Dec 17, 2009

Pg. 2

Whiny wizard vs. emo vampire

Supernatural showdown

Pg. 4

From Twilight with love

Chick flick makes your ears ache

Club members write overseas troops

Girls howl at New Moon

Sports may fall victim to cuts

Away they run

By Moises Fonseca Staff Writer

Amanda Chouinard / Staff Writer

Leading the Trojans’ charge at NCS are (from left) Will Weekes, Anthony Martore and Ben Eversole, who won the race. See story on page 7.

CSU cuts back on admissions

By Simrit Kaur Staff Writer

California State University (CSU) Chancellor Charles B. Reed announced on Nov. 10 that enrollment will be decreased statewide by 40, 000 over the next three years.

Due to a $564 million budget cut for this year, the CSU board was forced to make drastic changes in the number of applications they

accept over the years to come.

“That worries me because I have applied to both UCs and CSUs. Because of these budget cuts, I may need to look into applying for more private colleges,” said senior Livia Lim. Many CVHS seniors are considerably affected by the CSU’s decision and feel as if they have less of a chance to get into the colleges they applied to.

Costs for attending UCs skyrocket

By Hillman Zheng Business Manager

Students who will attend a University of California (UC) school next fall will pay 32 percent more in undergraduate fees than the current price of tuition.Despite hundreds of UC student protestors, the University of California Board of Regents approved the increase on Nov. 19.

Their approval will make the annual tuition fee more than $10,000 for the first time ever. Tuition does not include housing, food or books. “[The price increase is] very unfortunate, because it’s going to be a hardship for a lot of people to afford a college education, especially for all the people in the middleclass who have to take out loans,” said junior house counselor Karena Doan. The increase in tuition fees

was inevitable and necessary because of state budget cuts, which left the UCs with a $535 million budget deficit.

The fee increase would supplement the budget deficit as well as contribute $175 million to financial aid for low-income students.

Working and middle-class students who benefit from statefunded education will suffer the most, while the fee increase will not affect students from families with household incomes less than $60,000 if they qualify for financial aid.

Many seniors expressed their concerns on attending a UC next year.

“It’s going to be a lot harder for myself and my parents to pay for everything needed in col-

UC: Page 8

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Applications have increased in Cal State by 53 percent since last year, while college freshman applications have increased by 32 percent. By Nov. 30, CSU received 610,000 applications for the fall 2010 semester, an increase of 133,000 applications from fall 2009. More and more students will be denied admission into the colleges of their

CSU: Page 8

Bigger classes, fewer counselors, and further cuts to athletics may come to CVHS next year because of state budget cuts, said Superintendent Jim Negri.

“I have a hard time cutting academic programs to keep athletics going. We’re not seeing the donations come in,” said Negri when he talked about sports in high school.

After the district cut its support to the $200,000 program by half in 2009-2010, it asked athletes’ families to donate $150 for sports the student participates in to support the program. Officials said that less than half of them have done so.

Negri had an informational meeting on Nov. 16 about the 2010-2011 district’s budget held for the public in the Center for the Arts (CFA). This was the second of a series of meetings that will be hosted in schools throughout this school year.

During the summer, the district made big reductions that impacted the students and teachers for the 2009-2010 school year in many ways. The high school took the largest impact of this reduction of almost $1 million out of the $4 million that the district cut last year.

Now in December, the district expects a $3.1 million deficit for the 2010-2011 school year, but the numbers will be changing as the

state’s economy and budget change.

“I can’t rely on Sacramento anymore,” said Negri.

CVUSD may take another big hit during the 2010-2011 school year. The district’s budget proposals outline another $874,000 in reductions for CVHS alone.

The athletic department is one possible casualty because the district doesn’t legally have to offer one, unlike academic programs, which the state requires. But if more families made donations, it would help to save high school sports.

“There was some concern that some people wouldn’t be able to afford (to donate),” said Assistant Superintendent Mike Bush. “We designed the program so that anyone who couldn’t afford it would still be able to participate. But our estimates were low.” Far fewer families have donated than the district expected, Bush said.

The financial crisis has led district officials to consider selling naming rights to Trojan Stadium, Negri said.

It is too soon to find out when the changes to the district will be known. Nevertheless, it’s almost certain that there will be negative effects from the changes that will come to the district for the budget next year and it will impact all schools within the district.

Proposed CVHS budget cuts Eliminate one assistant Eliminate seven period principal day Eliminate two counselors

Eliminate freshman class size reduction

Eliminate district funds for sheriff’s deputy Cuts to Cuts to athletics small learning communities

Alicia Harger / Opinion Editor

To save about $874,000, district officials are considering these cuts at CVHS in the 2010-2011 school year.

Potter's spell eclipses Twilight

By Alexandra Gomes News Editor

As a T-shirt a friend of mine owns claims, “This world is big enough for wizards and vampires.” This is a philosophy I live by. We do, however, live in a world where we need to choose between broom-riding Britains and the blood-sucking, glittering undead. And as much as I would love to not have to choose, being a fan of both the Harry Potter and Twilight series, I would rule in favor of the cranky and pubescent Harry Potter over the obsessive vampire-wannabe Bella.

Though I must admit that both series are much deeper than they let out to be.

