Feb 13, 2015

Volume 58, Issue 6

February 13, 2015

H a p p y Va l e n t i n e ’ s D a y ! www.cvhsolympian.com

Baby boom hits Castro Valley

Supreme Court could deliver historic decision

By Neo Diesta Staff Writer

award is given every three years, so the averages and scores have that amount of time to raise if needed or to improve.

CVHS received the award for the first time, proving there have been some fantastic improvements in the past three years.

“The students worked very hard and they took the tests very seriously. Students that I’ve had are very hard working,” said AP US History teacher Mark Mladinich.

Students agree that the award is a sign of the school’s growing academic strength.

“It’s great that our school is getting recognition for all of our teachers’ and students’ hard work.

I’m proud I’m part of a school that is above average in AP testing scores,” said junior Sylas Agtarap.

With this news, every AP teacher and student should feel very accomplished and proud of themselves.

“I think it is great knowing that CVHS is improving its AP scores to a national level and that we were able to score above a large number of schools in two nations,” said junior Stephen Bray.

This award was won purely on the efforts of our advanced placement students and teachers who have been working hard these past years to be able to gain recognition for our school and district.

The Supreme Court will hear arguments about gay marriage, it announced on Jan. 16.

Does the Constitution require that same-sex couples be allowed to marry no matter where they live, or are states free to limit marriage to its traditional definition as a union only between a man and a woman?

“I really do hope that the Supreme Court rules in favor in same-sex marriage,” said Ginger Amedio, president of the CVHS Gay and Straight Alliance (GSA).

“I do believe gays and lesbians have a constitutional right to marry.”

Sophomore Reinald Padilla also agrees, saying, “Even if they’re gay, we can’t take away their right of marriage. Love is love and we can’t ban that. We should allow them to marry whoever they want.”

The court agreed to hear cases from Michigan, Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee where restrictions on same-sex marriage were upheld by an appeals court. The court is scheduled to hear arguments in April and decide in June.

The Supreme Court’s review will be over a decision made in early November by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.

The decision upheld bans on marriage or marriage-recognition in

high school.

“In a twenty-first century economy that rewards knowledge like never before, we need to up our game and do more,” he said.

There are some requirements for students to potentially be eligible for the tuition-free college education, such as a GPA of 2.5 or higher.

Although many people support the idea of bringing higher education to more people, the plan has received very mixed reactions from critics who believe that the proposal does not address potential problems.

“It can be done but I think that maybe more money would have to be taken out of the defense fund, or all of the different interest groups to be put into education,” said Jen-

nifer Kline of the CVHS College and Career Center.

The budget of starting the program would be close to $60 billion over the first decade. This would be paid mainly by the federal government, but states would also have to contribute some of the funds.

The financial issues are a common criticism of the plan, as well as whether the colleges would be able to support the expected increase in student populations.

Others still argue that the plan, as it was proposed, may not even fulfill its intended purpose, which is to bring education to more people in order to prepare people for the competitiveness of finding employment.

“Where once you could get a job out of high school, that’s no longer the case. And then where once you could get a job out of community college, that will no longer be the case either,” said Kline.

There are still a lot of questions circulating about the details, but overall, there is a lot of support for the general idea, if not specifically Obama’s plan as it has been laid out. Many people believe that giving people two more years of education is still valuable and gives people more options for their futures.

“We should explore policy changes that can better support working families, including expanding access to community colleges so more people can partake

Jes Smith / Photo Editor

Teachers (from left) Jennifer Parker, Jennifer Jervis, Elisa Frozena and Kelly Abbott show off their baby bumps. We wish the mothers-to-be the best of luck!

CVHS AP program wins honor

By Martin Baez Staff Writer

If you are one of those students or even people that are very pessimistic about our school, you may want to reconsider. CVHS has won recognition on the Advanced Placement Honor Roll for its achievement in AP courses. Only 547 schools in the US and Canada won the honor.

To qualify for this award, a school’s students have to maintain an average score of three or higher on the AP exams or improve those exams scores, and have a 30 percent increase in minorities participating in AP courses. This

Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, and Tennessee.

The Supreme Court ordered that the parties to the cases address two questions in their legal briefs: whether the Constitution requires states to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, and whether states must recognize same-sex marriages performed in other states where they are legal.

The cases that the court will consider this spring have questions left open since 2013 when the Supreme Court last discussed the issue on same-sex marriage.

The majority stated that an important portion of the federal Defense of Marriage Act, holding back on the recognition of same-sex marriages, was unconstitutional and in a separate case allowed same-sex marriages to continue in California.

Since then, courts across the nation have ruled against the state prohibitions on same-sex marriage.

In 2012, just nine states and Washington D.C. legalized gay marriage. Today, 36 states and Washington D.C. allow gay marriage. According to estimates, about three out of four same-sex couples live in a state where they are allowed to marry. The other 14 states may ban same-sex marriage but are all under court challenge.

Spokesmen and supporters call same-sex marriage today’s most crucial civil rights issue.

President suggests free community college for all

By Halley Lin-Jones Staff Writer

President Obama’s proposal in the 2015 State of the Union Address to make community college free for eligible students may have come as a surprise to many Americans.

His plan requires approval from Congress, but if implemented, it promises that high school graduates with qualifying grades will receive two free years of community college.

