Feb 11, 2010

Rent comes to the CFA

Pg. 5

Broadway musical a smash hit

Imitation gun owner locked away

Pg. 7

Trojan Den finds trouble in Dragons’ lair

Basketball fans punished

Pg. 8

Obligatory pick-up lines

Help to find that “special someone”

Watch your footing

Sports at risk in future budget cuts

By Aditi Bhatia

By Dana Lin

A CVHS junior boy was arrested after bringing an airsoft gun to campus on Tuesday, Jan. 19.

The incident happened around noon, when a teacher informed the office that a boy had a possible weapon in the waistband of his pants.

Deputy Tim Vales tracked him down by asking other students for information in the courtyard and “snatched him up real quick when he got out of PE,” he said.

“If we had seen him try to pull his gun out, we would have shot him. It would have been horrible,” said Vales. He explained that realistic-looking weapons are dangerous, because officers must assume they are real until they know otherwise.

The airsoft gun is a look-a-like of a pistol, made of black metal and plastic, with no orange tip, and fires plastic BBs. Vales handcuffed and arrested the student on a charge of possession of a weapon on school campus and took him to Juvenile Hall. The next step for him will be to go to court and answer the charges.

“In the past three years, I haven’t seen an incident like this. The danger is that it could be easily mistaken for a real gun,” said Prin-

CVUSD expects a massive budget deficit of $5.1 million in the 2010-2011 school year.

The main concern for CVHS next year is that the district will stop all funding to the school’s athletic program. Whether Trojan sports will continue beyond this spring is not known.

“It’s really unfortunate that sports is losing its funding,” said junior Colleen Wisel.

“I guess we’ll have to pay for sports out of our pockets,” said sophomore cross-country runner Brian Zhang. “I think my absolute max would be $250.”

Sports that generate an income such as football and basketball may be more likely to continue than others.

The administration is hoping to make cuts that least affect the classroom. Ninety percent of the district budget is spent on the cost of personnel, so there will probably be layoffs, officials said. Some non-site classified positions such as secretaries and one counselor throughout the district may be dismissed. Money for extra stipend duties such as leading a musical may be reduced.

“Our funding is all over the

Staff Writer

ARREST: Page 8

Staff Writer

Sarah Gilchriese / A&E Editor

Freshman Daniel Nourot practices his technique at an Oakland climbing gym with the CVHS Rock Climbing Club. See story on page 4.

BUDGET: Page 8

CVHS sends love to Haiti

By Erin Mundy City Editor

Howard Whang / Photo Editor

Fundraising from CVHS raised $2,500 to help Haiti earthquake relief. See the editorial addressing CVHS’s response to Haiti’s situation on page 2.

The in-pour of donations, aid, and assistance to Haiti has come from every corner of the world, and now CVHS had the opportunity to do its part. The Leadership class recently put in motion a fundraiser, similar to the adopta-family efforts, but excluded the contest and prize-winning element of the collection.

“We decided not to make it a contest because it’s a more somber event,” said junior Isabel Chi., on behalf of Leadership.

Leadership reacted fast to the sudden and tragic event, sending out envelopes the week before finals for collection every day. Due to the unusual schedule during finals week, Leadership decided not to collect envelopes for a second week.

“Students usually have change

for a donut,” said Leadership advisor Nick Whitaker when asked why the class chose to use the school-wide envelope collection again. Within a mere five days, however, the class was able to collect about $2,500, which will be divided 50/50 for donation to the International Red Cross and Doctors Without Borders.

“The money could go a long way,” said Whitaker. “We’re so proud of the efforts made by our entire student body.”

Although all Leadership students seemed to voice a strong desire to contribute, community service commissioners Austin Bruckner and Miranda Rodriguez headed the fundraising. Leadership has been working closely with the Amnesty International

HAITI: Page 8

Good start for Haiti, but we can do better Editorial: The leadership class collected about $2,500 over the course of a week for the Haiti earthquake relief efforts. The money was collected from students via AdoptA-Family style: an envelope was passed around during third period.

While The Olympian is very proud of CVHS’ fast response to reach out to the devastated country, we feel that the school has not yet reached its full potential to help those in need.

There are nearly 3,000 students at CVHS, and the donations were collected during the week before finals. With a total of about $2,500 collected, that is about $0.83 per person. The Olympian acknowledges that $2,500 is a significant amount of money that will no doubt help the helpless in Haiti, but we know CVHS can do better than $0.83 per person. We believe this underwhelming amount is due to many factors, such as the fact that the Adopt-A-Family money collection was quite recent, money was collected only for one week, and many students are just not aware of the magnitude of the disaster.

More awareness could have been raised about the Haiti earth-

quake before the collection of the money started. There could have been a short presentation or video informing students about the cause they are supporting, like the recent presentation about child soldiers in Africa in the Center for the Arts. Students are more likely to contribute to causes they understand rather than to a yellow envelope.

Other organizations and businesses around the campus and town have also decided to help Haiti. Local businesses could potentially sponsor a walk-athon in support of the relief efforts. The leadership class is planning to possibly design custom sweatshirts and donate the proceeds to organizations like Doctors Without Borders, which send doctor and nurse volunteers to provide worldwide urgent medical care to victims of disaster and war, and the International Red Cross. The Amnesty International Club on campus is also helping with donations for Haiti.

The Olympian believes that although the school did a good job gathering $2,500 in such a short amount of time, CVHS can do better than $0.83 per person.