In support of Twilight, one aspect of the books has always stood out to me: the fact that there is little description of the characters at times. Many might consider this a flaw arguing that Bella has no personality whatsoever. I remember, however, being able to picture myself as Bella, be this intentional on Stephenie Meyer’s

part or not, and being enthralled in the books wondering what would happen next in my forbidden romance with Edward. Being thrown into that series, imagining the characters the way I saw them, was my favorite part of reading it.

Over the summer, I indulged in learning more about the world of Harry Potter and learned fascinating facts that blew my mind. One thing specifically, J.K. Rowling infused mythology and astrology into her series. For example, Rowling based her character Sirius Black after a star called Sirius, the “Dog Star,” which is the brightest in a constellation known as Canis Major, “Great Dog.” Also, from what I have learned in my British Literature class, the sorcerer’s stone, known as the “philosopher’s stone” in England, was a mythical stone during medieval times which the people believed could turn anything into gold and could be used to make an elixir of life much like in the first book of the series.

Obviously, there is a lot of criticism on both books be it from raving Potter lovers or diehard team Edward/Jacob fans. However, this should not infringe upon anyone’s opinion whether they believe there is a hidden magical world within our own or they want to be bit by a vampire or a werewolf. Go on book readers and discover your own muse.

The Olympian is a publication of the journalism class at Castro Valley High School, 19400 Santa Maria Ave., Castro Valley, CA 94546. © 2009 Editors-In-Chief...............................................................Irene Liang Joseph Wan City Editor.......................................................................Erin Mundy News Editor...........................................................Alexandra Gomes Opinion Editor..............................................................Alicia Harger Feature Editor............................................................Lawrence Ham Sports Editor.............................................................Moises Fonseca Arts and Entertainment Editor........................................Sarah Gilchriese Copy Editor.........................................................Brandon Lui Photo Editor..............................................................Howard Whang Business Managers......................................................Lindsay Oda Hillman Zheng Staff Writers: Bianca Arias, Wessam Aziz, Nic Barradas, Aditi Bhatia, Igor Breyman, Tiffany Choi, Amanda Chouinard, Kearny Combs, Joe DiRosa, Yoon Jung, Max Kahane, Simrit Kaur, Kate Kim, Melissa Lau, Nick Leonardo, Dana Lin, Jose Luna, Trevin Smith, Georgina Sousa Advisor........................................................................Matt Johanson

Save the planet, eat a salad

By Erin Mundy Copy Editor

As an American, I have always accepted meat as a staple of our diet, ignorant of the inhumane and polluting effects of being an omnivore. It wasn’t until this past summer that I decided to contribute to the environment rather than take from it by becoming a vegetarian. Choosing tofu stirfry over chicken wasn’t easy at first, but learning about the extremely detrimental effects of human (over)consumption of meat provided the motivation that I needed.

Not only do cruel treatment practices such as debeaking, ear notching and dehorning exist, but an infinitely growing demand for the raising of animals for food is robbing the earth of its resources.

According to a 2002 article in the Smithsonian Institution’s Science Daily, bulldozers clear land the size of seven football fields every minute to allot more room for rais-

ing animals and growing the food necessary to feed them.

Deforestation around the globe is displacing both human and animal inhabitants as well as destroying the world’s most natural beauty.

In addition to diminishing very valuable resources, farm animals emit mass amounts of methane and carbon dioxide, two of the greenhouse-gases polluting our air and destroying the environment. It is common knowledge that automobile gas emissions are huge pollutants, but very few know how toxic terrible-smelling manure really is.

Not only is the air we breathe tainted by the masses of farm animals being raised for food, but the fertilizer made from cow manure is finding its way into our waterways, with alarmingly large amounts reaching the Mississippi River and eventually the Gulf of Mexico.

According to a recent report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the Gulf of Mexico now has a “dead zone,” rid of virtually all plants and animals, half the size of Maryland.

The ways in which farm food animals contribute to the pollution of our planet are numerous, but perhaps the most well known effect of their greenhouse-gas contribution comes from the amount of fossil fuels

combusted in meat transportation. A recent Taylor and Francis Group publication said that fossil fuels supply nearly 86 percent of the world’s energy consumption.

In fact, the amount of energy humans gain from meat itself pales in comparison to the amount of energy used to transport feed to the animals, transport the animals from farms to slaughterhouses, transport the meat to meat processing plants, then truck the processed meat to grocery stores, and finally to our dinner plates.

We are all guilty of leaving carbon footprints, but we are also capable of lightening our tread. By nature, humans are meat-eaters, but if we were able to become more omnivorous and less carnivorous, or even give up meat entirely (or for the willing, go vegan), the impact would be enormous.

I’ve eaten meat for nearly my entire life, and admittedly, the change was tough at first. But with so many great options for vegetarians both in restaurants and in home cooking, and the coerced support of my family, I made the change for the better. Everyone, too, has the capacity for this change. So the next time you’re perusing your local grocery aisles, choose Tofurky over turkey.

Ageism violates teen's equality

By Alicia Harger Opinion Editor

I was at the mall last week, shopping with a friend. I had stopped beside one of the kiosks to look at some jewelry, when the lady working purposefully walked around the booth to stare over my shoulder. She was obviously watching me to make sure I wasn’t going to steal anything.

This suspicion and mistrust offended me, so I walked away without purchasing anything.

Her manner and immediate assumption that I was a criminal, or at least a hooligan, is not new. Adults everywhere are prejudiced against teens.

There are special laws that apply only to teens. Teens are not allowed to drive with other

teenagers in the car until they have had their license for a year.