During his speech, Obama made it clear that the government is not currently providing many American graduates with the resources they need to find employment after

in the American dream,” said Castro Valley’s Congressman Eric Swalwell, in response to Obama’s address.

There are already some similar programs in Chicago and Tennessee that pay for students’ tuitions if they apply for financial aid and receive a 3.0 GPA. Obama hopes to make college education a reality for all U.S. students who want it, and that is a tall order from a country that already struggles to maintain the quality of the education system currently in place.

Only time will tell if his plan, or perhaps an improved proposition, will be able to expand opportunities for American citizens.

“Free” community college, a worthy investment

Editorial: President Obama recently introduced a plan to provide two years of free community college for high school graduates who maintained a 2.5 GPA or above.

We at The Olympian believe that if passed, this plan will be extremely beneficial to Americans.

The cost of making community college free would be around $6 billion per year, which is around $20 per American. For only $20 per person, per year, Americans could create an equal opportunity for almost everyone.

Currently the workforce is dominated by people who have gone on to get a college degree, whether they began in a community college or went straight to a four-year. For many low income families this is simply not an option. Even though community college is much cheaper than four year colleges, it still may not be cheap enough for the lower class to afford, and

Neo Diesta / Staff writer

this can prevent people from bettering themselves and pursuing careers in fields that they are fully capable of working in.

It could also motivate high school students to do better and make sure they are eligible to receive the offer. Many students don’t try their best because they

know that college isn’t an option for them. This plan could show them that they do have a future and inspire them to work harder towards it.

Opponents say that this will just raise the standard of education and that community college will be worth less than it already

Hearts to Valentine’s Day

By Caitlin Forbes Staff Writer

On Valentine’s Day, couples express their love by buying teddy bears, chocolate, jewelry, and anything that can express their undying devotion for each other.

Valentine’s Day is a holiday that allows us to think outside of our self-centered universes, and think of others for a change.

However this occasion does have its flaws. A Valentine’s Day experience at a high school will involve seeing chocolates, flowers, posters, and cute couples showing off their relationship.

Now don’t get me wrong, most of the time it’s really cute to see a girl get surprised by her boy-

friend with a bouquet of flowers and some chocolate, but it’s not so cute when you are walking down the stairs of 900 hall and her Valentine’s Day balloons want to give your face some love.

Unfortunately for single people like myself, Valentine’s Day could mean a gallon of ice cream and mope fest reserved for a party of one. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Even if you’re single on Valentine’s Day, you could still celebrate.

Who said that Valentine's Day has to only be about couples? It’s a holiday of love. Give some love to your friends, parents, siblings, pets, teachers, anyone. So what if you don’t have a date, go out with your friends! So what if your crush doesn’t ask you to be a valentine, hang out with family! This day does not have to be a single person’s kryptonite.

Couples, on the other hand, are a whole different animal. Couples are always cute on Valentine's Day, as long as they aren’t blinding everyone with their PDA. And I’m not talking about holding hands, or a little kiss, or a hug; I’m talking about a full-on locker makeout that causes the poor soul who has that next locker to stand around awkwardly and count the tiles on the floor. Yes, Valentine’s

Day is super romantic, but please refrain from displaying too much romance, if you know what I mean.

Please do not buy a ton of balloons for your valentine!

It’s a super nice gesture, but to the rest of us it makes getting around the halls and going up and down the stairs a lot more difficult. Balloons are like a double-edged sword, because the person receiving the balloons has to drag them through the school and suffer the grumpy mutterings of everyone accidentally hit with them, and the fury of annoyed teachers.The bystanders to all of the balloons have to constantly swerve and back away from the perishable danger that is a balloon in the face.

However, overall this day is really about one thing. Love.

So this Valentine’s Day spread some love! Whether it’s to your girlfriend, boyfriend, or best friend, spend the day to think of someone who means a lot to you! I think that it’s important for everyone to remember that Valentine’s Day doesn’t have to be a day just about couples.

It’s about taking some time to appreciate everyone you care about no matter who it is.

PHOTOpinions

By Alexander McIntosh

“I don’t see a problem with free education. It’ll give people better job opportunities.”

Camille Blanchard, freshman

“It’s ridiculous. We shouldn’t be responsible for anyone’s education other than ourselves.”

Sabrina Grant, sophomore

is. Due to this, they believe that it will make it harder to get jobs. They also believe that the money would be better spent on four-year colleges and that the plan won’t be beneficial to all Americans because some states will be able to afford it more than others. Others say that there are

other things that could be done with the money, or that the money should be put into making more scholarships available, or even increasing the amount of money given in the scholarship.

We believe that there will still be plenty of jobs and community college will still be valuable, because any level of higher education will be worth more than none. It also gives people like recently documented immigrants opportunities for better jobs. As for putting the money into scholarships, that would limit the amount of people that would reach. The number of scholarships given would be very small compared to the number of people who could attend community colleges.

If this proposition is passed, many people will have the opportunity to create a better future and life for themselves and others around them, and we at The Olympian believe that they deserve that opportunity.

Letter to the editor: substitutes deserve better I'd like to thank The Olympian for addressing the substitute teacher shortage in CVUSD. As a sub for many years, I can provide some insight on why potential subs may not wish to work for our district.