PHOTOpinions BY:Tiffany Choi

By: Nick Leonardo

The other dark side of Prop. 8

Are you prepared for a major earthquake?

By Joseph Wan “Always prepared, always safe.”

Aaron Yan, freshman

“Not very prepared.”

Kim Nguyen, sophomore

“I am moderately prepared.”

Nick Tsang, junior

“Not at all.”

Erika Schweizer, Senior

LETTERS To the Editor Editor, We in Leadership just wanted to send you a quick e-mail to say thank you so much for writing that article to let students know about our school’s Haiti fundraising efforts. We can only imagine how hard you must have worked to get the article ready at such a late date. We are so proud of the

efforts made by our entire student body in raising money for the survivors of the devastating earthquakes in Haiti and know full well that we could not have gotten the word out without the help of the wonderful staff at The Olympian.

Nicholas Whitaker

Editor-in-Chief

I’m a Christian and a supporter of Proposition 8. There, I said it.

Now hold your bias and hear me out before you go ballistic. Let me clarify one thing: this article will not address whether gay marriage is right or wrong.

I have my beliefs, and you, the readers, have yours. What this article will address is a side of the issue I think most people don’t know about: the persecution of the supporters of Prop. 8.

Last year, ProtectMarriage. com, a main backer of Prop. 8, released information about people who had donated money to it, as demanded by California law. The law requires information regarding individuals who donate $100 or more in support or opposition of a ballot initiative be disclosed to the public, information including the individual’s full name, job, and employer.

Once this news hit the web, opponents of Prop. 8 sought out these individuals with malicious intent.

Supporters suffered verbal abuse, vandalism and threats of physical violence, all for supporting a cause

they believed in.

Unfortunately, most of this persecution was ignored by the, what seems to me, decidedly biased media. News stations regularly played clips of gay rights rallies next to reports about the violence of a few extremists, but they rarely showed videos in which supporters of Prop. 8 were verbally attacked or harassed. And don’t tell me it didn’t happen. The only exception I know of is Fox News, which reported, once, an incident in which members of a Christian prayer group—they weren’t even demonstrators—were pushed around for singing hymns in the Castro District of San Francisco.

One woman was allegedly beat on the head by her own Bible. When interviewed at the scene, both she and the reporter were told, in cruder words, to shut up.

I find it hypocritical that these same supporters are denounced for taking away the rights of homosexuals when their own First Amendment rights of free speech are trampled upon. They were attacked for saying what they believed in and told to shut up or face retribution.

One major concern I have is whether the label “hate crime” will be used as an attack. On Oct. 22, 2009, legislators officially passed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act, which allows the federal government to act against anti-homosexual hate crimes. The question is: does speaking out against homosexuality count as an anti-homosexual hate crime? It seems likely that, sooner or later, the answer will be: “Yes. By law, antihomosexual speech is a hate crime.”

When that time comes, freedom of religion may become the next right denied to opponents of gay marriage.

Christians will be stuck between the standards of society and the standards of God. Preaching against homosexuality goes against society; not doing so goes against God. But unless Christians renounce their religion, I fear their enemies could have a lawful reason to arrest them for preaching their beliefs. I would like to believe that Christians will not stop preaching against gay marriage and homosexuality, even under the threat of imprisonment.

Unfortunately, that means the law has the potential to be used to attack religion itself, indiscriminately arresting religious leaders here and there.

In the long run, the schism created by the issue of gay marriage is irreconcilable. Christians will not budge and neither will gay rights activists. As we have already seen, whenever one side gains ground, the other is bound to cry foul. The true problem, however, is how a person’s right to voice an opinion is threatened by the means by which each side tries to get its point across.

I’ve only presented the case of those who supported and are supporting Prop. 8. I believe you know enough about the other side of the argument.

So, in the case of the Prop. 8 campaign, who were the persecutors and who were the victims? I’ll let you decide.

The trials of being a redhead

By Amanda Chouinard Staff Writer

Being a redhead is always an interesting experience. Since birth I have been submitted to the questions, queries, and just plain curiosity of people. “Is that your natural hair color?” “Do you dye your hair?” And the ever favorite, “I’ve always tried to get that color.”

Yeah, I can tell.

Redheads are definitely special. I mean face it, we are rare. The gene for red hair is recessive, meaning that you have to have a redhead on both sides of two people’s families in order to have a chance of getting a ginger. It is really rare unless you are trying online dating in Ireland.

If you are already blessed with red hair, you know that you are in a club.

It’s not an official club, but whenever you see a fellow redhead you suddenly have an unspoken

Letters to the Editor

bond with that person.

The bond you share is because you know that your kind may be extinct by 2100, according to Time. After 2100 people won’t see any redheads running around; there will only be the fakes. The fakes are customarily grandmas with pink hair. And nobody wants that, absolutely no one.

With this newfound information you should always remember to love your gingers, because soon (okay, 90 years from now) they might all be gone. Being a redhead lover means you must refrain from participating in Kick a Ginger Day, which I will not tell you the date of.

Time recently had an article that stated that the redhead gene and pain threshold are linked.

Kick a Ginger Day could either be so much more painful for us, or you might have to kick extra hard to get the point across.

But you should participate in Hug a Ginger Day, which unfortunately, has already passed this year. Well, maybe now the day a new South Park episode has come out, the ginger episode has left a bad taste in our mouths.