This is to protect inexperienced drivers from becoming distracted, but the second one turns 18 this law no longer applies. This implies that all adults are more focused than all teens.

You must be 18 years old to vote in America. Does this mean that simply by having your eighteenth birthday, you become politically aware? That suddenly you can dissect policy and vote for a representative that best represents your views?

That suddenly you care and have views about the government? I know many high school students who are politically active, who have even interned in government offices, but are not 18 and cannot vote.

This might seem like a minor issue, like patience and time will solve this problem for me as I get older, but I take offense.

There is a stereotype that all teenagers are vulgar miscreants who run around, sleep around, drink excessively, and are otherwise a menace to society.

This is simply not true. I have never stolen anything, had sex with anyone, been drunk, or

menaced society in any way.

As in any demographic, some teens surely do commit crimes, but not all.

There is public awareness and opposition to racism, sexism, anti-Semitism, homophobia, and a million other forms of prejudice, but our culture accepts, and even expects, ageism.

When adults treat teens as criminals, it inspires the teens to act like criminals. Some teenagers rebel against the rules because society expects them to. Not all teens respond to this incitement, but the ones that do are held up as examples that ageism is founded in fact.

Teenagers get treated as secondhand citizens and nobody does anything about it. This is because of one simple fact.

Only teenagers care how teenagers are treated. By the time teenagers are adults and in a position to affect society, they no longer care. But no longer!

On behalf of well-behaved teenagers everywhere I am speaking up. Treat us as you want us to behave and we might just live up to your expectations.

More budget cuts loom over CVHS

Nick Leonardo / Staff Writer

Less politics, more open-mindedness

By Brandon Lui Copy Editor

I don’t hate politics; I find it interesting and something worth discussing. What I don’t like is how people politically isolate themselves. People seem to gravitate to those who agree with only their own opinions. It’s understandable and natural for people to seek out others with common beliefs.

What seems unnatural is the regressive conflict that occurs when opposing groups meet each other. Suddenly there is a torrent of shouting, confusion, and hatred on a moral and social level between people of opposing views. Wait, that’s Washington.

I don’t see why people can’t respect each other and still oppose each other’s views. California is a very liberal state and

if anything, most people would label me a liberal. I hate labels though. A person cannot be simply summarized with tags like, “Asian, liberal, student, teenager.” People are far more complicated than we give them credit for.

If politics or even opinions in general had only two sides, then I’m sure this planet would have had a war where everyone with a certain opinion was wiped clear off the earth. Since opinions change, I’d expect “War” to be the eighth day we add to our weekly calendar, or we’d run out of humans within the first few hours of the Internet being invented.

There are grey areas in every idea that can’t be summarized in only two ways. As much as I liked to see people read between the lines and see resolutions and conflicts beyond a simple “Yes or no,” the media seems to be reinforcing the idea that you’re either one thing or the other, no ifs, ands, or buts.

Whenever we see people comment on anything from the new Twilight movie to our president, the media will almost always pick out someone extremely weighted towards one side.

News stations take labels like badges of honor, either liberal

or conservative. Yet opinions raise ratings, and many news stations receive better ratings with newscasters who will tell people what they want to hear.

That’s not journalism, its sugarcoated ignorance.

Isn’t the very nature of an opinion an idea or stance that opposes another idea or stance?

Without other opinions, opinions themselves would cease to exist. I know opinions create conflicts but oftentimes we learn from conflicts. Instead of testing the merit and strength of our convictions and ideas, we speak of it briefly then cast it aside and argue about nothing without reaching a real resolution or learning from one another. I once pictured our capital as a white-hot crucible that refined opinions of the greatest minds of our country, but it now rather looks like a lukewarm pot of politicians sitting and stewing until the flavor disappears, spoils, or both.

I’d like people to try and grasp the concepts of not labeling one another, look past the person, and truly judge the ideas and concepts that grace every human mind that dares to think. If you don’t agree with me, you’ve already begun the slow process of refining an idea.

Editorial: Superintendent Jim Negri and the Castro Valley Unified School District are preparing for upcoming budget cutbacks and have released a list of possible cuts. While The Olympian agrees that some budget cuts are necessary, others are definitely unacceptable.

Cutting elective classes is one possibility that the district is considering. Electives, however, look good on college applications and provide an opportunity for students to get an edge.

If students want to create more opportunities for themselves by taking electives, the option should be there. The cut would hurt students’ chances to get accepted into colleges.

Another proposed cut is the elimination of the seven period day. It would make the lives of students who have failed classes much tougher. They would have fewer chances to make up failed classes.

There are other cuts that would be an efficient and smart way to save money.

Some staff members’ workweeks could be cut down to four days. These staff members

include those who don’t teach classes five days a week. With less time they would likely have to work harder, but the cut does make sense since it may be possible for them to get their work done in a fourday week.

Also, cutting one assistant principal seems feasible. All of the assistant principals work very hard, but there are quite a few of them, and it would save a considerable amount of money.

We also believe that the elimination of classes not required by the state makes sense. Take CCG for example, a semester class that ninth graders take.

This class is not required by the state, but is a CVHS graduation requirement. Not to say that the class is a complete waste of time or money, but it is not legally necessary.

Students could live without it. Money needs to be saved somewhere and cutting nonrequired classes make sense, because classes required by the state are off limits.

We are not big fans of any cuts, but they need to happen and are going to happen, so why not make smart ones?

PHOTOpinions By: Georgina Sousa

How have the budget cuts affected you?