The last pay raise for subs was around seven years ago. The cost of living in the Bay Area continues to rise annually and we aren't compensated accordingly; $125 daily is not enough money to live on, especially in one of the most expensive regions to live in the United States.

Subs aren't protected by the teachers union and we aren't permitted to purchase health benefits through the district.

Subs are regularly demanded to work for teachers that we did not accept a job for during our prep periods. Full-time teachers are given an hourly rate for this additional work. Other districts compensate subs with an additional hourly rate for an extra period. This lack of compensation for subs negatively affects the energy needed to perform for the teacher we agreed to work for.

Letters to the Editor

Some teachers habitually call in their absences right before school starts, which does not allow enough time to call in a sub to replace them. These teachers are also more prone to not leaving any form of lesson plan, which can create an unsafe environment, and educational disservice, to students.

Further, this creates extra work in the front office. In CVUSD, no recourse against the offending teachers appears to occur and subs have to pick up the slack without added compensation.

It’s clear that CVUSD does not care about the health, happiness and financial well-being of substitute teachers. If the daily pay rate for subs was increased and hourly compensation for working six periods was introduced, there would not only be more subs wanting to work for CVUSD but there would be better subs serving the student population. It would be nice if the district showed the same care to their employees as we do for the CVHS student population.

Brian Berry, substitute teacher

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.

What do you think about Pres. Obama’s community college plan?

“I don’t see a problem, it should be free.

People already pay for universities, why pay for community colleges?”

Kevin Diaz, junior

“It is a great idea but I don’t think it’s an appropriate time for it with us in debt.”

Jonathan Park, senior

The Olympian February 14, 2015

The military is not safe

By Anna Talajkowski Editor-In-Chief

In one year, at 18 years old, I will be considered old enough to join the U.S. Armed Forces.

And I think that’s ridiculous.

I look around at my classmates, our future soldiers, and I worry. Perhaps they appear qualified to recruiters, who may spend an hour or two every couple of weeks on our high school campus, but to me, the person who has spent three years around them, they are far from it. At 18, you are not a grown-up. If high school is considered the bridge from childhood to adulthood, I will be the first to refute it. Yet we let these “adults” join a service that can deploy them into some of the most dangerous areas of the world, have them represent our country as a defending force, train them how to kill, and convince them it is honorable to die for its cause.

The armed forces runs an institution that can be downright discriminatory. Until only three years ago, soldiers weren’t allowed to serve and be openly gay. Trans servicemen and women are still being discharged for their identity.

Military women face a sexual assault rate far higher than the rest of the female population, or as the Washington Times puts it, “The military is suffer-

ing a sexual misconduct epidemic.” Neo-Nazis and white supremacists are often encouraged by their leaders to join the military in preparation for the “race war,” and although they are banned from enlisting, they often slip through the cracks. Forrest Fogarty, a neo-Nazi who often flaunted racist tattoos and beliefs, was only discharged after attempting to send a submachine gun to his father.

At least 20 percent of soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression.

The approach to mental health has been long overlooked, a seemingly passive process that has allowed servicemen to duck under easy standards and resulted in shooting rampages in Afghanistan and at home bases.

If I want to work a desk job, I often have to have a bachelor’s degree, four years of education before I can even set my hands down on a keyboard. To join the military, to fight, protect, operate intelligence, participate in overseas operations, all I need is my 18th birthday.

I mean not to criticize any servicemen or veterans; in fact, I only plead for a safer, bettermanaged system. It is often not the people that are at fault but the machine they are thrown into and often abused in. Boot camp and advanced individual training (AIT) are not enough to prepare and nurture a mere teenager. I make extreme points to show that we’re putting our young men and women in a dangerous and corrupt organization. In one year, I know I would never enlist for an institution that claims to protect our country, but presents harm to those in and outside of it.

3

Tattoos make an imprint on people’s lives

A tattoo can be something meaningful that is valued dearly

By Callie Ross-Smith Feature Editor

Tattoos are probably one of the greatest art forms that have ever been introduced to mankind. While I do enjoy a beautiful watercolor painting by Vincent Van Gogh or a detailed sculpture by Michelangelo as much as the next person, the beauty of tattoos does not just come from how they look, or what the stories behind them are.

The placement, the sheer commitment that is involved with having this art piece are equally important. Since the ink is injected into the dermal layer of the skin, it is a living piece of work.

tattoo does “notAautomatically make you a ‘nogood-rotten hooligan.’

”

Contrary to some popular belief, getting a tattoo does not automatically make you a “no-good rotten hooligan,”

or, like what my grandma thinks, doesn’t give an access portal to the Devil. Just like anything else, whether it be sexuality, race, or fashion, tattoos don’t determine what a person can or should be.

This is shown with my sisters; my oldest sister has six tattoos, yet she is married, an amazing mother to her baby, and has a stable job. Her favorite tattoo is on her right shoulder and it’s of a Linnea flower.

It’s there to honor our grandmother Linnea, who passed away from Alzheimer's disease.

My other sister has four tattoos, and she is still able to work as a pharmacy technician and go to college. Her favorite tattoo is a pink elephant on her wrist; my oldest sister has a similar one.

When their wrists are together, the trunks of the elephants make a heart. I plan to follow my sisters and get several tattoos when I am older.