Thank you, Eric Cartman.

The Olympian encourages letters from our readers. Please note that letters must be signed and no longer than 200 words. They can be e-mailed to cvhsolympian@gmail.com, delivered to Mr. Johanson’s box in the office, or dropped off at our Olympian office in room 113.

By: Dana Lin

Bay Area: the greatest place on earth

By Igor Breyman Staff Writer

We live in one of the most glorious places on the Earth, yet we tend to overlook that fact on a daily basis. I feel empowered when I deem myself a Bay Area native, because I know I belong to this utopian society.

I’ve traveled a large amount, visited a cornucopia of diverse countries in Europe and Central America, yet I’ve never taken the effort to travel across the United States. I joined a few members of my AP German

class, along with our teacher, as we went to a German retreat in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado, spending time with other high-level German students like ourselves. I can comfortably say that they were all boring. I felt as if the beautiful faces of the Rocky Mountains frowned as I gazed at them, wishing their residents were a little less square. The citizens of Colorado lacked soul and heart, things that I now understand the Bay has abundantly.

It took this experience for me to realize how much I should be prizing the Bay Area. As our plane descended into the bay, the lights of the city dominated my view, and that one sight put a grand smile on my face. As people living here, we might not agree with each other, we might not look like each other, and we might not all be on the same intellectual level, yet that’s what makes the Bay Area beautiful. We’re all different, we’re

all diverse, and we all pursue our own goals and create our own definitions of happiness, whether we do it as a team, or as independent individuals.

Do me a favor, do yourself a favor, and look around. Look around and absorb the wonderful world we have around us.

I envy the freshmen, sophomores, and juniors who get to remain here for a little longer, instead of having to run away to college. Enjoy the glory of living where we do, because the majority of the world outside our intermeshed spider web of a community cannot match where we live today. Nowhere else can you look around and see the faces of the world, all following their separate dreams, living together, and nowhere else can you sense such a feeling of unity, that will forever marinate with you, no matter where life takes you.

Equal protection for all The Olympian is a publication of the journalism class at Castro Valley High School, 19400 Santa Maria Ave., Castro Valley, CA 94546. © 2010 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

By Irene Liang Editor-in-Chief

The Fourteenth Amendment reads, “[No] state [shall] deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” The challenge to repeal Proposition 8, a ballot measure that passed in November 2008 to define marriage between a man and woman, is now being heard in the federal courts to question its constitutionality.

The court’s decision should be simple. Proposition 8 is, without any doubt, a violation

of the Fourteenth Amendment.

If the Fourteenth Amendment is interpreted word for word, then there is no reasonable doubt that Proposition 8 is unconstitutional.

It deprives same-sex couples the equal right to marriage. There are numerous health and tax benefits that same-sex couples are not entitled to because their marriages are not recognized by the state.

Proposition 8 is unconstitutional because it deprives these couples the equal protection of the law.

In the ongoing court case, the lawyers defending the proponents of this measure had included in their opening statements that the motive for Proposition 8 was not based on “ill will or animosity toward gays and lesbians,” but for a “special regard” for marriage. But how does Proposition 8 not have any ill manner behind it, when it breaks the Equal Protection Clause as stipulated in the Fourteenth Amendment?

As former Chief Justice Earl Warren said, laws have to be interpreted to respect the “evolv-

ing standards of decency” of society.

The battle for same-sex marriage is the new Civil Rights Movement, and to deny anyone the right to marriage based solely on their sexual orientation is nothing but discrimination. Proposition 8 is not only a ballot initiative to ban same-sex marriage, but an initiative to amend the California State Constitution to institute a measure that provides a blatant example of bigotry.

I hope that Judge Vaughn Walker, who is presiding over the case challenging Proposition 8, will recognize that this measure needs to be repealed as it is violation of the Fourteenth Amendment. This trial is about giving citizens the equal right to marriage regardless of who their spouses are.

Marriage equality needs to happen now, just like how interracial marriage was ruled constitutional by the U.S. Supreme Court only 67 years ago.

It’s never too early to start preparing

By Wessam Aziz Staff Writer

A college fair is taking place on Wednesday, Feb. 17 in the auxiliary gym at CVHS. The event will run between 2:30-5:00 PM. At least 50 representatives from different colleges and careers are expected to visit CVHS and they

students are invited “toAllattend. ” Melanie Small Career Center

will be sharing their knowledge and experiences about their careers and colleges.

“All students are invited to attend,” said Melanie Small, the college and career center coordinator.

Unlike most of the events involv-

ing careers and colleges, the event isn’t only for seniors and juniors. It is recommended for everybody.

The event will be a useful one where students will get to expand their horizons and get to know more about the world of work. There are a number of high school students out there who don’t have a plan for their future and don’t know what they want to do for the rest of their lives.

This event can be really helpful for students who don’t have a clear plan because the fair might help them decide what they want to do.

If students already knows what they want to do, then coming to the event would also be helpful to hear people’s experiences in whatever field they are interested in.

Living by the rule: “Biking ‘til Death” Exercise, save the environment, and have fun at the same time

By Nic Barradas Staff Writer

Whether it’s a BMX, mountain, road, or six-gear, if you join the Bike Club you will be “biking ‘til death,” or so their members say.

The Bike Club is not a band of Harley riding thugs; they are the most experienced bikers on campus. The cyclists immerse their members in the benefits and advantages of biking.

