job much portant they are to our school’s school. “This is my first year as a easier.” security guard at a school, and I safety even though you may not When asked what was most agree with some of the rules they really like it here.” But to Ramos the most trouble he had to deal have to enforce. this is just a part time job. “By with at this school Gandolfo said day I am a security guard, but by

“Vandalism, it is a very important issue at our school because we want to keep this school clean.” Jose Ramos is relatively new to the security guard business, as he started as a security guard this

Adjusting to School Loop

By Richard Lin Staff Writer

chool loop has been around for four years. It has always been an option. Last grading period, teachers were required to post grades on school loop. Let’s find out how students, teachers, and parents reacted. It seems like most students and teachers are having a positive experience using School Loop. Out of the surveyed 30 teachers, there are 22 teachers who like using school loop, 4 teachers who don’t like using School Loop, and 4 teachers who don’t like using School Loop but are forced to use it. “Many teachers were trained to use school

loop so they could use it daily,” said Mr. Jason Murphy-Thomas, a GWHS math teacher. Mr. John Propster, an English/Journalism teacher said, “I use school loop once a week and so far it’s work-

“ It’s a good thing because I can see how well I’m doing in class.” -An Tran ing well.” “It’s a good thing because I can see how well I’m doing in class,” said freshman An Tran. Junior Kevin Adler thinks school loop is great because he can track

his grades. “I like using school loop, but I don’t rely on it,” said sophomore Bryan Zhong. “School loop is very useful. I could keep track of my children’s grades and communicate with their teachers when I need to,” said an anonymous sophomore’s parent. Since homework is posted on school loop, simply saying “I forgot what the homework assignment was,” is no longer an excuse. School loop gives opportunities for students to communicate in an orderly way. It looks like most students, parents, and teachers are moving towards school loop. School Loop has made it more convienient for teachers, students and parents.

Griffin Ong-Student of the Issue by Stacey Hom Entertainment Editor

can Club. Again, he helps coordinate events and informs them of the club through e-mail. In addition, he is the senior represen-

eet this issue’s Student of the Issue: Griffin Ong. With his immense participation in the clubs at our school, ability to maintain academic excellence, display of merit through over 400 volunteer hours, and important role in sports, Ong has proved to be well deserving of the honorable title. Ong’s dedication to his academic work has proved to be truly admirable. He is currently ranked third in the entire senior class of 2011. During his four years at GWHS, he has taken a total of seven advanced placement classes while maintaining a grade point average of 4.66. Ong has commented, “It can be pretty hard. Homework usually comes in waves. Sometimes it’s there, and sometimes it’s not. I’ve actually just been lucky to have good teachers.” Since the very beginning of his high school career, clubs have played an important role in Ong’s life. Ong is currently the president of one of the oldest club at this school—The Student of the issue, Griffin Ong Eagle Service Society (ESS). He Photo by Stacey Hom organizes volunteer events for over 90 people in the club while maintaining the image of the club tative of the Dragon boat team. by representing it in a positive Because the team consists way. He also holds the title of mostly of younger members, he secretary of the Chinese Ameri often helps lead and advise the

members. Lastly, he participates in the table tennis team. When commenting on his participation, Ong stated, “Even though it’s really busy, it’s fun because it gives you a chance to know everyone. You get better communication skills and you have to know how to talk to people”. During the spring semester, Ong represents Varsity Boy’s Golf as team captain. Two years ago, Griffin was deemed 4th best within all of San Francisco. However, he improved and earned 2nd place last year. Both years, he went to the Northern California championships. Outside of school, Ong is involved in an organization called Enterprise For High School Students Program. He has used this organization as a resource to search for jobs and activities. Through this program, he has been able to work at a junior caddy program at the Olympic club. As described by his American Government and AP Economy teacher, Carl SeyerOchi, Griffin is “affable, good natured, [has] a good sense of humor, modest, really sharp, and enthusiastic”. Once more, congratulations to Griffin Ong on his countless accomplishments and good luck to him on his future endeavors!

T1 Homework Help by Natalie Liu Staff writer

any students attend expensive after school programs to improve their grades or get help with their homework, even though George Washington High School has its own free tutoring service. At Teen Center Lite, teachers and students help to improve test scores or just to watch over kids working on different projects. Whether you need help with spanish or math, they will be -Luz there. You can find Teen Center Lite after school at T1 or the library, from 3:30 to 5:00 on school days. There’s always a diverse group of people attending Teen Center Lite, from freshmen to seniors. “Teen Center Lite is here to support all grades. If I can’t help you, then I’ll find someone who can.” states Luz Santana, a tutor and teacher at room T1. “It’s more than just tutoring… it’s

a place where people can come just to feel safe.” At T1, tutors are also known as “homework leaders” At the library, you can have one-on-one tutoring with fellow classmates or teachers. You can prepare for exams, work with a study group, or even play games! “The students here are studious people that just don’t get the teaching method that they need, so one-onone tutoring is very helpful,” said one of the studenttutors, Virginia Lee. If you walk into the library after school, you can see for yourself the amount of Santana students getting help with their homework. There are students working studiously on the computers, groups talking about projects, and many more getting one-on-one sessions with a student or teacher tutor. Teen Center Lite is a little bit of everything. Both a sanctuary and somewhere to work without interruptions, it’s definitely the place to go to raise your grades!