Some of students’ favorite teachers such as Ian Rodriquez, who has historical tattoos, and Yvonne Garcia, sport their tattoos. I was in Rodriquez’s CCG class in freshman year, and he never once said that he wished that he didn’t get his tattoos. If anyone asks him about them, he is always happy to explain the meaning behind his body art.

Teachers aside, have you ever heard of a British man named Dr. Matt Taylor? He is the physicist who recently made astrological history by being the head scientist in the Rosetta Mission to land a probe on a comet 300 million miles away from Earth. The mission was nearly a disaster because the landing gear on the module broke. Taylor managed to successfully land the probe. Guess whose arms are covered in tattoos? Taylor’s are. An intel-

Callie Ross-Smith/ Feature Editor

Yvonne Garcia shows her tattoos to The Olympian. ligent man such as Taylor was able to do this, without his tattoos ever affecting his performance in being a genius.

Tattoos are just art, there’s not just one type of person who bears tattoos. Tattoos are the art of the people, and just like anything else in society, making the choice to have a spectacular piece of art on your body should not define a person. Like any art, with proper care, tattoos can be a lasting piece that will keep the things that matter most to you at heart.

More than just a number

By Stephanie Huerta Editor-in-Chief

It was junior year when I knew the pressure was on. There was a constant buzz over how many AP classes we were taking, and if we had studied (or not) for the SAT. Junior year, students get loaded with their first SATs and ACTs, and not to mention their first grab at AP courses. Junior year is easily the most important academic year in a high school career. But the pressure only begins there!

Once junior year is over, and you cry over your SAT score, it’s senior year. As I woke up a senior on the first day of school I

was excited for a great year, filled with fun memories and amazing times. However, I was missing a piece to my senior year: college applications.

Senior year still holds the worry over GPAs and SAT/ACT scores.

The pressure was only beginning to build. Every adult I spoke to would ask, “Oh, so you’re a senior now! What college do you want to go to?” It was like evading the college talk was impossible!

My friends and family had always pushed me to do my best in school, working for that GPA and studying for that SAT. It was as if these numbers were slowly beginning to define me. I was building myself up to be the best I could be, always doing what I thought my top choice college would want from me. Junior year was an effort to make a person I don’t even know, like me.

I thought about it over and over again. Both my accomplishments and college are important to me, and no matter what, my GPA and academic life in high school are a part of me. However, I can’t let that define me. Many people compare

who has the highest SAT score, or how many AP courses they took in one year, but I’ve realized that’s not what completes a person.

We are more than a number, a GPA, an SAT score. We’re people with culture, experiences, and knowledge. We’re capable of the unimaginable. No number will limit me because I am more than that, I value myself more than that.

So to you, my fellow senior, junior, or anyone else for that matter, when you fill out your application, know that you’re not alone, we’ve all been there.

We doubt ourselves and wonder if we’re good enough, but at the end of the day the only person you really need to be good enough for is yourself. Thirty years from now, you won’t remember what was on your college application because that doesn't define or even begin to sum up the person you are, or the life you will have. You are the beginning of your future and we all have the potential to reach the greatest of goals we have set for ourselves, and those goals go beyond a transcript, an acceptance, and a number.

The Olympian is a publication of the journalism class at Castro Valley High School, 19400 Santa Maria Ave., Castro Valley, CA 94546. © 2015

Editors-in-Chief...........................................................Stephanie Huerta Anna Talajkowski Copy Editor......................................................................Rachel Du News Editor..............................................................Anna Nguyen Opinion Editor............................................................Sally Liang Feature Editor.....................................................Callie Ross-Smith Sports Editor................................................................Laniah Lewis Arts and Entertainment Editor......................................Lauren Jelks Photo Editors........................................................Alison Dhont Jes Smith Business Manager......................................................Robbie Brandt

Staff Writers: Martin Baez, Desiree Broome, Brittany Bracy, Neo Diesta, Caitlin Forbes, Halley Lin-Jones, Laura Macchiavello, Alexander McIntosh, Jessica Mi, America Morales, Danika Newlin, Maia Samboy, Isaiah Siordia, Meiling Zhang Advisor........................................................................Matt Johanson

What’is’cool a Autoshop is automatic fun

Robbie Brandt/ Business Manager

Darren Rees helps students with a car engine.

By Robbie Brandt Business Manager

Have you ever wanted to learn about what makes your car engine work? Well if you do, I would highly recommend taking auto shop taught by none other than Darren Rees. In the class you learn a variety of things, from checking a car’s fluids to changing a tire and operating a lift. The best thing by far, though, is when Reese teaches the class how to take apart an engine and put it back together.

This lab allows you to get

your hands dirty or greasy and you get to actually see how each part works. Everyone in the class enjoyed this lab.

“I had a good time and it wasn’t as hard as I thought. However, I wish the engine could run,” said senior Stewart Maxwell.

As a student takes pieces of the engine off, Rees will explain how they work and what their function is on a car engine. For example, the crankshaft of a car allows the pistons to move, which you need in order for your engine to operate.

After our class takes apart the engines we take a test to see if we have actually learned something, which, thanks to the help of Reese, we have.

If you are interested in learning about cars, fixing cars, or you just like cars, auto shop is definitely the right class for you.

Even if you're not interested you should still take it, because what if your car breaks down and you can't afford to fix it?

Then you can use your skills that you learned from the class and fix your car yourself.