“It hasn’t affected me that much.”

Kalea Louie, freshman

“All my classes are full.”

Ashley Panko, junior

“It affected my learning because the classes are a lot larger and also the supplies are short.”

Dylan Shew, sophomore

“It has affected how they run auto shop. We couldn’t pay for some new equipment, which affected some projects.”

Robert LaCome, senior

o n

Hard to improve on Improv

By Joseph Wan Editor-in-Chief

Eight members of the Improv Club stood in a line, struggling to come up with the next line of a story dubbed The Garlic Hamsters That Ate Pie. This strange and desperate adventure sported unusual uses of garlic, cannibalism, mermaids, and almost unintelligible gibberish in the final chapter, as the competitors struggled to survive the rounds of the elimination game.

For the uninformed, Improv is a comedy sport of quick reflexes, memories like elephants, and wits sharper than the sharp end of a sword. The Improv Club held two shows on Nov. 21, one for the junior varsity level and one for varsity. I attended the varsity show that night and found the laughing gas kicking in right away.

Eight seniors of the Improv club took the stage to challenge each other to a variety of games.

They were divided into two teams, which included Team Econ with captain Sam Temming, Brandon

Lui, Matt Untiedt, and Gabby Wood against Team Government with captain Igor Breyman, Kayla King, Jason Bolich, and Ricky Marasigan.

The most memorable game that night was Forward, Reverse, in which Breyman literally took one for the team. He ran across the stage, slipped backwards, and landed flat on his back. The referee blew his whistle, signaling the repetition of the scene, except backwards.

“Forward!” Breyman jumped and fell on his back. “Reverse!” he got up, ran backwards. “Forward!” The audience roared with laughter, though many winced at the repeated thuds.

The competitors played well over 15 games that night. There were great jokes, drama, purposely-bad jokes, impersonations of famous people, and masterful ways of linking back to arachnophobia.

If you missed this show, catch the next show in June for a strong dose of laughing gas. I guarantee it.

Funding for more hands-on-science

By Jose Luna Staff Writer

Science teacher Deborah Yager applied and received a grant from the Industry Initiatives for Science and Math Education (IISME). The organization’s objective is to provide K-12 science and math teachers with experiences and tools they need to adapt their practices and change the environment in their classrooms so all students are prepared to be lifelong learners, responsible citizens and productive employees.

Companies and universities throughout the Bay Area sponsor IISME for eight weeks every summer. Last summer, Yager worked at the Stanford Solar Center, the educational outreach arm of the Stanford Solar Physics Group. In addition to developing chemistry curriculum, she applied for and received a Fund for Innovation (FFI) grant.

“It’s very competitive,” said Yager. Due to the economic situation in the state, fewer teachers

were awarded IISME fellowships and fewer still were able to get a FFI grant.

Yager’s FFI grant was used to purchase a brand new chemistry curriculum called “Living

by Chemistry” by Angelica M. Stacy. Yager heard about this curriculum from other chemistry teachers she met at Stanford last summer who had tested the beta version in their classrooms. This curriculum benefits students by organizing chemistry concepts in a different way, like a set of stories or topics with a lot of hands-on activities that students can learn with.

Yager is planning to apply for an IISME fellowship once again for the summer of 2010, and she encourages other science and math teachers to do the same.

In the meantime, there’s the science club at CVHS, and Yager will be conducting at least two after school sessions using the curriculum she developed last summer.

Joseph Wan / Editor-in-Chief

Jason Bolich threatens Ricky Marasigan with a tripod in the game Object Freeze at the Improv show held at the CFA on Nov. 21.

College for high school students

By Lawrence Ham Feature Editor

Imagine a place where all of our questions about life after high school can be answered and where all frustrations can be eliminated. Well, the students here at CVHS can live that dream. College Bound is a newly founded club that focuses on college admissions, scholarships and much more.

The club’s goal is to inform all the students about college and therefore be more prepared.

Senior Jackie Ding founded

College Bound, because she feels that college is a very important aspect in high school.

“Our school is very lucky to have a nice career center. Since no one really uses it, this club can promote awareness. It’s also a great resource,” said president Ding.

Each meeting revolves around a specific topic presented by Melanie Small, who runs the career center. After her presentation, members have a chance to ask questions. Teacher recommendations and scholarship related questions are the most popular during these open question sessions with

Small.

“It is really helpful and it can help us figure out how to fill out college applications,” said senior Rebecca Peterson.

Occasionally, guest speakers from nearby colleges and universities come to the club to give the students specific information on certain schools.

In addition to inviting guest speakers, the club visits nearby campuses to explore the environment of a college campus.

College Bound meets every Wednesday in the career center during lunch.

When Twilight Club members were discussing about more club activities and ways to interact with more students, they came up with signing holiday cards, which will cheer up troops, especially those who are so far away from loved ones and cannot return during holidays.

“We want to let them [the soldiers] know that they are in our thoughts and prayers and that they have people, random strang-

ers even, who appreciate everything they do and the sacrifice to make our country a safer place to live in,” said club president and senior Kelsey Paiz.

The blank holiday cards will be collected at the library throughout December.

“I think that sending cards are a good way to show our appreciation to the troops fighting in the war,” said junior Ingrid Birznieks.

helping endangered animals.

SAFE Club presidents Tara Rajan and Kelly Morgan, both seniors, take this matter into their own hands when they confront this issue. “[All I want is] to help endangered species,” said Morgan.