“ Teen Center Lite is here to support all grades. If I can’t help you, then I’ll find someone who can.”

Silly Bandzwagon by Vivian Cheng Staff writer

ave you seen those brightly colored, weirdly shaped rubber bands around people’s wrists lately? Silly Bandz have recently become a fad across the country, as well as in George Washington High School. What are they, exactly? They are a brand of silicone rubber bands formed into shapes including animals, objects and letters. They are often worn many at a time and are traded as collectables.

Jessica Quant, a freshman at GWHS, says, “Silly Bandz are amazing, why wouldn’t you want to wear them? They are so cute and they come in so many different shapes and colors!” Senior Michael Lee says, “I wear them because they are really stylish and everybody else is wearing them so I don’t want to feel left out.” On the other hand, not everyone has hopped onto the Silly Bandzwagon. Ryan Chen, a senior at GWHS, says “I don’t wear Silly Bandz because they’re silly, DUH. And once you put

Silly Bandz come in various exciting shapes.

Photo By Vivan Cheng

Why do people wear them, and why are they so popular? Kaitlyn Nonaka, a senior at GWHS, says, “I wear them because they are fun and there are a lot of shapes and stuff.” Junior Chris Gerigk says, “I wear Silly Bandz because they match my outfits and they bring out the color of my eyes.” He continues, “I think people wear them because it’s a fad and people tend to conform. Plus they are good conversation starters/pieces.”

them on, you can’t even tell their shape so it’s pointless.” Junior Jonathan Mak says, “They are just a fad, I mean they’re cool and all but not something I would wear around my hand. Like what does it represent? I mean for friendship bracelets it shows your friendship with one another but Silly Bandz are just … silly.” So are you going to follow the trend and hop onto the Silly Bandzwagon or are Silly Bandz too silly for you?

IN-DEPTH

Common Teen Problems

Monday, November 8th, 2010

Stress Mess By Kristin Yee Staff Writer

chool, family, drama, friends, and college applications, many of these topics give teens everywhere stress. Different students have different types of stress, and when a student’s stress becomes overwhelming, it could become harmful to friends, family, and people around them. Evelyn Pang, a George Washington High School Senior, needs to take on more responsibilities during senior year and is stressed out because of college applications, “The most stressful thing during senior year is probably SAT’s and having the motivation to do college apps.” However, Pang believes that even though senior year has more responsibilities, junior and sophomore year were the most stressful. “Junior and sophomore year were stressful cause they count for college.” Pang says that she deals with stress by hanging out with friends, “I usually talk with friends or family when I get overwhelmed.” Lynda Boyer–Chu, the school nurse, explains that there are many types of stress. However, there are two major types of stress, “There is the Eu-stress, which helps us to study for tests or to prepare for an

You Are E

By Kimb Staff

ave you or someone upcoming major event. There is also you know ever stared Distress, which is negative stress, at food and wondered when it makes people drink or do whether or not it’s drugs.” Michael Diener and Dr. Brad Ho- worth taking another bite? Could kanson, of www.studygs.net gave it possibly be that either you or that person suffers from an eating advise on how to take control of stress, “Removing yourself from the disorder such as binge eating, stressful situation, not overwhelm- anorexia or bulimia? The National ing yourself, not sweating over the Eating Disorder Association reports, “In the United States, as small stuff, getting enough sleep, and helping others by keep- many as ten million females ing your mind off and one million males are fighting a life yourself.” Diern- and death er and battle with an eating Hokanson disorder such as analso orexia or explain how to use stress, bulimia. Millions “Try to flow with it, and try to use it in a productive more are struggling way. Stress can help with binge eatmemory. However, ing disorder.” having too much Many cases of stress may disrupt eating disorders are memory.” caused by body image The dangers of problems. The NEDA states, “ having too much stress affect students A study of one teen adolescent not only mentally, magazine over the course of 20 but also physically. years found that in articles about fitness or exercise plans, 74% For example, stress could increase blood pressure and increase cited ‘to become more attractive’ as a reason to start exercising and blood clotting. However, having low levels of stress can help by giv- 51% noted the need to lose weight ing the person increased attention or burn calories.” 40% of newly span and increase in adrenaline. So, identified cases of anorexia are in when you are stressed out, talk to girls 15-19 years old. Over onea friend or play a sport. Sometimes half of teenage girls and nearly one-third of teenage boys use uneven doing a simple hobby can healthy weight control behaviors keep a person from being under such as skipping meals, fasting, pressure. Students can also talk smoking cigarettes, vomiting, and to Ms. Boyer-Chu in the Wellness Center, in room 121 during 7:30am taking laxatives. In each decade to 4:00pm. Passes are needed when since 1930, there has been a rise in incidence of anorexia in young going during 1-7 periods. women 15-19. Athletes also feel