A delicious waffle waits for students to devour it in Dr. Deborah

waffling about in c

By Meiling Zhang Staff Writer

Stomachs growl as students enter the chemistry classroom filled with the tasty aroma of freshly-made waffles. They see burning waffle irons and think to themselves, “I am ready; I’ve been looking forward to this all year!”

Honors Chemistry students have an annual waffle party the Friday before winter break to combine everything they’ve learned with an exciting hands-on activity of the best kind of chemistry: kitchen chemistry.

Despite the aspect of purely relaxing and enjoying the final day

of school before break, there was still an educational purpose to the celebration.

“You had to use a recipe in order to figure out how much of each reactant was required to produce the desired product, which was a waffle,” said Dr. Deborah Yager, Honors Chemistry teacher.

Students had the choice to either bring in their own batter for the waffles, or to make the batter in class, but during the process of making the waffles, they experience and observed many of the scientific steps they’ve already learned about during the year.

By mixing all the eggs, flour,

All hands up f

By Desiree Broome Staff Writer

“Why don't you just take those

Marcello Guzman and Stephanie Huerta (left to right) make an interviewing scene out?” “Your teacher isn't around.”

“You know no one can understand for their Spanish video project.

Luces, cámara, acción!

By Laura Macchiavello

Staff Writer Spanish classes are notorious for stress and a heavy workload.

In AP Spanish, projects, tenminute speeches, and essays were all motives in preparing us for the AP exam in May. Yet at the end of the year, there is a fun opportunity to creatively learn.

After the exam, there were a few weeks left before the end of the year. It was time for the final,

the AP Spanish video project.

The class made groups of five or six students and were assigned to film a video, entirely in Spanish. Common ideas were news broadcasts, cooking shows, or music videos.

My group did a talk show named “El Programma de Alejandra,” or “Alejandra’s Show,” where we had to create a script, act, and film. We needed to include specific topics covered

in class, and a three to five minute commercial.

“The video project was really fun. I enjoyed working with partners trying to come up with creative ways to present different topics like beauty and environmental problems,” stated senior Marcello Guzman.

The project made a great end to a hectic year, and watching videos in class was hilarious.

you right?” These are many questions that ASL (American Sign Language) students face every year during the annual “Deaf for a Day” assignment.

Although the assignment is only mandatory for students in their first year of ASL, many students in the program participate every year to show that they stand with the deaf community and get to experience something similar to being deaf.

Students are given earplugs the day before and instructed to carry a journal to communicate with people who don't know how to sign.

Once you wake up and put the

earplugs in, things are immediately different from usual. People seem to lack patience when you can't immediately understand what they are trying to communicate to you and vice versa. Even when arriving at school, teachers are often rude and dismissive of the students who participate.

We often hear stories of how Deaf Day has left people with ruined friendships, and I didn't understand until I was trying to interact with friends and they shocked me with how they acted.

They were dismissive, calling the assignment stupid and even made comments to each other assuming that I couldn't hear just because of the earplugs. Even though the sound was muffled, I could still hear what they were

at our school?

Biobottles bring biology closer to classes

Students study life in bottled ecosystems

By America Morales Staff Writer

Meiling Zhang/Staff Writer

Yager’s Honors Chemistry class.

chemistry milk, oil, and other ingredients that vary in texture, students have created a single homogenous mixture with a single phase. With that mixture, students add portions of it to a heated waffle iron to start off a chemical reaction.

The heat from the iron cooks the the raw ingredients of the batter by changing the chemical properties of the thick, runny liquid, to a soft, fluffy solid.

Not only were students able to see chemistry happen through common means, but they were also able to enjoy their last day of school for the year with delicious waffles.

Imagine soil with planted seeds that turn into growing plants, a goldfish swimming in water, and the nitrogen and carbon cycle at work inside recycled two liter bottles of soda! Not many people can say they’ve built their very own ecosystem, right? But nothing is impossible for the CVHS biology students who created TerrAqua ecosystems to learn about ecology.

Just before winter break, most of the biology classes took a physical and interactive approach to learning about the topic of ecology by building TerrAqua columns, also known as Bio Bottles. By collecting recycled soda bottles, the students created a top section of soil with planted seeds representing the earth section.

Below the earth section was the aquatic section with a live fish and live aquatic plants.

Connecting the two sections was a wick which was useful in bringing water up from the aquatic layer into the soil to help the seeds grow.

Stephanie Huerta/Editor

Among the two sections, students studied important geochemical cycles such as

photosynthesis and the nitrogen cycle. Because of the high level of engagement, students

Parabolas paint math into clarity

By Brittany Bracy Staff Writer

or ASL saying, and even if I hadn't, reading their lips would have also shown me what they really thought about the situation.

It made me think, What if I was really deaf? Would they exclude me from conversations or talk about me? I wondered the same about teachers. Would they expect me to keep up with no extra help from them? Or would they expect me to just accept that I wouldn't be able to do as well as other students?

These are many problems faced by deaf people every day, and during this project I'm sure this understanding is exactly what our teacher hopes we reach.

After participating in Deaf Day for the past two years, I have learned that no one will fully understand deaf people until they have walked in their shoes.

in chief

A viewable natural habitat that contains fish, plants, and soil

not only made diagrams, data tables, outlines, and conclusions with no problem, but also understood the relevance of ecology and how it affects our ecosystem.