“We want to spread the word about biking, its health benefits, its economical benefits, everything,” said Bike Club president Kyle Callihan.

Aside from “biking ‘til death” the members of the Bike Club have made it their mission to turn into biking pros of untold abilities.

There are two main attractions

to the Bike Club. Biking helps the economy and it saves money on gas.

At meetings, the club teaches the do’s and don’ts of biking such as: Own a bike and ride, but don’t hang lunch or shopping bags on the handlebars. You will flip and it will not be fun. This type of mistake caused Callihan to break some of his ribs and, more importantly, miss out on biking.

Also, don’t wear baggy jeans or ride with untied shoelaces.

These mistakes could cost you a flip and a trip to the hospital.

The bike crew does get down to serious business though. During their meetings they strive for success by teaching and learning from each other..

The Bike Club knows all the ins and outs of all the bike routes in town; whether they are the local bike park scene, Lake Chabot, or anywhere bike accessible in Castro Valley, and even some non bike-accessible spots.

Stop by room 113 on Tuesdays at lunch to see this club first hand.

Howard Whang / Photo Editor

English teacher Jeff Knutson shows off his intense drumming skills.

Teacher by day, rock star by night

By Trevin Smith Staff Writer

Under his collared shirt and laidback slacks no one would ever suspect that CVHS English teacher Jeff Knutson plays in a band. He balances his time between the music he loves and the teaching he loves.

Knutson has been the drummer for an experimental indie band called Your Cannons for about a year now.

They’re based in San Francisco, where they practice around three times a week in a studio in a warehouse. They just released an EP called Dust Bowl last June.

Some of their music influences include bands like Band of Horses, Mogwai, Ride, and Radiohead.

Knutson loves to play drums.

He’s been playing since he

for which he says he is “very thankful.”

Knutson has often had to balance his time between Your Cannons and teaching. On rare occasions he has had to go to school at 5:30 in the morning after getting home from a gig very late at night.

But he loves his band and the

music he plays. Some of his biggest drumming influences are Dave Grohl of Nirvana and Chad Smith of The Red Hot Chili Peppers.

When playing live on stage at a gig, Knutson often describes his bond with the crowd as similar to teaching. He compares playing live to teaching his students in the classroom, he’s teaching his audience a message he’s trying to get across.

Rocking with his band is a passion for Knutson. He’s behind any student who want to pursue music in any way they can.

“Being involved in music has been one of the best parts of my life, and I’d encourage any student to do it,” said Knutson.

You can find out more about Your Cannons by talking to Knutson in room 312.

ronment full of people that love to socialize? Well you don’t have to dream about this anymore, you can make it happen by checking out the Rock Climbing Club at CVHS. The Rock Climbing Club meets on campus every Tuesday during lunch when members plan their next climbing trip.

The members usually go climbing once a week, along with their advisor and science teacher Sean Fottrell.

The club members go to climbing gyms, where it can be intense, safe, and fun, and best of all, it’s indoors.

“It’s a lot of fun. If you’re scared

of heights it’s a good way to conquer that fear,” said senior and club president Matthew Lozano.

Another great thing about the Rock Climbing Club is that you get to meet a lot of new and fun people.

“There are a lot of people to talk to here, and overall everyone is friendly, and you can always have fun with them,” said Lozano.

There are many reasons as to why you should go find out more about the Rock Climbing Club, so stop by room 768 Tuesdays during lunch, and check out what they’re all about.

was in the fifth grade. Although he doesn’t own his own kit, he is currently renting a kit from English teacher Daren Wilkerson,

involved in music “Being has been one of the best

parts of my life, and I’d encourage any student to do it.

Jeff Knutson English Teacher

”

To new heights with rock climbing

Conquer fears, try new things, and meet new people

By Jose Luna Staff Writer

Have you ever dreamed of climbing up to 70 feet without being scared? Have you ever wanted to overcome your fear of heights and go as high as the birds fly? Did you ever dream about being in a friendly envi-

Angels & Demons keeps you on edge

By Melissa Lau Staff Writer

the position of the pope are the four cardinals.

Right when conclave begins, the four cardinals are kidnapped by the ancient secret pro-science society that was known as the Illuminati.

It is revealed that the Illuminati killed the pope, and they stole the antimatter that has a limited battery that will explode when depleted, with enough

“Angels & Demons

If I were to explain Angels & Demons in one word, I’d say it’s a gift; it’s a bundle of heart pounding, suspenseful action that will keep you on the edge of your seat wrapped skillfully in mystery.

Angels & Demons definitely has the entire package.

When a vial of antimatter that could potentially destroy the Vatican City is stolen and the pope is murdered, the city of Rome is undoubtedly in danger, though the government keeps most of its citizens from knowing the truth. The Roman Catholic Church prepares a conclave to elect the next pope into the church; the candidates for

Entertainment Calendar Music-

Feb. 16: Story of the Year: Constant Feb. 23: Alkaline Trio: This Addiction Feb. 23: The Rocket Summer: Of Men and Angels MoviesFeb. 12: The Wolfman Feb. 19: Shutter Island Feb. 26: Cop Out Feb. 26: The Crazies Mar. 5: Alice in Wonderland Video GamesFeb. 16: Aliens Vs. Predator (X360, PS3, PC), $59.99 Feb. 23: Sonic & Sega All-Stars Racing (PS3, DS, Wii, X360), $29.95-$49.95 Mar. 2: SpongeBob’s Boating Bash (DS, Wii), $29.99-$39.99

...a bundle of heart pounding, suspensful action that will keep you on the edge of your seat wrapped skillfully in mystery.