“I personally–and Kelly—like animals more than people, and we wanted to advocate awareness to save the species,” added Rajan.

SAFE has been designing Tshirts and organizing other fundraisers such as going to the Oakland Zoo, doing beach clean up,

and volunteer work at shelters.

“From tigers to wolves, sea otter to California condor, they’re all endangered,” stated Rajan.

Members of the SAFE club plan to continue their fight against the extinction and endangerment of species, leaving a huge impact in the world.

“I just hope everyone realizes the danger that these animals are in by just living,” Rajan said.

Twilight stretches to U.S. soldiers

By Yoon Jung Staff Writer

At the end of the year, we see many excited families getting ready to celebrate the holidays together.

In our school, the Twilight Club members also gathered, not just to have fun, but to spread the cheer far overseas to the troops in Afghanistan by sending holiday cards.

A SAFE place for the endangered

By Igor Breyman Staff Writer

Ever since the concept of life first boggled the complex mind of the homo sapien, a plethora of species has deemed the planet of Earth, or Terra, as their home.

Now since these beings share the planet, wouldn’t it be natural to look out for one another?

Although this concept is near extinct in our society, the Save Animals From Extinction club is reviving that old concept of

New Moon transfixes This is It is really “it” on today’s charts

By Aditi Bhatia screaming, crying girls Staff Writer

By Georgina Sousa and Bianca Arias Staff Writers

New Moon, a movie even your grandma has heard about, made almost $500 million since its release on Nov. 20.

There were a whole bunch of ecstatic girls of all ages (and a few boys who seemed to have been forced to there by their girlfriends), waited patiently for hours to watch the teen heartthrobs Robert Pattinson (Edward), Kristen Stewart (Bella) and Taylor Lautner (Jacob) on the big screen. They weren’t the only ones at the midnight premiere. We were even able to sit right in front of our school’s very own teachers John Green and Ian Rodriquez.

The movie stayed pretty close

to the book, from Edward leaving Bella in a beautiful redwood forest heartbroken and depressed to Bella running after him in Italy to save his “life.”

The one thing that was apparent was that every time they showed Jacob shirtless the girls just went nuts. To us, it was rather funny to hear all the screaming girls; it made us laugh.

You could hear all the girls “awing” right after any corny line was said, especially if Edward was the one who said it.

“Bella you give me everything by just breathing.” That Edward sure has a way with words.

Otherwise, the movie was terrific. It had good action and an awesome plot line. The emotional parts of the movie were done so well that some in the audience started crying.

By the time Eclipse comes out on June 30, 2010, there will be even more fans awaiting the arrival of the new movie.

Cheap Date tour lives up to its name

By Sarah Gilchriese A&E Editor

Note to self: never see a show that has the word “cheap” in any part of its promotion. Forever The Sickest Kids’ “Cheap Date” tour was everything they said it would be: cheap. The venue was small, and the crowd was a disappointment. Overall, the show was not as exciting as the previous times that I’ve seen Forever The Sickest Kids.

I saw the show on Friday, Dec. 4 at the Regency Grand Ballroom in San Francisco. I went with a few friends, who also enjoy Forever The Sickest Kids. They thought that the show was pretty good, but not spectacular.

Artist vs. Poet, My Favorite Highway, Sing it Loud, and The Rocket Summer opened for Forever The Sickest Kids. The biggest known was The Rocket Summer, which had a larger crowd than Forever The Sickest Kids. The opening

bands played for less than half an hour, while Forever The Sickest Kids, who headlined, only played for roughly an hour.

Forever The Sickest Kids just came out with a new album; The Weekend: Friday. The songs are almost as good as the ones in their previous album Underdog Alma Matter. They played a few from each album at their show, but only had time for their most popular songs.

Forever The Sickest Kids’ music isn’t a specific genre. They are in between pop, alternative, and techno. They usually appeal to a teenage audience, but many adults enjoy Forever The Sickest Kids music as well.

I would pay to see Forever The Sickest Kids again, but in a bigger venue or with different opening bands.

The last two times I saw them was at Warped Tour, where they had many energetic fans who were there strictly for their music. If you have the money and the time, I would advise going out to see a show by Forever The Sickest Kids.

The latest album by Michael Jackson, This Is It, which debuted on top of the Billboard 200 chart when it was released on Oct. 26, is the soundtrack for the movie This Is It, and the songs on the two discs are sequenced in the same order as they appear in the movie.

The first disc contains most of Jackson’s greatest hits, including “Beat It,” “Thriller,” and “Billie Jean.” For any serious Jackson fans who already have recordings of those songs, it may be disappointing to get the same songs once again.

It’s difficult, however, that the amazing upbeat tempo of “Jam,” the remarkable bass line of “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’,” or the catchy lyrics of “Shake Your Body” will ever get old.

The second disc in the album is by far the best piece of the album. It consists of three demo songs and one poem, all of

which are truly amazing.

“She’s Out of My Life,” the first song on the disc, is an acoustic version of the actual song, and is extremely emotional, with only guitar and voice.

The second song on the disc is the “Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’” demo, which is a rough, unedited version of the regular song. It amplifies the bass line and has a stronger rhythmic foundation, with less of a disco-vibe, and sounds a lot more energetic.

Probably the best recording out of the whole album is the demo version of “Beat It,” the third song on the disc. The demo focuses on the vocal harmonies of the verses and choruses, and even has beat box vocals to provide the beat.