Teens, Drugs, Effects

What You Eat

berly Quant f Writer

Volume V, Issue II

the pressure to lose weight or body fat. They cut back on water intake, exercise too intensely and use diet pills or laxatives. George Washington High School students had similar opinions regarding eating disorders. Senior Tabia Ye stated, “Girls and boys of any shape and size should be happy with the way they are. They should diet only if their doctors tell them to. Other than that, they are fine just the way they are.” Senior Francis Hong similarly stated, “I think there is too much drama about how people appear. People should accept how they look and should be happy about how they are.” Here are a few common characteristics of a person with an eating disorder—low self esteem, fear of gaining weight or of being overweight, have distorted image of their body size or shape, preference to eat alone, extreme denial of possibility of eating disorder and wear bulky clothes to hide weight lose. To promote healthier eating, people should criticize the media, encourage eating as a response to hunger and maintain a balanced diet by eating of a variety of foods in moderation. For more information, visit www.nationaleatingdisorders.org.

By An Tran Staff Writer

ome teens are using drugs almost every day to get high. Taking drugs

have many effects on a teen’s body and mind. Lynda Boyer-Chu, the school nurse, said “Cigarette, marijuana, and alcohol,” are the common drugs teen use. She also stated that “Teens can get the drugs from friends, strangers, and/or steal from their parents.” Many teens use drugs illegally; however, Mrs. Boyer-Chu said “You need to be 18 for cigarettes, 21 for alcohol, and marijuana can only be bought from a store with a doctor note.” According to www.myoptumhealth.com, “drugs have the effect to cause hallucinations, such as feeling something crawl on your skin.” Drugs may make people feel good, but are bad to use. Here are some examples of how drugs can affect your body. The drugs make teens feel better about themselves and help them handle stress, but gives them mood swings, hallucinations, increased heart rate and blood

pressure, red eyes, sleepiness, and hunger. According to www. teendrugabuse.us, drugs will also affect school work such as “skipping class, failing to complete assignments, etc.” Also, according to the website, once you start taking drugs, it will be hard to give it up. The best place to get help from drugs is the Wellness Center, friends, or parents. Cigarettes, marijuana, and alcohol are the common drugs that teens use. There are laws to follow to take those drugs. Keep in mind that if you have problems with drugs, confidential advice and support are available in the Wellness Center, Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 3:30 pm!

Staying In Shape, Mentally

By Kevin Adler Staff Writer

een mental health is extremely important because it acts as a foundation for doing well in school, in society, and in life.” says Lynda Boyer-Chu, the school’s nurse. Teen mental health is one of the most important and relevant issues for students in George Washington High School. Sometimes we are depressed, stressed out, or pushed to our limits. Many student choose the wrong gateways to solve their problems, or simply don’t see or deny that they have any problems, choosing not to get help. Many mental health problems are important to understand and know the symptoms of because there are solutions to alleviating a stressful life. “The most important teen mental health problems to seek help for is depression, self mutilation and suicidal feelings” says Mrs. Boyer-Chu. Depression affects one in eight people during their teenage years, among these being more girls than boys. Severe depression could lead to self-mutilation such as burning or cutting oneself. Common depressions are not as severe, but could still yield bad effects like grades dropping, weight gaining, experiences of random anger, and other stress related factors. Depression can be treated by talking to someone that is trained to help deal with stress

like Mrs. Boyer-Chu in the Wellness Center. Prescribed anti-depression drugs can also be taken, but medication costs a lot, and can have unwanted side effects. “Anxiety, irritability and low self-esteem are the most common teen health problems I encounter” Mrs. Boyer-Chu said. Dealing with anxiety, irritability and low selfesteem can be hard, especially in a stressful high school environment. It is important to know that these mental health problems are natural, but one should still seek help if it becomes too much. Anxiety could ruin school performances by making one too stressed out to work, irritability can cause one to have anger outbursts during class and low selfesteem can make one’s performance lower than one’s full potential. For for any kind kinds of mental health problems, visit the Wellness Center. The Wellness Center is open everyday during lunchtime and after school. The staff is trained to deal with teen problems in general so if you ever need help, physically or emotionally, the Wellness Center is the place to go. ILLUSTRATIONS BY KRISTIN YEE

Monday, November 8th, 2010

LIFESTYLES Dear Agnes...