“I liked watching the plants evolve throughout the weekend and how the fish helped them grow. I also liked watching the nitrogen, carbon and water cycle take place in real life. Every day we would check the pH and ammonia levels and our fish’s health,” said freshman Skyler Bowersmith.

Based on my experience from freshman year, my classmates and I all enjoyed the activity and even took on the opportunity to name our fish and keep them as healthy as we could. Even after the project, if students’ fish survived, they got to take them home. While the project is not required, most teachers believe it is an effective way of getting the students interested on the topic, including Nathan McCreary, a new biology teacher this school year. He believes that the topic of ecology is relevant and easy for students to see the effects it has in our world.

“I think it’s a great project, and teaching in a project based manner seems to be a really good way to get engagement.

That’s one of our goals, to get the students engaged,” said McCreary.

Brittany Bracy/ Staff Writer

Elva Lo paints a parabola on graph papaer

When my algebra II teacher told the class that we were going outsi de to paint the following day, students were shocked but excited to come to class the next day. My teacher explained that we were going to do math, but instead of with a pencil, our fingers would be the writing utensil.

“It teaches students a tactile way of learning,” said algebra teacher Ashley Smith.

Before we proceeded to leave the classroom, my teacher taught us the basics of parabolas. We learned tricks for sketching a decent parabola. We utilized the equation to find out necessary points such as roots and the axis of symmetry to draw the parabola.

As if going out in the fresh air rather than being in our usually stuffy classroom wasn’t good enough, we grabbed seats

at tables with bowls of fresh paint. This excited many students, considering that most of us hadn’t finger painted since kindergarten.

Before we knew it, we were recalling the short lesson about parabolas that our teacher had taught, and we had the pleasure of drawing parabolas of all colors on our handmade graphs.

After correctly locating critical points and drawing the parabola, on a separate sheet of paper we got the pleasure of using our creativity to draw parabola related images. Many students drew lines forming a recognizable rainbow, others drew more complicated images of things like bridges and flowers.

Painting parabolas was the most refreshing experience I’ve ever had in any math class I’ve taken in years. I’m also sure that no one minded the paint left on our fingertips as a reminder of what we’d learned.

Editor’s note: We at The Olympian reflected on our school’s best lessons. These are a few of our favorite academic experiences. Enjoy!

Cloud 9 puts you on cloud 10 New book Landline does not flatline

By Meiling Zhang Staff Writer

By Rachel Du City Editor

American teenagers like tea.

That may come as a surprise, but students at CVHS swarm Cloud 9 Teahouse during lunch and after school. I was pleasantly surprised when a new milk tea shop opened last summer in the quaint town of Castro Valley.

Upon entering, you are greeted with a simple menu and a calming environment. Drinks come in a regular and a large size. There aren’t many choices for drinks, as it only has green, black, thai iced teas and milk teas, but all their teas are made with real tea leaves and not powder flavoring.

The drinks tend to be on the sweeter side, but that can be easily fixed by asking for less sweetness.

All the workers are very friendly and willing to help out, so they adjust drinks to 75 percent, 50 percent, or even 25 percent that of the original sugar content. Adjustments to the amount of ice the drink includes can also be made.

Besides drinks, however, the teahouse also sells ice cream burgers and snow. Snow is a dish with layers of shaved ice cream with boba on the side. My favorite item on the menu is the ice cream burger. The burgers have a warm, crunchy shell on the outside and a tasty scoop of ice cream on the inside.

They come in a variety of flavors including chocolate, strawberry, vanilla, and cookies and

cream. The fried shell of the burger does melt the ice cream, so it should be eaten right away before all of it turns into a gooey mess. It takes a while for these to be made, so you shouldn’t order ice cream burgers if you’re on a time crunch.

The place itself has many simple board games like a typical milk tea shop would, but it also

Meiling Zhang/ Staff Writer

has a room devoted to gaming.

There is a Wii installed with four remotes, so that’s a nice way to keep people occupied at the shop.

I’m not much of a gamer myself, but that room is a nice place to relax and spend time with some friends.

There is also outdoor seating, which is perfect for those not too hot days where you just want to have some fresh air. The seating indoors consists of three fourseater tables, and one two-seater table, so it can get crowded pretty easily. Lines always seem to appear long due to the tight space, but you can make your order within five minutes if you start by the door. Once you’ve made your order, however, there could be some wait time to receive your order.

This relatively new tea house is located right across the street from the Starbucks in Castro Village, so it is very close to CVHS. It is perfect for off-campus lunch trips for people who don’t drive, and they’d be supporting a local family with all their purchases as well!

This place is the perfect stop to satisfy any sweet tooths or to just spend some time with a few friends in a carefree environment.

What would you say to a loved one if you could call that person’s past self? Would you tell them winning lottery numbers, information on the stock market, or simply about the future? For Georgie McCool, all she can think to say to her then-boyfriend, current spouse, is how much she will take him for granted in Rainbow Rowell’s novel Landline.

Landline tells its story through flashbacks and present events.

Georgie and Neal have had their fair share of arguments, past and present, but one issue Georgie contemplates throughout the novel is, how much is enough?

Is it enough to love someone, enough to just try?