”

energy to destroy all of Vatican City in light.

The secret society then threatens that they’ll kill one candidate from 8 p.m. until midnight, which is approximately when the antimatter’s battery dies.

With a few hours before 8 p.m., they summon Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks), who is a professor of religious iconology and symbology at Harvard

University, and Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), who is a scientist that worked near the antimatter and knows how to stop the battery from dying. Together, they are assigned to stop and save all the cardinals, and ultimately the entire city, from annihilation.

The two raced around Vatican City, following an old myth about the Illuminati, and found each location by using their brains and the statues of angels and demons.

On their quick-paced quest to save the city, they come across a complete surprise that will twist the story completely around.

Originally from the book by author Dan Brown, Angels & Demons does not disappoint the audience like most movies that are based on a book. Instead, it is straightforward, mysterypacked, and will have your attention for the entire movie.

Though it is 140 minutes long, most everyone will find that it only feels like half an hour.

I would personally rate it 4 out of 5 stars because it was very creatively put together, and despite its confusing background and plot, it was successfully shown to the audience without much misunderstanding.

Production excites Rent heads

By Sarah Gilchriese A&E Editor

How do you measure a year?

The cast of Rent, first created by Jonathan Larson, measures it in love. The play showed from Jan. 29-Feb. 7 in the Castro Valley Center for the Arts, and was directed

by Ted Curry. Overall, the show was very well put together and amazing.

Rent is a story of lovers and ex-lovers living a life filled with AIDS, drugs, and overall being accepted for who they are. The main characters have a web of relationships, some more complicated than others. There are two roommates, Mark and Roger, who live in an apartment that is under pressure to be torn down. Their old roommate Benny owns the lot next door, and wants to take over both buildings to create a cyberarts studio. Mark’s ex-girlfriend, now turned lesbian, Maureen, starts a protest against Benny’s

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BooksFeb. 18: Ratfink – Marcia Thornton Jones, $9.99 Feb. 23: Hard to Get – Emma Carlson Berne, $6.99 Mar. 1: Blob – Frieda Wishinksy, $9.95 Mar. 4: The Line – Teri Hall, $16.99 ConcertsFeb. 13: Elton John & Billy Joel, Oracle Arena, $51.50-$177 Feb. 16: Motion City Soundtrack, Regency Grand Ballroom, $18.50 Feb. 18: Alkaline Trio, Regency Grand Ballroom, $18.00 Feb. 19: Los Lonely Boys, Fillmore, $28.50 Feb. 22: We the Kings & Mayday Parade, Grand Ballroom, $14.00 Mar. 5: Tegan and Sara, Fox Theater, $35.00

new corporation. Benny then padlocks Mark, Roger, and Roger’s lover Mimi’s building.

Mark and Roger’s other old roommate Collins shows up, and helps alongside his newly met lover and drag queen Angel. The story shows how they try to win back their building, and their right to live.

This production was a small town production, with limited amounts of stars to cast. The director did a good job of finding look-alikes, with good voices and the ability to dance.

Through the entire two and a half hour production, I was entertained by the quality of the singing and dancing, as well as the plot line. Although at some parts the general audience could become confused, the show was one of the best I’ve seen put on in Castro Valley.

I’ve seen the movie multiple times, which is obviously professionally produced and financed, and is a bigger and better version of the show put on at the Castro Valley Center for the Arts. If you enjoyed the show, or are interested in seeing Rent yourself, I advise to go rent the movie and enjoy.

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Cheerleaders Trojans dominate prepare to show their moves to Playoffs near after girls rout the nation

San Lorenzo, 6-0

By Yoon Jung Staff Writer

The Trojans varsity cheer squad went to a competition at Deer Valley High School. They placed fourth and qualified for nationals in Aneheim in March. It was their second competition this year.

During the competition, audiences were astounded by the girls’ stunts and cheerful moves that challenged the cheers of the other squads in the competition.

“They did well during the competition and we reached our goal by achieving fourth place,” said coach Jennifer George-Donovan.

The squad has been preparing for the competition since September. They practiced stunting, dancing, and cheering for up to six days a week.

“We did a good job, and we are going to keep practicing and get better,” said junior Elenita Nicholas.

Now the cheer squad is getting ready for nationals and plans to change the routines to prepare for it. The cheerleaders are expecting practices to become more difficult.

“It was fun to get the squad together as a team. It was not just competing for each other but achieving our goal,” said sophomore Lundon Langon. After hard practices and workouts, the CVHS varsity squad is getting ready for the rewards of their labors.

the Rebels in soccer shutout

By Nick Leonardo Staff Writer

The Castro Valley girls varsity soccer team displayed dominance on Tuesday, Feb. 2, with a 6-0 victory over the San Lorenzo Rebels.

The Trojan offense was on the attack early and was constantly playing in San Lorenzo territory. Few shots were taken by the Rebels, as opposed to a Castro Valley offense that scored one goal in the first half followed by five in the second.

“They played okay. It definitely wasn’t our best performance, especially in the first half,” said head coach Paul McCallion about his team’s play after the game.