Dear Agnes, My friend is completely influenced by her boyfriend. He’s overprotective, controlling, and clingy. She spends all of her time with him, texting him, or talking about him. She’s lost all of her friends, her grades have dropped, and our friendship has basically fallen apart. We never hang out or talk outside of school. I’m sick of putting in all this effort when she doesn’t realize that her boyfriend is poisoning her, and that our friendship is not okay, contrary to her belief. How do I get her to realize that her boyfriend is nothing but bad news, and that he’s only ruining her life? -Concerned Friend Dear Concerned Friend, A friendship is a balance of meeting each other halfway and

both of you should be putting in an equal amount of effort to make your friendship work. You are obviously concerned about your friend but if you’ve talked to her already and she is unwilling to see what is going on then there is only so much you can do about it. It is the responsibility of a friend to be understanding and to support a good and healthy relationship, but you can’t force her to break up with her boyfriend. Although you can offer helpful advice, the decision is ultimately hers; the issues in her relationship are something she has to recognize and change on her own. All I can say is, just be a good friend and be there for her and remember that the decision is hers to make. Love Always, Agnes Dear Agnes, There’s this boy who

Student Procrastination By Stephanie Rauda Staff Writer

rocrastination is defined as putting off or avoiding doing something that needs to be done, and while it is natural to procrastinate a little, excessive procrastinating can be hazardous to your health. 11th grader Steven Wong can often be seen in his 3rd period Spanish class sleeping or doing homework from other classes. “I stay up until 2am, doing anything but homework.” he says. Like many other teenagers, Steven finds doing homework unappealing and tries to avoid it at all costs. When asked if he thinks many Wash students procrastinate, Wong says, “Yes, no doubt. [We are] lazy teenagers with habitual sleeping patterns.” Students like Wong need to know about the effects procrastination can have on your health. Our school nurse, Ms. Lynda Boyer-Chu gives The Eagle examples of common effects. “Stress,” she says, “depending on how bad the procrastination is, severe stress. Boyer-Chu says

that a little stress is not bad, for there can be good stress (like right before a test), which is good because you are handling stress in a healthy way by studying before. The bad stress, or distress would be waiting until the last minute to actually study for the

“I stay up until 2 am, doing anything but homework.” -Steven Wong

test. Other effects of excess procrastination include feeling tired, cranky, sleepy, not getting work done, and not learning as well. So what is a procrastinator to do? Here are a few helpful tips you should consider: -Schedule your day: Have a planner to keep track of homework or important events. You can also use the calendar/notepad in your phone or iPod. -Commit yourself to completing a task: Don’t stop once you begin!

Thanksgiving Break By Kristin Yee Staff Writer

November, the month of being thankful and eating tons of food. Students and teachers both get to have fun on one of the most stuffing holidays, literally. As Thanksgiving comes around, what activities do your friends do? What about the teachers? Here are some ideas you might want to enjoy with friends or family. Mr. Karl Seyer-Ochi, a history and culinary teacher at George Washington, stays close to home and eats with his family and friends, “I don’t go out too far, and relatives live relatively close by.” Ochi also makes his own food, “Nothing is ever bought, and everything is made. When I’m not in charge of the turkey, I like to make appetizers or the first course like fancy things like raw seafood.” Ochi says he enjoys the holidays with family and close ones. “ Thanksgiving is the true eating holiday, and coming

together with people you care about. Also, Thanksgiving is not commercialized like other holidays, such as not buying presents or wearing costumes. So many holidays are commercialized while Thanksgiving is centered around a meal

together to be together.” Matthew Yee, a sophomore at George Washington, stays at home on occasion “My family takes turns on having Thanksgiv

has been my friend for a long time. I love how funny, optimistic, and loving he is and how happy he makes people, including myself, in general. I’ve liked him as more than a friend for a while now, but am not sure whether or not to tell him. I really don’t want to make our friendship awkward or even lose it if he -Eliminate distractions: Turn off the TV and shut down the computer; anything that will keep you from doing work. -Work on the easiest thing first so you will be free to do bigger projects. -Work the way you work best: this includes listening to music, laying on your bed in silence, or sitting at a desk. Whatever makes you comfortable. -Reward yourself: All finished? Great, have a snack! 11th grader Kevin Adler also gives some advice; having changed his bad habits after noticing his work become lower in quality. “Try one day to finish everything early,” says Adler, “Then feel the empowerment of not having to do anything from being done early.” Above all, think positive and keep going! Get work done, have plenty of sleep, and pretty soon, you will feel increasingly relieved knowing you’re done completing your tasks. You will soon be on your way to good grades and plenty of TV.

ing dinners at their homes.” Yee’s mother and sister make different types of foods for Thanksgiving dinners, “ My mom makes cheesecake or tiramisu. Sometimes, my sister makes corn casserole, when she isn’t lazy.” Yee also said, “ I’m thankful for all of the good things that helped me be who I am today.” Jonathan Zhang, a senior at George Washington, also eats together with family. “We get together and eat a lot of food.” Zhang however gets to travel to different places during the holidays, “Sometimes, when we have enough money, we go to Disneyland or to Hawaii.” Zhang said, “I’m thankful for my friends and family and I like Thanksgiving because we get to eat a lot.” Even if you may not have the chance to travel to fun and exciting places, staying home can help you save money as well as being together with family. Being able to stay home and be comfortable in a loving atmosphere, with family and friends makes Thanksgiving ever more filling.