Georgie is exactly where she wanted to be 20 years ago: the TV show that her best friend and she co-wrote is finally on its way to airing. They just have to finish writing it. Unfortunately, her project deadline closely follows Christmas. Georgie chooses to work while her husband, Neal, takes their two daughters to his hometown, Omaha, leaving Georgie alone for the holidays.

That night, Georgie discovers an old landline at her mother’s

house that can call past-Neal.

That Neal is almost 20 years younger, in the midst of a temporary separation from Georgie.

They suffered from the same problem then as they do now: Georgie often forgot about Neal while pursuing her own dreams.

During her calls with the younger Neal, however, she opts to embrace their happier moments instead of dwelling on the reasons why he had left her, albeit briefly, in the first place. The couple spends hours on the phone each night rekindling their romance – for Georgie, at least.

Georgie contemplates if she should use this miracle, these phone calls to the past, to warn Neal not to marry her so she can save him from a miserable life.

That thought is quickly thrown out when she realizes that would mean their daughters wouldn’t have existed.

Landline, at a lengthy 308 pages, is worth every page.

Through Georgie and Neal’s shaky romance, Rowell reminds us that some sacrifices are worth making. Rowell does not simply write thoughtful characters filled with flaws, tears, and joy. She presents them, as if they already exist in the real world, and that is exactly what fiction should be: a reflection that passes for reality.

Landline is the perfect novel to remind us that sometimes it takes a magic phone to remind us not to take people for granted.

American Sniper hits the target

By America Morales Staff Writer

Have you heard of the most talked-about movie in theaters, nominated for both Best Motion Picture and Best Actor Academy Awards? Based on the true story of U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, American Sniper delivers a powerful and emotionally intense experience, paying a tribute to this true American hero that will definitely touch people’s hearts and be remembered.

Kyle, played by a bulked up Bradley Cooper, is the most deadly sniper in U.S. military history with more than 160 confirmed

kills. His natural skills with a rifle lead him to Iraq where his main purpose is to protect his comrades from the many dangers they face during war. With his remarkable point accuracy and leadership qualities, Kyle becomes known as “the Legend.”

His reputation, however, expands into the enemy side and puts him in danger as he becomes a major target. After serving four tours in Iraq, Kyle has a hard time forgetting the war.

Director Clint Eastwood captures this American hero’s unforgettable story with vivid scenes, real-life footage and strong performances. Cooper’s performance even earned him an acting nomination for American Sniper.

After the movie, a powerful silence filled the room during the credits as the audience filed out of the theatre, allowing time for everyone to take a moment to pay tribute and respect to Kyle and his heroic actions for our country.

Although I had not known Kyle’s story prior to watching the movie, I am grateful for getting to see the accurate portrayal of the story. If you get the opportunity to go to the movies sooxn, don’t miss out on watching the movie that has changed the way people think about war and those who bravely serve our country.

Trojans sink Pirates’ ship

Suarez leads basketball team to win over rival

By Robbie Brandt Business Manager

Jes Smith / Photo Editor

Castro Valley’s Josh Guzman (right) races a Yellow Jacket for the ball.

Yellow Jackets sting Trojans, 2-1

By Isaiah Siordia Staff Writer

The CVHS boys varsity soccer team lost a tough game against the Berkeley High School Yellow Jackets on Jan. 30, with a final score of 2-1.

Though the first half of the game ended 2-1, the loyal Trojans fought until the end and went all out in the second half. The members of the crowd were true to their Trojan soccer players the entire way through and never stopped cheering.

Finishing the first half tired, the Trojans marched on trying to get another goal.

“There was no communication the first ten minutes of the game,

we got better for the rest of the first half. After that in the second half we collaborated more. We all put our hearts on the line the entire game,” stated junior Jack Prettyman.

Towards the end of the game in the second half, players from both sides were putting every last bit of energy to get another point. The ball flew into the air countless times and just when the Trojans were about to score, the whistle blew and the game was over.

“We did decent, we just need to keep working hard and pushing forward, after all we are a family,” said senior Josh Guzman.

Feb. 4 was a wonderful night for our varsity girls basketball team. The Trojans swept the San Leandro High Pirates, 49-34.

During the first quarter Giana Wright made the first shot scoring two points. Next Bailey Jones intercepted a pass from San Leandro and scored yet again for our team.

Jones also received player of the week honors from the Castro Valley Forum as a freshman.

Later the excitement continued and Wright scored another shot making the final score of the first quarter Trojans 8 and Pirates 2.

However despite the sixpoint lead Coach Jim Lemmon was a bit disappointed.

“We had a slow start but the kids are really working hard,” he said.

The second quarter began with Jaime Massey making a 2-point shot. Later after San Leandro scored a few more baskets, but Allison Woo made a 3-point shot. And a

Isaiah Siordia/ Staff Writer

Ziyah Starks dribbles past the Pirates towards the hoop. little bit later Wright scored again and the second quarter ended with the Trojans 19 and Pirates 12.

Third quarter is when the game started to pick up. Jenna Sparks made a basket. Then Micah Suarez made a basket followed shortly followed by her making a 3-pointer.

Next Wright ran the ball down the court and made a 3-point shot. And finally Jones scored. The third quarter ended Trojans 36 and Pirates 15.

The fourth quarter was rather exciting. Wright made two free throws.

“I thought we played with effort and we finished hard,” said Sparks.