When you hear it, it sounds extremely realistic, as if you are listening to Jackson singing the song right in front of you in the studio.

The last recording on disc two is a poem, “Planet Earth.” Although this certainly isn’t one of the best tracks in the album, it has meaningful lyrics that make the listener think about the poem afterwards.

The featured song in the album is also named after the movie and album, and is called “This Is It.” Two versions of the song are on the disc, one is the original studio version, and the other is an or-

chestral version. The song has a throwback feel, and is a good way to wrap up the album.

This Is It is basically the album to listen to, no matter what genre of music you like to hear.

Entertainment Calendar Music: Dec. 15: Lady Gaga - The Fame Monster Dec. 22: Eminem - Relapse: Refill Jan. 12: OK Go - Of the Blue Colour of The Skye Jan. 12: Ringo Starr - Y Not Movies: Dec. 23: Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel Dec. 25: Sherlock Holmes Video Games: Dec. 22: Guitar Hero: Van Halen (Wii, PS2, PS3), $40$50 Concerts: Jan. 9: Switchfoot- Regency Ballroom, $18 Jan. 9: Weezer- Bill Graham Civic Center, $47

“Mind over matter,” Ironman says

By Wessam Aziz Staff Writer

Bianca Arias/ Staff Writer

Senior Morgan Castain dribbles the ball across the field in her first home game on Dec. 4.

Soccer girls starts off their season with a win

By Bianca Arias Staff Writer

The first home game for the varsity girls soccer team was versus Cal High and ended with a big 5-1 win.

The Trojans gave it their all and showed a great deal of effort on the field and ended up on top.

Senior Micaela Castain scored the first goal and was all over the field that night. Not to mention she

took a couple blows from players from the other team on the field, yet every time she got up and kept going.

“The other team played well and fair. They were a hard team to play but once we were up it was fairly easy,” said Castain One of the funniest moments of the game was when Marissa Snider was able to practically walk into the goal and score for the team. The goalie walked out of the goal and Snider was able to beat her to the goal.

“This was a big win for us.

Cal High was the first challenge we’ve really had this season. This win showed us that we can do anything we set our mind to,” said Celeste Martore.

Assistant Principal Sue Goldman succeeded in finishing the Ironman Triathlon. In an Ironman race, competitors have to swim 2.4 miles, ride a bike for 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles. Goldman managed to do all of that in 16:45:49 hours with a little less than 15 minutes to spare. Only an Ironman can do that.

“I jumped in the water and it was so cold it literally took my breath away,” said Goldman.

That was expected since the swim started at around seven in the morning in November. Goldman thought the 2.4 mile-swim sounded the easiest compared to the triathlon’s 112-mile bike ride and a marathon-length run. That was before she jumped in the cold water, and before her calf began to cramp.

“What I thought was going to be the easiest part of my day

turned out to be the most difficult,” said Goldman.

Goldman managed to finish the swim, and, tired already, she was helped out of her wetsuit and into her bike clothes. She jumped on her bike and was doing great until her bike got a flat tire. That wasted eight minutes since she had to stop and change it, but taking only eight minutes to change a flat tire was amazing to her, knowing that it took 50 minutes to do the same thing at her house when she started practicing.

“What I didn’t take into consideration was the leg cramping, back pain, bathroom stops, and the demon in my head that kept asking me if all this pain was really worth it.

The pain was pretty intense,” said Goldman.

The run was last but definitely not the least tiring. Goldman was already in pain. She was starting to consider quitting, but she wasn’t ready to let all her training and hard work end in vain so she kept going.

Her pace got slower every mile. She calculated that if that trend had continued, she wouldn’t have finished before midnight. She had to pick up her pace, and amazingly she did.

She finished the race and become an Ironman, raising $6,214 for cancer research.

“Anybody can do an Ironman race. It only takes two words: ‘I will,’” said Goldman. She also said she believes it is all about the mindset. “It is mind over matter.”

This may be difficult to believe, but Rudy Garcia, a double above-the-knee amputee ran the same triathlon with Goldman and managed to finish almost 40 minutes before her, according to Goldman.

“Running down that finishing chute was worth every second of training the last six months,” said Goldman. She did not hesitate to add that she would do it all over again.

Despite the conditions, the players did the best they could.

“I really wanted to do well, like everyone else, but the conditions

and the course didn’t help at all,” said senior Lauren Chin, who shot 93.

“They did best they could do and I am proud of them,” said coach Ed Blom.

Although the season is over, the girls had a great time and bonded throughout the season.

“Our team is really close with each other and I will miss the underclassmen very much,” said Chin.

Golfers take fifth place in NCS

By Yoon Jung Staff Writer

The girls golf team got fifth place among the 15 teams they faced during the North Coast Section golf tournament held in Arcadia on Nov. 2. The score was 447.

The foggy weather and heavy rain made the more than six-hour long game difficult for everyone.

Te r r i f i c a l l y Ta l e n t e d Tr o j a n s

Nic Barradas / Staff Writer

Gabe Morfin-Guzman, freshman Gabe Morfin-Guzman is a freshman on the CVHS varsity soccer team. He is a great goal-scorer and hopes to top his record of 37 goals last year. Morfin-Guzman, who started soccer when he was four whose cousins taught him about the game, is a self-motivated player who doesn’t stop trying. “It feels really great. When the season started my Aunt died, and every time I scored, I did it for her. It feels amazing.”