doesn’t feel the same way, but I also really want him to know that I deeply care for him in that special way. What should I do? -To Tell or Not To Tell Dear To Tell or Not To Tell, Oh, the typical I-like-myfriend-more-than-a-friend dilemma … telling your friend your true feelings can lead to either an amazing relationship, if he feels the same way, awkwardness if the feeling isn’t mutual, or even the end of a friendship if not handled carefully. So what do you do? I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again: GO FOR IT. It’s better to risk trying to obtain something that could be beautiful than to live in regret knowing that you never tried. I really hope it works out for you guys, best of luck! Love Always, Agnes Dear Agnes, I am a senior and I’ve had a crush on this girl for the longest time. She knows that I like her, but she

has decided to play games like a 4th grader and won’t let me know how she truly feels. What should I do? Should I wait for her to get over herself and tell me? Or should I just get over her all together? P.S. She truly is beautiful. -Unrequited Crush Dear Unrequited Crush, It is not in your best interest to sit around waiting forever, so approach this girl and let her know how you feel about the whole situation. If she seems shaky about it and continues to play games, then maybe she’s not the right girl for you … in which case you should move on. You don’t want to be waiting for somebody who does not want to commit to a relationship. P.S. Keep in mind that there are many other truly beautiful girls out there. Love Always, Agnes

ASK AGNES: helpmeagnes@yahoo.com

iPhone VerizonBound By Kathy Woo Co-Editor-In-Chief

pple’s iPhone and its cellphone carrier AT&T have been exclusive for three years, but over the past few months with the success of the Android smartphones, Apple plans to release the iPhone 4 under the largest carrier in the U.S.—Verizon Wireless— in an attempt to stay above the competition. The iPhone is still the bestselling smartphone on the market, but because many carriers around the world don’t have access to Apple’s money-maker, other smartphones including those operating on Google’s Android software have and are still continuing to be promoted. All together, these cellphones currently outsell the iPhone. According to an article by Miguel Helft in the New York Times, the increasing sale of Android phones “threatens to blunt Apple’s lead in the market for high-end smartphones.” Because the iPhone has been using the AT&T cellphone network, it currently runs on G.S.M. networking technology, which doesn’t work on Verizon’s network. The iPhone 4 will undergo changes including the installation of C.D.M.A, the networking technology that Verizon uses. In a PC World article by Daniel Ionescu, it has been speculated that the C.D.M.A version of the iPhone 4 will be unveiled at the Consumer Electronics Show in January 2011 “with sales starting at the end of the month.” A few students and teachers at George Washington, both iPhone owners and non-iPhone owners, express their views on the new and ever influential change made by Apple. Helena Wong, student body President and proud iPhone owner, states, when asked how she felt about the release of the iPhone under Verizon, “I actually think I’d support it [the availability of the iPhone under Verizon]. I don’t see the problem with having an iPhone with any company at all.” She continues to say that there’s no correlation that makes either a phone successful or a carrier

successful simply because “The phone is a phone and the carrier is the carrier.” Junior David Lin expresses his enthusiasm for the release and also proceeds to give the details of the plans offered by both AT&T and Verizon to justify why it’s such a great idea: “I think it sounds like a great idea because people would get unlimited data. On AT&T’s network $25.00 would only get you 2GB of data (which wouldn’t last very long if one was to stream videos or surf the web a lot), whereas with Verizon, you can pay $29.99 for unlimited! It also seems as though Verizon has better coverage than AT&T. All for the same price!” George Washington’s Visual and Performing Arts Department Head, teacher, and iPhone owner, John Propster, deems that the move made by Apple is necessary. “It’s Steve Jobs’ move to keep competitive with Google. The Verizon network is more worldwide and will improve the iPhone market overseas and will allow more flexibility than AT&T.” Senior and tech-enthusiast Chris Hung, who possesses an Android phone, says that he doesn’t really care about the new partnership between Apple and Verizon because he’s “not a big fan of Apple products,” but does believe that the decision will benefit Verizon because “Verizon has more customers than AT&T and [iPhone sales] should boost revenue for them.” He continues to say that because Verizon has more customers, more iPhones will be sold which is a benefit to Apple. Now that the iPhone will be available under both AT&T and Verizon, an issue that has AT&T worrying is the switch their customers may make to America’s largest carrier. Hung stated “I will still keep my Motorolla Droid because as I said, I am not a big fan of Apple products and I love everything about the Droid and Android OS.” Mr. Propster states “I probably won’t switch because I’m under contract. When the contract is up, I’ll check who has the better platform and cheaper rates.”