Junior Joana Lopez opened up the scoring at the 24:11 mark

Howard Whang / Photo Editor

Sophomore Celeste Martore runs down the field, stealing the ball away. in the first half for the Trojans.

The goal came after many stops from the San Lorenzo goalie, who played a much better game than the score would suggest, but Castro Valley’s offense was relentless. The half came to a close with the game still close and the Trojans up 1-0.

The change in direction did not change the game much as the ball was immediately pushed to the San Lorenzo side and stayed there for most of the game, much like the first half.

At 29:49 senior Morgan Castain made it a 2-0 game, only to score yet another goal

“

They played okay. It definitely wasn’t our best performance. ” Paul McCallion Head Coach

three minutes after her first.

Sophomore Celeste Martore scored just two minutes later pushing the score to 4-0. Senior Micaela Castain then added two goals of her own at the 23:14 and 13:21 minute marks.

McCallion believes that gives her 47 goals in the season, putting her in the lead for goals scored in the North Coast Section, or NCS. Tuesday’s game was the second to last home game for the varsity girls. The 6-0 shut-out against HAAL league member San Lorenzo seems like a perfect way to begin their preparation for the playoffs.

S up e r S a v v y Sp o r ts St a rs

Joe DiRosa / Staff Writer

Brandon Lyons, freshman Brandon Lyons is a freshman on the boys JV wrestling team. He has been wrestling for four years, since the fifth grade. “The reason I like wrestling so much is because I get to legally hurt people,” said Lyons.

For a tough sport like wrestling, Lyons keeps himself in shape by running and working out every day.

He receives awards and medals after every match. “One highlight about wrestling is getting physically stronger,” said Lyons. His future goal is to wrestle in college. His favorite teacher is Ovida DeJulia and his favorite subject is ASL. He also likes to ride his dirt bike and hang out with friends and family when he’s not getting his wrestle on.

Briana Avevedo, sophomore

Carolyn Gilchriese, junior

Briana Avevedo has been playing softball since the fourth grade. Once the season starts, it will be her second year with the girls varsity softball team.

“I’ve been playing organized softball for six years and I love the game,” Avevedo said. One highlight is that last year her team took the championships in the HAAL finals. “I like softball because it’s fun to meet new people and play on a team,” she said. Avevedo practices everyday during the school year and she runs to improve her agility. In her spare time she likes to hang out with friends, go shopping, and of course play softball. When asked, what her future goals are in this sport, she said, “I want to play in college.”

Carolyn Gilchriese has been playing sports for almost all of her life. She has been playing soccer for ten years and is currently in her first year of varsity girls soccer. Gilchriese is also a varsity girls cross country runner and a varsity girls track runner. “I like soccer the most, but I like the idea of cross country running,” Gilchriese said. For the varsity track team, she runs the 400 meters, 800 meters, and the mile. Gilchriese plans to run in college. Gilchriese has also played basketball for five years, but doesn’t play for the high school. In her spare time she likes to hang out with her friends, play with her dogs, and bake cookies.

David Duncan, senior David Duncan has been playing tennis for about eight years. He started playing tennis in the fourth grade. He is on the boys varsity tennis team and will continue playing for the team this season. “I like the one on one aspect that a lot of other sports don’t have,” Duncan said.

To keep his skills up, Duncan plays with his friend twice a week and goes to the gym every day. One of his personal achievements was moving up to varsity his junior year. His future goals are to stay with tennis and keep playing. When Duncan has spare time, he likes to go shooting and play basketball.

Trojan Den burned by Dragons’ fire, suspended for game

By Lindsay Oda Business Manager

“Our school’s free!” screamed a CVHS student in the Trojan Den at Bishop O’Dowd students. This was just one piece (and the only one without cussing) of the ongoing name calling and threats made during the second to fourth quarter of the Bishop O’Dowd vs. CVHS boys varsity basketball game at the Dragons’ home gym on Jan. 27.

Following the basketball game, a Bishop O’Dowd cheerleader and alumni got into a minor altercation with two CVHS cheerleaders. Assistant Principal Jesse Woodward and an O’Dowd administrator had to walk their students out in opposite directions to avoid further conflict.

The result of these actions was posted in signs all over the gym the following CVHS boys varsity home game: “There will be no Trojan Den at tonight’s game.”

Many members of the Den were angry about the restriction.

“We have a lot of problems with the administration. They don’t understand that when people talk crap about us, we’re not going to sit and take it. We’re going to talk back,” said senior Jimmy Quintanilla, Trojan Den coordinator.

“I can understand that feeling and sentiment, but it would’ve put the administration in a better spot if we could say to the O’Dowd administration: your students disrespected us, and we’re proud of the way our stu-

dents reacted,” said Principal Pete Alvarez in response.

There seems to be ongoing misunderstanding and miscommunication between the admin-

school sports.

I’ve run cross country for two seasons, and I’m about to start my third year of track.

I’ve been playing sports since age eight, so it’s obvious that they are a big part of my life.

Sports are the biggest stress reliever for me, maybe not in elementary school or middle school, but definitely in these

istration and the Den. “The administrators only hate us because they think we give our school a bad reputa-

tion. They get complaints from other schools, and it makes them put more restrictions on us,” said Quintanilla on the relationship.

Alvarez has received “mixed reactions” from principals of HAAL schools that meet regularly, he said.

“For the most part, I feel the Trojan Den shows spirit and a level of engagement our students have. We’re known as the sixth man rooting section, but students take that to a different place. My hope is that they can get back on track and represent our school in a manner that is respectful,” said Alvarez.