Hopefully we’ll see a lot of MorfinGuzman on the pitch this year.

Calley Moita, sophomore Sophomore Calley Moita is a lively cheerleader for the CVHS varsity cheer squad. She is following in both of her older sisters’ footsteps and keeping the tradition alive. “I love to dance and perform at halftime, but I chose cheer because I love to stunt since it’s fun and both of my older sisters did it when they went to CVHS,” said Moita. Many of you have probably seen her doing ice cream and cake at our many football games. However, the most important part about cheer is that it is a sport.

“People don’t think cheer is a sport but we work out a lot.”

Alex Foster, junior Alex Foster is a forward on the CVHS varsity basketball team and he is no joke. When asked how he felt about the team this year his only comment was “We’re goin’ to state… point blank.” To help him make those clutch three-point shots and finish the dunks, he has his motivational trainer help him focus before every game. When asked why he loves three-pointers he simply states, “You gotta go for the most.” Being such a groundbreaking player you would think Foster would have a secret trick, but no, Foster is all game.

Kristin Feagly, senior After dealing with a three mile run for warm-up and countless sit-ups and push-ups, senior and varsity wrestler Kristin Feagly finally gets to what she loves most: sparring and wrestling.

This year Feagly is ready and pumped to face rivals San Leandro High and Pittsburg High. The only thing Feagly loves more than wrestling and sparring is winning. “You work so hard and you get a slice of the world on a silver platter… with ice cream on top,” said Feagly. When Feagly and teammates aren’t wrestling, they are cutting weight for their next match.

When they finally get to stop and eat again, it’s the second best feeling in the world according to Feagly.

Cross country teams finish seasons with big wins Girls squad qualifies for state meet again

Boys’ 1-2 finish lifts team at NCS

By Amanda Chouinard Staff Writer

By Joe DiRosa Staff Writer

Junior Ben Eversole and junior Anthony Martore took a one-two finish at the NCS Division I boys cross country track meet at Hayward High School on Nov. 21. A great team performance qualified the boys for the state meet on Nov. 28.

CVHS was among the teams competing at NCS with a sevenman cross country team. The boys’ races were outstanding, coming in second as a team to San Ramon Valley.

The team total time was 1:19:08, an average time of 15:49 per runner for the three-mile course. Eversole gave the performance of his lifetime, coming in first place with a time of 15:30, a 5:10 per mile pace.

“I felt really excited before the race and after the race I felt amazing,” said Eversole.

Martore also had an excellent race, coming in second for the team and second overall with a total time of 15:35, a 5:11 mile pace.

The rest of the CVHS team also performed well. Seniors Will Weeks and Tom Ashby placed eleventh and fourteenth respectively.

“We all tried as hard as we could,” said Weeks. “This is my first year to the state meet.”

Joe DiRosa / Staff Writer

Junior Eric Chan ran on Nov. 21 at Hayward High School.

Junior Erich Coulter placed fifth for the team and 18th overall with a time of 16:09. Runners Eric Chan and Arad Margalit rounded out the CVHS squad.

At the state meet a week later, the Trojans placed fourteenth in the Division I race.

“The scoreboard never meant a thing”

By Trevin Smith Staff Writer

I just ended my fourth year of CVHS football and I’ve got to admit, I miss it already. All I hear as I walk down the halls here at school is people complaining and making fun of the football program, but I can’t help but think about all the good times I had with my friends on the field all these years.

I remember when I was a little freshman, going to one of my first practices. I was so nervous as we all gathered around a senior who began telling us how fast our four years would fly by. None of us believed him, but in the long run he was exactly right.

During my seven years of playing, football has given me a family, countless friends, great memories,

and most of all, a will and strive to work as hard as I can at everything I do. Who cares if our record is bad?

Any experienced football player will tell you that he doesn’t sign up for those short ten games a year. We play the game for the experience and good times with our teammates.

It’s very testing to work so hard during the blazing hot summer, covered in warm, heavy pads, wanting to win so badly on Friday night, and then to lose and be so disappointed in yourself.

The worst is coming back to school on a Monday and hearing how much we suck from people who have never even worn pads.

But in the end, the payoff is much greater. To me, all these years, the scoreboard never meant a thing. It was all those times standing there with my team that really mattered, not what other people said.

In my mind it seemed like no one else understood how we felt. But for all of that, I am truly thankful for the bond we football players share.

The morning of Nov. 21 was filled with anxiety for the varsity girls cross country team. There were plenty of bad omens: lost shoes (which were later found) and forgotten uniforms. The senior girls, Chelsea Schneider, Elise Wummer, Nicole Yang, and Pamela MacLeod, hoped to have a good race, if it was to be their last.

It was the day of the NCS Meet of Champions.

“Heck no, this isn’t our last race,” exclaimed Schneider before the race.

And it was not their last. The cross country team qualified for the state meet by outrunning San Ramon Valley to come in second behind Monte Vista.

The following week in Fresno, the girls raced their way to fourteenth place in Division I. Coach

Raoul Perez guessed their places (within their own team) before the starting gun had fired. To everyone’s surprise, he guessed them all right, showing how well he knows his team.

A senior and first year cross country runner, Wummer came in first for the team with a time of 18:23 and fourteenth place overall. Close behind her came junior Kelsey Santisteban with a time of 18:31 and twenty-first place overall.

Yang ran in at 19:45, with fellow teammate Schneider a second behind her with 19:46.