Sports

Volume V, Issue II

Heading to the Top!!! Soccer team has strong season

By Luis Lopez Staff Writer

he Eagles start the match against the rivals... Ika has the ball... he passes it ...they almost make it! Ika passes it to Manny and Manny makes it! The rivals are mad! They start with the ball... Eagles steal the ball, pass it to Ahmed and what do you hear?... “GOAL!!” The George Washington High School boy’s soccer team give it all they got to get to the top when going up against rival schools. The soccer team always tries it’s best to win the game. Sadly they did not make it to the playoffs. They lost their playoff clinching match of the season against Lincoln 2-1. Jose Carrera, the current coach for the soccer team, has been coaching for four years now. Carrera said that “The team started out a bit rough, but now they

seem to be getting better.” He likes to coach the team because “by coaching I try to help get kids to join the team, by doing so they will try to do better academically.” Carrera thinks that the soccer team is good but they will do better next year in the beginning of the season than how they started this year. Manuel Antunez, a senior at Wash, is the captain of the soccer team because the coach said he was the most “disciplined”. When going into a match Antunez says that he feels “good and excited, filled with adrenaline depending on the rival.” He also says, “The team is having the best season in the four years I’ve been at Wash because we were winning a lot of the games.” Two words he left saying in one of the games was “WASH HOUSE!!!” Ahmed Abdo is a junior and a soccer player here at Wash. He says “I am on the team because soccer is my thing. I grew up

Losing Season For the 49ers?

49ers Quarterback Alex Smith Photo by cpnpicap.com

By Tsogtbaatar Otgonbaatar Staff Writer

he San Francisco 49ersmust try to go 9-7 or better this year. To do that they must win 8 games on their weak 1-5 record. If they do not, Mike Singletary and Alex Smith will lose their jobs. At the least they will be on the chopping block The reason why the 49ers are 1-5 is the terrible football they have been playing. Their offense is centered around Frank Gore and backed up by a terrible offensive line. The quarterback Alex Smith has a hard time holding on to the ball as he has turned it over 12 times! 20 years ago, our offense would have been good enough to win games but in today’s NFL, you have to have a quarterback who you could rely on to at least handle the ball well. The defense is terrible at stopping the third down conversions and points. The 49ers have always played a “bend but don’t” defense in recent years but this year the 49ers are playing a “we’re okay but we can’t stop the big plays on third and fourth downs” defense. The defense is not good enough to stop the drives that are caused by turnovers.

For example, Alex Smith has turned over the football 5 times in the last six games. In those five games, we lost five times. Alex Smith had no turnovers in the one game that the 49ers won. Turnovers equal another chance for the opposing team to score. This put pressure on the “we’re okay but we can’t stop the big plays on third and fourth downs” defense which makes them lose even more points. JV football Fullback Saadiq J. Anders summed how the 49ers can win in two words “zero turnovers”. Based on his football experience he also said, “The 49ers need to step up their execution and tone down their mistakes and penalties, there is also a choke factor and the 49ers have to find a way to bypass that”. Now for the next few games the49ers are about embark on the mother of all road trips, one that first takes them to Charlotte, N.C., for a game against the Panthers then on to London, England for a game against the Broncos. If they can survive this road trip then the 49ers will have a week off and two games at home. So the next two games will decide the 49ers fate.

2010 GWHS Boy’s Soccer Team with it. I want to be a soccer player and it feels great supporting Washington.” Abdo believes we are better now than when we started the season because we have a new coach, field, and our

players are back. When asked about the team Abdo thinks that George Washington High School has the best team in S.F. because we are all like brothers. The George Washington soccer

Photo by Luis Lopez

team tried their best this year to make it to the playoffs but sadly they didn’t. Maybe next year is their year as Carerra said.

Paddlers, Are You Ready? By Steven Lu Staff Writer

ragon Boating is a human powered boat traditionally used by the ancient Chinese. Dragon Boat racing originated in China over 2000 years ago. It is found all over the world in the United State, Europe, Africa, Asia, and other places. George Washington High School has had a Dragon Boat team for a few years now. They practice every Thursday if there is “ B” Schedule and Sundays at Lake Merced. There are around 8 coaches for their team and each boat can contain 22 people; 20 paddlers, 1 drummer, and 1 steersman (normally two coaches on one boat). In Dragon Boat you need the techniques “ reach and rotate” so you could have a strong pull to move the boat. There are drills like T.R.D. (Technique Review Drill) to help members learn the techniques. In T.R.D. you break the 1 step into the 4 following steps: reach, burry,pull, and recover. Club member Daniel Fong, a junior of George Washington

High School, explains, “ Dragon Boat is an international sport that consists of a team of 20 people paddling side by side. Dragon boat helps me in life, because it helps me work with others better, since Dragon Boat is a team sport. I gain physical and mental strength, physically because it’s a good workout and mentally because it teaches you that it’s all in your mind and you need to work well with others. Practice progressively gets harder and harder, but sooner or later, it becomes easy, like a daily routine” Club member Kevin Lei, a sophomore of George Washing-

ton High School ,says, “Dragon boating is like a drug, it’s very addicting. At times Dragon Boat is painful because of the rotation and reach we have to do, but in the end it’s worth it.” The Dragon Boat team competes against other schools about twice a year. People from other schools are in Washington’ s Dragon Boat team. Coaches make practices really hard sometimes to get the technique of rotating and reaching drilled in the paddlers. In Dragon Boat you mostly need these 3 skills reach, rotate, and timing to get the boat moving nicely on the lake.