As for the simmering rivalry between CVHS and O’Dowd, Quintanilla says there have already been several threats on

Facebook and in text messages from O’Dowd students targeting Trojan Den students.

O’Dowd and CVHS boys varsity basketball players and students will meet again on Feb. 19 at CVHS for a deciding game.

CVHS is currently ranked twenty-eighth in the state and O’Dowd is eighteenth. They are the top two schools in HAAL. The Trojans lost the last game against O’Dowd, but have a chance at the league title if they win the rematch.

It’s safe to say that the Trojan Den will be loud and deep on the Feb. 19. When asked about the game Quintanilla simply replied: “It’s about to be ten times crazier than the last.”

same experience of being on an organized team and being around people who also truly love the sport.

The purpose of a high school organized sport is to not only bring people with common passions in sports together, but to give athletes a place to shine and excel.

By removing the entire sports program from CVHS, students may face an increase in the amount of stress, an increase in weight, and a less united student body.

For me, personally, I can’t imagine going to school without being able to look forward to practice.

Sports aren’t just something that athletes spend hours after school doing, nor are they just ways to win awards or scholarships.

For most athletes, our afterschool sports are our passion, what we commit to, and what we look forward to every single day.

“ It’s about to

be ten times crazier than the last. ” Jimmy Quintanilla

Trojan Den coordinator

Students need sports to carry them through the days

By Sarah Gilchriese A&E Editor

I remember the first time that I caught myself thinking, “I can’t wait for this school day to be over, so I can get to practice.”

This was during my first year of track and field, as a freshman. At that point in my life, I was anticipating the end to my academic school day just so that my two hours of track practice could start.

Two years later, I still would rather be running trails or around a track than be sitting in a stuffy classroom doing grueling work.

If sports are cut from next year’s curriculum, I’m not sure what will help motivate me to get through the day.

I’m not saying that I dislike school. I actually love learning new things and challenging myself to get the highest grades I can.

Learning new things over and over every single day can get stressful, especially when you have to apply what you learn to tests and quizzes. While the new knowledge is exciting, it is very demanding on teenagers.

Don’t get me wrong, we can all handle the stress of school, but not without the help of after-

“ I can’t imagine

going to school without being able to look forward to practice.

Sarah Gilchriese A&E Editor

”

high school years.

When you exercise, you release chemicals that make you happy and help to relieve stress.

Next year, if I’m not offered the option of running for two hours everyday after school, I might not be able to handle the pressure of my senior year.

Of course I can run by myself, but that doesn’t give me the

Bianca Arias / Staff Writer

Cross country runners celebrate at the 2009 HAAL finals where they took first place as a team.

In case of disaster, use these buckets

By Kate Kim Staff Writer

The Bay Area is the target location for a colossal earthquake to occur. It is widely known that the big earthquake is expected to hit the Bay Area soon. Not knowing exactly when it will happen, people are getting prepared, especially after the disastrous earthquake in Haiti.

CVHS is taking one step forward in getting prepared for the earthquake by distributing red buckets to classes that contain items needed during an emergency to help students when they are in an emergency situation at school.

The buckets will be distributed sometime this March or April.

The Safety Committee, which consists of four CVHS teachers, parents, and Assistant Principal Jason Whiteman as the lead administrator, decided to create these red buckets in order to improve preparation in handling emergencies.

In each bucket, there are basic first aid supplies, a certain amount of water, a whistle, and a flashlight.

These buckets are meant to be an improvement from last year,

BUDGET: From page 1 place,” said Principal Pete Alvarez.

“It’s difficult to make a consistent budget.”

The district gets paid $252 per student per day this year, but next year that will change to $201. The schools suffer a huge loss from this, because the average attendance is at 96.5%.

The administration speculates that if every student went to school for one day more per year, there would be $240,300 more in the district’s budget. For every day that a student doesn’t attend school, the school loses money.

“There is no such thing as an excused absence,” said Superintendent Jim Negri, concerning state payments for student attendance.

The budget deficit will hopefully not affect CVHS classes much, since the cuts made this year have already had a great impact on the school. The suggested cuts for next year will mainly affect the elemen-

HAITI: From page 1 Club on campus to devise more plans for various other fundraisers, and hopes to set more plans in motion.

Prospective ideas ranging from a walk-a-thon to selling specially designed sweatshirts for the cause have been promising. The idea of a walk-a-thon will hopefully spark interest throughout the community, as local businesses would

ARREST: From page 1 cipal Pete Alvarez.

The student claims he brought it to school to sell it stated Vales.

According to Alvarez, the students define the culture at school,

when each class received a red and gold instruction manual that was to be hung on the wall. The buckets will be placed in locations students know and will be easily accessible.

“I think the instruction manuals were dumb and useless.

Instructions don’t save people, first aid kits do,” said senior Andy Lin. “I guess the buckets would help in some ways, but if there was a huge earthquake, I’m pretty sure an injured person would need something more than a first aid kit. Plus, no one would grab it on their way out of the class,” said Annabelle Tsai, a junior at CVHS. Chemistry and pre-nursing teacher Richard Schneck explains that teachers are being trained at staff meetings on what to do in emergency situations.

“Whenever there is an emergency or alarm, students and teachers should go to their fire drill locations with their buckets, wait for roll to be taken, and report any missing students to the administration,” informed Schneck. tary schools in Castro Valley.