Both became four-year state meet qualifiers. Gabrielle White scored with a time of 20:27, followed closely by Pamela MacLeod, 20:36. The seventh runner was Samantha Fong with a time of 20:40.

This was the Trojans’ sixth straight state meet appearance.

With the successful races at NCS and state, the senior girls ended their high school cross country careers on a very good note.

s

YouTube comes to How to deal with lightning and anthrax the classroom

By Dana Lin Staff Writer

By Melissa Lau Staff Writer

Teachers now have the right to use YouTube for academic purposes. The district blocked the use of YouTube for both staff and students until now.

Jeffrey Goldstein is among the most vocal teacher who requested the unblocking of YouTube.

He and the other teachers in the social studies and other departments used videos to teach their students. But without the luxury of YouTube, they are constantly spending loads of time searching for videos to show in class.

“I use a variety of video in my classes, as do most social studies teachers. Locating the ‘right’ video has been a quest since I started teaching,” said Goldstein.

Goldstein presented the issue to Principal Peter Alvarez and Assistant Principal Jesse Woodward by showing them a clip he had wanted to show his CCG class, but couldn’t. He argued that teachers’ use of YouTube is the same as using any other additional materials used in class

CSU: from page 1 choice because of this situation.

“Most of my chemistry students are looking to get into the UC or Cal State System,” commented science teacher Richard Schneck. “With the University of California cutting enrollment by six percent next year and Cal State announcing that they will drop it by 40,000 over the next three years, it will be harder for our students to get into their first choice university. It’s even getting harder to get into community colleges.”

Reed informed that CSU (23-campus-system) is expecting an $884 million budget increase from the state’s General Fund due to a severe budget crisis and will raise student fees by 30 percent this year in order to cover the $584 million budget shortfall needed for mandatory

UC: from page 1 lege,” said senior Rachel Meza.

“It probably means I’m going to have to get a job to pay for my education.”

Queenie Choi, another senior, refuses to let the fee increase stop her from applying to her dream colleges.

“I just have to apply to as many scholarships as I can and get as much financial aid as I can,” said Choi. “I don’t think the cost should affect anybody’s choice of college.”

UC tuition fees will increase

to provide better sources and examples for their lessons.

Once Alvarez was aware of that, he joined the teachers’ fight for YouTube use, later convincing the Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Maggie MacIsaac, to unblock the site.

Even though teachers are now allowed to use YouTube in class, they must meet one condition: they must carefully preview the content before showing it in class.

As before, students are not allowed to access YouTube at school.

Goldstein said, “The reasons, I suppose, are that some might abuse it. I can certainly see how some uses of YouTube could be effective in an educational way, but it’s difficult to supervise students in computer labs.”

“I suppose the most remarkable aspect of YouTube is that its use is free (as of now) and its ‘library’ is so extensive. In these tight budgetary times, it sure is nice to have access to this resource,” said Goldstein.

expenses. Students will be forced to pay as much as $4,026 in state tuition fees next year, a $1,692 increase from last year.

Unfortunately, many students who need financial assistance will have a difficult time paying off their college bills and may find themselves in debt.

“We already have to deal with UC increases and now this? Come on California, stop being poor!” commented senior Joel Cooper.

Seniors are pressured more than ever before. They, like Cooper, say these new policies are “bogus,” and have worries ranging from university acceptance to financial problems.

CSU had previously cut admissions by 4,000 during the fall semester of 2009 and expects to reject more students in the years to come.

“ It’s going to be a

lot harder for myself and my parents to pay for everything needed in college.

Rachel Meza Senior

”

gradually, $585 in the spring and an additional $1,344 next fall.

“It’s discouraging for students who want to go to UCs,” said Doan.

In case of events such as child abuse, bus accidents, and chemical spills, the Castro Valley Unified School District’s Safety Committee recently revised the flip-book for Standard Operating Procedures for emergency situations.

The new book contains a larger list of potential emergencies and what to do in case there

“The purpose is to

get people to think about what to do in case a crisis occurs.

Richard Schneck Teacher

”

is one.

“This is a list of some possible emergencies,” said chemistry teacher Richard Schneck, who is in charge of these handbooks.

“It’s impossible to cover all emergencies that can occur.”

The old handbook mainly said that you should get in a lockdown, evacuate the building, or go home in an urgent

situation.

The new book, however, includes instructions for more specific events such as unlawful assemblies, infectious diseases, power outage, lightning strikes, and even suicides or other deaths.

A school in Alameda County recently received an envelope with suspicious white powder inside.

That white powder might possibly have been anthrax.

In case CVHS encounters an anthrax attack, a bio-terrorism tab has also been put onto the book of standard operating procedures.

“The handbooks would be helpful if teachers spent some time to talk to their classes about them, but most teachers don’t,” said sophomore Victoria Liang.

At each staff meeting, about 140 teachers gather together to act out one specific emergency. One teacher acts as the injured child and other teachers act out the right and wrong way to approach the situation.

“The expectation is that if there is a substitute in a class and there’s

an emergency, they can just look at the handbook and see what to do,” said Schneck.

Each handbook has bright pages alternating red and

“The handbooks

would be helpful if teachers spent some time to talk to their classes about them.

Victoria Liang Student

”

yellow. There is one in every classroom, hung conveniently somewhere that is easy to access for everyone.

“The purpose is to get people to think about what to do in case a crisis occurs,” said Schneck.