Paddlers working hard at practice Photo by Daniel Fong

Tips For Trying Out

By An Tran Staff Writer

hinking of trying out for an upcoming sport? Coaches are the ones responsible for choosing players for the team, so you need to make a good impression with them. “To show a good impression on the coach, be on time, use proper equipment, and have confidence,” said Kevin Shepherd, a former coach and a current P.E. teacher here at Washington. According to www. dallasnews.com, “Attitude,” is the main thing that coaches is look for during tryout. Even Mr. Shepherd said “Attitude,”

too. Coaches are looking for a good attitude, like being aggressive and being able to endure. Coaches are looking for players that can push pass their limit and performance well during tryouts. People that are trying out for a sport need to be prepared for both hot and cold weather, by wearing the right clothing for the tryout area. Anonymous cross country runner said “Relax, warm up, Common Advice Use the bathroom. Eat something, like fruits or vegetables, but don’t eat too much. Don’t drink too much water. Do your best.

don’t be late, do your best, and don’t do anything different from what you know,” as advice for people trying out. “Research the sport, like the positions of the sport,” said the runner. Remember that anyone can go and tryout for a sport. The most important thing to know during your tryout is to have fun during the tryout. Don’t get too upset if you don’t make the team. Keep working hard so you can get on the team next time.

Advanced advice Football, Basketball, baseball: Know how to throw pass and catch the ball. Baseball: Know how to hit and throw the baseball. Football: Know how to evade tackles. Basketball: Know how to make shot in different places.

ENTERTAINMENT Monday, November 8th, 2010

To Kill a Mockingbird A showcase of racial discrimination during the 1930’s By Nyamdash Amarbal Staff Writer

e have some talented actors at GWHS who had a fantastic performance in the fall play, To Kill a Mockingbird. The play was performed on four different nights, October 29th, 30th, November 5th and 6th. The play takes place in small town, Maycomb, Alabama in 1935. The 1930s was part of the racial ages for the African American society that brings out one of the huge discriminations in that

time. The lead character, Atticus Finch played by Flynn Beckman, defends the African American man, Tom Robinson played by Dequan Carter, on a case that has been reported by the town drunk, Bob Ewell played by Calvin Lin, and his daughter, Mayella Ewell played by Callahan Foley. Although Tom Robinson was clearly not guilty, due to the color of his skin, he is found guilty by the jury. Because the audience was on the stage, it was really easy to hear and see the actors’ emotion. As for the actors, it seemed a

little more challenging to not get distracted. As one of the actors, Frances Hill, said, “It was a great performance. Everybody did very well. Before the show, a lot of people in the cast were nervous, especially since the audience is so close. We pulled it off.” There were many friends and family members at the play, supported the actors. Tracie and Erika, friend of an actor, said, “The play seems very interesting. The acting is so real!” Also a sister of an actor, Joslynn SmithMcCoy, says about the play,

Atticus Finch and Bob Ewell stare in disagreement PHOTO BY KIMBERLY OWYANG “Every actor looks so serious and the acting is great. They are not fooling around and the play was awesome.”

Overall the play was amazing, because all the hard work that everyone has put in it.

Fashion Show

The sequel to the infamous horror movie hits theaters By Sam Castro Backpage and Op-Ed Editor

eople everywhere have been anticipating the sequel to Paranormal Activity, a movie that kept audiences sleeping with their lights on. Contrary to the belief that the film would explain the whereabouts of the missing Katie Featherston from the first movie,Paranormal Activity 2 depicted a family’ s disturbed lifestyle prior to the supernaturalevents that happened to Katie and her boyfriend, Micah. The first Paranormal Activity ended with a possessed Katie Featherston murdering Micah and disappearing into the night. Although many believed the second movie would only

show what happened after she disappeared, it focused on how Katie became possessed by a demonic presence and terrorized the lives of her sister Kristi, along with her family as well. The prequel definitely brought in a wider audience and surprised several viewers who did not expect it to be as suspenseful as it was. George Washington High School senior Marlene Olmedo said, “ I was really surprised that the people in the family were murdered by someone who was close to them. I knew the movie was going to be scarier than the first, but I didn’ t like the ending because it was a cliff hanger.” Meanwhile, senior Maribelle Dela Merced argued that, “ it wasn’ t as

scary as the first one. The scariest part would probably have to be when the baby, Hunter, got dragged out of his crib.” “ The noises from the kitchen were what scared me most,” 12th grader Alex Kozakiewicz added. “ The second movie was definitely scarier because it had a lot more creativity.” “ Paranormal Activity 2 lived up to my expectations; it was really scary and explained a lot from the first movie. I was shocked from the unexpected twist at the end,” Christine Mai says. Go see Paranormal Activity 2 to test out your nerves and see if you’ re capable of experiencing the world of the supernatural!