“Micah really sparked us

“Micah really sparked us in the third quarter. The whole team worked hard tonight.

Jim Lemmon Coach

in the third quarter,” said Lemmon. “The whole team worked hard tonight.”

Sp e ct a c u l a r Sp o r ts St a rs

By Jessica Mi / Staff Writer

k

.

.

”

Maxwell Garcia, freshman

Who says freshmen can’t make varsity? Maxwell Garcia proved that assumption wrong. He plays on the CVHS varsity soccer team as a forward. Playing since he was four years old, Garcia is no stranger to the game.The soccer field is a second home to him.

Outside of school, he plays in the Castro Valley United soccer club.

Garcia really enjoys "playing as a team and winning together" with his teammates. The CVHS team is lucky to have such a talented freshman player.

Sarah Nosseir, sophomore

The team is down by two, and the seconds are ticking. Varsity player Sarah Nosseir takes charge, dribbling the ball down the court, finishing with a reverse layup, sending the game into overtime, and eventually leading her team to victory. Nosseir has played basketball for eight years on many teams including East Bay Swag, Bay Area Stars, and the Creekside Middle School team.

"My favorite part of basketball is the feeling I get when my team wins because the hard work we put in at practice pays off," she said.

Sam Troxell, junior

You'd be surprised to know how much discipline and dedication it takes to be a wrestler.

From relentless weight training to hard dieting to get into a weight class, these athletes really have their work cut out for them. For varsity wrestler Sam Troxell, "the feeling you have after winning a match," makes it all worth it because "it shows all the hard work you put in during practice." Troxell started wrestling in eighth grade and has continued to wrestle throughout high school.

Luciana Balica, senior

Do you have a fear of water?

Well, varsity swimmer Luciana Balica definitely doesn’t. Balica has been swimming ever since she was a little girl and her best stroke is freestyle. Outside of school, she swims year round on EBAT, a club team. Balica has been a huge addition to the CVHS team, making history at NCS last year. “My favorite moment in swimming was last year when for the first time in ten years, the Castro Valley girls team made the top 16 in relay finals,” she said.

The Olympian February 13, 2015

District,teachers union nearing agreement for raise

By Maia Samboy Staff Writer

Leaders of the Castro Valley Teachers Association (CVTA) have voted to accept a 5 percent pay raise from the Castro Valley Unified School District on Feb. 4.

Teachers initially requested a 10 percent raise over two years. Many of them packed a school board meeting on Jan. 14 to support that proposal.

Although the union’s leaders voted to accept the 5 percent raise, negotiations are still underway. A second vote of all CVUSD teachers will take place on Feb. 18, and if they accept the offer, the plan must then be approved by the

school board.

The district’s current starting salary for a credentialed, full-time teacher is $49,497 and the highest rate is $90,557 per year (to reach that level takes 27 years). A 5 percent pay raise will bring the starting salary to $51,971 and the highest pay to $95,084.

“Because of un-competitive pay and benefits, I have lost too many colleagues,” said Roger Kim, CVHS social studies teacher, to the school board. “For example, if one of our counselors at CVHS left for our superintendent’s former district after more than a decade of service, that counselor’s caseload would be cut almost in half and

have significantly less responsibility while earning significantly more money.”

While this seems highly unfair, it should be noted that neither Dublin, Hayward, nor Fremont school districts help pay for their teachers’ medical expenses.With this fact considered, a pay raise is still necessary in order for teachers to properly support themselves, the teachers argue.

“Even when you consider that some of these districts do not contribute to health care benefits, I would still be earning more money for my family doing the same job in any of these surrounding districts.

We are not offering competitive

compensation,” said CVTA President Alicia Gholami, who teaches at Chabot Elementary School.

Teachers who spoke at the meeting agreed that they loved teaching with CVUSD, and have grown close to their community, students, and fellow teachers. But, switching to work in another district that offers higher pay may be necessary to support their families, they said.

“No one gets into teaching with the purpose of becoming rich, and the rewards that come with teaching extend far beyond our paychecks, but financial stability is certainly a goal for most adults.

Many compensation packages for educators in neighboring districts

The Olympian: Birth of a Superhero

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are much greater than in CVUSD, and those educators still have the same opportunities to help kids that we do here,” said Carmelina Frasca, a CVHS social studies teacher.

“Students benefit from teachers who are valued and compensated fairly. Teachers with good morale are good for students. Teachers who worry about their financial future can not best serve the students of Castro Valley,” said Kim. “I think it is safe to say the entire board is committed to giving our staff an increase. Happy and appreciated employees are better for students,” said school board member Charmaine Banther.

Story By Robbie Brandt/Illustrations by Neo Diesta

CVSAN STUDENT SCHOLARSHIP

Attention High School Seniors!

Castro Valley Sanitary District (CVSan) is offering the 2014/15 CVSan Environmental Leader in Waste Reduction Scholarship for high school seniors. Up to 2 students who help their school reduce waste may be awarded a $500 scholarship.

Download the Scholarship Application from CVSan’s website:

www.cvsan.org/studentscholarship

Instructions are provided in the application. Applications must be received by CVSan on Friday, April 3rd by 2:00 p.m., no exceptions. It’s not too early to start on your application!

CASTRO VALLEY SANITARY DISTRICT Effective Environmental Services since 1939 510-537-0757 | www.cvsan.org

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