Money for their athletic programs may be eliminated, and money for the music program may be reduced. The K-3 grades will change from having a 20:1 student-teacher ratio to a higher 28:1 ratio, resulting in the loss of 32 elementary teachers.

The district has two lists for next year ’s budget considerations: one list for cuts that will most likely be made and another for cuts still under discussion.

Even after taking action on the list with cuts that will most likely be made, there will still be a $737,879 deficit. Under discussion are items such as furlough days and elimination for the district level management.

Elimination for stipends and the Career Enhancement Incentive Program for staff have also been considered.

“Every item on the list is subject to discussion,” stated Negri.

“Nothing is final.” be ideal sponsors for the event.

Both clubs plan to continue raising as many donations as possible, as the dire needs of the Haitians are not going to be met for a long time to come. Leadership and Amnesty International have done a tremendous job, and inspired the CVHS community to do its part. To help contribute, please visit www. redcross.org for information on the many ways to donate. and most students know that it is wrong to bring a weapon or imitation weapon to school grounds.

“Just don’t bring an airsoft gun to school. It’s a stupid thing to do,” said Vales.

You’re hot! Corny pick-up lines

By Amanda Chouinard Staff Writer

“Did you eat Lucky Charms today? Because you look magically delicious.”

“Are your pants from outer space? Because your butt’s out of this world.”

“Are you tired? Because you were running through my mind all day.”

“Can you give me directions? Because I’m lost in your eyes.”

“Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?”

“I lost my phone number, can I have yours?”

Corny Science Pick-up Lines: “If I were an enzyme, I’d be DNA helicase so I could unzip your genes.”

“I wish I were adenine because then I could get paired with U.” “Let’s convert our potential energy to kinetic energy.”

Roses are Red, Violets are blue, And I want to Get funky with you.

By: Dana Lin

Money stolen from Spanish teacher’s room

By Simrit Kaur Staff Writer

One hundred and sixty five dollars of Spanish workbook money was stolen from Spanish teacher Becky Maciel’s classroom a few weeks ago. Maciel first realized the money was missing on Jan. 4, the day after winter break ended.

“They took the money out of a bag that was pretty concealed and put a black plastic bag over it so I wouldn’t notice,” said Maciel.

The stolen money was to be given to the Spanish teachers to buy items needed to run successful Spanish classes in the present and future. If Maciel

doesn’t get the money back, she will have to pay out of her own pocket or find a way to raise the money again.

“I’m angry, I’m disappointed, and I feel violated,” said Maciel as she expressed her concerns for the classroom theft.

The money was located behind a desk and computer in the corner of the classroom, not easily accessible by students unless they had previous information as to where the money was being placed.

“Don’t take things that don’t belong to you. If you need the money that bad, there are other ways to get it. You’re essentially stealing from your peers… from a teacher… and that’s just wrong,” said Maciel.

Maciel addressed her students as a group and urged the unknown thief to return the money.

She did receive $10 in a blank white envelope in her office mailbox on the morning of Jan. 28.

“I will thank whoever returned the money, but will remind them that they still owe me $155,” said Maciel.

If you have any additional information about the classroom theft, please contact Maciel by emailing her at bmaciel@cv.k12. ca.us, leaving a note in her box in the front office, or personally contacting her in room 911 to speak about the matter.

Leo (July 23 – Aug. 22) So you were struck by Cupid’s arrow, huh? Then you’ll probably be totally unprepared when Cupid comes back with an with a F-22 armed with a Gatling gun, four heat-seeking missiles, three ICBMs, and an unspecified amount of atomic lasers.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22- Dec. 21) Love might be in the air, but keep in mind that dust particles, pollutants, airborne diseases and the flu virus are also in the air.

Horoscopes show bright futures ahead

By Howard Whang Photo Editor

Aries (Mar. 21 – April 19) It will be a good idea to keep Murphy’s Law in mind this week, which states that “anything that can go wrong will go wrong, usually at the worst possible instant.”

Taurus (Apr. 20 – May 20) Remember that the key to happiness is to set your expectations low enough to the point where they are already met. This way, you will never be disappointed.

Gemini (May 21 – June 20) Sometimes, there’s nothing wrong with lying. After all, the weatherman does it every day on national television and gets paid for it.

Cancer (June 21 – July 22) The stars foresee that you will have good fortune this week.

This is how the stars amuse themselves.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) Now is probably not the right time to salvage the remnants of your broken heart. Wait until the hovering vultures pass, the wolves go back to the woods, and the tiger sharks swim away.

Libra (Sep 23 – Oct 22) Every cloud has a silver lining. They must’ve forgotten that silver conducts electricity.

Scorpio (Oct. 23 – Nov. 21) Sometimes, love is so complicated it doesn’t make sense. That’s when you realize that, if it did make sense, it probably wouldn’t be love.

Capricorn (Dec. 22 – Jan. 19) Due to the current economic situation, Capricorn has been forced out of business and will no longer provide weekly updates for your life. The upside to this is that you are now free from the stars’ control and finally have control over your own life.

Aquarius (Jan. 20 – Feb. 18) There is always plenty of fish in the sea, but make sure to check for mercury poisoning before going fishing.

Pisces (Feb. 19 – Mar. 20) Sometimes it’s actually better to take responsibility for your actions instead of always blaming the law of entropy.