Hulu Plus charges money By Kimberly Quant Staff Writer

hat do you do when you find a new TV series to watch? Do you wait until the old episodes play on TV, or do you try to find them online? Rather than waiting for a show to replay on TV, many at George Washington High School turn to www.hulu.com. Hulu offers a wide variety of shows including Family Guy, House, Gossip Girl, Glee, Psych, Modern Family, Desperate Housewives and The Office. Although they don’ t offer ever episode, you can watch the lastest episodes aired. According to Hulu.com, they have created a program, Hulu Plus, which allows you to watch every episode ever aired for just $9.99 a month. Hulu Plus will give viewers a chance to watch shows anywhere

they want, via TV, Wi-Fi or 3G devices like the iPad. Will students dish out the cash to watch their shows? Sharon Tan, a senior at GWHS, stated, “ I won’ t use Hulu if I have to pay for it.” Sophomore Matthew Yee stated, “ I don’ t want to pay for something that I can watch on TV or on another website.” Similarly senior Larry Chiang stated, “ I use Hulu but if they’ re going to charge me, there are other ways of obtaining entertainment.” In general, students turn to Hulu as a source of entertainment but aren’ t willing to spend the extra bucks to view the extra content. Tan stated, “ I only like Hulu because Ican watch shows whenever I want…and it’ s free.” Ultimately, Hulu Plus is great for people who want to watch shows whenever they want.

Academy of Hospitality and Tourism raises AIDS awareness through fashion By Stella Wu Staff Writer

he Academy of Hospitality and Tourism is working hard to produce the first High School fashion show modeled after the Macy’s Passport Show. Macy’s Passport has been growing in popularity and sophistication, so Macy’s decided to give a high school $1000.00 to produce its own fashion show around the theme of AIDS awareness. GWHS AOHT took on the challenge and is working hard to prepare for the event. The fashion show is on Thursday, November 18th, 2010. in the school auditorium. At 5:30pm games based on AIDS education will take place. At 6:30pm the fashion show starts. The tickets are $10 / $8w/ ASB sticker and $15 for VIP tickets. A VIP ticket gives you the benefit of sitting in the pit closest to the stage and special gift bag.. On October 7th auditions were held for models. Clothes

are being donated by teachers, students. In addition to the $1000.00, Macy’s donated $350 in gift cards. Many students from the AOHT are behind the magic. The three fashion designers Rowanne So, Brandi Wong, and Jessica Monterrosa chose models by their ability to walk and their confidence. Jessica Monterrosa, is a fashion designer that has her own colorful clothing line that will be original, floral, and fit to dress 10 girls. 50% of the money earned from the fashion show will go to the academy class. The rest will go to the George for George Foundation. 10% of the academy’s share will be donated to an AIDS education organization. After the fashion show, the clothes will be donated to Ms. Philipp’s drama department.

GWHS’ favorite music artists By Amanda Lizcano Features Editor

lmost everyone listens to music, whether while doing homework, on their way to school, or even in class

Punk R+B Rock Other Rap Pop

before the teacher takes their mp3 player away. However, the question isn’t where or when one listens, but what Wash’s favorite artists and genres are. In order to find out, The Eagle randomly selected homerooms to ask students just that question.

The top 5 artists (from top to bottom) at Wash were the following: 1.Drake 2.Bruno Mars 3.Michael Jackson 4. The Beatles 5.Lil Wayne

Volume V Issue II

2010 - 2011

20% off

Two lions are eating a clown. What did one lion say to the other?

Because they cantaloupe!

This tastes funny!

-Sam Castro

-Derek Ng

Little Johnny raised his hand and replied, “Get yourself a new boyfriend.”

Snowballs!

erence

between

female

snowman

and

1. There is an extra bundle of leaves. 2. There is an extra cloud. 3. The branch is no longer bent. 4. The plant has an extra leaf. 5. There is an extra flower. 6. The doorway is much taller in the 2nd picture. 7. The additional bush in the first picture is gone in the 2nd picture. 8. The fence has has one more picket. 9. There are rocks in the grass . 10. There is a missing stone in the walkway.

Why do melons always have big weddings -Elizabeth Glenister

The teacher wrote on the blackboard I ain t had no fun in months Then asked the class How should I correct this sentence?” -Vivian Cheng What s the di male snowman?

By Sam Castro Staff Writer

Laugh Out Loud! By Michael Cheung Staff Writer

Find 10!

What’s the Difference?

FUN AND GAMES

Monday, November 8, 2010